Watch Eddie Van Halen Shred in Fiery Gear Demo
Eddie Van Halen is continuing to make it even easier for fans to at least come close to imitating his iconic riffs. In a new demo video, the founder and legendary guitarist of Van Halen tests out the 5150IIIS amp head, which recently joined the EVH Gear family at Fender, by playing some of his most iconic riffs, from songs like “Hot for Teacher” and “Dance the Night Away.”
While testing out the gear, Van Halen also showcases the subtle differences between the 5150IIIS and its predecessor the 5150III. The latest version of the amp head was born out of the guitarist’s desire to have a little “more gas in the tank” before his band’s 2012 tour. With his EVH Fender team, he saw his suggested circuit modification’s come to life in what he calls a “turbo-charged” version of the original amp head.
Recently, Van Halen was honored by the Smithsonian as part of their “What it means to be an American” program, recognizing his journey from Dutch immigrant to guitar god. When not discussing his personal journey, the musician spoke about the ways he has helped reinvent how guitars have been both built and played.
That same night, Van Halen revealed to Rolling Stone that his band currently has no plans to tour or record new music. “I’d love to make a studio record,” he said.”Depends on everybody’s timing. I don’t know what Dave [Lee Roth] is up to now. I don’t know if he’s living in New York or Japan or wherever he is.”
The band is about to release a new record, however: its first-ever live album with Roth at the helm, Tokyo Dome Live In Concert. Taped in June 2013 at a show in Japan, it will be available on March 31st as two CDs, a four-LP set on 180-gram vinyl and via digital outlets.