“Eddie’s gonna come back and kill me!” Joe Satriani reveals he’s modded his EVH Frankenstein to suit his needs for Van Halen tour
With no official Van Halen reunion down the line, Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Jason Bonham and Michael Anthony are providing the next best thing. Kicking off later this month, The Best Of All Worlds tour promises to deliver ample Van Halen bangers.
In line with the occasion, Satriani is brining an Eddie Van Halen Striped Series Frankenstein electric guitar along for the ride. However, considering the number of mods he’s made, Satriani has taken the ‘Frankenstein’ name a little too seriously.
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In an interview with Jeremy White, the riffer has revealed his modded EVH Frankenstein. It’s a decision he knows might make the man himself turn in his grave; “Eddie’s gonna come back and kill me!” he jokes.
While Satriani may laugh about tampering with his idol’s signature guitar, Eddie would certainly respect his efforts. Eddie was known for his innovation, and Satriani’s work is a testament to that. “[Eddie] was a tinkerer and an inventor!” he says.
Satriani looks pretty chuffed with his modifications. “I added a Sustainiac, a clear pickguard, [and] I removed the stuff that doesn’t do anything,” he explains. “I also added a kill switch.”
Modding a guitar from EVH’s personal collection would feel sacrilegious, but fans needn’t clutch their pearls. The guitar was bought at a retail price of around $1,500… though Satriani does note that it may be worth a fair bit more following the tour.
The guitarist has also unveiled some other custom gear for the Best Of All Worlds tour. He’s set to bring 3rd Power Amps for a custom-made tube amp, aiming to truly capture EVH’s 1986 guitar tone – particularly the tones of Van Halen’s 1986 live album, Live Without A Net.
“I’ve been working with 3rd Power Amps out of Nashville to make the ultimate ’86 era Van Halen amp,” he told Talking Shred back in April. “We’ll be able to do both eras with that setup. Getting that started has been the important thing for me.”
Recent rehearsal clips have also shown that Satriani will be throwing some of his own Ibanez signature guitars into the mix.
Satriani has been on the cards for a Van Halen reunion for quite some time now. In 2022, he told the Rock of Nations podcast: “if it ever happens, it would be a great honour and a terrifying challenge.”
At the time, talks involved Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth. “I’ve been talking with Alex and Dave for about a year about doing something…” Satriani explained. “It was a terrifying prospect… I realized that it was something that would be a real labor of love for me.”
So Satriani was deemed a worthy fill in for EVH by his bandmates – that’s an incredible stamp of approval. If that doesn’t have you convinced, Satriani playing Mean Street on The Howard Stern Show will prove he’s a more than worthy tribute.
The Best Of All Worlds tour kicks off on the 13th July in Florida.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
