John Mayer’s opinion on Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen changed the course of guitar playing, and although many new musicians weren’t even born yet when Van Halen made a huge impact on music, the acclaimed guitarist John Mayer was one of those who grew up influenced by him. Mayer has also spent the last decade playing with former Grateful Dead members in Dead & Company. Over the years, he has talked about Eddie’s playing and given his opinion on him.

John Mayer’s opinion on Eddie Van Halen

“Eddie Van Halen was a guitar superhero. A true virtuoso. A stunningly good musician and composer. Looking up to him as a young kid was one of the driving forces in my needing to pick up a guitar. I was so blown away watching him exert such control and expression over his instrument.”

“Learning to play the guitar taught me so many things. But still absolutely nothing about how to play like Eddie Van Halen. And for that reason, I never stopped watching him in adolescent awe and wonder, and I promise you I never will. So very sad to learn of his passing. My love to his family, his bandmates, his friends and his crew. EVH FOREVER,” John Mayer said after Eddie’s death in 2020. They had the chance to meet each other in 2014, when Rolling Stone brought them together with other guitar legends like Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy and Kirk Hammett on the cover of its “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time” issue.

One of the main reasons Mayer likes Eddie so much is that he always sounded like himself, regardless of the gear he was using. “The reason I love Eddie Van Halen and Jeff Beck is because they sound like themselves. What I wanted to do is get one amp that I can take anywhere, and sound like myself,” he said in an interview with Guitar World in 2017.

John Mayer covered Van Halen’s “Panama” live

During many of his shows in 2008, John Mayer covered Van Halen’s “Panama” live. He even performed the song using Eddie’s iconic red Frankenstein guitar. More recently, when he was interviewed by Sammy Hagar on his TV show “Rock & Roll Road Trip”. He praised the former Van Halen bandmate, who said that Mayer had one of the same qualities that the late guitarist had.

“The three school guys that I’ve played with (are) you, Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani. My three favorite guitar players, no joke!” Mayer then jokes: “Can I get a tape of that? (laughs)”. Sammy continued: “Playing with you guys, just seems to be one notch above when you have some kind of schooling and are able to understand music,” he said.

During the same TV show, Mayer performed another Van Halen song, “Finish What Ya Started” with Sammy Hagar. The track is from the “Van Hagar” era and was released on the 1988 album “OU812”. Hagar and Mayer are good friends and in 2024 when the singer was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the guitarist was one of the guest speakers who paid tribute to him.

During his speech, Mayer recalled how they first met in 2015, when the singer visited a Dead & Company rehearsal. He recalled that he sat at the piano and started playing Van Halen’s “Dreams” and Hagar quickly sat beside him and started to sing.

He said:

“During a break, I sat down at the piano and started playing Dreams from the ‘5150’ album. Sammy sat down next to me and started singing the tune along with me. (It was) the first time we’d ever met. It was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. From there we were off and running as friends.

“Sammy understood my nervousness about joining an already established legendary rock band, and he was incredibly supportive of me. It’s not easy stepping into a position that the audience isn’t quite ready to accept. Sammy knew that and he gave me great comfort in his instant friendship, his kindness. And by letting me drive his Lotus Esprit around the neighbourhood alone without even thinking twice about it,” he said.

The long-discontinued Eddie Van Halen guitar John Mayer asked to have made for him

John Mayer was only one year old when Van Halen released their debut album in 1978, so he discovered the band much later. In 1991, when he was 13, he bought a copy of Guitar World magazine with Eddie on the cover. He fell in love with Eddie’s Music Man signature model guitar, dreaming of one day owning it. When he was already a famous musician, around 2014, he reached out to Ernie Ball/Music Man and asked them to make that model for him.

He recalled that story in his social media, saying: “(Throwback) with a twist. Back in 1991, at the age of 13, I bought a Guitar World with Eddie Van Halen on the cover. (I) fell in love with his Music Man signature model (and his playing). 23 years later I reached out to Ernie Ball/Music Man and asked if they could make my childhood dream come to life by building one more of these long-discontinued guitars. Here it is, made from original parts stored away since 1991. The dream machine. Complete with “JCM” monogram on the headstock. Can’t begin to describe the joy. Thanks!” he said.