Eddie Van Halen
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Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020) is widely considered the most influential rock guitarist of his generation. Born in the Netherlands and raised in Pasadena, California, he co-founded Van Halen with his brother Alex in the early 1970s. His two-handed tapping technique, harmonic innovations, and handbuilt guitars redefined what electric guitar could do. His "brown sound" — achieved through a modified Marshall Super Lead run at reduced voltage via a Variac — became one of the most studied tones in rock history. He also played keyboards, writing the synthesizer riff for "Jump" on an Oberheim OB-Xa. He died of throat cancer in October 2020.
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From the Sonic City Editorial
Dave vs. Sammy: Van Halen and the Singer Nobody Could WinThe debate has been running forty years. Here is the honest version.The Brown Sound: How Eddie Van Halen Accidentally Invented a New Way to Abuse a MarshallMost gear articles tell you what Eddie used. This one explains why it worked — at the level of what was actually happening inside the amplifier when he turned that Variac down to 89 volts.