It should come as no surprise that some of the best hard rock guitar tones we’ve heard this year arrived courtesy of one Wolfgang Van Halen.
The End, which is the third full-length from the singer/guitarist’s Mammoth project, is riddled with world-dominating distortion and thunderous overdrive.
Wolfgang tells MusicRadar that virtually all of the album was recorded with a gold relic prototype of his EVH SA-126 signature guitar, going into an EVH 5150 III 6L6 amp and cab.
“With the second album, it was a different guitar, but still the second or third prototype of my SA-126 signature,” he explains. “I’ve come to know what works for Mammoth and that’s the SA, for sure.”
Using a semi-hollow guitar in a high gain situation will usually result in a lot of unwanted noise, but not this one.
It’s a consideration at the very heart of the SA-126 design, with the Wolfgang and the EVH team trying to find a balance between vintage warmth and modern practicality.
“Controlling a semi-hollow with gain is an art form in itself,” adds Wolfgang. “But we ended up finding a happy medium with the slightly hotter wound pickups that Tim Shaw helped us with.”
He continues: “Most classic semi-hollows have an 8.2k wind, so we did three – the classic, 10.2k and 12.2k.
“The latter was too much, it was feeding back like crazy. 10.2k was perfect. There was noise but you could manage it in a fun way. It’s nice to have help but you can’t let the pickup do all the work.”
The 5150 III 6L6 is the same rig Wolfgang uses live. Interestingly, the touring guitarists in his band – Jon Jourdan and Frank Sidoris – incorporate different variations of the same head.
“We use every aspect of the 5150 III, so Jon plays the EL34 and Frank plays the Stealth,” Wolfgang reveals.
With the signature guitars doing so well, it begs the question – could we ever see a Wolfgang Van Halen signature amp at some point?
“It’s possible,” he admits, “but right now I’m so happy with the 6L6. I don’t know what the point would be.
“It would be fun to do if there’s time. I’ve been touring so much, I leave a lot of this stuff up to [business partner] Matt Bruck. That’s exactly how he was with my dad. They started the company together.”
As it turns out, the amp used for the album was the same head and cab he had on stage at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London in 2022.
“We retired that amp,” Wolfgangs says. "It just lives in the studio now because it’s so special to me.
He adds with a smile: “I even call the head and cab Liam and Noel as a little hint to the whole Wembley thing.”
Wolfgang is a big fan of Oasis, but hasn’t been able to catch any of their reunion shows.
“They played LA two days after I left and I was so bummed to miss that Oasis show,” he shrugs. “I hope they keep it going so I can catch them later on. Noel is one of my favourite songwriters in general, he’s just so good.”
Noel Gallagher’s influence on popular rock and Britrock cannot be overstated. But – particularly with the first three Oasis albums – it’s easy for people to forget how heavy he could be when his heart desired.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” Wolfgang nods. “There’s definitely some heavier stuff in there, but usually people just think of the biggest hits. Oasis are so much more than that.
“I think from the American perspective, a lot of people tend to think of them as the Wonderwall band, but when I’m in the UK it’s like, ‘No, it’s all about the whole catalogue’.
“I love Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. That’s a big one for me. I love that album.”
For Wolfgang, who cites Abbey Road and Revolver among his favourite albums, that connection between Oasis and The Beatles is a big draw.
“Well, when you look up some of the interviews he’s put out, sometimes it sounds like Liam thinks he’s in The Beatles, too!” Wolfgang laughs. “But, honestly, they’re great.”
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