Van Halen, All Cut Up
A few weeks ago, the Van Halen News Desk featured a story on a Hollywood guitarist, Craig Parker Adams, who likes to write instrumentals that sound like early Van Halen.
We recently noticed that he had an interesting video on Youtube that we just had to ask him about. So we did.
The music from the video is from an unrehearsed Van Halen medley that he and his friends jammed one night. Very cool!
The footage, however, is more than just home movies that he threw together. There are some very cool Van Halen-related historical artifacts in there.
First, the video.
Here’s what Craig told us about the video:
That video is about 60% home movie and 40% very cool VH-related things and places.
For the VH-related gear, I went over to my good friend and amp savior, Doug Anderson’s private shop, ” The Tone Zone.” Doug has what he calls the “VH Museum,” and every time I’m there I just soak it up like any true VH fan would. Doug has worked on my amps for quite a while now so when I show up with a camera he couldn’t care less…
So, what are the cool things to look for in this video? I’m holding an odd looking guitar that just might be Ed’s very first guitar! You’ll see the old photograph I’m holding of Ed & Al as little kids and Ed is holding what looks like the same guitar that I’m holding in the next segment. Doug’s collection is off the vintage charts, so there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of this guitar, but he does mention that this has not been officially confirmed by Ed, so that should be noted.
Next, the Red Destroyer that Ed used on some of Women and Children First. Chris Holmes from Wasp lent the guitar to Ed and Neil Zlozower took shots of them in the studio while recording at Sunset Sound. You can see from the original print that Doug got from Zloz that the guitar is leaning right next to Ed. Also, in the upper corner near the frame is a shot of Chris with the guitar. That thing is cool.
The striped shark guitar I’m playing is obviously a replica.
Another really cool piece of gear is one of Ed’s original 4 x12 cabs from Van Halen’s club days and their first world tour. You can see the original club days circa Van Halen logo on the back as well as a cuss word or two all torn up. I love it!
Then there are a few rare and cool old posters I included as well. Doug really has so many great pieces of vintage VH gear from pedal boards to variacs, pick up’s and on and on. A real treat to see and touch, for sure.
As for the two locations featured in the video, I went by the great “Sunset Sound” studio where Van Halen recorded a few of their first records, as well as “Western Exterminators” where they borrowed their mascot for use on the 1984 record, as well as for the tour. Besides using that logo as a mascot, they replicated his signature move live on stage during “House of Pain.” Some of their best choreography to date.
Other than that it’s various personal footage of people & photos from my life…
In a new, exclusive interview with Eddie Van Halen, 
“The tolerance of things on this guitar is like NASA standards. It had to be tight, and it had to be quality. Le Mans is probably the most important race on the planet. It’s 24 hours—a grueling, brutal race. There’s a reason why an Audi R8 won that race three years in a row [2000–2002]. Those guys did what we did with this guitar. They paid attention to every damn detail. You can’t say, ‘Oh, that will do.’ No, it won’t do.”
