INTERVIEW
WOLFGANG VAN HALEN
A minute’s all it takes to find out what makes a great guitarist tick. Before he jumped into his limo to the airport, we grabbed a chat with the Mammoth WVHfrontman, who carries guitar-playing history on his shoulders.
GT:
Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without?
WVH: Yes, a 0.6 Max-Grip Dunlop. It’s the pick I’ve played with for 10 years - it’s what my Dad used and it’s the only thing that works for me. At one point I went through a huge order from Dunlop and basically tried every single pick, only to realise that I was most comfortable with the pick I was already using. It was a good way to decide what works, so I still got a lot out of doing it!
GT: Do you play another instrument well enough to do so in a band? If so, what, and have you ever done it?
WVH: Yes, I write all the parts and play all the instruments on my albums.
GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it?