Joe Satriani takes tone very seriously. When it was announced he’d be joining Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Jason Bonham for the Best of All Worlds tour this summer, Satch clearly wasn’t content with simply grabbing his Ibanez signature guitar and learning the songs.
The tour is set to include Hagar and Roth-era Van Halen songs, and Satriani has previously explained he's been working with 3rd Power Amps for a custom unit designed to capture Eddie Van Halen’s guitar tone.
Now, new rehearsal footage has revealed he’s taking his tone-hunting mission even further. The clip, posted on Hagar’s Instagram, shows Satch has seemingly put down his iconic Ibanez in favor of an EVH electric guitar.
The clip is short, but it looks like Satch has opted for an EVH Striped Series ‘78 Eruption guitar for the shows. It’s unclear whether this guitar is another custom-spec build or simply an off-the-shelf EVH guitar – and if other EVH models will join it on the road – but it sounds incredible either way.
There’s also a glimpse of his pedalboard, which confirms Satriani his dived even deeper into the waters of Van Halen’s tone. Two EVH pedals – an MXR Phase 90 and Flanger – can be spotted.
There’s also a Boss CE-2w chorus pedal and a Boss DM-2w delay pedal, as well as what appears to be a TC Electronic Sub 'N' Up Octaver and Vox wah.
Considering how many of Van Halen's preferred pedals have been selected, it's interesting Satch would go for Vox over Jim Dunlop for the wah pedal. Satriani does have a signature wah, but EVH tended to opt for a Cry Baby, and even has his own signature model.
Regardless, it's clear Satch wants to get as close to Van Halen’s tone as possible, and it’s a determination we applaud.
A gear overhaul was always on the cards for the virtuoso. Satch previously told Guitar World of his intentions to fine-tune his rig to meet the tour's demands.
“My rig doesn't work because my live rig is designed so that I can play above the 12th fret on the first strings and still have everything sound fat,” he said. “I realized there's no way to play the Van Halen stuff on my rig; it's a different animal.”
“Gear is so important for the performer,” the guitarist expanded while discussing his 3rd Power amp. “I know that when we step out on stage and whether I'm playing Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love or 5150, I'm gonna need to feel and hear that sound to convince myself to keep going.
“I know, in my heart, that I wanna hear that mythical Eddie Van Halen sound that we all hear in our mind, and I wanna be able to feel it.”
The Best of All Worlds tour begins on July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida and concludes on August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri. A full list of dates can be found on Sammy Hagar's website.
