“I was like, ‘The dummy pickup in Frankenstein? You really think that’s sacrilege?’ I thought replacing it with something that worked was a good idea”: Joe Satriani on what it takes to play Van Halen live – custom amps, power tools, and, above all, guts

Joe Satriani wears shades and shreds his chrome boy Ibanez signature guitar onstage at the Best Of All Worlds Tour 2024.

Few guitarists, let alone a virtuoso like Joe Satriani, would dare to touch on the legacy of Edward Van Halen. Insinuating as much usually gets fans hot and bothered – and that’s been the case since rumors of Satch paying homage to King Edward began to swirl in 2022.

That was different, though, as it featured David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen. But things changed when Satch’s old pal, Chickenfoot bandmate and former EVH cohort, Sammy Hagar, came calling with his version of Van Halen (and more) tribute-paying, The Best Of All Worlds Tour – alongside Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham.