The Johnny Beane Podcast

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we take a closer look at the EVH Limited-Edition Wolfgang Special 2015 in Distressed Ivory — the guitar inspired by Eddie Van Halen’s legendary Wolfgang used during the 2015 Different Kind of Truth world tour.

With its road-worn Distressed Ivory finish, lightweight basswood body, graphite-reinforced quarter-sawn maple neck, ebony fingerboard, and EVH Wolfgang AL2 and AL3 humbuckers, this Wolfgang Special was built to deliver Eddie’s signature combination of power, sustain, clarity, and playability.

The guitar also features an EVH-branded Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo, EVH D-Tuna, kill switch, and EVH Bourns controls, giving players plenty of tools for dive bombs, squeals, Drop D tuning, and classic Van Halen-style effects.

We’re taking a look at what makes this limited-edition Wolfgang Special so special, how it connects to Eddie’s 2015 touring era, and why it remains such a sought-after EVH Van Halen guitar for collectors and players.

🎸 EVH Wolfgang Special 2015
🎸 Distressed Ivory finish
🎸 Different Kind of Truth era
🎸 EVH Wolfgang AL2 & AL3 pickups
🎸 Floyd Rose 1000 Series + D-Tuna
🎸 22-fret ebony fingerboard

What do you think of Eddie Van Halen’s 2015 Wolfgang Special?

#VanHalen #EddieVanHalen #EVHGuitars #WolfgangSpecial

On this episode of Talking Guitars on Johnny Beane TV, we’re talking about Fender CEO Bud Cole’s candid response to player complaints about Fender guitar quality control — and what the company says it’s doing to fix the problem.

Fender has faced growing criticism from some players over quality control, particularly following the huge surge in guitar demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Cole says Fender is listening — and changes are already being made.

🎸 Here’s what Bud Cole had to say:

• Fender has heard the complaints about quality control and says it is taking them seriously.

• Cole acknowledged that the massive increase in guitar demand during COVID affected production and manufacturing yields.

• Fender has introduced a new quality-control program called Fender 360, designed to monitor quality throughout the entire manufacturing process — from raw materials through final inspection.

• Cole says the program is already being implemented at Fender’s Corona, California factory, as well as Ensenada, Mexico, and other facilities.

• Cole emphasized that quality has to come before production yield, saying that increased output doesn't matter if quality isn't the priority.

• Cole also discussed Fender’s recent Stratocaster legal campaign, which has included cease-and-desist actions involving companies such as PRS and Yamaha.

• The legal campaign has divided opinion throughout the guitar industry, while Fender continues efforts to protect the Stratocaster design.

The big question now is: Will players actually see a noticeable improvement in Fender guitars coming out of the factories?

What do YOU think? 🎸

#Fender #FenderGuitars #Stratocaster #TalkingGuitars

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we’re talking about an incredible Van Halen reunion of sorts!

Mitch Malloy — the “lost” Van Halen singer who nearly joined the band in 1996 — just shared the stage with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony!

At the 2026 Vegas Rocks! Magazine Music Awards in Las Vegas, Malloy and Anthony teamed up for a powerful performance of the Van Halen classic “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love.” And the lineup was stacked!

🎸 Mitch Malloy — Vocals
🎸 Michael Anthony — Bass
🥁 Blas Elias (Slaughter) — Drums
🎸 Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses) — Guitar
🎸 Christian Brady (Hellyeah) — Guitar
🎤 Jeff Scott Soto — Backing Vocals
🎸 Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) — Guitar

The performance took place Sunday, September 20, 2026, at The Orleans Showroom in Las Vegas during Sally Steele’s eighth Vegas Rocks! Magazine Music Awards.

Fan-filmed video of the performance was uploaded by Diana Lyons on YouTube.

🔥 THE VAN HALEN CONNECTION

For longtime Van Halen fans, this performance is especially interesting because Mitch Malloy came incredibly close to becoming Van Halen’s fourth lead singer.

Back in the summer of 1996, Malloy was brought into the Van Halen world following the departure of Sammy Hagar.

According to Malloy, the road to 5150 started when a former road manager repeatedly told him that Sammy was going to be fired and that Mitch could become the next singer of Van Halen.

Malloy initially didn't believe it.

Then something happened that changed everything:

Eddie Van Halen called.

Desmond Child had been working with Eddie and told the band that Malloy could be the right person for Van Halen. Before long, Mitch was on a plane to Los Angeles and inside Eddie’s legendary 5150 studio.

Malloy later recalled that Eddie told him he was in the band on his third day at the studio.

But then came one of the most unforgettable moments in Van Halen history.

📺 THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED

At the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony reunited onstage with David Lee Roth for the first time in 12 years.

Malloy was watching the broadcast alone.

And when Roth walked onto the stage, Mitch immediately realized what it meant for his future with Van Halen.

In his own recollection, Malloy said he knew at that moment that he wasn't going to be the singer of Van Halen.

That dream was over.

Van Halen ultimately chose Gary Cherone as their next frontman, resulting in the 1998 album Van Halen III.

🎸 FAST-FORWARD TO 2026...

Nearly three decades later, Mitch Malloy is back onstage performing a Van Halen classic — with Michael Anthony standing beside him.

Malloy shared photos with Anthony afterward and expressed how great it was to see him again and finally rock together in front of an audience.

And for Van Halen fans who know the history, there's something pretty special about seeing these two musicians sharing the stage after everything that happened in 1996.

🤘 MORE FROM MITCH MALLOY

Malloy's career has gone far beyond his connection to Van Halen.

• Former frontman of Great White
• Award-winning songwriter
• Has written with Desmond Child, Jim Weatherly, Mike Reid, Dennis Morgan, Victoria Shaw and others
• Former publishing deals with Warner Chappell and Chrysalis Music
• Has worked with artists and companies including Taylor Swift, Boys Like Girls, Kenny Loggins, Craig Morgan and Sony Music
• Voiceover work for Outdoor Channel and Field & Stream
• Even became a voice for Starburst candy
• His Van Halen story is chronicled in the 2013 documentary “Mitch Malloy: Van Halen’s Lost Boy”

And now, in 2026, Malloy has added another incredible chapter to the story:

Sharing the stage with Michael Anthony and performing “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love.”

🎸 What do YOU think about Mitch Malloy performing Van Halen with Michael Anthony?

#VanHalen #MitchMalloy #MichaelAnthony #ExclusivelyVanHalen

On this episode of Talking Guitars on Johnny Beane TV, we’re talking about a major new development from Fender that could change the way guitarists experience single-coil pickups. 🎸

Did Fender finally solve the single-coil hum problem — without changing your pickups or your tone?

🔇 Fender’s new Silent System is designed to eliminate unwanted single-coil hum.
⚡ It’s a passive, battery-free system built directly into the guitar.
🎸 Unlike traditional noiseless pickups, Fender says the system can work with almost any pickup, including aftermarket pickups.
🛠️ The technology is hidden underneath the pickguard, so the guitars look completely traditional from the outside.
🔬 Fender is debuting the technology in Limited Edition American Professional Classic Stratocaster and Telecaster models.
🎵 The Strat features three vintage-inspired Coastline ’57 single-coil pickups, while the Tele uses two Coastline ’63 pickups.
💰 Both guitars are priced at $1,599.99 in the U.S.
🤔 Fender has been making Noiseless pickups for years, so what makes this new approach different?
🔥 With Fender, Gibson and other major manufacturers investing heavily in new pickup technology, is the next big evolution in guitar tone already here?

This could be one of the most interesting guitar technology developments Fender has introduced in years. Could this finally give single-coil players the classic tone they love without the unwanted hum?

What do you think — would you want this technology in your next Strat or Tele?

#Fender #Stratocaster #GuitarTech #SingleCoil

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we’re going back to September 22, 1985 — the day Sammy Hagar was supposed to introduce himself to the world as the new singer of Van Halen.

And it happened at one of the biggest benefit concerts in rock history.

🎸 Farm Aid 1985
On this day in 1985, the very first Farm Aid concert was held at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
The event was organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young to raise money for struggling family farmers.
The lineup was absolutely loaded with legendary artists, including:
Alabama
The Beach Boys
Bob Dylan
Merle Haggard
Waylon Jennings
Loretta Lynn
And Sammy Hagar
Hagar had already been booked to perform at Farm Aid before he officially replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen.
That meant Farm Aid was supposed to be the perfect opportunity for Sammy to publicly announce that he had joined Van Halen.
The concert was being broadcast live on television and radio, with an enormous audience watching and listening.
🤘 Then Sammy Hagar Went Onstage
Sammy opened his set with “There’s Only One Way to Rock.”
He was playing in front of a massive crowd — reports put the audience at around 80,000 to 90,000 people.
Then came “I Can’t Drive 55.”

While introducing the song, Sammy got a little carried away and famously said:

“Here’s a song for all you tractor-pulling motherf*ers!”**

There was just one problem:

The concert was being broadcast live.

📺 And Then They Pulled the Plug
According to Sammy Hagar's 2012 autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, the radio broadcast was immediately shut down.
The live television feed was also taken off the air.
Sammy later described the situation as basically screwing everything up.
And unfortunately, that meant the big Van Halen announcement didn't happen the way it was supposed to.
🎤 Sammy Brings Out Van Halen
Sammy and Van Halen still went ahead with the plan.
Eddie Van Halen and the band joined Sammy onstage.
Together, they performed a version of Van Halen's “Rock and Roll.”
But by that point, the television and radio broadcasts were already off the air.
So the moment that could have introduced Sammy Hagar as the new singer of Van Halen to a massive national audience was essentially missed.
📼 But There’s a Silver Lining
Fortunately, footage of that historic first public performance does exist.
And looking back now, it's an incredible moment in Van Halen history.
Sammy Hagar had officially stepped into one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
And his first public appearance with Van Halen happened at the very first Farm Aid.

So here's the question:

What if Sammy Hagar hadn't gone off-script at Farm Aid 1985?

Would that have become one of the biggest live television moments in Van Halen history?

#VanHalen #SammyHagar #EddieVanHalen #FarmAid