EDDIE VAN HALEN donates guitars to public schools

[bluemustard]

LEGENDARY ROCK ICON EDDIE VAN HALEN
DONATES GUITARS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT
GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA

Instrument donation to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to help offset
rampant budget cuts in school music programs


LOS ANGELES, January11, 2012 – One of the most influential artists in rock history made a significant contribution today to help support music programs in public schools. The legendary Eddie Van Halen donated 75 electric guitars from his personal collection to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports music education in public schools across the country.

Per Van Halen’s request, the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation will distribute the guitars to music programs in public schools throughout the Los Angeles area where there are not enough instruments to meet the demand of students enrolled.

“Music is the universal language. It has the ability to transcend and convey every human emotion that exists without saying a word. Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me. Music education and families are dealing with the economic times, and I wanted to help them. If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then that's a wonderful thing. Music has provided a good life for me and hopefully it can help make life better for others with this donation.” Said Van Halen.

The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation donates new and refurbished musical instruments to underserved schools in an effort to give youngsters the many benefits of music education, help them to be better students and inspire creativity and expression through playing music. Hundreds of thousands of students across the country have benefitted and thousands of instruments have been donated to more than 1,100 school music programs across the country. More information can be found at www.mhopus.org.

That's a wonderful thing for Edward to do. California schools need all the help they can get!

[bluemustard]

from his personal collection..

Can I have one??
LOL

[RUDE SADDLE]

Great move by Ed very fuckin cool.

[Carmine]

Nice gesture, Edward...

[Zing!]

Ed has always been quietly generous with charities and schools - even during his roughest years. I bet he wasn't entirely on board with this being made into a big publicity splash, but Uncle Dave knows you can't buy publicity like this. Plus it's just a classy thing to do. I'm liking this new and improved Ed more and more.

[ELVIS]

I wonder if the Unchained guitar is in that lot...

[Mr Walker]

Just watch as all these little shits... or more likely their parents... start ripping these things off from the schools.

[Matt White]

I'm impressed.................

SALUTE Mr. von Halen!

[K-tuna]

LOL...Its one of his Peavey guitars ( he currently produces his own with the help of Fender).
Oh wait.......this is a diffent donation, he just recently donated one of his a couple weeks ago ( on the guitar world site ). my mistake, sorry.

But that is very cool , if they put any of them up for auction, it'll probably fetch in the tens of thousands or beyond.


Holy Cow..75.

[VOODOO_King]

Kudos to Edward! That's awesome. I'd be willing to bet they were EBMM and Peavey guitars that he'll never play again. Could you imagine being a teenager, starting band and having them hand you one of Eddie's personal Wolfgangs or Music Man guitars to play? Too cool. I'd never want to leave school!

[ZahZoo]

Just watch as all these little shits... or more likely their parents... start ripping these things off from the schools.

That was my first thought... hand a punk a retail $2000-$3000 guitar, but with Ed's having been the original owner it's worth an easy $10,000+...

Here kid try this... teacher turns to walk away... boom kid's out the door and gone before you could blink...

[VAiN]

I'd be willing to bet they were EBMM and Peavey guitars that he'll never play again.

I really doubt that... there were only about 7,000 EBMMs made and they go for a premium. No way Ed's giving those away.. I'd bet it's the cheap Korean Peavey left-overs... don't get me wrong, they're super great for 'student' instruments...

[Nitro Express]

I really doubt that... there were only about 7,000 EBMMs made and they go for a premium. No way Ed's giving those away.. I'd bet it's the cheap Korean Peavey left-overs... don't get me wrong, they're super great for 'student' instruments...

Those Korean Wolfgang guitars are fine for a gigging instrument. I have one for a backup and it's well built and the wiring is as good as my USA made one. Sound wise they are almost as good as the US made ones.

[VanCanHalen]

Nice move by Eddie, timing is good too, for the foundation and more press for him/band leading into the tour and album.

[Hardrock69]

YES!

THIS IS THE SHIT!

Peeps....this is the BIG picture part of this.

IT MEANS THE PR MACHINE IS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS!

See....in pro sports....when a rookie gets drafted or signed to a an NFL/NBA/MBL/NHL team, one of the "voluntary requirements" is that they choose a charity to get involved in.

It is seen as giving to the community, and makes for good PR for the player.


Here in Gnashville, this is a common thing with all the local cuntry artists. Get a major album out, hook up with some worthy cause, for the same above reasons....giving back to the community, and good PR to boot.

As I said, this is a MAJOR step in the right direction.......good PR for Ed, and Van Halen, and it means he actually has a REAL PR TEAM THAT IS KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES!

FUCKING GODDAM KICKASS MOTHERFUCKING HELL!

ANOTHER big step in the RIGHT DIRECTION!

[sadaist]

1st, good for Eddie.

but....he probably could have helped more had he auctioned off those 75 guitars & donated the money to the charity. Maybe they'll realize the value & do that anyways. 75 EVH personal guitars could buy a shitload of $99 Fender Squires.

[bluemustard]

[Va Beach VH Fan]

OK, so what types were those, gearheads.....

[Bob_R]

Good on you, Ed.

[ThrillsNSpills]

OK, so what types were those, gearheads.....

They're Peavey Wolfgangs, so possibly they were potential prototypes when he worked with them. (Ed's got a reputation for being a perfectionist, so it wouldn't be surprising that it took many modifications until he was happy)

[VAiN]

[VAiN]

OK, so what types were those, gearheads.....

Looks like the USA ones to me... note the pearl tuners

[ZahZoo]

75 prototypes... Highly doubtful. Ed's personal collection... again highly doubtful. There wasn't 75 variations...

Those all look like production models. Most likely unshipped stock left over at the Peavey factory. Ed probably got them at cost and donated them.

[VAiN]

75 prototypes... Highly doubtful. Ed's personal collection... again highly doubtful. There wasn't 75 variations...

Those all look like production models. Most likely unshipped stock left over at the Peavey factory. Ed probably got them at cost and donated them.

This. Must be NOS (new old stock) that can't be sold in stores anymore...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

1st, good for Eddie.

but....he probably could have helped more had he auctioned off those 75 guitars & donated the money to the charity. Maybe they'll realize the value & do that anyways. 75 EVH personal guitars could buy a shitload of $99 Fender Squires.

I agree, if he would have auctioned them off, and then donated the proceeds to the LA School District, he could have supplied many, many more basic guitars, plus the cables and amps to go along with them....

[POJO_Risin]

I agree, if he would have auctioned them off, and then donated the proceeds to the LA School District, he could have supplied many, many more basic guitars, plus the cables and amps to go along with them....

But they wouldn't be EVH personal guitars...

[Dan]

No Cables And Amps,How Rude.

[VAiN]

I agree, if he would have auctioned them off, and then donated the proceeds to the LA School District, he could have supplied many, many more basic guitars, plus the cables and amps to go along with them....

Or the school board would have squandered it and the kids get 1 shitty epiphone to share.. I like the idea of 75 guitars in 75 pairs of hands..

[TJMKID]

That was my first thought... hand a punk a retail $2000-$3000 guitar, but with Ed's having been the original owner it's worth an easy $10,000+...

Here kid try this... teacher turns to walk away... boom kid's out the door and gone before you could blink...

Sadly, I agree with your prediction ---- I bet these things are already showin' up on Ebay or Craigs ---- hard to track a stolen guitar to a certain school ---- do they even have serial numbers?

[Hardrock69]

Well, I will say this....even if they are just unsold production models that he got at cost, that is still a sizable chunk of change. If cost was, say 200 bucks....you are still looking at 15 grand.

[ashstralia]

any way you cut, slice, and dice it, it's still a magnanimous gesture. 'personal collection'? i think not. more like what arrived on the container from china one week. nevertheless, as others have said throughout history (and in this very thread!), there's no such thing as bad publicity.

[sadaist]

Or the school board would have squandered it and the kids get 1 shitty epiphone to share.. I like the idea of 75 guitars in 75 pairs of hands..

You're right, good point. School board admins woulda eaten up every last cent & the kids would have seen zilch. Better it be done this way so he is sure they are getting instruments.

[Panamark]

PR or Heartfelt, its an awesome gift.
I would be stoked to be playing one of these axes.

Im hoping one day just to own a pick that Ed used,
that alone would be awesome.

Ed looks well in that pic, got some more beef on his
bones.

[sadaist]

Weird, but Eddie looks 100 times better in color than in black & white like the Tattoo video. Most people look really good in B&W. But he kinda looks like an old catchers mit with witch hair in the video. Much healthier in this pic.



*Is that Vivian Campbell with him? What the fuck! That guy inserts himself into every band eventually.

[DLR Bridge]

But he kinda looks like an old catchers mit ...

Wow. Last time I heard that expression was in a documentary about Babe Ruth. Live a life of excess, resemble a naugahide glove. Strange.

[BruinJer]

Wow cool! Thats my mom's alma mater!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Im hoping one day just to own a pick that Ed used,
that alone would be awesome.

Funny you mentioned that... When my son and I went to the VH show at UVA in the 6th row, Ed tossed out a pick at the end of his solo, maybe 20 feet from me, and I didn't think I saw anyone really pick it up... I spent 5 fucking minutes weeding through the confetti to try and find it, but alas, no joy....

[SNIPER]

They look like the nicer ones. They have the binding around the body. There was a shop here that had the "cheap" one without the binding for 800 bucks.