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'{{Infobox musical artist | image = Wolfgang Van Halen Different Kind of Truth 2012.jpg | caption = Wolfgang Van Halen in 2012 | name = Wolfgang Van Halen | alias = Wolfie, Wolf | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | occupation = [[Musician]] | instrument = [[Bass guitar]], [[Singing|vocals]], [[guitar]], [[Drum kit|drums]], [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]] | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|3|16}} |birth_place = [[Santa Monica, California]]<ref>{{cite news |title= Van Halen names son Wolfgang |agency= Associated Press |newspaper= Rome News-Tribune |date= 1991-03-18 |url= http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bHwvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ijUDAAAAIBAJ&dq=wolfgang%20van%20halen&pg=4825%2C5062264 }}</ref> | death_date = | genre = [[Hard rock]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] | associated_acts = [[Van Halen]], [[Tremonti (band)|Tremonti]] | label = | notable_instruments = EVH Wolfgang Stealth Bass Prototype | years_active = 2004–present | website = [http://www.van-halen.com van-halen.com] }} '''Wolfgang William Van Halen''' (born March 16, 1991) is an [[United States|American]] musician. He is the bassist for [[Van Halen]], having replaced [[Michael Anthony (musician)|Michael Anthony]] in 2006. He is also the bassist for the heavy metal band [[Tremonti (band)|Tremonti]]. ==Personal life== Named in homage to the classical composer [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], he is the son of guitarist [[Eddie Van Halen]] and actress [[Valerie Bertinelli]], and the nephew of drummer [[Alex Van Halen]]. Wolfgang has said that he did not know his father was a famous musician until he "started picking up CDs and saw his picture on them."<ref name=gw/> Following the completion of the 2007/2008 Van Halen tour, Wolfgang headed back to school, hoping to graduate in the summer of 2009. Wolfgang appears as the bassist for Van Halen on ''[[Guitar Hero: Van Halen]]''.<ref>[http://www.spinner.com/2009/02/02/eddie-van-halen-considering-new-tunes-with-david-lee-roth/ Eddie Van Halen considering New Tunes with David Lee Roth], 2009-02-02, www.spinner.com.</ref> ==Career== Wolfgang had an indirect impact on his father's career from the very beginning of his life. The instrumental "316" was named in his honor, after Wolfgang's birthday. For a 13-year period ending in 2004, Eddie Van Halen collaborated with [[Peavey Electronics|Peavey]] on a line of guitars, the Wolfgang series, named after his son.<ref> {{Cite news |title= Peavey Parts With Edward Van Halen |date= 2004-12-29 |author= Mix Editors |newspaper= Mix |url= http://mixonline.com/news/headline/peavey-vanhalen-wolfgang-1229042/ }} </ref> In 2008, his father named a custom guitar after him, the Fender EVH Wolfgang.<ref> {{Cite news |title= Eddie Van Halen launches the all-new EVH Wolfgang Guitar |date= 2008-12-16 |newspaper=International Business Times |url= http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20081216/eddie-van-halen-launches-the-all-new-evh-reg-wolfgang-reg-guitar-available-jan-2009.htm }}</ref><ref> {{Cite news |title= This hand-crafted guitar is Eddie Van Halen's baby |date= 2009-01-09 |first= Marco R. |last= della Cava |newspaper= USA TODAY |url= http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-01-05-van-halen-guitar_N.htm }}</ref> He always watched the rehearsals of Eddie, and at times would try to play his uncle's [[drum kit]]. Wolfgang started playing drums at the age of nine, and then his father gave him a set of drums for his tenth birthday. Some time later he moved on to guitar and bass. He can also play [[keyboard instrument|keyboards]] and "figure things out by ear".<ref name=gw>{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-wolfgang-van-halen-talks-bass-different-kind-truth-and-more |title=Interview: Wolfgang Van Halen Talks Bass, 'A Different Kind Of Truth' and More |publisher=Guitar World |date=2012-07-30 |accessdate=2014-07-17}}</ref> Wolfgang later began actively participating in the band. He also made guest appearances during some dates of Van Halen's 2004 tour, appearing during his father's extended guitar solo spot and playing "316" with him. In late 2006, in an interview with [[Guitar World]], Eddie Van Halen confirmed that Wolfgang would replace Michael Anthony as Van Halen's bassist.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Van Halen: Anthony Out, Wolfgang In… |first=Simon |last=Bradley |date=2006-12-12 |newspaper= Music Radar |url=http://www.musicradar.com/guitarist/van-halen-anthony-out-wolfgang-in-243872 }} </ref> Wolfgang first toured with Van Halen in his new capacity in 2007.<ref> {{Cite news |title= Valerie Bertinelli a 'Proud Momma' at Van Halen Reunion |first= Brenda |last= Rodriguez |date= 2007-08-13 |newspaper= People |url= http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20051525,00.html }} </ref> In August 2010, Van Halen announced that they would reform for a new album, but with Wolfgang playing bass instead of original bassist [[Michael Anthony (musician)|Michael Anthony]]. Wolfgang made headlines in early 2008 by appearing on the cover of the April issue of ''Guitar World'' with his father, in the magazine's very first father-son issue. Wolfgang recorded his first full-length album, ''[[A Different Kind of Truth]]'', with Van Halen in 2011. The album was released on February 7, 2012.<ref> {{Cite news |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/van-halen-announce-album-release-tour-dates-20120106 |date= 2012-01-06 |title= Van Halen Announce Album Release, Tour Dates |newspaper= rollingstone.com }}</ref> On September 10, 2012, [[Alter Bridge]] and [[Creed (band)|Creed]] guitarist [[Mark Tremonti]] announced that Wolfgang would be filling for [[Brian Marshall]] as bassist for the first tour of Mark's solo band.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolfgang Van Halen Joins Mark Tremonti as Touring Bassist |first=Sterling |last=Whitaker |date=2012-09-12 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/wolfgang-van-halen-joins-mark-tremonti-as-touring-bassist/ }}</ref> Mark released his debut solo album ''[[All I Was]]'' on July 17. Wolfgang's participation with Tremonti continued into 2013, now permanently replacing Brian Marshall.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Wolfgang Van Halen Joins Tremonti, Says Van Halen Working on New Music |first=Gary |last=Graff |newspaper=Billboard |date=2013-03-06 |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1550724/wolfgang-van-halen-joins-tremonti-says-van-halen-working-on-new-music }}</ref> In a February 2015 interview with the [[National Museum of American History]], Eddie Van Halen indicated that Wolfgang is working on a solo album. ==Musical style== Wolfgang started playing the bass as his father started asking if he wanted to play with him. Wolfgang first viewed bass as "an easier version of guitar, but as soon as I started playing it I realized how wrong that was", but stated that his experience with a guitar made it easier for him to deal with the instrument. His style was described by Eddie as a "rhythm bassist, like I’m a rhythm guitarist and a bassist put together." When he first began playing bass, his inspirations were [[Les Claypool]] of [[Primus (band)|Primus]] and [[Justin Chancellor]] of [[Tool (band)|Tool]]. He also enjoys [[Chris Wolstenholme]] of [[Muse (band)|Muse]], [[John Entwistle]] of [[The Who]], [[Jack Bruce]] of [[Cream (band)|Cream]] "and all of the classic players".<ref name=gw/> ==Equipment== Most of Wolfgang's basses are custom-made to be similar to his father's [[Frankenstrat]]s and EVH Wolfgangs by Fender Master Builder and EVH engineer Chip Ellis. Two of them, one red like Eddie's guitar, and one blue as it is Wolfgang's favorite color, have [[Fender Jazz Bass]] shaped bodies and are loaded with active EMG pickups and electronics. These were used for the [[Van Halen 2007–2008 North American Tour]]. For the [[A Different Kind of Truth Tour]], Ellis built Wolfgang 3 more basses, another Jazz bass based on his father's black-and-white Frankenstrat, and two based on his fathers EVH Wolfgang guitar. Both are satin black, while one has silver stripes and one has yellow stripes similar to his father's "Bumblebee" Frankenstrat. All 3 of these are loaded with Fender N3 Noiseless pickups. For amplification, he uses EVH 5150s and Fender Super Bassmans. He uses one Super Bassman on the clean channel to provide a clean low end, while another Super Bassman and the 5150, both on channel 2, provide an over-driven sound on top of the clean Bassman. For effects, Wolfgang uses an MXR EVH signature Flanger and Phase 90, MXR Fullbore distortion, Strymon TimeLine delay, Electro-Harmonix POG, and Way Huge Pork Loin overdrive, and a Dunlop Cry Baby bass wah. ==Discography== ;With Van Halen: * ''[[A Different Kind of Truth]]'' — 2012 * ''[[Tokyo Dome Live in Concert]]'' — 2015 <small>(live album)</small> ;With Tremonti: * ''[[Cauterize (album)]]'' — 2015 ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.van-halen.com Official Van Halen Website] *{{twitter|wolfvanhalen}} {{S-start}} {{Succession box|title=[[Bass guitar|Bassist for Van Halen]]|before=[[Michael Anthony (musician)|Michael Anthony]]|after=Incumbent|years=2006&ndash;present}} {{S-end}} {{Van Halen}} {{Authority control}} {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> | NAME =Van Halen, Wolfgang | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American bass guitarist | DATE OF BIRTH =1991-03-16 | PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Santa Monica, California]] | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Halen, Wolfgang}} [[Category:1991 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American rock guitarists]] [[Category:American rock bass guitarists]] [[Category:American people of English descent]] [[Category:American people of Dutch descent]] [[Category:American people of Dutch-Indonesian descent]] [[Category:American people of Italian descent]] [[Category:Musicians from Santa Monica, California]] [[Category:Van Halen members]]'