Wolfgang Van Halen joins Cory for the season 7 premiere of Wong Notes! Chatting before the release of Mammoth II, the duo discuss guitar trios, 5150 studios, cloning, touring with Metallica, plus: Who’s that playing wah on the record? What’s WVH’s rig? And much more.On his new record, WVH has lots to share. When it comes to writing and recording rhythm tracks, he’s says, “It’s all groove.” Later, he adds, “I’ve always championed myself as more of a rhythm player than anything.”And on what’s next for EVH gear, he promises that there’s much more in store.But the most profound thoughts come when the pair go deep on music. WVH shares his soloing philosophy, which he learned from his father: “Something I follow … when I write guitar solos that my dad taught me … is you can shred all you want, but if you can’t sing the solo, then it’s usually not working. There’s always a moment … that you can do the wankery of a shreddy solo, but it’s important to be able to hum the melody, you know? That usually, with the way that I write solos … is really deliberate in the way that I write … I’m a pretty poor off-the-cuff soloist, I like to really plan things out and have it be this nice piece. It kind of forms up with a melody, then it crescendos, then by the end it wraps up with … maybe a tapping section or a shreddy sort of passage. Basically, the main thing is you should be able to hum it. The melody should be in your head.”Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Wolfgang Van Halen: https://mammothwvh.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG:

Soulive, Lettuce, Tedeschi Trucks, and most recently, Stanton Moore and Branford Marsalis—that's a short list of some of the acts Eric Krasno plays and has played with throughout his career. From one funk guitarist to another, Cory sits down with Eric to talk what it means to play the right amount of notes when jamming, what it takes for Eric to absorb and learn so many different genres, and the impact the jam band community has on its musicians. Thanks for listening to this season of Wong Notes, and be sure to catch the next!Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Eric Krasno: https://www.erickrasno.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

"If you keep your head and your ass in the same place, that'll happen on its own," says Jason Isbell on how he gets the most out of his live performances. On the heels of a new HBO documentary, he and Cory sit down for a deep discussion, talking creating genuine art that can also turn into hits, Muscle Shoals, and the intersection between "guitarist" and "songwriter"—as well as "for life" gear choices.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Jason Isbell: http://jasonisbell.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The Extreme guitarist shares his pedal philosophy—including how a visit from EVH inspired him to use a phaser on the new record—and talks about ripping with Rihanna at the Super Bowl and more.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Nuno Bettencourt: https://extreme-band.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The Phish bassist chats about everything from how to EQ a picked electric bass tone to drummers, the importance of a good shirt, his recipe for a good gig, and why he hates jam bands.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Mike Gordon: https://mike-gordon.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

Cory sits down with his bandmate-brother, multi-instrumentalist Theo Katzman, to discuss the virtues of musical self-acceptance, the infectious charisma of Trey Anastasio, and how Theo has made a career out of being a jack of all trades.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Theo Katzman: http://theokatzman.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

Mateus Asato shares on his experiences playing with pop stars, what it means to be of service to a song, and how taking a break from social media—which was where he built his fan base of 1.2 million—was crucial to his mental health.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Mateus Asato: https://www.instagram.com/mateusasato/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The professor is in. He dives deep into EVH’s moves, talks about why he prefers high action, and goes “full rant mode” into technical tips. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Paul Gilbert: http://paulgilbert.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

This week’s ep is just a couple of Strat dudes talkin’ gear. The guys get deep on everything from their favorite guitars to pedals and some speaker chat, and the busy New York guitarist and professor talks about improv and the up-and-coming crop of jazz cats.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Nir Felder: https://www.nirfelder.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The Scottish singer-songwriter talks about discovering looping, the perfect pedalboard, and gets deep about the mystery of songwriting and coping with hearing loss.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit KT Tunstall: https://www.kttunstall.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

Roots guitarist “Captain” Kirk Douglas talks about his background as a pre-school teacher, the role of the guitar in hip-hop, and gives the definitive take on his Prince story.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Kirk Douglas: https://hundredwattheart.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The Punch Brother and MacArthur Genius talks about why he chose the mandolin and how it relates to Roger Federer.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Chris Thile: http://christhile.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The Foo Fighter talks about his influences from the guitar-hero era, and shares all the details of his gear, from his signature model Fender to why “you gotta have a Phase 90 on your board.”Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Chris Shiflett: http://www.chrisshiflettmusic.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The jazz phenom chats about flying with his guitar, how he approaches fluidity on his instrument, overcoming injury, and his take on pedals and tunings.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongVisit Julian Lage: http://julianlage.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The slide master talks about amalgamating influences, keeping it fresh, how he approaches tone, and the best amp ever made.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongFender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyVJackson Audio Optimist - https://imp.i114863.net/rn3VqjFourth Position Academy Cory Wong Guitar Course - https://imp.i114863.net/5bQRGbVisit Derek Trucks: https://www.tedeschitrucksband.com/Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

The master rhythmist answers questions from fans, sharing wisdom on picking technique, practicing, balancing 24/7/365 work with family, show prep, killing bad habits, rehearsals, and how to be a good hang on the disc golf course.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongFender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyVJackson Audio Optimist - https://imp.i114863.net/rn3VqjFourth Position Academy Cory Wong Guitar Course - https://imp.i114863.net/5bQRGbHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG:

How does a legacy artist stay on top of his game? The pianist, hit singer-songwriter, producer, and composer talks about the importance of musical growth and positive affirmation; his love for angular melodicism; playing jazz, pop, classical, bluegrass, jam, and soundtrack music; and collaborating with his favorite guitarists, including Pat Metheny and Jerry Garcia.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongFender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyVJackson Audio Optimist - https://imp.i114863.net/rn3VqjFourth Position Academy Cory Wong Guitar Course - https://imp.i114863.net/5bQRGbVisit Bruce Hornsby: http://brucehornsby.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

SHRED!!The tennis-playing, art-enthusiast, Ferrari-collecting shredder talks about his passion, his practice, his love for the Strat, and who he thinks is the greatest guitar player who’s ever lived.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongFender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyVJackson Audio Optimist - https://imp.i114863.net/rn3VqjFourth Position Academy Cory Wong Guitar Course - https://imp.i114863.net/5bQRGbVisit Yngwie: http://yngwiemalmsteen.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

From channeling life experiences through his playing to his gospel influences and learning from right-handed players, Gales digs deep.Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongFender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyVJackson Audio Optimist - https://imp.i114863.net/rn3VqjFourth Position Academy Cory Wong Guitar Course - https://imp.i114863.net/5bQRGbVisit Eric Gales: https://www.ericgales.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid

Listen in as Victor shares essential wisdom for any creative person. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywongFender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyVJackson Audio Optimist - https://imp.i114863.net/rn3VqjFourth Position Academy Cory Wong Guitar Course - https://imp.i114863.net/5bQRGbVisit Victor: http://victorwooten.comHit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.comVisit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.comVisit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespodIG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespodProduced by Jason Shadrick and Cory WongAdditional Editing by Shawn PersingerPresented by DistroKid