Whammy Bar Solos · #1 of 18
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Eruption

Van Halen · 1978 · solo by Eddie Van Halen
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Gear & technique · 18 solos

The Greatest Whammy Bar Solos

Dive bombs, flutters, squeals and the sweetest vibrato ever played: these solos are defined by the tremolo arm. The list runs from Lonnie Mack's Bigsby on Wham! and Hendrix's Star-Spangled Banner to Eddie Van Halen's Eruption, Steve Vai's For the Love of God, Dimebag Darrell's Floyd Rose dives and Jeff Beck's bar-controlled melodies. Every video starts at the solo.

  1. 1
    Eruption
    Van Halen · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1978
  2. 2
    For the Love of God
    Steve Vai · solo by Steve Vai · 1990
  3. 3
    Star Spangled Banner
    Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1969
  4. 4
    Floods
    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1996
  5. 5
    Cowboys from Hell
    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1990
  6. 6
    Where Were You
    Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1989
  7. 7
    Freeway Jam
    Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1975
  8. 8
    Nessun Dorma
    Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 2010
  9. 9
    Limelight
    Rush · solo by Alex Lifeson · 1981
  10. 10
    Yankee Rose
    David Lee Roth · solo by Steve Vai · 1986
  11. 11
    Don't Tell Me You Love Me
    Night Ranger · solo by Brad Gillis & Jeff Watson · 1982
  12. 12
    Tooth and Nail
    Dokken · solo by George Lynch · 1984
  13. 13
    Angel of Death
    Slayer · solo by Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King · 1986
  14. 14
    Through the Fire and Flames
    DragonForce · solo by Herman Li, Sam Totman · 2006
  15. 15
    Wham!
    Lonnie Mack · solo by Lonnie Mack · 1963
  16. 16
    The Great Curve
    Talking Heads · solo by Adrian Belew · 1980
  17. 17
    Wonderful Slippery Thing
    Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2006
  18. 18
    Only Shallow
    My Bloody Valentine · solo by Kevin Shields · 1991

Quick answers

What is the best whammy bar solo ever?

Eddie Van Halen's Eruption is ranked highest on the site, with Steve Vai's For the Love of God close behind. For melody played with the bar, Jeff Beck's Where Were You is the usual answer.

What is a dive bomb?

A dive bomb is when the player pushes the whammy bar all the way down so the pitch drops fast, often from a harmonic, for a falling-bomb sound. A locking system like the Floyd Rose keeps the guitar in tune afterwards.

Is the whammy bar the same as the DigiTech Whammy pedal?

No. The whammy bar (tremolo arm) bends the pitch by moving the bridge. The DigiTech Whammy is a pitch-shifting pedal. This list is about the bar, so pedal-driven Tom Morello solos are not on it.