John Mayer Joined Dave Grohl for a Van Halen Cover at Soundstage of Hope, Playing a Music Man Axis-Style Replica

John Mayer and Dave Grohl shared the stage at the Soundstage of Hope benefit concert on October 10 at Chaplin Studios in Los Angeles, with Mayer breaking out an Eddie Van Halen-inspired Music Man Axis-style replica for a performance of Van Halen’s You Really Got Me.

As originally reported by Guitar World, the appearance tied a high-profile charity set to a guitar-specific talking point: Mayer used a recreated version of the Music Man model closely associated with Van Halen during that cover. Guitar World also attributed to Mayer a recollection that, at 13, he bought a Guitar World issue with Eddie Van Halen on the cover and became enamored with the signature model.

The October 10 event was part of the annual Soundstage of Hope fundraiser, a joint benefit for Hope the Mission and Los Angeles Mission. Official event listings for Soundstage of Hope named Dave Grohl, Chevy Metal and John Mayer among the performers, while LAist also reported in advance that Grohl was set to headline the Hollywood gala with Mayer and Chevy Metal at Chaplin Studios.

A notable gear moment at a charity gala

What makes the set stand out beyond the guest list is the instrument choice. According to Guitar World’s report, Mayer played a replica of Eddie Van Halen’s Music Man signature model, commonly associated with the Axis line, during the Van Halen cover. The publication also reported that Mayer referred to the recreated guitar as “the dream machine.”

That gave the benefit performance a distinct guitar-gear angle, pairing Mayer and Grohl onstage for a Van Halen song while spotlighting a model tied to one of rock guitar’s most recognizable signature designs.

Soundstage of Hope itself has become a recurring benefit event supporting homelessness services through Hope the Mission and Los Angeles Mission. This year’s edition at Chaplin Studios brought together multiple musicians for the fundraiser, with Mayer and Grohl among the marquee names attached to the lineup.

Enter the Jam's Take

This pairing was an unexpected one, and it also arrived during a notably busy stretch of collaborations for Mayer. In recent weeks he has turned up alongside Derek Trucks and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Trey Anastasio, and Annie Lennox and Wendy Melvoin at Crossroads, adding to a run of high-visibility guest spots as his newly announced Sphere residency draws attention.