The Eddie Van Halen Guitar Built by My Uncle Gilles Loignon

On December 12, 2025, I lost my uncle, Gilles Loignon. To many, he was a passionate, ingenious man, always ready to take on new challenges. To me, he was above all the one who helped my passion for the guitar grow.

As a teenager, I dreamed of owning a guitar like Eddie Van Halen’s. Back then, that kind of guitar was practically impossible to find. So I started buying the various parts needed to make that dream come true. Gilles then offered to put them together and build the entire guitar.

We went to Steve’s Music in Montreal together to choose the last components. That day became even more memorable when we met guitarist Robert Marchand, who performed tributes to Eddie Van Halen. Robert knew Eddie’s gear inside out and helped us choose parts as faithful as possible to those of his idol. He also gave us plenty of valuable advice. For the young enthusiast I was, that meeting will stay etched in my memory.

Once all the parts were gathered, Gilles got to work. With tremendous patience and remarkable attention to detail, he assembled the guitar, made all the necessary adjustments and painted it in the famous yellow and black pattern inspired by Eddie Van Halen. When he handed it to me, I was incredibly proud. I finally had the guitar I had dreamed of for so long.

A few years later, while I was playing Van Halen’s DOA, I unfortunately broke the guitar’s tremolo. I bought a Floyd Rose system and, as always, Gilles agreed to install it with the same patience and precision as when he first built it.

Over time, my musical influences evolved and I became a great admirer of Yngwie Malmsteen. Once again, Gilles rose to the challenge. He installed two HS-3 neck pickups, like the ones Malmsteen used, allowing the guitar to evolve along with my new inspirations.

Today, this guitar means much more than a simple instrument. It tells part of my story. Every part, every modification and every detail reminds me of the many hours Gilles devoted to it, his talent, his meticulousness and his passion for a job well done.

Over the years, I have come to realize that Gilles did not just assemble a guitar for me. He helped me fulfill a teenage dream. Every time I pick it up, I think back to our conversations, our visits to Steve’s Music, that unexpected meeting with Robert Marchand and all the time he invested so that this guitar would be exactly as I had imagined it.

This guitar has become a true legacy. It symbolizes passion, the passing on of knowledge and the special moments I was lucky enough to share with an exceptional uncle.

Thank you, Gilles.

You didn’t just help me build the guitar of my dreams. You passed on a passion to me, priceless memories and a part of yourself that will live on every time I play this instrument.