The Van Halen song for a señorita. After buying and listening a couple records by Spanish flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya, Eddie Van Halen got the idea of doing something similar with a pick since “I can’t finger-pick”. So, he “cheated” by playing tremolo picking on his (up-tuned) guitar’s open high E string (also the open B and G strings toward the end of the phrase) while hitting the lower strings with his left hand alone for the melody. That’s how he recorded the “Recuerdos De La Alhambra”-like section of the acoustic intro for “Little Guitars”.

The song’s name comes from the fact that EVH played the main track (both in the recording studio and onstage) on a custom “pocket” mini-Les Paul guitar, used exclusively for this piece.

From the 1982 album “Diver Down” by Van Halen. Original US pressing.

Numark TTXUSB turntable – Nagaoka MP-500 phono cartridge – ART DJPRE II phono stage preamp – Vinyl record vinilo LP