The guitarist of The Jesus and Mary Chain, William Reid, recently stated in an interview that Eddie Van Halen “ruined rock guitar” and mentioned which musician’s riffs he believes are “better.”

His brother, Jim Reid, was the one who initially brought up Van Halen during a conversation with Stereogum, suggesting that “knowing too much about making music” can negatively impact the outcome and that having limited resources encourages musicians to innovate.

“I think guitar players should never learn scales. I think the worst guitar players in the world, like Eddie Van Halen. I can’t stand Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing. I think he ruined rock guitar all through the ’80s and ’90s because so many people copied him. And I just couldn’t get any of that playin’ as fast as you can and cramming as many notes in one second as you could,” Reid added.

He claimed that Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook played “better” bass riffs throughout his career than anything Van Halen had ever created.

Did Eddie Van Halen Know 'Too Much' About Playing Guitar?

Despite his instrumental proficiency, Van Halen did not learn to play guitar with sheet music or in a formal setting — he was self-taught.

“I know music theory and I know how to write music on paper and I know how to read piano,” the guitarist said in a 1978 interview shortly after the release of Van Halen’s eponymous debut album [via Ultimate Guitar].

“But on guitar, it’s a different story. I don’t know anything about where… or nothing like that. I know basic modes. I just play what sounds good. What I think sounds good, anyway.”

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Van Halen actually built the instrument he wanted to play himself, known as the Frankenstrat. He assembled it using parts from a Fender Stratocaster and Gibson pickups because he wanted it to function like a Fender and sound like a Gibson.

“What I was trying to do was cross-pollinate a Gibson with a Fender because I love the vibrato bar,” he explained to Guitar World in 2006. “I didn’t have the money, and the guitar I wanted to play didn’t exist. It was that simple.”

Thus, Van Halen’s early situation supports Jim Reid’s argument that having limited equipment fosters more innovation — the Frankenstrat is a perfect example of this. However, whether his style of playing “ruined rock guitar” remains entirely subjective.

Eddie Van Halen Talks About His Frankenstrat With ‘Guitar World’ (2006)

See some of the other iconic guitars used by legendary rock and metal guitarists in the gallery below.