Jason Becker has gifted young shred sensation Maya Neelakantan one of his guitars after a “very emotional” meeting.
Lauded as the “future of heavy metal” by Testament vocalist Chuck Billy after joining the thrash heavyweights on stage last month, the 11-year-old metal sensation has experienced a whirlwind couple of years.
She first made a remarkable impression on the guitar world in late 2022 when she posted a video of herself covering Tool’s 7empest online, at just nine years old. The video caught the attention of Adam Jones, who sent the starlet his signature Gibson guitar in recognition of her talents. Maya then proceeded to dazzle on the Silverburst six-string with even more Tool covers.
Following a guitar-meets-sitar take of Master of Puppets that paid homage to her heritage – on a Dave Mustaine signature V no less – Neelakantan’s stock has continued to rise this year, and most recently delivered a couple of roof-raising performances on America’s Got Talent.
In a fresh Instagram post, Neelakantan revealed she recently visited Jason Becker. The Cacophony virtuoso has been living with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), which means he now has to communicate via eye movements his family translates.
Becker hasn’t let his medical circumstances stop him from pursuing his passions. He’s previously spoken to Guitar World about the challenges of writing songs with just his eyes, and earlier this year an A-list cast was assembled to put the finishing touches on one of his old demos.
That indestructible determination to make the most out of a bad situation, as it did with Eddie Van Halen, has resonated deeply with Neelakantan.
“This experience has deeply touched my heart in a way I never expected,” she says. “Just with his eyes, I could see how happy he was when I met him. We talked for a while and during that time I could see how expressive he was. I then wanted to play some Carnatic music to him.”
A five-minute improv of the guitarist weaving through her favorite Raga scale on one of Becker’s Telecasters ensued.
“When I was playing, I could feel how he was experiencing the music with me 100%. After I played, I could see how happy and smiling he was and I was so honored that I could play for him.”
Becker then told the young guitarist to take a Danelectro Sitar guitar off the wall and requested she play it for him. After a performance on the instrument, which she says “sounded unbelievable”, Becker insisted she take it home with her.
“I had goosebumps getting his blessings,” says Neelakantan. “This was an emotional [and] unforgettable day. He inspires me so much that even after all he’s been through, he still continues his passion and still creates music. I can’t explain how much that inspires me.”
The gift adds to the young guitarist’s growing collection that includes a rare Jeff Hanneman signature prototype, made shortly after the Slayer shredder’s passing.
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