You probably could produce the same effect with a Van der Graaf, but a Tesla coil produces a pulsating e field, while a Van der Graff produces a static e field,

You probably could produce the same effect with a Van der Graaf, but a Tesla coil produces a pulsating e field, while a Van der Graff produces a static e field, so there is a possibility of some difference. It would be very interesting to do the experiment with both and see.