Shortly after Eddie Van Halen signed up with Fender, Fender took over Charvel’s striped series and made it into their own through the EVH Gear company.

The interesting thing about these guitars is that Charvel only offered three different versions for the time that Eddie was licensing Charvel to sell these guitars, based on the previous guitars that Ed had used, namely the Frankenstrat Mark I and II, and also the Bumblebee guitar. Yet in recent times (around 2015) the EVH Striped Series Star and Striped Series Circles were released as well. The latter two guitars were based on guitars that Eddie Van Halen had built himself many years ago, and are relatively affordable collector’s items today.

The EVH/Fender Striped Series guitars go way back into the history of Van Halen.

Picture courtesy http://www.vhnd.com/2015/01/18/evh-stripe-series-star-guitar-coming-soon/

Each guitar is rather cheap for a unique piece of kit. The guitars go up to the max of around $1,500.00 US each and all are beautiful and simple, with a powerful pickup in the bridge position.

Listed below are the specifications of each different model of the EVH Striped Series:

There is a good variety of different EVH/Fender Striped Series models to choose from, depending on your taste.

Picture courtesy http://iheartguitarblog.com/2013/04/get-yer-evh-striped-series.html

SPECIFICATIONS:

Body:

Body Shape: Other

Body Material: Basswood

Body Finish: Gloss Urethane

Neck:

Neck Material: 1-Piece Bolt-On Quartersawn Maple with Graphite Reinforcement and Scarf Joint

Neck Shape: Wolfgang Backshape

Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)

Fingerboard Radius: 12” to 16” Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)

Number of Frets: 22

Fret Size: Jumbo

String Nut: Floyd Rose® Locking

Nut Width: 1.6875” (42.8 mm)

Headstock: Standard Stratocaster®

Neck Plate: EVH® Branded

Neck Finish: Hand Rubbed Urethane Gel

Fingerboard: Maple

Position Inlays: Dot

Electronics:

Bridge Pickup: Direct Mount Wolfgang Humbucking

Controls: Master Volume

Pickup Switching: None

Pickup Configuration: H

Hardware:

Bridge: EVH® Branded Floyd Rose® Locking Tremolo with EVH D -Tuna®

Tuning Machines: EVH® Branded

Orientation: Right-Hand

Pickguard: None

Control Knobs: One White “Tone” Knob On Volume Pot

Miscellaneous:

Strings: EVH® Branded (0.009-0.042 Gauges)

Unique Features: EVH® Neckplate, Bar String Retainer, Thumb Wheel Truss Rod Adjustment, Vintage Strap Buttons, 1-Ply Black Pickguard on Black and White Model Only.

 

The EVH Striped Series Circles has some slightly different characteristics to it as a guitar:

The EVH/Fender Striped Series Circles guitar was based on the original “Unchained” guitar that Eddie Van Halen specifically built and recorded that song with.

Picture courtesy http://www.evhgear.com/gear/guitars/striped-series/evh-striped-series-circles-maple-fingerboard-black-and-white-crop-circles-graphic/

SPECIFICATIONS:

General:

Model Name: EVH® Striped Series Circles, Maple Fingerboard, Black and White Crop Circles Graphic

Model Number: 5107902586

Series: Striped Series

MSRP: $1199.99

Colour: Black and White Crop Circles Graphic

Body:

Body Shape: Other

Body Material: Basswood

Body Finish: Gloss Urethane

Neck:

Neck Material: 1-Piece Bolt-On Quartersawn Maple with Graphite Reinforcement and Scarf Joint

Neck Shape: Wolfgang Backshape

Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)

Fingerboard Radius: 12” to 16” Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)

Number of Frets: 22

Fret Size: Jumbo

String Nut: Floyd Rose® R2 Locking

Nut Width: 1.6875” (42.86 mm)

Truss Rod Nut: Heel-Mounted Spoke Wheel Adjustment

Neck Plate: EVH® Branded

Neck Finish: Oiled

Fingerboard: Maple

Position Inlays: Black Dot

Electronics:

Bridge Pickup: EVH® Wolfgang Humbucking

Controls: Master Volume

Pickup Switching: None

Pickup Configuration: H

Hardware:

Bridge: EVH®-Branded Floyd Rose® Locking Tremolo

Tuning Machines: EVH®-Branded

Orientation: Right-Hand

Pickguard: None

Control Knobs: Black Plastic

Miscellaneous:

Strings: EVH® Branded (.009-.042 Gauges)

Unique Features: “Bye See Ya Later” Graphic on Guitar Back, EVH Neckplate, Bar String Retainer, Thumb Wheel Truss Rod Adjustment Vintage-style Strap Buttons

 

Understandably, the EVH Striped Series Star model has its own features as well for a guitar:

There is just something genius-like and amazing about the various EVH/Fender Striped Series Models.

Picture courtesy http://www.vhnd.com/2015/01/18/evh-stripe-series-star-guitar-coming-soon/

SPECIFICATIONS:

General:

Model Name: EVH Striped Series Star, Rosewood Fingerboard, Black and White Stripe

Model Number: 5107902536

Series: Striped Series

MSRP: $1527.76

Colour: Black and White

Body:

Body Shape: Star

Body Material: Basswood

Body Finish: Gloss Urethane

Neck:

Neck Material: 1-Piece Bolt-On Quartersawn Maple with Graphite Reinforcement and Scarf Joint

Neck Shape: Wolfgang Backshape

Scale Length: 25.5” (64.8 cm)

Fingerboard Radius: 12” to 16” Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)

Number of Frets: 22

Fret Size: Jumbo

String Nut: Floyd Rose® R3 Locking

Nut Width: 1.6875” (43 mm)

Neck Plate: EVH® Branded

Neck Finish: Hand-Rubbed Urethane

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Position Inlays: White Dot

Electronics:

Bridge Pickup: EVH® Wolfgang Humbucking

Controls: Master Volume

Pickup Switching: None

Pickup Configuration: H

Hardware:

Bridge: EVH® Branded Floyd Rose® Locking Tremolo with EVH D-Tuna®

Tuning Machines: EVH® Branded

Orientation: Right-Hand

Pickguard: None

Control Knobs: Black Plastic

Miscellaneous:

Strings: EVH® Branded (.009-.042 Gauges)

 

From a collector’s point of view, these guitars are not just simply playable, but worth your money. If you are a fan of Eddie Van Halen and want to embrace a piece of your own artistic value, the EVH Striped Series is the way to go.

The Eddie Van Halen collaboration with Fender has been nothing but wonderful.

Picture courtesy http://eddietrunk.com/eddie-van-halen-unchains-long-awaited-stripe-series-circles-guitar/