It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Eddie Van Halen put out this model of guitar for people to enjoy after much interest in the EVH Gear label.
The continuous evolution of Eddie’s sound and tone over the years has had many twists and turns. The result is this, EVH’s signature model guitar. It is exactly what Eddie himself uses and plays today.
Eddie Van Halen is a living legend, as shown here in the special Smithsonian lecture for which he was an honourable guest at. He fully deserves the credit for his musical development, of the latest main development is the guitar next to him, which this article is about.
Picture courtesy https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/2/eddie-van-halens-immigrant-take-on-american-rock-n/
So, what differs to the main line of EVH Wolfgang guitars? Coming in either an Ivory (White) or Stealth (Black) finish, there are a few key differences to the regular line of Wolfgangs here.
Firstly, the Basswood body is complemented with a Maple top. The pickups are also somewhat different from a traditional Wolfgang, being that the neck pickup is an Alnico 3 type humbucker, with the bridge pickup being an Alnico 2 humbucker. Prior to this, all EVH Gear guitars had Alnico 2 pickups on them in both positions.
The EVH Wolfgang USA Edward Van Halen Signature also comes in an Ivory finish. As mentioned by EVH marketer Matt Bruck, the Ivory version of this line of guitars is intended to be a halfway house between the Stealth version, and the Tour Relic Replica that Eddie recently played in 2015 on the live tour.
Picture courtesy http://www.evhgear.com/gear/guitars/wolfgang-usa/wolfgang-usa-edward-van-halen-signature-ebony-fingerboard-ivory/
Additionally, there is the kill switch. This is on Eddie’s own guitar which acts as a push-push volume cut, which Eddie notably uses on “You Really Got Me” in live performances, and other songs he plays. Additionally, instead of the regular strap buttons come key clasps, ideal for the dog-lead style strap that Eddie Van Halen uses on his guitars for a more secure strap setting.
In any case, below are the specifications of the guitar, courtesy of the www.evhgear.com website:
GENERAL:
Model Name: Wolfgang® USA Edward Van Halen Signature, Ebony Fingerboard, Stealth
Model Number: 5107920868
Series: Wolgang® USA
MSRP: $4475.51
Colours: Choice between Ivory (White) or Stealth (Black)
BODY:
Body Shape: Wolfgang®
Body Binding: 5-Ply
Body Material: Basswood with Big Leaf Maple Top
Body Finish: Satin Urethane
Body Back: Basswood
Body Top: Big Leaf Maple
NECK:
Neck Material: Quartersawn Maple
Neck Shape: Wolfgang Backshape, .805” @ 3rd fret / .890 @ 12th fret
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Fingerboard Radius: 12”-16” compound radius (304.8 mm to 406.4mm)
Number of Frets: 22
Fret Size: Vintage Stainless
String Nut: Floyd Rose® Locking
Nut Width: 1.650” (42mm)
Headstock: EVH®-Branded
Neck Plate: NA
Neck Finish: Hand-Rubbed Urethane Gel
Fingerboard: Ebony
Position Inlays: Pearloid Dot (Stealth) or Block Inlays (Ivory)
ELECTRONICS:
Bridge Pickup: EVH® Wolfgang® Humbucking
Neck Pickup: EVH® Wolfgang® AL3 Humbucker
Controls: EVH® BI Tech HPU Low Friction Volume, EVH® Bourns High Friction Tone
Pickup Switching: EVH Reverse-Style 3-Position Switching: Position 1: Neck Pickup, Position 2: Neck and Bridge, Position 3: Bridge.
Pickup Configuration: HH
HARDWARE:
Bridge: EVH®-Branded Floyd Rose® Locking Tremolo with EVH D-Tuna®
Tuning Machines: EVH® Branded
Orientation: Right-Hand
Hardware Finish: Chrome
Pickguard: N/A
Control Knobs: Black “Speed” Knobs
Switch Tips: Black
MISCELLANEOUS:
Strings: EVH® Branded (.009-.042 Gauges)
Is there anything Eddie Van Halen himself cannot do or has not done in his pursuit of the perfect tone? Eddie truly is the master of tone chasing and this guitar is the last step (so far) in that tone chasing nature of his.
Picture courtesy https://spinditty.com/instruments-gear/EVH-Wolfgang-vs-Ibanez-JEM77
Notably, this guitar is the final step (to this date) of Eddie Van Halen’s most recent evolution, although future changes could be done to this guitar and line up of guitars. If you are fascinated by the most modern and recent addition to the evolution of the Brown Sound, or just need a fantastic shred style guitar to add to your collection, look no further.
References:
- Wolfgang® USA Edward Van Halen Signature. EVH Gear. http://www.evhgear.com/gear/guitars/wolfgang-usa/wolfgang-usa-edward-van-halen-signature-ebony-fingerboard-stealth/
- EVH Wolfgang USA Edward Van Halen Signature Electric Guitar – New From NAMM 2017. Musician’s Friend, YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF0fdY3gAiI
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