Eddie Van Halen Guitars

The History of Eddie Van Halen Guitars

From the first chords of 1978's Runnin' with the Devil, the first thing you notice when listening to Van Halen is the sound of the guitar. Eddie himself coined the phrase "The Brown Sound" to describe his famous tone, and no matter which incarnation of guitar he has played throughout the years, his sound has always been unmistakable. Listed below are some of the highlights in the history of Eddie Van Halen guitars.

Earlier Models

Frankenstein

This is the guitar that started it all. The Frankenstein, as Van Halen later called it, was assembled by Eddie in his garage. Legend has it, Eddie began taking apart an old Stratocaster guitar with the desire to route out the single coil bridge pickup slot so he could install a humbucker pickup in its place. He screwed the new pickup directly to the wood, creating a more solid tone with less sustain. After he finished, he couldn't get the original wiring right, so he wired everything to the single volume knob. He bolted on an old Charvel guitar neck and performed an improvisational finish job with some electrical tape and a can of spray paint, and the result proved to be one of the most recognizable guitars in music history. Part inspiration, part accident, the Frankenstein guitar, with all its warts and charms, reflects all that is endearing about Van Halen's music.

Steinberger GL 2T

Eddie Van Halen began playing a Steinberger GL 2T guitar both on stage and in the studio in the 1980s when Sammy Hagar joined the band. The custom painted guitar harkened back to Eddie's patented red, white and black Frankenstein guitar. The most notable feature of Steinberger guitars is the fact that they are headless, and this design allows a guitarist to transpose the entire guitar into a different key with the flip of a switch. The song Summer Nights on the 1986 album 5150 is played on this Steinberger, and if you listen closely, you can hear Eddie transpose his guitar down a full step after the guitar intro.

Ernie Ball EVH

Produced from 1990 to 1995, the Ernie Ball EVH (also known as the Music Man EVH) was a departure for Eddie Van Halen in many ways. First of all, the guitar was the first of Eddie's that wasn't striped. The finish of the EVH was a lovely natural wood flame, and it also featured two pickups instead of one. The EVH reflected the evolution of Eddie's songwriting and his desire to continue to expand the sonic potential of his playing.

Peavey Wolfgang

Following Eddie's departure from Ernie Ball guitars, he formed a partnership with Peavey Electronics to create his next guitar, the Peavey Wolfgang. Having already worked with Peavey on his 5150 amplifier, Peavey electronics seemed like a natural fit. Named after Van Halen's son, the new guitar's body had a strong resemblance to the Ernie Ball EVH guitar, except the Wolfgang had an arched top. These beautiful guitars were produced in a variety of finishes from 1995-2004 and are still highly sought after today.

Kramer 1984 Reissue

In 1984, Kramer guitars manufactured an exact replica of Eddie's Frankenstein guitar for Eddie so he could retire his original guitar. They never offered this guitar to the public, but in 2003, Kramer (now owned by Gibson guitars) began producing an affordable version of the 1984 Reissue guitar for the marketplace, but has since ceased production.

Models Available Today and Where to Find Them

Charvel EVH Art Series

The Charvel EVH Art Series guitar was launched in 2004 as a high-end collector's guitar that harkens back to the guitars that Eddie played in the earliest days of the band. The most compelling feature of these guitars is that they are all hand painted by Eddie himself! Included is a certificate of authenticity and a photo of Eddie playing the guitar. These simple, high quality guitars are available in either white and black, yellow and black, or red, white and black striped finishes. All have the single volume knob, vintage Floyd Rose tremolo and maple neck that made Eddie's Frankenstein guitar such a sensation. These guitars are only made available when Eddie has the time to create them, and they're sold on the EVH Art Series Store on eBay.

Fender Frankenstein

The future of Eddie Van Halen guitars is the Fender Frankenstein, one of the most highly anticipated guitars to ever be produced. While the Kramer 1984 Reissue was a budget version of the Frankenstein, the Fender Frankenstein is designed to be an exact replica, down to every last detail. Check out the Frankenstein's official website for details and information about how to get your hands on one.