Eddie Van Halen Talks About His New EVH Wolfgang Guitar

Eddie Van Halen rarely does interviews—but he has granted one to Guitar World magazine for the cover of their February issue, on sale Dec. 16. In the exclusive one-on-one interview with the Van Halen legend, Ed discusses the making of his new EVH Wolfgang guitar from Fender.

Van Halen tells Guitar World, "This guitar is a culmination of my 35 years of experimenting with guitars. Everything that I’ve destroyed, stumbled onto, learned and experienced in my journey to get to where we are now is in this guitar. And there is a lot more to come."

Throughout the interview with Guitar World writer Chris Gill, which took place in a workshop at the EVH/FMIC (Fender Musical Instrument Corporation) factory, Van Halen details the painstaking process of designing and constructing the EVH Wolfgang.

"The tolerance of things on this guitar is like NASA standards. It had to be tight, and it had to be quality. Le Mans is probably the most important race on the planet. It’s 24 hours—a grueling, brutal race. There’s a reason why an Audi R8 won that race three years in a row [2000–2002]. Those guys did what we did with this guitar. They paid attention to every damn detail. You can’t say, ‘Oh, that will do.’ No, it won’t do."

On the subject of new Van Halen music, the guitarist had this to say:

"I’ll be making music ’til the day I die. I’ve done all kinds of stuff, and more is coming. I can’t tell you exactly when right now. Wolfgang is in the 12th grade and he needs to graduate first. Then I’m getting married in June. We’ll pick it up after that."

To read more of this interview, and to see new photos of Ed and the EVH Wolfgang guitar, click here.

Comments

[Jayok]

Pretty cool, but he has already done these before.. shoulda came up with a new idea and a different name

[tands]

does he just make guitars these days or music too?

[Aleks_Ring]

tands wrote:

does he just make guitars these days or music too?

I'm pretty sure he's still making music, most musicians do it all the time it's just that they don't necessarily go out in the media about it.
"I’ll be making music ’til the day I die. I’ve done all kinds of stuff, and more is coming. I can’t tell you exactly when right now."

[Tabassco]

"...to Guitar World magazine for the cover of their February issue, on sale Dec. 16..."

Hilarious.

[RU Experienced?]

That guitar looks gorgeous, I love all the plain ones laying beside it.

[b.m.s.]

Looks very nice indeed

[Shinozoku]

I think it'll be interesting to see how this model comes out under the EVH model. Since he came out with one of the now most sought after amps for tone ever (the 5150 III), I feel this might reach similar heights as a guitar.

[l2wis]

where are the pics?

[ooftymcgoofty]

how come all the dimebag guitars get crud for cashing in on the dimebag name, but now evh is on his THIRD company (fourth counting some charvel evh style guitars i've seen) and gets away with it?! how many signature guitars does one guy need?!

[heminder]

looks just like the Peavey...

[Ibzman]

Tabassco wrote:

"...to Guitar World magazine for the cover of their February issue, on sale Dec. 16..."

Hilarious.

Indeed, they've always done that but I never understood why..

[twistedmaggot]

well that's the ugliest thing i've seen all day, and i've been at work with a fatty.

[red_hot_chili18]

[quote]l2wis wrote:

where are the pics?[
/quote]

the link saying click "here"

anyway looks ok

[guitarinchris]

That looks SO MUCH like the peavey model...wtf

[False_God]

great super duper news.

[scottishmob]

ooftymcgoofty wrote:

how come all the dimebag guitars get crud for cashing in on the dimebag name, but now evh is on his THIRD company (fourth counting some charvel evh style guitars i've seen) and gets away with it?! how many signature guitars does one guy need?!

Probably because... EVH isn't dead! That means he has a part in the signature models.

[MXFNCK]

$$$$

Checked

[Cutlass_253]

It looks ok. Its kinda funky, like they tried to mix a strat with a Les Paul, and just kinda picked the oddest looking offspring.

But from how they're describing it, it should play like gold. Probably gonna cost its weight in it too.

[Anjohl]

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

[jake1276]

that is one sick guitar!

[myGstringPOPPED]

yea it does look just like a Peavey...If it turns out to be good, I will definitely buy it!

[SERIALTRENDKILL]

the Peavey HP special is unbelievable.

[musicmanstinger]

It just looks the same as his old Musicman Axis just with a longer horn.http://www.music-man.com/instruments/axis.php

[shadow__666]

I've always loved the look of EVH guitars...if only I could afford them.

[Cheapm0nkey]

Anjohl, EVH didnt invent tapping, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and some other people were doing it first. And Dimebag was amazing, have you ever even FUCKING heard Pantera? Not that much wah pedal, mostly godliness

[The_String_Man]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

huh?

[Soroki]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal

WRONG! I never even new Dimebag had been shot until a few years ago, but I still loved his guitar riffs. Dimebag had skill and didn't hide behind a wah pedal...I don't know if he even really used a wah pedal anywhere. Not to mention...Van Halen is NOT metal...period. End of discussion. He rocks but if you think he's metal...something is wrong with you.

[TheSecondRaid]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

EVH didn't invent tapping, he just brought it to the mainstream

[musicmanstinger]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal

Please get your facts right EVH did not invent tapping.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapping

[Felty666]

Who cares? I love the dude and what he's done for guitar playing, but i thought the Frankenstrat copy was gonna be his final custom model.

[dave742]

that is, quite definately, the ugliest guitar i have ever seen. eddie shudda stuck with his cool old guitar!

[_GoingBlind_]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

Thanks for writing the most ignorant crap today.
Maybe you should do some research, EVH is great, even if his new guitar is a retarded monkey fish frog thing, but inventing tapping? Its a classical technique. And Dime mediocre....do you have ears...Wah? what are you talking about.

Oh and really that(EVH) has to be as expensive as it is retarded looking.(but i'm sure its a dream to play)

[Nightfyre]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

Learn your history. Eruption popularized tapping because people realized it was a fast easy way to play arpeggios, but Steve Hackett and Harvey Mandel were tapping away years before Van Halen 1 came out. Both use arguably more complex and interesting tapping technique then EVH, they do way more than a bunch of fast arpeggios.. Two-handed tapping was in use even before then, guys like Barney Kessel and Emmett Chapman were using it in the 50s.
Ace Frehley. Billy Gibbons. Brian May. Frank Zappa. Duane Allman. Leslie West. Every single one of them were tapping before EVH. Eddie invented nothing.

[i_am_metalhead]

Ibzman wrote:

Tabassco wrote:

"...to Guitar World magazine for the cover of their February issue, on sale Dec. 16..."

Hilarious.
Indeed, they've always done that but I never understood why..

Every magazine publishes a month or two ahead... no clue why they do it though :confused:

So is this going to be another extremely overpriced guitar like his Frankenstein replica??

[PedophilePriest]

I can't believe people still care about EVH guitars, no matter who is building them. How much more money does this guy need anyway?

[jwax]

PedophilePriest wrote:

I can't believe people still care about EVH guitars, no matter who is building them. How much more money does this guy need anyway?

hes bankrupt he needs to bail himself out haha.
hes just making quick bucks though since those guitars are sooo over priced 25k is outrageous!

[jwax]

edit 25 k for the Frankenstein****

[myoxisguitarguy]

I love how people can just drag other muscians into the conversation when he wasn't part of it. I love Dime and Eddie, from what Ive heard and read Ed invented or brought forth pinch harmonics. and Dime does have his own sig wah.

[fastlanestoner]

this man deserves everything/opportunity he has.

[JamesxHetfield]

So did he name his kid after the guitar or the guitar after his kid??

[Ibzman]

Cutlass_253 wrote:

It looks ok. Its kinda funky, like they tried to mix a strat with a Les Paul, and just kinda picked the oddest looking offspring.

But from how they're describing it, it should play like gold. Probably gonna cost its weight in it too.

It'll be just like his MusicMan guitars I think and those don't even weight 8lbs.. I tried few of them and they play like no other. If he has better what they've done for him in the past, this will definitely be worth the price.

[Shread_6009]

Eddie Van Halen rarely does interviews—but he has granted one to Guitar World magazine for the cover of their February issue, on sale Dec. 16.

guitarworld does a cover of EVH at least 3 times a year, no matter what. even though van halen haven't done anything worth note for over a decade, cept a reunion with roth, he gets so much coverage. and he does loads of interviews.

i love his guitar work, bout enoughs enough. write a good new song or just disappear

myoxisguitarguy :
I love how people can just drag other muscians into the conversation when he wasn't part of it. I love Dime and Eddie, from what Ive heard and read Ed invented or brought forth pinch harmonics. and Dime does have his own sig wah.

"pinch harmonics"? he did tapping, not pinch harmonics. zz top has been doing it for at least 10 years before, and gibbons didnt even invent it. be carefull with what you say before you post

[mattman93]

i don't like it and it's probably going to be ridculusly priced

[mtllica]

meh, I don't like it

[Metallicam]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

Agreed, with the exception of "hiding behind a wah pedal". The guitars are decent looking I guess. I'm pretty sure this ain't front page material as far as news goes.

[Flying Couch]

The white one with balck binding he played on the tour was sexier.

[stompbox]

tands wrote:i think it's like a good drug you dont know witch one to do first .i guess to hime it's like hell i'll make a new guitar today to pass my time you know ,hell i wish i had that in me .all that to him is like walking when you know it that will you dont even thnk about it .but you got say it's bad guitar tho.


does he just make guitars these days or music too?

[EndOfNothing656]

Ibzman wrote:

Tabassco wrote:

"...to Guitar World magazine for the cover of their February issue, on sale Dec. 16..."

Hilarious.
Indeed, they've always done that but I never understood why..

Its so damn stupid, I really wish they would just go with each month

[odd_cause]

the peavey wolfgangs were awesome guitars, im pretty sure these will be similar.

[Whiskky]

What's so wrong with the guitar? Looks damn good.

check.

[conman5895]

evh is the bomb

[Aftertime]

that guitar looks quite ugly imo :\ so does the evh amp

[Scotdizzle]

February issue, on sale Dec. 16.

I never understood that.

[xXChimairaXx]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

That's why Eddie put his yellow/black guitar in Dime's coffin at his funeral because he said that that guitar was a favorite of Dime's. Yep he was so much of an average player EVH did that for no reason.

Let your brain think about what your going to say before it comes out your rear.

[Kaz3-6-0]

tands wrote:

does he just make guitars these days or music too?

I think he's making the guitars to make the music

[tands]

Anjohl wrote:
One guy INVENTED tapping

his name his Emmett Chapman not Eddie Van Halen, van halen is overrated to the max

[trendkill-]

He doesnt look good anymore.

[Rogue Hermit]

i wouldn't think fender would be able to use the wolfgang name. i thought that was a peavey guitar, that looked exactly the same? anyways, as nice as it is that he's still designing guitars, i know i'm never going to own a signature guitar.

[SilverSpurs616]

twistedmaggot wrote:

well that's the ugliest thing i've seen all day, and i've been at work with a fatty.

Well that was the funniest thing I've read all day, and I read a Paramore tab.

[metal4ever6328]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

Hid behind a whah pedal? What the f are you blabbling about?

[vinc3nt]

thats pretty awsome....wouldnt mind one of those guitars!

[LazySandman]

it's a shame Eddy's going with Fender for it... but still probably worth looking into more since he's one of the last guys I'd try to argue with about tone...

[Bass-man43]

how is he a Class A dumbass? Any info that goes through Wiki is fact checked and 90% of the time is a reliable resource. And anyone who is talking crap about dime doesn't know wtf they are talking about. He was 10x the player EVH was and ever will be. Eddie didn't invent shit all you fan boys should check your facts that tapping is a classical technique.

[thegrungyhippie]

I love the binding and headstock change

[TooFast]

I do not like that guitar. Just kinda..ugly? I don't know.

SilverSpurs616 wrote:

twistedmaggot wrote:

well that's the ugliest thing i've seen all day, and i've been at work with a fatty.

Well that was the funniest thing I've read all day, and I read a Paramore tab.

:rollseyes:

[Kevin Saale]

Bass-man43 wrote:
And anyone who is talking crap about dime doesn't know wtf they are talking about. He was 10x the player EVH was and ever will be. Eddie didn't invent shit all you fan boys should check your facts that tapping is a classical technique.

Hmm, I wouldn't say that, Dime was a very good player, but he didn't invent was is pretty much the modern soloing technique as we know it (and no, I'm not referring to tapping).

Dime could play fast and wrote some pretty melodious solos, but he seemed pretty caught up in making silly noises with his whammy and wah pedal and seeing how much gain a randall heads had. If he didn't get shot there wouldn't be fanboys lining up to throw dimbuckers in their 100 dean v's, plain and simple.

checked.

[ILoveGuitar07]

look just like the peavey, except a slight different headstock.

In fact at first I was sure it was the old peavey and I was disapointed becuase I didn't get to see the new ones....but I looked into it more and found out it was...

[yenners]

they spent more time in this article talking about Le Mans and Nasa than they did the guitar..basically jack all was said, i'm surprised it's even newsworthy =P

[Sonic Blast]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

last i checked, ULrich Roth of the Scorpions was the one who pretty much invented Shred Metal. EVH came second.

[yenners]

wait maybe that was a bit negative...

lets hype it up more! hype hype hype!

[Gilbert666]

aha that guitar isnt that great. plus evh is a pric lol

[Mortalitas]

It might just be me, but i could swear he looks completely different on every picture i have ever seen of him.

[Future]

@ Soroki: that's because he got shot a few years ago...
On topic: the guitar looks kinda strange.. it'll probably play and sound fantastic.. But I don't like the way it looks...

[irishman]

that's one ugly guitar

[DCobsession]

EVH is SO over rated...was a pioneer, and is obviously good IMO, but very over rated.and his stuff is so overpriced that it is insulting. I want something to tune my Floyd Rose down, but wont even spend $50 on a d-tune cause it has his name on it

[RockInPeaceDime]

Anjohl wrote:

Maybe because EVH is a massively influential, innovative, GODFATHER of shred/metal..and Dime was a decent player who only got ANY credit because he got shot. Flame away, but it's fact. One guy INVENTED tapping...the other guy hid behind a wah pedal.

Will come across as biased, but I don't care.

First, EVH didn't invent tapping in any way, shape or form. That's like saying Dime invented the high squeal harmonics. Completely factually incorrect on both accounts.

Two, most people have been fans since before the murder and many people became fans of Dime not even aware he was dead. Sure, you have the random 13-14 year old that glorifies him solely because he is a "martyr for metal," but that is by no means a majority.

Three, Dime used the wah pedal very fiscally. Kirk hides behind a wah pedal, Dime didn't in any way. Even when he did use it, he didn't go ****ing nuts with it, he used it like it was supposed to be used.

Finally, neither one of them is worth insulting. They both did their fair share of making music, inspiring, and flat out entertaining. Stop comparing any guitarists, it's damn annoying.

[ILoveGuitar07]

SERIALTRENDKILL wrote:

the Peavey HP special is unbelievable.

I'd still rather have the Peavey HP Special than this evh guitar.

the hp special feels way more balanced and right to me than eddies previous peavey guitars, this new "evh" one looks just like the old peavey wolfgang, which is still a nice guitar, but I think the HP's are better.

[VH-5150]

Yeah well you proberbly wouldn't look that good either if you were his age! Anyway, it's not about the looks, everyone likes him because of his style and music!

trendkill- wrote:

He doesnt look good anymore.