EVH Wolfgang USA Edward Van Halen Signature Guitar, Ebony Fretboard, Ivory
PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE
All too often in the guitar world, guitars geared toward faster, more distorted styles wind up sacrificing tone for playability. The EVH Wolfgang Edward Van Halen signature is a refreshing exception, and in a big way.
Make no mistake - this guitar is simply a joy to play. It feels just like it looks: fast and precise. The neck is super fast and comfortable everywhere, bends are easy and lightning fast runs are effortless. The upper register on this guitar is really something special. All the way up to the 22nd fret, full step bends and heavy vibratos are not only easy but still have the same dynamic responsiveness as the rest of the neck, making for a true singer of a guitar. The body is extremely comfortable sitting or standing.
The EVH humbuckers are the headliner of this axe and are obviously a big part of the guitar's signature sound, and we found them to have great clarity under heavy distortion and sound surprisingly good for low-gain styles as well.
The construction is rock solid - this guitar can take tons of abuse and still play wonderfully. Would you expect anything less from the man who took shred to the next level?
Manufacturer's Description
EVH brings you the Wolfgang® USA Edward Van Halen Signature model, loaded with Eddie Van Halen’s most up-to-date specs along with the classic looks and behemoth sound you’ve come to expect from an instrument bearing his name.
The basswood body features a big-leaf maple top and five-ply binding, while the bolt-on quartersawn maple neck is sculpted to Eddie’s precise specs, with graphite reinforcement and a hand-rubbed back finish for smooth, fast playability. The 12"-16" compound radius ebony fingerboard has 22 vintage stainless steel frets, pearloid (Ivory finish) or dot (Stealth finish) inlays, and a convenient heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel.
Experience scorching and well-balanced tone with a custom-wound alnico 2 EVH® Wolfgang® Humbucker in the bridge and a newly added alnico 3 custom-wound EVH® Wolfgang Humbucker in the neck, both controlled by a special reverse oriented three-way toggle switch. Stutter-stop à la “You Really Got Me” with the red-button kill switch and play “Cathedral” without any crackle or pop, courtesy of the EVH High Friction (Tone) Pot and an EVH “HPU” or High Performance Upgrade, custom-made Low Friction (Volume) Pot.
Sturdy and steadfast, the EVH-branded Floyd Rose® locking tremolo provides endless sustain and precise tuning regardless of how many dive bombs you rip or how drastically you attack your whammy-bar. The EVH D-Tuna® retunes to drop-D and back with strict accuracy at the flick of a finger.
Boasts elegant and classic style in Ivory or Stealth finishes with chrome hardware, black speed knobs and dog leash strap/eye-bolt clasps. A hardshell EVH Striped SKB case and EVH leather strap included.
Basswood Wolfgang Body with Big-Leaf Maple Top
Featuring an offset shape with larger upper horn, the Wolfgang’s basswood body provides excellent tonal response that is full and rich, along with overall warmth and sustain. The body is capped with a big-leaf maple top for enhanced note separation and clarity.
Bolt-On Quartersawn Maple Neck with Eddie Van Halen's Unique Wolfgang Backshape
Bolt-on is a type of neck construction that joins the maple neck to the body of the guitar with screws or bolts, resulting in bright tone with more control. The quartersawn grain runs the length of the neck for a stronger piece of wood, and is less susceptible to shrinking, warping or splitting, while graphite-reinforcement rods flank the truss rod for even more increased neck stability. For those who prefer a fatter neck, the Wolfgang backshape is a thicker profile in comparison to the standard or modified C- shape with a .805” thickness at the 3rd fret and .890” at the 12th fret.
Direct Mount EVH Wolfgang AL3 (Neck) and EVH Wolfgang Humbucking (Bridge) Pickups
Not all humbuckers are created equal. An EVH Wolfgang AL3 humbucker in the neck delivers well-rounded tone with more mids for radiant rhythms, while the EVH Alnico 2 Wolfgang humbucker in the bridge kicks your leads into high gear with Eddie’s unparalleled searing lead tone.
Versatile Switching & Control Layout
Explore the endless tonal possibilities of the custom-wound alnico 2 EVH Wolfgang bridge pickup and custom-wound alnico 3 EVH Wolfgang neck pickup with the reverse oriented three-way toggle switch. Position one engages the neck pickup for all your blistering solo needs. Position two engages both pickups, while position three engages the bridge pickup for robust rhythm riffing. The volume knob houses an EVH BI Tech HPU low friction pot with treble bleed circuit for seamless volume swells, while the tone knob houses a 250K EVH Bourns high friction pot that will stay in place even if accidentally bumped. Stutter-stop on a dime for the classic “You Really Got Me” attitude courtesy of the red-button kill switch.
EVH-Branded Floyd Rose Locking Trem, R2 Locking Nut and EVH D-Tuna
Eddie Van Halen was the first player to popularize the innovative Floyd Rose locking tremolo, even advising Floyd Rose on his early designs to integrate round disc finger-type tuners that you would see on a cello or violin. Now universally embraced, our EVH-branded Floyd Rose bridge features our EVH logo stamped on the bridge plate, steel saddles and a solid brass block. The Floyd Rose bridge and R2 (41.8 mm) locking nut is a professional-grade double-locking design that secures the strings in the saddle and nut, providing ultimate tuning stability and dynamic tremolo action. Standard equipment on Eddie’s personal guitars since the early ‘90s, the EVH D-Tuna is a unique patented device that enables players to drop the E to D and back, in an instant.
Specifications
General
- Model Number: 5107921849
- Series: Wolfgang® USA
- Color: Ivory
- Number of Strings: 6
- Orientation: Right-Hand
Body
- Body Finish: Gloss Urethane
- Body Shape: Wolfgang®
- Body Material: Basswood
- Body Binding: 5-Ply
- Body Back: Basswood
- Body Top: Big Leaf Maple
Electronics
- Bridge Pickup: Direct Mount EVH® Wolfgang® Humbucking
- Neck Pickup: Direct Mount EVH® Wolfgang® AL3 Humbucking
- Pickup Color: Zebra
- Controls: Volume (EVH® BI Tech HPU Low Friction Pot) with Treble Bleed Circuit, Tone (250K EVH® Bourns® High Friction Pot)
- Pickup Switching: EVH® Reverse-Style 3-Position Switching: Position 1: Neck Pickup, Position 2: Neck and Bridge, Position 3: Bridge
- Auxiliary Switching: Kill Switch
- Pickup Configuration: HH
Neck
- Neck Material: Quartersawn Maple
- Neck Construction: Bolt-On with Graphite Reinforcement
- Neck Thickness: .805" at 3rd & .890" at 12th Fret
- Neck Finish: Hand-Rubbed Satin Urethane
- Neck Shape: Wolfgang® Backshape
- Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
- Fingerboard Radius: 12"-16" Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Number of Frets: 22
- Fret Size: Vintage Stainless
- Nut Material: Floyd Rose® R2 Locking
- Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
- Position Inlays: Pearloid Block
- Truss Rod Nut: Heel-Mount Truss Rod Adjustment Wheel
- Truss Rod Wrench: 2.5 mm Hex
- String Trees: Floyd Rose® Retainer Bar
- Headstock: EVH® Wolfgang®
Hardware
- Bridge: EVH®-Branded Floyd Rose® Locking Tremolo with EVH® D-Tuna®
- Hardware Finish: Chrome
- Tremolo Arm: Floyd Rose® 1000 Series Locking
- Tremolo Block: Brass
- Tuning Machines: EVH®-Branded Gotoh®
- Control Knobs: Black Knurled with White Indicator
- Strap Buttons: Screw-Eye Hook
- Switch Tip: Black
Miscellaneous
- Strings: EVH® Nickel Plated Steel (.009-.042 Gauges)
- Case/Gig Bag: Included EVH® Wolfgang® Hardshell (p/n 009-0916-000); Optional EVH® Black Bag (p/n 022-1512-006)
- Included Accessories: Tremolo Arm, Hex Keys & User Manual
- Instrument Weight: 7.9 lbs
- Serial #: WG12548A
Overall Condition
Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for EVH. This Wolfgang USA Edward Van Halen is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer's warranty. Photos are of the exact guitar you'll receive.
Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.