After releasing a striking Gold Sparkle-finished Wolfgang WG Standard model last month, EVH remains on fine form as it launches four new models for summer 2022.
They include a limited-edition 5150 Deluxe, two exotic wood-topped Wolfgang WG Standards and a new addition to the company's Striped Series, the '78 Eruption.
Natural finishes grace all but the Striped Series model, which, like all other instruments in the line, sports Eddie Van Halen's famed striped paint job, this time in black and white, as per the cover of Van Halen I.
There's a wealth of specs to peruse, so let's break them down below.
EVH Striped Series '78 Eruption
Named after Eddie Van Halen's iconic solo on Van Halen's 1978 self-titled debut – and based on the guitar featured on the cover of the album – the EVH Striped Series '78 Eruption features a Strat-style body with Eddie's famed striped paint job in a black-and-white color scheme.
Its quartersawn maple neck boasts a hand-rubbed satin urethane back finish, and a 12"-16" compound-radius 22-fret maple fingerboard designed for “fast and furious playing styles with maximum comfort”. It also features a heel-mount truss rod wheel for on-the-fly neck relief adjustments.
Electronics are kept simple, with a single EVH Wolfgang humbucker in the bridge position providing a “classic Eddie Van Halen guitar tone”.
Other features include a Fender Stratocaster synchronized tremolo bridge and an ever-so-slightly relic'd aesthetic.
The Striped Series '78 Eruption is priced at $1,899, and arrives in September 2022.
EVH Limited Edition 5150 Deluxe Ash
Also launched is a reimagined 5150 Deluxe model, sporting a modified Strat-style ash body with a Natural finish putting its wood grains on glorious display.
Blending both throwback and modernized features, the Limited Edition 5150 Deluxe Ash boasts a graphite-reinforced, bolt-on quartersawn maple neck with a comfortable modified “C” profile, heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel and a “hockeystick” headstock, and a 12"-16" compound-radius fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets and cream dot inlays.
While the Striped Series 5150 features a single humbucking pickup in the bridge position, the Limited Edition 5150 Deluxe Ash is equipped with a pair of EVH Wolfgang Alnico 2 humbuckers.
Controls include a custom-designed low friction volume knob for even volume tapering and smooth swells, a high-friction tone knob designed to remain in place if knocked, and a three-way toggle switch located on the guitar's upper bout.
Other features include a kill switch located on the lower bout, “dive-bomb-certified” top-mount Floyd Rose bridge, EVH's patented D-Tuna system – which allows for on-the-fly drop-D tuning – and chrome hardware.
In terms of pricing and availability, the Limited Edition 5150 Deluxe Ash will hit the market from August 2022, priced at $1,599.
New EVH Wolfgang WG Standards
Making their debut in EVH's more affordable Wolfgang Standard range are two new models, one with a laurel burl top and one topped with poplar burl.
Besides this, both guitars are identical, sporting a basswood body with a natural binding and a forearm contour for playing ease, and a bolt-on baked maple neck with graphite reinforcement designed to withstand temperature changes and a spoke wheel at its base for on-the-fly truss rod adjustments.
They also boast a 22-fret baked maple fingerboard, with a 12"-16" compound-radius and rolled edges for playability.
Pickups include a pair of EVH Wolfgang humbuckers mounted directly onto the body – a process EVH says results in sustain for “days on end” – controlled by a single volume dial with a treble bleed circuit, tone knob and a three-way toggle switch.
Other features include an EVH-branded Floyd Rose Special bridge, R2 locking nut, and black chrome hardware.
Both come in a Natural finish, and will retail at $699 from October 2022.
For more information on any of these guitars, head to EVH Gear.
