Back in June, along with the announcement of three new natural-finished models, EVH pulled back the curtains on a new electric guitar, the Striped Series ‘78 Eruption.
Based on the Strat-style guitar wielded by Eddie Van Halen early in Van Halen's career – and on the cover of the band's groundbreaking 1978 self-titled debut album – the '78 Eruption aims to combine some of the many unique mods the late guitar hero made to his six-string with a few 21st century comforts. You can see, and hear, the guitar in action below.
For starters, the model features a lacquer-finished basswood body and a bolt-on, graphite-reinforced quartersawn maple neck sporting a heel-mounted truss rod adjustment wheel, and a 25.5," 12" - 16" compound radius maple fretboard with 22 jumbo frets.
Sounds, of course, come by way of a single humbucker at the bridge – a relic'd EVH Wolfgang unit – controlled by just a single volume knob (labeled "tone," just as it was on Eddie's original guitar) with a treble bleed circuit and 500K EVH Bourns Low Friction pot.
As for hardware, there's a six-saddle, vintage-style Strat synchronized tremolo with a 43mm brass block – also a nod to the original – and EVH-branded Gotoh tuners. All hardware is given a relic'd chrome finish.
There's more to be found in the small details of the '78 Eruption as well, with oversized strap buttons, a Strat-style output jack plate, eye-bolt guitar strap hooks, a brass nut, and a '70s-style licensed Fender Strat headstock with a gold EVH logo all giving the guitar – which is also lightly relic'd throughout – a unique flair.
The EVH Striped Series ‘78 Eruption guitar is available now – with an EVH Striped Series gig bag included – for $1,899.
For more info on the model, visit EVH Gear.
