NAMM 2012: New from EVH Gear
Eddie Van Halen and his EVH Gear team have got the really hard work out of the way – designing the flagship EVH Wolfgang and 5150III amplifiers – and now they seem to be really having fun with it. Case in point: this 5150III. It’s still a 5150III as we know it, but slightly more Van Halenized. Dig the matching logo on the cabinet too.
Note the 1X12 speaker cabinets under the for the 5150 III 50 watt head. It’s rated at 16 ohms and is loaded with a 30-watt Celestion® Heritage speaker. It’s exactly 25 percent of the cubic size (by volume) of its 4×12 big brother and is available in black and ivory. I played through this rig at the Fender party the other night and it sounds INCREDIBLE. Very responsive, very raunchy and very, very rock.
Christmas gift ideas for guitarists
PickBay
PickBay is a great way of either framing a special pick to keep with you – the pick you caught at a Steve Vai gig, the promotional one that came with your copy of Paul Gilbert’s Alligator Farm CD, the one you used at your first gig, or whatever – or for just making sure you always have a pick or three handy when you need them.
Link: PickBay
EVH’s new pedalboard
Earlier today Fujigen Guitars paid a visit to amp wizard Dave Friedman and guitarist Steve Stevens. Friedman is pretty well-known for his association with Eddie Van Halen, and Fujigen Guitars posted the following on their Twitter:
@fujigenguitars
I found some EVH’s rack gears for Van Halen’s next world tour(?) at North Hollywood. http://twitpic.com/5vcubs
Nice! Note the EVH-branded loop switcher in front, made in the same style as the EVH 5150III’s footswitch. I wonder if this is a one-off unit made for Eddie, or if a loop switcher will eventually be released under the EVH brand. It’s also nice to see that obviously well-used Jim Dunlop EVH Crybaby on the board.
COOL GEAR ALERT: EVH Wolfgang Stealth and USA Custom
Remember the EVH Wolfgang Stealth and USA Custom I snapped at NAMM? (That is to say, snapped photos of them at NAMM – I didn’t actually snap the guitars). Well below is some more info courtesy of this link on the EVH Gear website.
By the way, it’s my birthday next week. Just saying.
EVH Introduces Wolfgang USA Custom and Stealth Guitars
EVH introduces two new Wolfgang guitar models, the Wolfgang USA Custom and the Wolfgang Stealth. Both are distinctive variations on the hugely successful original model, the U.S.-made EVH Wolfgang guitar designed by Eddie Van Halen.
Perhaps the most uniquely elegant instrument in the Wolfgang series, the Wolfgang USA Custom represents Eddie Van Halen’s personal tribute to the short-scale set-neck guitars of the late 1950s, combined with the distinctive modern personal touches he prefers on his own guitars. These two elements culminate in a truly magnificent tone machine embodying the best of yesterday and today.
NEWS: EVH talks Smithsonian donation
Eddie Van Halen has done a little interview with Smithsonian Magazine over his donation of ‘Frank 2,’ a replica of his original Frankie, to the museum. I don’t think Eddie would hand over just any old $25,000 Frankie replica – I wonder if this one is from his personal stash? He used a few of them on the most recent Van Halen tour and I doubt he’d give a guitar with relatively little sentimental value to something as prestigious as the Smithsonian.
Anyway, the interview’s pretty brief and there’s not much new info there, but it’s always cool to hear from EVH. Here’s a little snippet:
NAMM 2011: EVH Wolfgang Stealth, set-neck and 5150III Mini amp
Eddie Van Halen has some amazing gear on show at NAMM this year, including a set-neck Wolfgang, the Wolfgang Stealth (above), a lefty Wolfgang and a 50-watt, 3-channel 5150 III Mini amp. (Unfortunately I didn’t manage to catch EVH himself when I was at the EVH Gear booth. Oh well. Next time).
The set-neck model (the Wolfgang USA Custom) features a mahogany body and maple top (the bolt-on version is basswood with a maple top) which is almost 2″ thick. The neck is reinforced with carbon reinforcement rods that extend all the way into the headstock. The bridge is a Graph Tech Tune-O-Matic bridge with Schaller fine tuners.
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I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat and The Brag. I started I Heart Guitar in 2008. I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18 (I'm 33 now). I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week) and a setup tech. I live in Melbourne, Australia. You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube.
You can email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com