Ask any guitarist and they’ll tell you: choosing the perfect instrument is as much about style and feel as it is about sound quality. It explains why most guitar players typically own and play more than one guitar. And it also explains why so many guitarists savour the thought of collecting guitars as much as they relish the thrill of playing them.
The fact is, an attractive, finely crafted guitar begs for a guitarist to pour out their best possible performances. And it’s no coincidence that there’s one guitar brand with a history rooted in unrivalled best possible performances, and with a style and feel as distinctive as the genius guitarist it’s named after.
EVH Guitars Bring Bold, Sumptuous Sound To Life
Few rock guitarists have been more influential or with a sense of tonality that has reigned more profoundly over the genre than Eddie Van Halen. His capacity for pushing the boundaries of technique and guitar modifications was the key to his signature sound, and is the driving force behind the lineup of iconic EVH Guitars Australia unmistakably identifies with the brand’s namesake.
Since 2007, EVH Guitars has been the standard-bearer of a vision shared by two of the most prominent names in modern music history, Eddie Van Halen and Fender guitars: to build the best looking, and most playable guitars on the planet. The result of this creative collaboration now includes a selection of meticulously assembled and detailed instruments that, like Ed’s famous Frankenstat, possess all the basic qualities that every rock guitarist wants:
- A rich, powerful tone. Tone is the natural resonance and overall sound derived from materials used in a guitar’s construction. EVH combines basswood bodies and maples tops to produce a tone that’s clear and powerful, yet rich enough for any effect.
- A comfortable playing experience. Deep body cutaways and contours, a thin neck, and a smooth fretboard not only make EVH guitars comfortable enough for Ed’s notorious tapping style, but still an absolute joy for any other style or genre, even for long periods.
- Easy control adjustments. EVH guitars combine high output pickups, low friction tone and volume pots, and premium Floyd Rose® bridges to create an instrument that’s not only versatile, but is easy to play and quick to adjust.
Ed’s lifelong obsession with building the perfect guitar has also passed to his son Wolfgang, and is reflected in EVH’s latest lineup of standard and limited edition guitars. Nowhere is it more evident, however, than in their two most popular models: the legendary EVH Wolfgang® and the classically-styled 5150®. Both combine the natural resonance of modern Fender acoustic technology with the lively feel and flair that only Van Halen’s genius could provide. They’re bold, sumptuous examples of why for most guitarists, having just one simply isn’t enough.
Wolfgang Series Guitars Lead the Way In High Speed Playability
With its oversized sound, lightning-fast playability, and wide range of colour and finish combinations, the Wolfgang has been the quitessential EVH guitar for decades. There have been multiple series of these massively famous guitars manufactured over the years, and all are recognised for their ergonomic basswood bodies, graphite-reinforced maple necks, and high speed 12″-16″ fingerboards with 22 jumbo frets.
There are three Wolfgang EVH guitars Australia finds to be quite popular, though, and they symbolise how brilliantly distinctive and adaptable these guitars continue to be:
- The do-it-all Wolfgang® Special. Wolfgang Special guitars are manufactured in both TOM (Tune-O-Matic) and QR (Floyd Rose) bridge versions, and are distinguished by the presence or absence of a locking tremolo, a choice of either 2- or 3-position toggle, volume, and tone controls, and differences in top styles and body contours that are comfortable enough for even the longest sets.
- The budget-minded Wolfgang® WG Standard. By replacing pricey brass saddles and sustain blocks with zinc pieces, the flat top Wolfgang WG Standard prides itself on being the guitar EVH designed to deliver the same rich, powerful sound as more exclusive models like the Special, but at a price point that makes them affordable for any guitarist.
- The high performance Wolfgang® SA-126. The SA-126 is an innovative semi-hollow/solid body hybrid, and is the first product collaboration exclusively between Fender and the model’s namesake, Wolfgang Van Halen. Together with a spoke-wheel truss rod that allows for easy neck adjustments, the SA-126 delivers clean, rich overdrive and high-gain tones, with all the control options of its time-tested siblings.
Make no mistake: when it comes to versatile, high speed guitars, EVH Wolfgangs are as capable of delivering blisteringly powerful performances as any strat-style, regular production guitar, including Fender’s own Stratocaster. It also doesn’t take anything away from EVH’s other strat-style big seller which, not only pre-dates the Wolfgang, but even includes its own line of iconic amplifiers.
EVH 5150 Brings Premium Tonal Quality To the Masses
While the inspiration for EVH’s 5150 can be found in the name of the studio that was build by Van Halen in the early 1980s (Studio 5150), the guitar’s technical heritage is tied to Ed’s heavily modified Frankenstrat stratocaster. His quest for an especially powerful guitar with wide tonal quality, a strong mid-range presence, and a thick, saturated sound was the rationale behind many of the features that are standard on the 5150, which have evolved to include:
- A double locking, top mounted Floyd Rose 1000 Series bridge with brass locking tremolo system and patented EVH D-Tuna® drop D;
- A quartersawn, graphite-reinforced, maple neck with modified “C” backshape;
- A 12″-16″ compound radius ebony fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets;
- High output EVH Wolfgang Alnico 2 humbucker neck pickups; and,
- 3-position toggle pickup switching with volume, treble bleed circuit, and tone controls, in addition to a lower bout kill switch.
The 5150’s sleek basswood body and deep upper curve help round out a look and feel that combines classic guitar ergonomics with all the features a high-gain guitar needs. And with one of the most dazzling colour ranges of all EVH guitars for sale, the 5150 exemplifies Ed’s determination to always push the limit of sound and aesthetics.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, with one of the most stellar careers in the history of modern music, Eddie Van Halen’s legacy is more than just an incredible library of music and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His commitment to ensuring future generations of guitarists could enjoy the same tools he had is arguably his greatest contribution to music. Fortunately, Fender understood his vision for how to build a better rock guitar, and they’ve made it their business to continue building them exactly the way Ed would have wanted.
The iconic selection of EVH Australia loves the most, including the Wolfgang and the 5150, are the best in their class because Ed insisted that they be that way. And the guitarist who chooses to invest in one benefits from a premium playable instrument, whose style and feel guarantee its collectability.