EVH Wolfgang

The EVH Wolfgang is an Electric guitar manufactured by Eddie Van Halen's company, EVH, which is owned by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Wolfgang is named after classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen.

EVH Wolfgang
Edward Van Halen playing an EVH Wolfgang prototype in 2007
ManufacturerEVH
Period2009-present
Construction
Body typeSolid
Neck jointBolt-on
Scale25.5"
Woods
BodyBasswood with Maple top
NeckQuartersawn Maple
FretboardMaple or Ebony
Hardware
BridgeEVH branded Floyd Rose
Pickup(s)Wolfgang bridge and neck humbuckers

Background and Design

After joining Fender in 2007, Edward Van Halen set out to rebuild the Peavey EVH Wolfgang from the ground up. He teamed up with Fender Master Builder Chip Ellis. Van Halen stated that this was his "last attempt" to design a guitar.[1]

New features included stainless steel frets, a 12" - 16" compound radius, and custom Bourns pots (low friction 500k for volume and high friction 250k for tone).[2] Korean made Floyd Rose bridges were chosen over the original German made Floyd Rose because there were no gaps between saddles on the Korean ones.[3] The Wolfgang pickups are made in-house at Fender after trying out 80 prototypes made by Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio.[3][4] They have Alnico 2 magnets and are direct mounted to the body with two screws on each leg, with foam rubber underneath, which allows the top of the pickup to be adjusted parallel to the strings.[5] The cavities inside the guitar are left unpainted to let the instrument breathe and age "like a Stradivarius."[6] The fine tuners on the Floyd Rose bridge was Van Halen's idea during its development in the late 70's and early 80's, inspired by the fine tuners on violins and cellos.[4]

Models

EVH Wolfgang USA

The Wolfgang USA is the flagship model, manufactured in Corona, California. Released in 2009, it had a maple fingerboard and the only color options were Vintage White, Black, and Tobacco Burst. Ebony fingerboards were soon introduced, but by 2015, ebony became the only option available. However, as of 2020, maple fingerboards are still available on the lefty version on the Vintage White model. A Wolfgang USA Edward Van Halen Signature model was released in 2017, with a new Alnico 3 Wolfgang neck pickup.

EVH Wolfgang Special

A flat top version, the Wolfgang Special, was introduced in 2010. It was made in Japan and had the same pickups as the USA model.[7] After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, production of the Specials was moved to Ensenada, Baja California. It was redesigned with a carved top.

EVH Wolfgang WG Standard

The Wolfgang WG Standard series was introduced in 2014.[8] It is made in Indonesia, and is the lowest priced Wolfgang model. It has a Floyd Rose Special bridge with zinc saddles instead of steel and a zinc sustain block instead of brass. Quilted Maple veneer tops with various bursts and fades are available as well as single matte color models. In 2020, the baked maple fingerboard was introduced to the Standard line.

Parts and Accessories

Wolfgang USA bridge and neck pickups are available to buy, separate from the guitar. On previous Van Halen signature guitars, the Music Man EVH (now called the Axis) and the Peavey Wolfgang, the custom pickups made for that guitar could not be bought separately. The Wolfgang's custom EVH Bourns pots are also available, as well as EVH strings, picks, and cable.

Usage on Van Halen albums and tours

2007-2008 North American Tour

Prototypes of the Wolfgang were used by Van Halen on Van Halen's Van Halen 2007–2008 North American Tour. A Tobacco Burst Wolfgang and a black Wolfgang with a number 4 stenciled on the front were used in 2007. A Vintage White Wolfgang was used in 2008.

A Different Kind of Truth

Van Halen used a EVH Wolfgang Stealth with an ebony fingerboard for the majority of Van Halen's 2012 album A Different Kind of Truth. "As Is" features a Wolfgang with a D2H (Drop 2 Hell) tailpiece. The D2H is made from solid brass and can drop the low E string down two and a half steps or more. It has never made it on to a production model. The end of "As Is" features a Wolfgang with a Sustainer, as well as on the song "Honeybabysweetiedoll."[9]

A Different Kind of Truth Tour

The Wolfgang Stealth was also used for the majority of the A Different Kind of Truth Tour. It has a kill switch and a titanium D-Tuna.[10]

Tokyo Dome Live in Concert

Van Halen used a Wolfgang with an ebony fingerboard and a black and white stripe job on June 21, 2013 in Tokyo, the night that Tokyo Dome Live in Concert was recorded.

Van Halen 2015 North American Tour

Van Halen used a black Wolfgang with a relic'd Ivory top coat for the majority of the Van Halen 2015 North American Tour. Built by Chip Ellis, it has a fatter neck than the Stealth. Van Halen sanded down the back of the neck himself. A replica version was released afterwards, limited to 20 pieces.[11] On the song "I'll Wait", Van Halen would sometimes play a Wolfgang WG Standard or a Wolfgang Special.

Notable EVH Wolfgang users

References
  1. "This hand-crafted guitar is Eddie Van Halen's baby". USA Today. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  2. "Wolfgang® :: Wolfgang® USA, Ebony Fingerboard, 5A Flame Top, 3-Tone Burst". evhgear.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  3. "The Wolfgang Saga: How 3 Brands Built Eddie Van Halen's Signature Guitar". reverb.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  4. Williams, Stuart (2017-10-06). "Eddie Van Halen talks building the Frankenstein, honing the 5150 and EVH Gear". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  5. EVH® Wolfgang® GUITAR OWNER'S MANUAL (PDF). 2008.
  6. "Eddie Van Halen reinvents the guitar". CNN. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  7. "EVH Introduces Wolfgang Special Guitar". Premier Guitar. 2010-06-19. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  8. "EVH Launches Wolfgang Standard Series and Revamps Wolfgang Special Series". Premier Guitar (Press release). 2014-09-16. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  9. Gill, Chris (2012-08-30). "Interview: Eddie Van Halen Talks 'A Different Kind of Truth'". Guitar World. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  10. Hammond, Shawn; Kies, Chris (2012-08-10). "Gallery: Van Halen Live Gear 2012". Premier Guitar. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  11. "EVH Releases the Wolfgang USA Tour Relic Replica – EVH® News". Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  12. "EVH Exclusive Interview: Paul Sidoti – EVH® News". Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  13. di Perna, Alan (2018-06-04). "Jack White Breaks Down His Ambitious New Album, 'Boarding House Reach'". Guitar World. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
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