Eddie Van Halen’s 1978 debut album cover is legendary: there he is, brandishing his black and white striped Stratocaster-style guitar, a clear signal of the seismic shift he was about to bring to the guitar world. This very instrument, immortalized by the groundbreaking “Eruption” solo, quickly became known as the “Frankenstrat” – a symbol of innovation and a pivotal moment for guitar-driven rock and roll.
When Van Halen exploded onto the scene, nobody had ever witnessed, let alone heard, a guitar quite like it. This wasn’t an off-the-shelf model; it was something entirely new, born from the ingenuity of a 22-year-old Eddie Van Halen. He wasn’t just a phenomenal musician; he was an inventor at heart, constantly tinkering with his gear. For Eddie, this wasn’t about vanity—it was pure necessity. Commercially available guitars simply didn’t offer the features he needed to unleash his full potential. So, he took matters into his own hands, modifying a stock instrument to meet his exacting demands. His customizations were extensive: a refretted neck, a powerful humbucking pickup potted in paraffin wax, a single master volume knob (famously, and humorously, labeled “Tone”), a brass nut and tailpiece salvaged from a ’58 Strat, and of course, the instantly recognizable homemade black and white striped finish. This white base with bold black stripes became as iconic as his playing itself.
The impact of this white stratocaster guitar, with its striking black stripes, was immediate and far-reaching. It wasn’t just a visual statement; it was a sonic revolution. The modified humbucker delivered a hotter, more aggressive tone than typical Stratocaster pickups, perfectly complementing Van Halen’s groundbreaking techniques. The stripped-down controls and customized hardware all contributed to a guitar that was uniquely suited to his innovative style.
Now, the legacy of this legendary instrument lives on with the EVH® Striped Series ’78 Eruption guitar. This model meticulously recreates many of Eddie’s famed modifications, blending them with modern features and a relic treatment that evokes the original’s road-worn character.
Just like the original, the Stratocaster-style body of the EVH Striped Series ’78 Eruption sports Eddie’s famous white-and-black-striped paint job. This iconic finish immediately connects the guitar to its legendary predecessor. The body is paired with a quartersawn maple neck featuring a hand-rubbed satin urethane back finish, ensuring smooth and fast playability. The 12″-16″ compound radius maple fingerboard, equipped with 22 jumbo frets, is designed for the kind of rapid and expressive playing that Eddie Van Halen pioneered, while a heel-mount truss rod wheel allows for quick and easy neck adjustments.
At the heart of the EVH ’78 Eruption is a single EVH Wolfgang® humbucking bridge pickup. This pickup is crucial in capturing the classic Eddie Van Halen guitar tone, delivering everything from pristine cleans to thick, powerful mids and lows. Staying true to the original modifications, the guitar features a brass nut and a six-saddle vintage Fender® Stratocaster synchronized tremolo bridge with a 43mm brass block, all contributing to that authentic EVH sound and feel.
Further enhancing the vintage vibe and functionality are features like a skirted white Strat-style volume control knob (labeled “tone”) with a 500K EVH Bourns® low friction pot and treble bleed circuit. The guitar is also equipped with a black pickguard, chrome hardware, oversized strap buttons, an EVH neck plate, and a larger, ’70s-style licensed Fender Strat headstock adorned with a gold EVH logo. All these details combine to make the EVH Striped Series ’78 Eruption a faithful tribute to one of the most iconic white stratocaster guitars in rock history, allowing a new generation of players to experience a piece of that legendary sound and style.
