Eddie Van Halen - (Some of) His Guitars - If Guitars Could Speak... #16

Eddie Van Halen's life is best told through the axes he wielded... they say a lot more about the man than you might think. So sit back and enjoy this retrospective of Eddie's "Babies," his guitars.

[@BSIII]

Michael Hampton from Funkadelic may have made the very first super strat. Around 1974, or so, he got a strat, threw on a reverse neck, fitted humbuckers on it, and decorated it with rhinestones. Not many people know about Hampton, and his heavy metal addition to PFunk. Eddie 'Maggot Brain' Hazel was also an amazing guitarist. Eddie is who made me pickup a guitar. His acclaimed Maggot Brain 10min song was completely improvised in one take, while flying high on the potent sunshine acid that was plentiful in 1971. He was about 21 years old.

[@alanmatthew5713]

That's one of my top 10 guitar solos and Eddie Hazel is GROSSLY underrated.

[@BSIII]

@@alanmatthew5713 there's something about his playing! 🤘🏼

[@tommilitello198]

It can be said someone you never heard of built one in their garage as well

[@bigbadbamboo1]

Outfrickin standing presentation. Never really dug into it as I'm a bass player. Fender basses...havin a 4 string fling. Outstanding work

[@humanbeing2420]

Well done - a fitting tribute to a genius.

[@ios6605]

Love this channel man keep up the great work 🎸 🚬😎 👍🏼 💨💨

[@juanpablomarin5463]

What a revolutionary and innovator he was!!! The greatest!! He change and evolved every guitar he did giving the most in versatility to muscicians!! An amazing video!! Congrats friends!!

[@evansflammond6594]

Great mini doc.. Thank you for sharing all info about king Edward..✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼

[@davegillgrass2232]

These videos are great. Keep up the good work.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Thanks! Glad you enjoy them!

[@KurtS5150]

Great Video!!! The Kramer Double Neck had an Aluminum Neck and a wood neck. The Aluminum necks were used in all of the first gen Kramers. FYI Paul Unkert built the original neck on the Kramer 5150 neck & Headstock it was a Banana " Hockey Stick" style. The body of the 510 was a Pacer Special

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Ah! Aluminum! Thanks I couldn’t find out what was going on with that other neck so I just took a stab in the dark. Is the fretboard ebony?

[@synystervail9847]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@swordmonkey6635]

The Kramer "5150" guitar was based on a Pacer Special. It became a Beretta when marketed by Kramer after the 5150 guitar was created. Also pro tip: As my favorite EVH guitar, please include better photos of the 5150 Kramer. The toy and strange black numbered one doesn't do it justice. There are plenty of photos of EVH playing the 5150 on the second half of the 84 Tour and 5150-OU812

[@TheNocturnalEvil]

Speaking of Kramer, they also made some prototypes for George Lynch with single coil neck pickup. Those guitars are damn rare and fetch prices as high as $8000 or more in the used market.

[@akfreed6949]

There were MANY 5150 guitars , not just one .

[@swordmonkey6635]

@@akfreed6949 there were many backups to the main guitar. It's easy to see the differences since the main guitar was so battered and worn.

[@akfreed6949]

@@swordmonkey6635 I ALWAYS thought the main guitar is the Frankenstein/Frankenstrat . Again the story goes Ed stops by the Kramer factory and he personally painted a bunch of 5150 guitars and assembled the necks on them .

[@swordmonkey6635]

@@akfreed6949 For the 1984 tour, Edward had the Kramer 5150 as his main and the Kramer 1984 as his backup. After that he had a bunch of Kramers painted like the 5150, but without the numbers. There are backstage photos of racks of striped Kramers during the 5150 Tour. He used the Kramer 5150 as his main guitar for the 5150 Tour and the OU812 Tour. He had a couple with slightly different bodies like the one used in the Hot For Teacher video, but the main 5150 guitar was an individual guitar that Wolfgang now owns. The other striped Kramers were often given away for contests, publicity or to acquaintances. The main 5150 guitar is the one that's been worn and abused. The wear markings on the guitar are pretty easy to follow chronologically on the main 5150. Other striped guitars of this era were clean looking. I saw VH during the Monsters of Rock Tour and Edward busted a string, a guitar tech came out and gave him a brand new looking Kramer with identical striping, but no numbers). Those were his backups.

[@leftyzappa]

Thank you for this video 😸

[@MarkKirbyMusic]

Nice job, it was interesting to see the evolution in one video.

[@roosterj2599]

The early wooden neck Kramer guitars, possibly the Gen 2 Kramers had the offset Pacer body and a pre CBS small Strat headstock. They were rear routed for 2 humbuckers, 2 volumes and 1 tone with either a 3 way switch or 2 mini toggles that were an off and on for each pickup. They of course had the 6 point Fender style trem bridge. Great guitars if you can find one.

[@chris.eskimo]

Wasn't 'Explorer ' a Gibson brand, and 'Destroyer ' an Ibanez brand?

[@tobaccorich]

Yes!

[@aceofspades4339]

Yep

[@michaeleaster1815]

Great video! 7:57 I read somewhere that Steinberger said that Eddie was one of the few who used the Trans-Trem in the manner it was intended (e.g. Summer Nights).

[@traumallama]

Thank you for your content

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Thank you for watching!

[@scottphillips161]

Cool video! Two early guitars for the Frankenstrat are a white Les Paul Custom and a black Fender Stratocaster. The Strat was also the subject of his first attempt at putting a humbucker into a Strat body, as there are pictures out on the Web of it before and after he carved a place for the bigger pickup.

[@alanmatthew5713]

Looks like the EVH guitars have "kill" switches, like what Buckethead uses. Great tribute to a really great musician. I don't understand why people still call vibrato bars tremolo arms. Vibrato is variations in pitch, tremolo is variations in VOLUME, like what Johnny Marr uses on "How Soon Is Now" or John Fogerty on "Born On The Bayou." I think Johnny Marr could use a "Forgotten Fretmaster" episode.

[@13Salamander]

Loved the accurate insight (you kinda missed him playing the strat though in the early 70s). My favourite would be the Frankie and the Ernie Balls, best quality guitars you can get!

[@swordmonkey6635]

EVH's Steinberger GLT2 he used on the 5150 album was a pre-production prototype model.

[@dmcguire70]

Really I had no idea , the sound of that guitar on Get Up and Summer Nights is amazing

[@ajmpatriot4899]

Yeah that was an odd looking guitar! Very 80’s

[@swordmonkey6635]

@@dmcguire70 The Steinberger has the ability to bend entire chords without going out of tune. That why it kind of sounds like a slide guitar when Edward is using the whammy bar. He used the same Steinberger on "Fire in the Hole" off of VH 3 too.

[@michaelestrada6840]

Eddie one of the best God bless him.

[@hansolo2121]

Eddie and Alex didn't grow up in Passadena California but in Amsterdam, Holland. The picture you showed fro them as children was taken in Amsterdam, their home city. They are both Dutch born and raised... When they emigrated to the USA neither of them spoke even a single word of English when they arrived. And they always kept speaking their native Dutch language with their parents.

[@funkuncle999]

I saw another video where they talk about another Explorer guitar (actually a Ibanez Destroyer I think) that was lent to Ed by a friend while recording many of the songs on Van Halen 1. Everyone should be searching for THAT guitar.

[@johnneurohr7156]

ask chris holmes of w.a.s.p. ..

[@billhill3704]

The 59 V on the jan 84 cover of guitar world. Used in the studio and played on the solo to hot for teacher.

[@jadonharrison8491]

Damn man, I subscribed yesterday and the chanel is already above 5k from like 4.3.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

I know right? I just passed 5k yesterday and added another 125 in 12 hours. It’s great to see that the algorithm is finally picking me up. Unfortunately couldn’t have come at a worse time as I’ve been working like a dog and unable to do much content last 2 weeks but I have 3 vids in the hopper and will get a couple out within the next 7 days.

[@sccottheaston9902]

i have seen a picture of Eddie with a korina destroyer with shark cut so i say it does exsist!

[@babagadoush1]

Good video and pics. I’m an avid EVH and Music Man guy. The rumor is the partnership with Music Man was about personal conflicts between Ed and Sterling Ball not production and demand. Because Ed is gone I won’t tarnish him with specifics of the personal conflict but it’s fairly well documented in the Music Man forums if you dig.

[@crazysnarfy861]

Apparently, that is the same reason why his partnership with Hartley Peavey ended. Their wives had a big fight or something stupid like that.

[@akfreed6949]

Business ended when Ed confided with Ernie about an idea for the making of the guitar . Ernie made a patent on Ed's idea behind his back . His relationship ended with Peavey over bad quality issues that CEOs wouldn't fix .

[@archdukebigdogkoopa3821]

Hey, @JerNightHawk, is the guitar you have an EVH Frankenstrat, one of Eddie Van Halen's guitars? Curious.

[@JB6Lights]

My favourite is the frankenstein, white with black stripes

[@ivorharden]

The Kramer double necks had aluminium necks.

[@lancemccarty8230]

He used a drill and a hacksaw to cut the chunk out of the explorer not a chainsaw.

[@sprintcarsandguitars959]

no mention of the mini les paul copy?

[@tjkong4381]

But does the Fender replica have a 1971 “D” series quarter like the original?

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

It actually does!

[@appl8601]

You missed a couple guitars, the logo guitar, made by charvel around the same time as the bumblebee, he had 12 different red, white and black guitars made by Kramer, and a few others, and he had the rude guitar, I’m not sure who made that one

[@akfreed6949]

If you're referring the red , white and black guitars ; they sound like the 5150s . Ed made a bunch of 5150s at the Kramer factory for either the Diver Down or 1984 tour . The 5150s look similar to his Frankenstein/Frankenstrat BUT they don't have the cavity showing the pickups bolted inside

[@srincident]

EBMM EVH is hands down the best guitar he ever played.

[@vincentyzer1627]

There is an eruption live video, in which he uses the snake/dragon guitar. So it turns out that it was used.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Yes, I didn’t say it was “never used,” I just said that he wasn’t able to use it with any regularity.

[@HarryKenyon]

It was an unk aluminum neck on the double

[@bryonkidder6199]

I just saw Tom McDermott of Rick James and the Stone City Band playing the black & yellow bumblebee guitar on Soul Train from a late 70's clip from the documentary "Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James"...WTF?

[@willieboy8798]

the LP that his dad bought in the early 70s was the only guitar he never toke apart.... it cost the family 612 dollars a huge financial investment at the time.... i dont think it is know if his dad asked him what he wanted or just purchased what he thought would do. in this purchase he bought alex a 350 dollar drum kit.... VH was officially started in 1973,...dad saw something huh!

[@fredprince9258]

There are videos on you tube in 1979 with eddie in concert using the snake guitar on stage in concert just to let you know

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Yeah I rewatched that and kind of wrote it wrong sorry about that. I know he used it a couple times, but didn’t mean to make it sound like he NEVER used it, just didnt get into the rotation heavily. Thanks for pointing that out so I could clarify.

[@fredprince9258]

@@TheGuitarHistorian no prob it's hard to list all guitars he has had so many even when they were mammoth White lespaul a kramer ripley guitar which he played for the song ripley on the wild life movie he also played a prs live with Simon and Garfunkel to many to name must have over 1000 guitars my guess through his lifetime rip are hero

[@toastoftowne1076]

I appreciate your opinion on the stienberger. Personally I don’t and never have It reminds me of a person with no head or legs. The epitome of uncool. Just my unimportant opinion. Thanks for your presentation. Well done

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

I’ve always been a fan of innovation. Someone taking a risk to do something different. Steinberger has been doing that for years but now that Gibson owns them you can pretty much forget about that. I think it started when I saw Marty McFly play that tiny guitar in back to the future 😂

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

I’d love to know who the troll is who automatically “dislikes” all of my videos within 5 minutes of my posting them... 😤

[@michaeleaster1815]

It might some kind of bot. It happens to a lot of channels...

[@shane8915]

I don't know about your other videos. But, on this one? Probably Gary Cherone.

[@eddiebaez2093]

Maybe a bass player? Hahaha just kidding

[@traviesoarcefan3063]

An unhappy ex-wife? Don't sweat it TGH. You do an awesome job. Keep it up!

[@simon_patterson]

It looks like most videos get at least 10% dislikes, so you're well in advance of that. I always puzzle over why people hit dislike, but I guess it takes all sorts to make a world.

[@An2oine]

What is the deal with the DH Gate - Ali Express looking 5150 guitars? The EVH 5150 would have been better justice.

[@archdukebigdogkoopa3821]

We know there's no such speaking guitar, but there *_is_* a talkbox.

[@jordanlucasthemusician]

Great vid! And indeed those Ibanez *destroyers* were made of Korina.

[@jordanlucasthemusician]

There’s an early photo of him playing it before painting it plain white, for a while, and also later striping it. I have played one stock from the same era and it was also surely Korina.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Thanks! I saw a report somewhere that they were made of kew and just finished to look like the korina explorers

[@ewm335]

Ibanez called these “korina” but they were actually made of a species of ash. As far as I know there aren’t any examples from that era made of white limba aka korina.

[@jordanlucasthemusician]

@@ewm335 well they were naturally finished and definitely mimicking the Gibson’s thanks for the heads up

[@bradspence9864]

The Ibanez Destroyers were made of a Japanese ash called “Sen” with maple necks and rosewood fretboards. It was offered in a “korina finish”, although there was no Korina on the guitar.

[@ivorharden]

EVH - The 20th Century Mozart.

[@theboofin]

Doesn't look like a a chainsaw cut. That's a lot of drilled holes and and cutting between them.

[@vincemendoza28]

Good video.too many commercials

[@EVEROSFP1]

Steinberger are the coolest looking guitars ever.(...and i don't have one).

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

I’m glad SOMEONE agrees with me!!! 🤣😂🤣

[@mouloudo]

7:05 is a miniature guitar lol...

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Haha I was hoping nobody noticed 😂🤣😂🤣. I didn’t until I rewatched it because when I was editing I was only looking at a small picture. When it got blown up, I was like “oh, fuuuuuuuuu......” like the kid from Christmas story

[@mouloudo]

@@TheGuitarHistorian haha great video anyway

[@duck_5150]

Seymour duncan JB?? no sir,a custom custom. Did you research at all or just read Wikipedia?

[@stevemcdine2241]

Ibanez super 70...???...???

[@WAYUPDUDE1382]

[@unclesamlore]

The reason why the Ernie ball deal fell through was because EVH had an affair with the current CEO of Ernie Ball Music Man. Valerie Bertinelli confirms this in her autobiography.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Ha! Great information

[@YourWifesBoyfriend]

Brian Ball?

[@bradspence9864]

Valerie said Ed had an affair with Sterling Ball’s wife.

[@akfreed6949]

Well when Ernie Ball screwed Eddie over a patent on Ed's idea , Ed screwed him back , huh ?

[@somerville_official8120]

Thanks for posting! If you have a minute, we posted an Eddie Van Halen tribute video. As fellow music lovers, we'd love if you'd take a listen. It's on our page. Don't go too hard on us :)

[@xerodelacroix5552]

"The Teisco was a copy of an Ibanez".....Ibanez didn't exist yet.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Ibanez started making modern electric guitars in the late 50s.

[@irammendez8683]

WHEN A LEGEND DIES THEY ALWAYS HAVE A WORLD CELEBRATION ON TV ..WHEN IS EDDIE VAN HALEN HAVING HIS .COME ON ROCK WORLD ITS TIME FOR A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR EDDIE ON TV EITHER A CONCERT OR JUST A DAM JAM SESSION...R.I.P. KING EDWARD YOU ARE MISSED BROTHER THANKS FOR THE MUSIC YOU LEFT US

[@donbuttaccio4464]

Umm yeh - hard pass on the Steinberger guitars. Blah!

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Hey. I can’t help it! 😂

[@anthonywandowicz8084]

Steinberg guitars are the gayest guitar ever made

[@YourWifesBoyfriend]

7:54 Are you telling me that's not an aluminum neck?