Best Van Halen Guitar Solo (2024 Update)

This is one of the better guitars I've played in my life. Right out of the box it was intonated perfectly but needed to be tuned. If you haven't used a D-Tuna before (like me), I highly recommend looking up a video on how to properly tune it. Having owned floating floyd rose bridge guitars before, I expected tuning to be a hassle. But to my surprise, it tuned just like a regular guitar and I barely had to use the fine tuning pegs. My only problem that I've adjusted to my comfort would be the tension on the bridge was a bit too much for me, removing the cover on the back and taking out one of the springs fixed this problem for me. But everything else is perfect, you're getting the sound of a Les Paul in a strat style body. It's hard to not want to play this guitar. The neck is the smoothest I've ever played, it's finely sanded down and just feels like butter. The gloss black body is also stunning to look at, but keep a cloth around because it's a finger print magnet. If you're a fan of EVH or looking for a good hybrid between Fender and Gibson, this is the guitar for you.Glenn

Fantastic and great looking guitar but the lack of "strat contours" on the Specials has me returning it and getting EVH Standards. I knew they laced the contours when I purchased but I really wanted to love this guitar. Love the feel of the neck and the sound of the pickups. Recessed Floyd in the arched top is too clunky sounding landing back on the top. Pickup selector is noisy, not the electronic sound but the actual clicking sound when going into the middle position. Those two things could just be my guitar and might have a remedy. Ultimately returning because, the non contour (non-strat) shape of the Special is uncomfortable at my chest and forearm when sitting. Just my preference, a lot of guitars lack the contours. Bought two Standards (Bomber Black and Transparent Amber) and love every thing about them.Patrick

Just bought this guitar and could not be more satisfied. To put my review in context: been playing 30 years, have had over 50 guitars and currently hold onto about 20- most are the high end USA models with "bells and whistles." I just read the book "Eruption" written by guitar magazine journalists and loved it- described Ed's constant tinkering with his guitars and search for best tones. Half way through I knew I wanted to go get an EVH model to add to my guitars (played a few over the years and they were all great, but very expensive Music Man Axis / Peavey), and wanted to wait until I finished the book to narrow down my search and go try out a new one to buy. Glad I did- toward the end of the book he explained how this model guitar is exactly what he wants to play right off the shelf as an entry level model a great gift to guitarists wanting an affordable guitar that isnt junk. I bought it and after about an hour playing with it as my guitar tuned down to Eb half a step- it is now my #1 guitar for that tuning (also for context my #1 for standard tuning is a Shur super strat which costs like 6x this Wolfgang). In response to some other lower reviews- yes, this is not equipped with a Floyd Rose floating bridge, just as Ed played- he sites the reason as Pros= better tone and you can rest your hand a little on the bridge without playing out of tune. Yes, the cons include not being able to pull up a note to really high pitch with the bar. right off the shelf it was set up with IMHO the best gauge string for his type of playing and a guitar tuned down half a step- 09-46 gauge. The 6 page manual with the guitar was really cool- a note from Ed was in it about how he wants folks to play the guitar and make it their own with literally their playing, grit and grease from hand oil actually being the wood finishing on the unfinished wood. The neck and fretboard are very sturdy, with jumbo frets and the latest technology in manufacturing to ensure each note can be fretted and in remain in tune / bend smoothly. All electronics are top notch- great humbucker pickups picked by Ed after a trial of about 100 different different pickups during the design phase. Tuners and Floyd Rose Special bridge were standard- I may upgrade them in a few months after breaking in the guitar. This is the only guitar review I have ever done- just trying to get some good karma I guess from this treasure I found and pass on the scoop on this guitar to others. Hope this helps- buy this! The perfect guitar to make yours just as it is, or customize/tinker around with it since it is affordable and there is much less stress of messing something up. IMHO if this guitar gets its due in the upcoming years it is our generation's Les Paul.Kevin

So I have been playing schecter and fender and was considering a Gibson. The gibs are just too fat in the neck. Me and my average hands have been working with thin c shape ok but I have had the feeling there must be something better. Don't get me wrong, those work fine. Actually went in to get a Jackson, but saw this one and had to test it out. It's a short scale thin, light and easy to play guitar. Have had it for a couple of weeks and I can honestly say it's my favorite ever. Super expressive, like crazy. It drives and overdrives with little effort. I can reach and move around the fret board easily making me sound better than I am. Saying that I'm impressed is an understatement. I don't know how anyone can do better, and the price is very reasonable. I can't imagine how the "upgraded" models play…. Guess I might have to try one.Boyd

This guitar is great for any evh collector and for the price its well worth it. Sounds great plays great highly recommend it!!robz25

Never before have I had an axe that had ZERO issues. The nut is Perfect (the E Strings(two outside strings) are perfectly measured from the sides of the fretboard. The floydrose stays in tune when you use it, the D-tuna is great, and if you break a string(at least a high E so far) there is no issue just keep playing because you are still in tune. One pick up is great because of all that space to not bang your pick on anything. The action is super low, and with 009's you are all set. Nice bridge humbucker and cleans up very well. The neck is great with no finish and overtime your own oils condition the wood(great idea EVH). Best of all no floating trem, Yay!surf_ping

Overall: Placed my order for the EVH EVH Frankie Red White and Black striped guitar, Friday 7-30-21 and received it a day earlier than expected Tuesday 8-3-21. This guitar exceeds all expectations for the price. If you know how to properly set a Floyd Rose style temolo, which it tedious in it's own right, it will consistently stay in tune after excessive abuse. The EVH Wolfgang pickup brings out the harmonics like you've never heard from any other pickup. I highly recommend this guitar for all Eddie Van Halen fans. You will not be disappointed!!!!Steve

I got a great deal on my copy on ebay and love it for that fact. I have been an RockBand fanatic from the get-go and actually bought Guitar Hero: World Tour with very dissappointing results. However, THIS game was something I really wanted to have. With the RockBand / GH cross compatibility with equipment, made this purchase an easy one and something that was cheap enough not to require an entire switchover to a whole other game franchise and their gear. I had been initially worried since this game had been given away as a 'promotional copy' for free along with advance purchases of GH5. So I had always been eyeing auctions to find a copy for about half the cost of the GH5 purchase price (assuming the person wasn't a VH fan). I knew that I was going to try and spend around $30. I ended up winning a full copy and can verify that there is no difference, other than a lack of case and booklet in the promo version. Like many reviewers have mentioned, the game lacks a few things, like even using 'younger' versions of the VH members and the exclusion of some select songs. But all in all, I have to admit, for the master tracks and the ability to play along with some of what I consider the absolute classics of VH, it is well worth the price of admission. I love drumming 'Jump' and 'Ice Cream Man' is pretty sweet… I certainly wouldn't reccommend running out and buying a full copy of it off the shelves, for like $60-70, but securing a copy for under $30, regardless of whether it is a promo version or not, will not affect your enjoyment of the game. One word of advice I might throw out though is if you ARE a GH fan and own most fo the game. Do make sure you ask the seller if they've used the import code or not, if you plan on merging this VH library into your existing main game (GH5? GHWT?) Only because, most might've done this and are dumping the game for cheap, forcing you to play this as a stand-alone. I didn't care either way, as this is the only GH game I own or will play. But if it were an RB game, I'd want to import it for sure. Something to keep in mind! Rock on! Akamikazei

Don't waste you money on the PS2 version, it is a piece of junk! Bought this game brand new and it keeps freezing up. I can play a few songs in quickplay mode, but after a few songs it freezes up when trying to load another song. I could not play career mode because it freezes up when trying to load it. Activision(the maker of the game) claims that my PS2 is in need of repair, but I don't have any problems playing any of my other hundred games. Also, if you check out the reviews of this game on Walmart.com you will see that many others have had the same problem I've had! Their PS2s work fine except for when trying to play this game. Activision is just like all the other big companies – let's blame someone else so we make a profit on a piece of junk. Don't waste your time or your money on the PS2 version!!!!!!!!!!!!!!bolts89

There is a reason why Activision was giving this game away for free for people who bought Guitar Hero 5. It's not a good game! First of all, it's missing two vital people who at one time were in Van Halen, namely Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. The fact that they aren't even mentioned in the game is a slap in the face to them. Instead Eddie's 16 year old son, Wolfgang, takes over on bass guitar, even when you progress in the game and play as the classic Van Halen with Dave's long hair and Eddie's flowing locks as well. And then you look over and there's Wolfie who evidentally discovered time travel and went back to play with them. I guess Michael was sick that night. Another is that you can only create one band at a time in career mode, that's right, ONE band. Not two, not four like you could in Guitar Hero 5. And one more flaw is the choices in songs. I think I could have done without "Stacy's Mom" and another song that sounds weird to be included with Guitar Hero Van Halen. And can someone explain to me why I have to play the keyboards to "Jump" on the guitar?dodgerman5150

I want to follow up my previous review. I played the guitar a lot more the day after I wrote my original review when I was more awake and noticed yet again, a lot of buzzing in several spots up and down the neck. The guitar was looked at by a luthier and I was told it would need a full fret level. He told me to return it. The buzz could not be dialed out by string height or relief. At 5/64 off the 12th fret on the low E and 4/64 off the 12th fret on the high E with .010mm relief at the 8th fret parts of the guitar sounds like a sitar due excessively high frets. The neck is not twisted either. This is 4 in a row that had some sort of an issue, mostly with bad fretwork and/or dings and dents. Also out of the 3 guitars I ordered I asked for no special handling so the boxes should have been sealed from the factory. Every guitar I got was opened and resealed. The original brown tape was cut and was re-tapped with clear tape on top of it. I'm not blaming MF but all of this didn't sit well with me. I talked to another dealer who told me that they have had issues with the EVH Wolfgang Standards and they sent four of them back to Fender and didn't even put them on sale on their website because of QC issues out of the box. So I'm hoping returned guitars aren't being sent back to Fender and then shuffled around and sent to other dealers as "new" stock…either way,something isn't right. MF was great, I wound up ordering a Strat instead. I wanted to like the EVH Wolfgang and I gave it a shot and I thought I had the last one playing alright until I really sat with it and discovered it really wasn't alright. I know people have bought them and had no issues and love them, consider yourself lucky. I'm done with them. I added a star because the neck does feel great and the pickups sound great…they made the excessive buzzing sound very warm.Guitar Player

Beautiful tone and smooth feel. Great neck which is easy to play…Did I mention tone? No I definitely cannot play like Eddie, but this is a great guitar which you could use to play any sort of music. Considering the finish, the quality and the tone…This guitar is a great value. They could charge a whole lot more for them, but I hope they don't.flyx99

The WG-T is everything that I am looking for in a guitar. This is the most ergonomically perfect instrument available, in my opinion. Hangs perfectly balanced, perfect weight, ridiculously comfortable, The lower cost of this model makes it a great choice for a gigging guitar. The Wolfgang Standard series is the only Wolfgang that has the forearm contour and belly cut and that really completes all the other comfort elements – including the compound radius neck, rolled edges, minimally finished neck, etc. The newer Wolfgang's finally have the right fret wire size (again, my opinion). Bummer that the frets are no longer stainless steel. Tonally the guitar is perfect, the pickups don't need to be swapped out like most lower tier guitars. Strap buttons negate the need for strap locks. The only upgrades that are desirable would be a higher quality output jack and pickup selector switch. Construction fit and finish are above average and fret work is spot on. Poor points are 1. The neck wood; definitely not select maple, although the fingerboards do look like select clear maple on the 3 WG-Ts I picked up. The necks have graphite reinforcement and have been 100% stable through the seasons so I guess the neck wood doesn't matter. 2. The output jack and jack plate screws arelow quality. 3. Bridge hardware finish wears through in a few months of playing – which actually looks cooler (in my opinion) but the actual bridge/tailpiece are most likely cheap cast zinc and will probably benefit from a replacement if the saddles wear. 4. I would prefer an actual satin finish rather than the almost no finish on the neck. It feels great raw, but I think a more protective finish would help prevent fret sprout. I recommend monitoring the humidity and keeping the guitar in a case. (I don't, and have experienced a little fret sprout when humidity drops in the winter). Love this model; the compromises in quality, fit, finish, and hardware are are a great trade-off if you don't want to be traveling around playing dive bars with an expensive collection. And the arm/belly contours actually put it a step above the Special for comfort.gunsoul

What an awesome product! This is my second USA EVH Wolfgang. I love the Ebony fret board. It's comfortable and super fast. Great build quality and fantastic tone. This is the nicest guitar I've ever owned and I've had them all. I'll definitely be buying another?JK

Just got it last night and I couldn't be happier with this guitar. I currently own one US model and 3 Japanese models. The Japanese models are high quality for the money but it's difficult to compare them to the build quality of the US models. Every EVH Wolfgang I own has a maple neck so I was hesitate when it came to Ebony fret board. I understand now why almost 90% of the Wolfgangs have ebony fret boards. The fret board and neck have a more comfortable feel and it's faster than the maple fret board. The build quality, tone and overall superiority of this guitar is really something to behold. I've owned Les Pauls, Strats and Charvels and none of them compare to the superiority of this guitar. Great job Eddie! Best guitar on the market. I can't wait to get my next one!James

I love the EVH Wolfgang USA. It took a little getting used to, as I had been playing a Strat, but after some adjustment the guitar feels natural. Its weight was surprising. It seems closer to a Les Paul than a Strat, but I got used to that also. The stock PUPs are great, nice harmonics and sustain. At this price point, I wish it came with German made Floyd Rose, but the Korean one is OK.Jimifan1975

It's is really hard to play but i'll get better at it because I don't know about 1 chord out of it ,but i have a chord book and this ain't mostly tabs it's mostly chords. All in all this is a good music book if you want to learn to play as FAST as you can. This don't come in a plastic cover case though.Anonymous

This is basically a book of tabs and sheet music. Not really a "Breakdown" as much as with a bit of commentary. However, the tabs are accurate, and the music is good. Where this book comes through is by the internet site with samples and the ability to slow the pieces down while you're learning.Keith

Do not buy without seeing/playing. I waited 6 months for this to arrive and was SO looking forward to it. The finish is absolutely beautiful, which makes the rest of the story that much more depressing. The tremolo, specifically the D-Tuna, does not fit the cavity. It hits the body when in regular E tuning. When I first picked it up, it wasn't surprising that it wasn't exactly tuned after shipping, though it was actually close. However the sixth string was tuned to E, with the D-Tuna disengaged (so should have been a D). I thought that was an odd mistake, but realized after trying to engage the D-Tuna into regular E position that whoever did the final setup did that on purpose because it won't go into E position without totally colliding with the body! Oh and the bridge pickup is totally loose and wobbling. That can probably just be tightened, but please… This is the second EVH Wolgang USA I've seen since Eddie's death that has had major, similar problems. The other's bridge pickup worked intermittently, and again the D-Tuna was hitting the body. It would be one thing if this was a cheap, import guitar. But at this price, these issues are unacceptable. So again, hold and examine the guitar yourself before buying.Joel D

Just bought this guitar and could not be more satisfied. To put my review in context: been playing 30 years, have had over 50 guitars and currently hold onto about 20- most are the high end USA models with "bells and whistles." I just read the book "Eruption" written by guitar magazine journalists and loved it- described Ed's constant tinkering with his guitars and search for best tones. Half way through I knew I wanted to go get an EVH model to add to my guitars (played a few over the years and they were all great, but very expensive Music Man Axis / Peavey), and wanted to wait until I finished the book to narrow down my search and go try out a new one to buy. Glad I did- toward the end of the book he explained how this model guitar is exactly what he wants to play right off the shelf as an entry level model a great gift to guitarists wanting an affordable guitar that isnt junk. I bought it and after about an hour playing with it as my guitar tuned down to Eb half a step- it is now my #1 guitar for that tuning (also for context my #1 for standard tuning is a Shur super strat which costs like 6x this Wolfgang). In response to some other lower reviews- yes, this is not equipped with a Floyd Rose floating bridge, just as Ed played- he sites the reason as Pros= better tone and you can rest your hand a little on the bridge without playing out of tune. Yes, the cons include not being able to pull up a note to really high pitch with the bar. right off the shelf it was set up with IMHO the best gauge string for his type of playing and a guitar tuned down half a step- 09-46 gauge. The 6 page manual with the guitar was really cool- a note from Ed was in it about how he wants folks to play the guitar and make it their own with literally their playing, grit and grease from hand oil actually being the wood finishing on the unfinished wood. The neck and fretboard are very sturdy, with jumbo frets and the latest technology in manufacturing to ensure each note can be fretted and in remain in tune / bend smoothly. All electronics are top notch- great humbucker pickups picked by Ed after a trial of about 100 different different pickups during the design phase. Tuners and Floyd Rose Special bridge were standard- I may upgrade them in a few months after breaking in the guitar. This is the only guitar review I have ever done- just trying to get some good karma I guess from this treasure I found and pass on the scoop on this guitar to others. Hope this helps- buy this! The perfect guitar to make yours just as it is, or customize/tinker around with it since it is affordable and there is much less stress of messing something up. IMHO if this guitar gets its due in the upcoming years it is our generation's Les Paul.Kevin

My 12 year old son has discovered Van Halen, so naturally he wants to play like Eddie. This is his first pedal and he absolutely loves it. A must if you want to emulate the late great EVH.MrStacy

I'm relatively new to pedals. I did watch a Sweetwater video comparing all 4 of the MX pedals. Although they are all pretty close this one was just a little bit more grittier and so I chose it for that reason even though it's $20 higher than the others.Rob L

Overall: I was excited to receive this guitar as it was on back order I got the black and yellow bumblebee. After receiving it I made some adjustments to the tremolo and found that the spring cavity was bare wood / looked like it was chisel out with a screwdriver and it was not routed or CNC'd flat. Worse than that the wood under the Floyd rose was cracked and the finish was cracked as well. Basswood is a very light and soft wood so I am guessing the trem was pushed back during shipment or during setup at the factory and not seen by the staff as it is only visible when you remove the Floyd. I am a woodworker and beginning luthier so I corrected these issues myself and reinforced the thin section under the bridge with a custom fitted piece of maple and routed out the trem cavity so it is flat and sprayed the trem pocket with flat black paint looks like it should have when it left the factory now. I know I probably should have sent it back but overall I really like the guitar and I think Eddie would approve of my work.Douglas

This guitar has my favorite neck. The fretwork is amazing and the neck plays itself. This surprised me coming from fat Les Paul necks. Super easy to play, which, in turn, makes you sound better. I was very impressed with the sound and the functionality of the electronics. I’m a big Van Halen fan but don’t play a whole lot of it and this guitar sounds great for all kinds of other stuff, so long as you’re playing hard rock/early metal. Cleans up great with the volume knob but let’s be real – with no neck pickup, cleans aren’t really what you’re going for. Out of the box, was not intimated at all and there were a couple of paint dings and imperfections. Floyd also didn’t hold tune super well but with a solid setup and lubing up the fine tuners, it plays and sounds great. I had one of these a couple of years back and sold it foolishly to fund other purchases but hear I am, back again after purchasing again. It really is an awesome guitar and I am partial to the b/w color scheme with the Strat-style input jack. My Les Paul Custom is better quality but this guitar honestly sounds as good or better for a third of the price. And this guitar makes you a better player and you realize how amazing of a guitarist Eddie was considering how basic and simple this guitar is. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.Arpeggio5150

Eddie inspired so many folks to pick up the guitar. This is my second EVH model and I am amazed by this guitar every time I play it. This model was on my bucket list of guitars and when it went on sale at Adorama, I had to snap it up. It came perfectly setup from the EVH factory and the only thing needed to be done was to tune it properly. The D-Tuna is great to switch to drop D tunings. The Frankenstrat plays like a dream. The fretboard is like butter and the the action is ideal for playing hard rock and metal. The pickup gives you an excellent approximation of Eddie's brown sound. I am ecstatic with my purchase and this guitar is the perfect homage to the master. RIP Eddie!Tomas

This is one of the better guitars I've played in my life. Right out of the box it was intonated perfectly but needed to be tuned. If you haven't used a D-Tuna before (like me), I highly recommend looking up a video on how to properly tune it. Having owned floating floyd rose bridge guitars before, I expected tuning to be a hassle. But to my surprise, it tuned just like a regular guitar and I barely had to use the fine tuning pegs. My only problem that I've adjusted to my comfort would be the tension on the bridge was a bit too much for me, removing the cover on the back and taking out one of the springs fixed this problem for me. But everything else is perfect, you're getting the sound of a Les Paul in a strat style body. It's hard to not want to play this guitar. The neck is the smoothest I've ever played, it's finely sanded down and just feels like butter. The gloss black body is also stunning to look at, but keep a cloth around because it's a finger print magnet. If you're a fan of EVH or looking for a good hybrid between Fender and Gibson, this is the guitar for you.Glenn

Fantastic and great looking guitar but the lack of "strat contours" on the Specials has me returning it and getting EVH Standards. I knew they laced the contours when I purchased but I really wanted to love this guitar. Love the feel of the neck and the sound of the pickups. Recessed Floyd in the arched top is too clunky sounding landing back on the top. Pickup selector is noisy, not the electronic sound but the actual clicking sound when going into the middle position. Those two things could just be my guitar and might have a remedy. Ultimately returning because, the non contour (non-strat) shape of the Special is uncomfortable at my chest and forearm when sitting. Just my preference, a lot of guitars lack the contours. Bought two Standards (Bomber Black and Transparent Amber) and love every thing about them.Patrick

Excellent quick easy accurate EVH licks ! Might pick them up quickly but it will take years to make it sound just like Eddie ! No reason to stop trying though !!Mckenzie

This is a great book especially if you are a Eddie Van Halen fan like me. I also have played guitar for many years so it was extra special to me!frank628_6

En verkligt nära presentation av Eddie, många roliga och fantastiska berättelser. En fin hyllning till en av dom största gitarrhjältar världen skådat.Sören J

If you love rock music, either back in the day or on frequent forays to U-Tube Music, etc, this book is for you! The co-author of this book, Brad Tolinski (with Chris Gill), was Editor-In-Chief of GUITAR WORLD for over 20 years and is unsurpassed in his knowledge of the instrument and those who play them. Several years ago, Mr. Tolenski wrote the brilliant LIGHT AND SHADE, a collection of interviews with the great JIMMY PAGE. Now he has collected his interviews with the late/great Eddie van Halen – this book being a deserved tribute to the late iconic guitarist who played brilliantly, and re-invented the instrument and changed, forever, the way electric guitars are now played AND made. The author has revealed much about the evolution of the guitarist, telling us in detail why Eddie would buy old guitars, strip out the parts and make his own guitar with its distinctive sound (and stripes) – what he called his "Frankenstein"or "Frankenstrat"! EDDIE van Halen was able to overcome a difficult childhood and become 1 (of the 2?) top guitarists in rock history. Some of his guitars are now at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Smithsonian Ibstitute, etc. Eddie Van Halen really was a guitarist/musician in his soul. When you read this book, you will see and understand rhe difference between dreaming and following a dream. Thats what geniuses are – successful dreamers. I highly recommend this bookAnnie

These replica guitars are awesome! This is the second one I have bought & I love them! The attention to detail on this guitar is through the roof!! Go out and get one today!!jifowl3