Van Halen Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I'm lucky enough to own quite a few guitars. (Les Paul, ES339, a newer deluxe Strat and Tele, vintage SG and Custom LP and more all USA built) This EVH is the best Guitar I've ever played. I like it so much I bought a Striped Mexican made EVH to Jam with so i don't wear this one out. Everything on the Wolfgang USA is as you'd want it (ok, except for the silly headstock shape). It never goes out of tune no matter how much you're dive bombing the Floyd. The neck is the smoothest and fastest neck I've touched. The electronics are bullet proof and just SOLID, you can mash everything, the kill switch is awesome, it looks and feels sturdy. Even the dog collar strap things work surprisingly well. Just a very wonderfully engineered guitar.thatkatmat

I've been playing for 41 years. I own and have owned lots of guitars like Strats, Les Pauls, ES335 etc. This is my favorite guitar I've ever owned. It just feels right. The neck is perfect. Its size and weight feel just right too. Craftsmanship is fantastic and the guitar is flawless.Lost Ghost

This guitar is amazing. A nice upgrade on the previous USA Wolfgangs. I think the new Alnico pickup really brings a noticeable tonal improvement, and the addition of the kill switch is just too cool. My guitar arrived with a perfect setup. Low action, smooth neck, tremolo set just right. Love the ebony fretboard and SS frets. Sounds great clean, but it really shines when you crank up the gain and volume. Crazy harmonics and very articulate. I'm playing through an EVH 15 W lunchbox head and 1 x 12 EVH cab. Wouldn't hesitate to buy this one again.Waldo

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

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

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

Very impressed with this guitar. The neck has a great feel and well set-up for playing fast and note bends, especially in the upper register. Sustain is impressive for a sub £1k guitar and there is probably enough grunt from the factory pickups for most players. The low friction volume and high friction tone are a nice thing to have and am considering adapting my other working guitars with this. Using the D-Tuna was a learning curve as you can't use the fine tuner once set at drop D (well, you can tweak the tuning on the D-Tuna itself once set in the standard tuning position). If you don't fancy using it you can always swap it out with the supplied kit. The kill button is fun and I'm sure I'll get good use of it in time but I do keep brushing it when hammering out funk rhythms. Possibly due to my large hands but worth noting that if you splay you strumming hand when playing, you may end up with a scuff bruise or two. All told, I'm very happy with this new addition to my string family.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Great guitar. Plays like butter. My biggest problem is that the Floyd Rose bridge goes out of tune every time I use the tremolo ( actually comes out of the body). Even with me buying the protection plan I keep getting told that my only option is to pay more money and get the bridge replaced and re-setup. Very disappointed with this whole experience.Kevin

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

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

Ever since I first saw this beast on my old man's copy of Women and Children First, I knew I would have my own someday. I contemplated building my own like many have done over the years, but was elated when I saw EVH finally put this bad boy out. Had to get it set up when it arrived as it had most likely been sitting in a box for quite awhile and got shipped all over the place before arriving at my door, but once it was set up and the action set properly, she played like butter. I usually swap pickups, but the stock Wolfgang pickups are great. It's burgundy in color, but more of a flat bright burgundy. In the light it definitely looks more red than burgundy, with flat silver stripes. Awesome paint job and color. I was worried it would be too dark in color, but it isn't. One thing that made me scratch my head is that there's only a master volume knob instead of one for each pickup, with a simple hole where the second volume knob should be. I'll most likely change this at some point so I can roll the neck pickup back for cleans. Other than that, it's the Shark, man! It's awesome.Blake O

This is slowly becoming my favorite guitar! I've been playing for 42 years and the slinky feel of this short scale makes it difficult to put down! The tone, the feel, the look, it's an outstanding guitar for the price !Jersey Frank

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

The guitar was delivered in its box, but was dirty, i can only assume it had been sat around for a while, it was a 2018 discontinued model. It was that bad i nearly returned it. But i gave it a good clean, the fret board was filthy, set it up and now i am really pleased with it. I know we all like our guitars a bit different but this was way off.Reviewed by guitarguitar custome

The guitar was delivered in its box, but was dirty, i can only assume it had been sat around for a while, it was a 2018 discontinued model. It was that bad i nearly returned it. But i gave it a good clean, the fret board was filthy, set it up and now i am really pleased with it. I know we all like our guitars a bit different but this was way off.Reviewed by guitarguitar custome

I was sceptical before I bought it but after receiving it all the scepticism went away. This guitar is absolutely fantastic. Really amazing detail. Nice addition to my guitar collection. I now a proud owner.esho_39