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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Eddie Van Halen. Every item links to its public source.
28 items · Last checked

What guitar does Eddie Van Halen play?

Eddie Van Halen said in 1978 that his main guitar was a Charvel body and neck with one humbucker, played through MXR phase and flanger pedals, Echoplexes and rebuilt Marshalls. He was later seen with a Kramer 5150, Wolfgang guitars from Music Man, Peavey and EVH, and 5150 amps.

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What guitar gear Eddie Van Halen uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

Guitars

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Hardware

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Amps

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Effects

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Questions

About Eddie Van Halen's gear.

What guitar did Eddie Van Halen play?

In 1978 he said his main guitar was a Strat-style body and neck he bought from Charvel and fitted with an old humbucker and one volume knob, the guitar known as the Frankenstrat. He later played a Kramer 5150, a Music Man EVH, and Peavey and EVH Wolfgang models.

What pedals did Eddie Van Halen use?

He said in 1978 that he used an MXR phase shifter, an MXR flanger and two Echoplexes, plus two Univox echo units for the end of Eruption, all mounted on a piece of wood.

What amps did Eddie Van Halen use?

He said he used rebuilt old Marshall heads and cranked the line voltage with a Variac-style box. In 1978 he also named Music Man and Laney heads. He later had his own Peavey 5150 amps from 1992 and EVH 5150 III amps from 2007.

What strings and picks did Eddie Van Halen use?

In 1978 he said he used Fender strings gauged .009 to .040 and Fender medium picks. Guitar.com notes he later endorsed Ernie Ball 5150 strings in the mid 1980s.

What was Eddie Van Halen's first guitar?

He said his first was a Sears Teisco Del Rey with three pickups.

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Eddie Van Halen
About this guide · Last checked

Eddie Van Halen (1955 to 2020) was the Van Halen guitarist whose tapping, whammy work and brown sound reshaped rock guitar from Eruption on. This legacy guide covers the guitars, amps, effects and strings he described in his 1978 interview and the signature gear he built with Kramer, Music Man, Peavey and EVH.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Eddie Van Halen didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

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truerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Eddie Van Halen isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.