Guitars
53
Custom-Built "Frankenstrat" Guitar
Eddie Van Halen built his first guitar himself. "Some people call it Frankens... more

Peavey EVH Wolfgang Electric Guitar
Eddie co-designed this guitar with Chip Ellis (who was also in charge of crea... more

EVH Wolfgang USA 3-Color Sunburst Guitar
In this photo with Eddie and his son Wolfgang, Eddie's guitar can be identifi... more

EVH Wolfgang USA Stealth Black Guitar
In this photo from EVHGear.com, Eddie Van Halen's guitars and gear company, E... more
Amplifiers
8
Marshall Plexi 1959SLP 100W Tube Guitar Amp Head
Used extensively since the early 70's until the 90's, when Peavey started mak... more

EVH 5150III 50 Watt 2x12 White
In this video from Eddie Van Halen's equipment company, EVHGear, Eddie himsel... more

EVH 5150III 4x12 Straight Cabinet
"5150!!! pic.twitter.com/kBajDjNhkm" (Eddie is referring to his 5150III line ... more

EVH 5150III 50W
This is a signature guitar amp designed by EVH himself and then built by Fender. more
Effects Pedals
22
MXR Smart Gate Noise Gate
On pedal manufacturer Dunlop's page, which lists several of their pedals Eddi... more

MXR M234 Analog Chorus
In this photo from Van Halen's "Café Wha?" gig in January 2012, the MXR Analo... more

MXR EVH 35th Anniversary Phase 90
MXR produced an updated version of their Phase 90 pedal, that celebrates Eddi... more

MXR EVH-117 EVH 35th Anniversary Flanger
Eddie used the original MXR Flanger to create the signature tone in his song ... more
Live Setup Accessories
1
What kind of Live Setup Accessories does Eddie Van Halen use?

H&H V800 Power Amplifier
According to Premier Guitar, Eddie used "several" of these during his show at... more
World Instruments
1Strings
5
Fender Heavy Strings
Eddie used heavy string early on tuned half a step down. He used heavier bot... more

Fender 150XL
Used in the early days. He would boil the strings so they would stretch and h... more

Ernie Ball 5150 EVH (9, 11, 15, 24, 32, 40)
Used during the time he played Kramer and Music Man guitars. more
Bass Guitars
1
Kramer Duke Bass
Van Halen can be seen playing a Kramer Duke Bass in this photo. more
Studio Equipment
13
Furman PL-PLUS C Power Conditioner
Premier Guitar's third photo of Van Halen's setup at Bridgestone Arena in 201... more

Shure UR4D+ Wireless Receiver
Premier Guitar's third photo of Van Halen's setup at Bridgestone Arena in 201... more

Coleman Audio GT6
Premier Guitar's third photo of Van Halen's setup at Bridgestone Arena in 201... more

Shure UA845 UHF Antenna Distribution System
From Premier Guitar's third photo of Van Halen's setup at Bridgestone Arena i... more
Music Accessories
5
EMG 81 Active Humbucking Pickup
Not sure about the neck pickup but on few website You can find out that the b... more

EVH Premium Signature Picks
From his own brand, he has stated he uses this pick nowadays in multiple inte... more

EVH® STRAPS
This is sold from EVH's website, and he is seen with it in his live performan... more
Keyboards and Synthesizers
7
What kind of Keyboards and Synthesizers does Eddie Van Halen use?

Oberheim OB-Xa
In the music video for Van Halen's Jump, Eddie Van Halen can be seen [at 2:34... more

Wurlitzer 200A
During studio session for the band’s third album, ‘Women and Children First,’... more

Moog Minimoog Voyager
"Eddie had come up with a cool new riff on a Minimoog synthesizer and shared ... more

Yamaha DX7-IIFD
Eddie Van Halen used the DX7II on OU812as a contrast to the 'fat analogue' so... more
Other Gear
0Gear Guides
5 Best Online Guitar Lessons Websites in 2021


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Updated February 2021
8 Best Looper Pedals for Guitar: 2020 Gear Guide


Michael Pierce & Giulio Chiarenza
Updated January 2020
It would be fair to say that Eddie Van Halen is one of the greatest guitarists ever to have plucked a six-string. His legacy in influencing an entire generation of guitarists is undeniable, with the axe-man being voted the best of all time, as recently as 2012, over peers such as Angus Young and Brian May by readers of Guitar World magazine. Van Halen was a chameleon in his choice of equipment throughout his career, adapting to new developments to ensure that he captured the sound in his head for his latest record.
Eddie's most famous guitar is the self-built "Frankenstein," or Frankenstrat, which he custom made from parts bought from Wayne Charvel's guitar shop. The neck and part of the pick guard were altered, with a Floyd Rose vibrato unit installed. this was his regular touring guitar and pride and joy — a replica version was made available for $25,000 in 2007. A stock Ibanez Destroyer was used on large parts of Van Halen's first album, and Eddie later used a rear-loaded Kramer 5150 for his early '80s recordings.
Van Halen switched between guitars from album to album — and from track to track at times — in his restless search for perfection. He most commonly used the Steinberger GL-2T with TransTrem, the EVG "Music Man" guitar and several varieties of Fender Strats, Telecasters and Coral Sitars. He also produced his own signature line of guitars with Peavey, named after his son, Wolfgang, which often featured a device called a "D-Tuna." which enabled the guitarist to tune the low E string down to D with a slight turn of a knob attached to the end of the bridge.
Van Halen's magpie approach extended to his choices of amplifier; though he most commonly used a 100-watt Marshall amp in the early years of his career, he has stated his favorite amp to be the '63 blonde Band Master head, saying that was the best he'd ever heard himself play. Throughout his recording career, he has also used a single Celestion speaker cabinet and a MOSFET solid state power amp and had a hand in designing the Peavey Electronics 5150 amp and the later Fender 5150 III.
Always taking a purist approach to his sound, Van Halen never used a distortion pedal, preferring to utilize the natural distortion from his amp. He relied largely on a Roland sde3000 rack unit delay pedal for effects. If diversity is truly the key to innovation, it would be fair to cite this as the reason for Eddie Van Halen being one of the world's most distinctive and adventurous guitarists.