software

ok this probably has been done to death but,

was his first guitar made from Alder, or Basswood? you know the one made from the boogie bodies wood he got.

some people say it was Basswood (which is why Steve Vai made his Green Meanie out of Basswood, i think)

maybe Mahogany? he did say that the yellow/black striped guitar he made out of a thick hunk of mahogany to make up for the Floyd he first used.

then again why is he making his signature ( charvel) guitars out of pure Basswood now?

wasnt his 5150 made of alder?

any ideas?

Someone correct me if I`m wrong but I`m pretty sure the Frankie body was made of ash and the 5150 Kramer was alder.

I thought the original frankenstrat had an ash body.

ok, then why did he make all his other guitars out of other wood than ash?

its not like i dont believe you, but do you see what i mean?

The first guitar was definitly an ash body made by boogie bodies.

ok so lets say its ash.

so why arent all of other guitars made of ash?

why didnt he make his latest signature one of ash if it got those amazing sounds we all loved?

sorry im just wondering if he has been pulling our leg all this time.

Well he never made any of his first guitars out of basswood but his new signature model is made out of it. Its just his evolving taste. Most of us change guitars and amps over the years so does Ed.

you know what i mean by pulling our leg?
like when he and other legendary guitarists claim they never really practiced.

and we all know how he was very secrative of his stuff ( amp and its mods, or no mods)

im just thinking to myself, why isnt it that all the Van Halen fans and guitar co.s bring out the super strats with them made of ash?

know what i mean?

The original frankenstein was ash. Some say northern, heavy ash, but I don't know if anyone's confirmed that. I met the man once, got lost in small talk and forgot to ask.

Vai's green meanie was a guitar built by Grover Jackson and lent to Vai. It wan't designed by Vai. Grover had sat down with Allan Holdsworth a few years earlier and tested a bunch of woods, and they concluded basswood to be the best. Hence basswood charvels.

yeah right about the Green Meanie, i have read that too.

but why havent all these super strats been made of ash then?

well, because everyone's different, and not everyone's gunning for the VH tone. Also, basswood is cheap and easy to work with, so manufacturers have been pushing it. I personally wouldn't build a superstrat out of ash. I'd go for mahogany, basswood or alder.

I have a feeling most VH fans that have heard that Ed's frankie has an ash body and gone out and made/tried an ash guitar have heard something quite different than the VH1 tone. My guess is that for an ash guitar to sound anything like VH, you'd need a very warm sounding plexi or similar with the power tubes running at meltdown to counteract the brightness, especially if it's a heavy ash body.

Why not email Lynn Ellsworth? I sent him an email a few years ago regarding the 2tek bridge and he got right back to me.


Originally Posted by The Golden BoyWhy not email Lynn Ellsworth? I sent him an email a few years ago regarding the 2tek bridge and he got right back to me.

good advice.......some one E-Mail him and just ask.

here's a cool link from : localhost/valleywebs.com/van-halen/guitars.html

i emailed Wayne Charvel to ask him his advise on what are the materials to use.

so i will tell you all when he or his son gets back to me.

they do rave however about their Monster series which is unfinished Mahogany on maple/rosewood.

lets see.

Yep, it was ash. His 2nd (3rd) Frankie (black with yellow stripes?) was made out of mahogany and was thicker than a standard strat body. The idea was to counteract the brightness of the Floyd.

A good chunk of the songs on the first few VH albums weren't recorded with a strat, but with an Ibanez Destroyer. The Destroyer was either korina (limba) or ash stained to look like korina.


Originally Posted by Hot _GritsThe original frankenstein was ash. Some say northern, heavy ash, but I don't know if anyone's confirmed that. I met the man once, got lost in small talk and forgot to ask.

Vai's green meanie was a guitar built by Grover Jackson and lent to Vai. It wan't designed by Vai. Grover had sat down with Allan Holdsworth a few years earlier and tested a bunch of woods, and they concluded basswood to be the best. Hence basswood charvels.

I heard Eddie say in interviews his Original VHI strat was as heavy as a Les Paul due to the heavy Northern Ash....

Vai's Green Meanie started out as a sunburst strat and Vai stripped the paint and used green spray cans for a few light coats.... Plus Vai added different pickups and stuff....

WhoFan


Originally Posted by MattPeteYep, it was ash. His 2nd (3rd) Frankie (black with yellow stripes?) was made out of mahogany and was thicker than a standard strat body. The idea was to counteract the brightness of the Floyd.

A good chunk of the songs on the first few VH albums weren't recorded with a strat, but with an Ibanez Destroyer. The Destroyer was either korina (limba) or ash stained to look like korina.

No the black and Yellow one is said to ASH as well..... The thicker Mahogany strat was unpainted..... it was a full 2 inches thick. he had that around the Women and Children first era... it is assumed Eddie Painted it later on but no one says what he used for paint on it. There was a story with pictures on some of Eddies guitars in The Inside Fan Mag, and an old edition of Guitar World shows all his guitars in 1980... the Mahogany 2 inch one is at his feet

WhoFan


Originally Posted by MattPeteHis 2nd (3rd) Frankie (black with yellow stripes?) was made out of mahogany and was thicker than a standard strat body. The idea was to counteract the brightness of the Floyd.

how well would that work?

thats funny i thought the painted black and white one was Mahogany. i even have a pic of it with the old floyd without the tuners.

i just dont understand why everyone didnt go out and get ash bodies.

whats with all the basswood?

i kinda dont like it that in the begining Ed said that he was all proud that he put his guitar together for like 160 bucks or something like that and now he offers his signature guitars for over 2 grand??!!!!
and this is coming from a die hard van halen fan, but i dont like stuff like that.

i lose respect. i mean how much more money do these people want?