For anyone considering it today, I got one last week with zero defects and the set up was perfect out of the box. It’s fantastic, I didn’t know that I would like the guitar this much and there’s nothing to dislike at retail.
I could have written that review word for word. LOL. I bought a WG Standard, and for the money, it's an incredible instrument. Hell, double the price and it would still be worth it!
I was looking at the exact guitar and wanted to pull the trigger on buying it, but I'm so happy to see that it's in your hands and to see a full review of it. Awesome guitar!
Thanks for showing the different tones that you can get with this guitar. All of the other videos I watched just played Van Halen and that is it. One retailer was talking about how versatile it is then played Van Halen for 12 minutes.
I have the Limited Edition Wolfgang in RBW with maple fretboard and matching headstock. I LOVE IT! That thing is a tone machine you can go from jazz to metal it’s f-ing great. RIP EDWARD and thank you for all you have done🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
100% correct! Loads n loads come with the crack at the body/heel. I had one, I let it go. Also Stainless frets also come in MIC / USA / MIJ too :-) not just USA.
Bought a used Special off of Reverb a few months back for under 600 with a lot of upgrades; Grover tuners, German Floyd, FU Tone Floyd upgrades (brass block, brass claw, titanium screws, noiseless springs), push/pull pots, and a Duncan P-Rail neck pickup. I added a brass bracket trem stop to deck the bridge. Guitar just rings with sustain, but have to sort out the D-Tuna, which seems to be jammed. Might get a pro setup too, but its decent as is. Black cherry flame top is subtle but nice.
I had a Schaller Floyd installed in the first run LTD M series back in the late 90s. I have never treated a guitar worse in my life. It's been thrown through a TV/Glass Table, the body looks like it was hit with a truck, the fretboard looks like it is covered in coffee grounds...I can't get that Floyd to go out of tune even if I try. I LOVE that guitar so much! Haha
I have the 2010 EVH Custom Shop Wolfgang and the new Wolfgang Special Ebony Deep Purple Metallic. If you measure around the fretboard & neck, the Ebony neck is thicker than the maple by almost a half inch at the 12th fret. AND I prefer my Wolfgang Special Mexican to the EVH Wolfgang Custom Shop. Just as stable, & I hear no difference in the pickups except the Mexican Wolfie sounds better. I've been playing Wolfies since 1999.
Thank you for comparing the necks - I had a Peavey Wolfgang that had my favorite neck profile, and I've been wondering about the EVH necks. Good to know the difference.
The USA version has a slightly thicker neck than the import, mine measures .810” - .900” (1st to 12th fret). I can’t go any thinner than that. Eddie must’ve had tiny hands.
@@MRPERFECT_79 Lol he was like 5’7”. He was a tiny tiny man. And you have ZERO idea what a baseball bat neck is if you think the Wolfgang has a baseball bat neck. An R9 has a thick chunky neck, WAY thicker than ANY iteration of the Wolfgang, still not baseball bat; an R7, now THAT’S a baseball bat neck.
@@MisterBlue80 I mean, people tend to be proportional to their height, but yeah thinking about it, Hendrix had huge mitts and he probably wasn’t even 6ft tall. And Vai has huge hands and he prefers really skinny necks. I just don’t get how guys with bigger hands find those tiny necks comfortable. Maybe just ‘cause I do a lot of thumb-over-the-top is why I prefer chunkier ones, idk.
Kevin Alfrey I got lucky! Got it on reverb. Guitar was in mint condition (new) came set up and perfectly in tune out of the box. Just had to stretch the strings!
sham zamri so far it’s gone above my expectations! All my other guitars are boutique guitars much more then double the Wolfgang. Nice and rounded fret ends no sharp ends.great feeling overall. Glad I took a chance and purchased it. I do find the guitar a bit darker but my other guitars are maple, neck throughs. So not sure if it’s the pickups or the guitars construction.
@@RetroFan1992 That's why I'm curious after watching Cameron Cooper demos sometime ago..maybe you've seen it but here's the link anyway..ua-cam.com/video/r5s5mWN9YSc/v-deo.html.. thanks for the feedback.
Great demo Phil,and I don't think Eddie wanted anyone ripping up his guitars for mods, except for him lol anyway ,he was the working mans guitar hero and thats why so many people have been affected by his passing, players and fans alike
I bought a Wolfgang Special Stealth a couple of years ago, mainly for the Floyd Rose. Sweetwater was on back order, so (for the only time) I ordered it from Amazon. It was WAY more guitar than I expected. The neck is my favorite of any guitars that I’ve played. The pickups are outstanding and the volume and tone controls give the widest variation of tone that I’ve experienced. It can do it all and is my favorite guitar (and I have several, many much more expensive)
For those wanting a brand new Peavey Wolfgang I strongly recommend you check out the Peavey HP2 they are virtual identical to the original Peavey Wolfgang Archtop. Not only are they freaking amazing guitars the tops on most of them are damn close to PRS 10 Top at almost half the price!
@@jdj62464 Wish you were right. Yes, the first 200 might have used NOS parts, but they actually skimped on the Floyd. They're nowhere near the quality of the Ping that the original Peavey WG had. Other main difference is the original Wolfgang was entirely manufactured in the USA, the HP2's are manufactured in the Czech Republic I believe. Whilst that not might sound like a great deal, there have been a number of complaints regarding the overall quality of the guitar, specifically the finishes in most instances. Not saying that they aren't great guitars, but they're definitely not worth the price that Peavey are asking for them at RRP.
I love the fact that the headstock is white. I just think a white guitar looks amazing with a matching headstock. Too many times I've seen awesome white guitars get ruined by a black headstock. Just my opinion. Thanks for the great video Phillip, seriously thinking about buying one, if I can find one! LOL!
I also thought my EVH had a shorter scale neck when I first played it but after measuring, I realized that it's a standard scale and what they do is to make the body a few inches shorter at the bridge end. When you wear a strap, the head stock is shifted a few inches closer to you. There are a few other body adjustments that they've done making it the most comfortable guitar I have ever played.
The pickups are definitely different Mexico vs. US. I bought a US bridge pickup for my Special and it has a thicker base plate and bobbins, and taller pole pieces with braided metal wire. That said, the neck pup sounds awesome - so the specs must be pretty close.
Yeah people want crazy amounts of money for them now. I have a first year gold top Wolfgang and it's my favorite guitar. I wish that I had bought another one when I had the chance. Now people are using Eddie's death as a way to line their pockets.
Today, at Guitar Center, I played the $700 standard in "stryker red" and I really liked it. I was just grabbing different mid-priced guitars off the wall and testing them out. I'm years beyond my hard rock, whammy bar days, so I wasn't looking for an electric that's geared for that type of music. It just has to feel and sound good. I don't want a thin-sounding Tele or Strat. So, if I had $1500 to burn, I'd get a Gibson Les Paul Studio. But the $700 EVH Standard really caught my eyes and ears. I just might grab one!
The Floyd Rose on these is a 1000 series. Supposedly the same as a German made but manufactured in Korea. Available only on stock guitars and no option to buy it aftermarket. It feels a bit different to the German made Floyd but it is an excellent bridge with great stability.
@Phil...just wanted to tell you, I don't play guitar, however, I do enjoy watching most of your video's. I have been inspired by you, Dovidas channel and Darrell (a Canadian) channel. To begin learning guitar, I should note, I'm 55 years old and a surgeon. Friends and even the wife think I'm crazy. But I see it as a fun hobby to learn. And hopefully one day in the far future. I become halfway decent at it. Thanks for the vids and the inspiration.
If you're a surgeon, then you've definitely got the steady hands..aswell as the drive and self-discipline to achieve goals. No to mention the earning potential to feed your soon -to-be-activated G.A.S.* habit! Just know that with guitar, there's no point where you'll ever feel like you've achieved your goal! It always takes longer to get only halfway as good as you imagined - and there's always much improvements to be made. That said, you make some quick , satisfying gains early on. And I wouldn't trade this hobby for anything! * Guitar Acquisition Syndrome
I want this guitar so bad. I’ve been a player for almost 30 years and I own one guitar. I have had a few, lost a few and I NEED this guitar you’re playing like I need air to breathe. I hope to be able to save and buy it, if I can get back to work.
So happy you’re reviewing this. I just ordered an evh wolfgang sassafras. I probably won’t get it until November, but I’ve been wanting to try the evh neck carve for sooooo long. Never had a d-tuna either. Looking forward to getting the thing. I was looking at it before the news broke about Ed. A couple places I was looking to get it went out of stock, so ordered the next one I could.
I bought that color and model. I'm in love. So I was tripping over the Standard vs the Special After watching this and a few other reviews. I pulled the trigger on a polar white Special
Hi there! I have the Japanese version and the pups doesn’t have 4 wire conductors so, no push pull for me, it’s awsome they’ve added to the recents models! Regards!
The Made in Japan Wolfgangs came with stainless steel frets too, along with Birdseye maple fretboard, same pickups and electronics than the USA models... I owned one and fretboard was absolutely perfect, no fret sprouts at all. And came with a hardcase. They offered more than the current MX by the same money if not cheaper.
I had a Mexican made wolfgang special and then switched to a Japanese made Wolfgang special with the American pick ups, stainless steel frets and hard tail. There is definitely a difference between the two in sound. The Japanese model is my favorite guitar out of all that I own.
Phillip would love to see a review for folks on the EVH Special from Japan. I have a lefty version that is AMAZING. It has the SS frets and the USA made parts.
About 10 years ago I was weighing the purchase an Ibanez JS2400 and an EVH MIA Wolfgang. I went with the Ibanez because the neck felt better in my hands. I previously had not because with the Ibanez I could not justify the purchase. I recently sold the Ibanez d/t being unemployed (thank you COVID-19) and when my personal economy is better I’ll be looking to score one of these EVH Wolfgang guitars. I’ll be firing up the soldering iron to add the coil spilt first thing. It’s too useful of a feature to not have. I’ll also add the treble bleed mod to the volume control if the EVH lacks this feature. My JS2400 had this feature and now so do the rest of my guitars. Too useful to also not have. As an aside, I’ll still can’t believe Eddie is gone. It still hurts.
EVH Wolfgang USA neck is very close to Peavey Wolfgang, the profiles on the Special and Standard models are just a little different than USA line for some reason... Also on the USA models the pickup selector is still reversed, but the USA models also come with Asian built Floyd because "that's what Eddie wants". Go figure. Will be interesting to see what Eddie's son does with the brand... I think that real maple cap on the USA line is accounting for most of the "USA pickups sound different" theory. If they were different in any way other than country of origin, EVH/Fender would have incentive to advertise that to upsell EVH Special and Standard buyers to the USA pickups which EVH sells as a part... As EVH support told me "they aren't hand wound... same machine building them just on two different continents" I imagine they build the USA line pickups in the US factory to maintain tighter quality control on them.
I had a EVH Wolfgang special with the hard tail that has the micro tuners on it. Absolutely loved it. Wish you can get it as an after market piece for my other hard tail guitars. If anyone knows where to get it please let me know.
Ditto on the German FRs being in a league of their own. Specials and the like are pretty cool for a while but the German ones can last forever with proper upkeep. Total machines.
I've got a 1996-1998 model of this guitar (Frankie) on hand. I believe it was made in the US even though it's named "Peavey EVH Wolfgang special"? Any reason I should steer clear of this? Asking price is about USD 900-1000,-
I ordered one from Sweetwater within 30 minutes of hearing that Eddie had died. I'd wanted one for a long time and that was the kick I needed to just bite the bullet and pull out the ol' credit card. Got mine in Deep Purple Metallic, which was back-ordered so I'm having to wait til late November. A bummer, but i'll be so glad to finally have an Eddie signature guitar. I remember windowlicking back in the 90s when my local guitar stores had the original EB/MM ones.
Interesting guitar. I can see that not all those EVH have a D-tuna. I also saw that you can buy one. Could it be possible to have a video on how to install a D-tuna on Floyd rose??? Thanks
I owned a standard way back. I still miss that guitar. The neck and playability was a dream come true. The Floyd stayed in tune pretty well if you didn’t wail on it. The pickups were absolutely dead though and that’s most of the reason I let it go (yours sounded really lively though even on cleans). Shoulda switched them and put in some locking tuners, I coulda totally lived with it. Plus I traded it in so I got next to nothing for it anyway!
I just looked at mine and I have that crack too. Didn’t even know it. Mine is also a Special and I pulled out the pickups enough to see if there’s a Made In whatever sticker on it but there’s no indication where it was born. Don’t care really, but I like to be able to tell a buyer what they’re buying. And the DeTuna device will be very finicky and stiff when you first get it. Just keep everything clean and oiled and it will break in. The only mod I did was to put a brass nut. I just like the tonal properties of brass. And the EVH branded Floyd is no where close to the Schaller or the USA models. Nice, but not the same level of quality and smoothness. I paid $780 used for mine.
Yeah so I just saw a really nice evh in the pawnshop for 400 had to check it out and like you said very comfortable the neck felt really the body carve this one had just made it feel right at home when I picked it up seriously need to get some cash cuz 400 seems like a steal
The Mexican state is Baja California or B.C. Mexico and has a marine layer over it as its near the beach so if you don't live on the East or West coast expect climate related issues though not that bad.
I have a striped EVH Wolfgang Special that has that classic Van Halen tone. I love it. My EVH Wolfgang USA sounds great but it is definitely a different tone than classic Van Halen. Maybe more of a later, Hagar era tone.
I have another USA Wolfgang now. A black stealth. It was used off the Guitar Center website for half the price of a new one. When I got it, it had been blocked to be essentially a hardtail. It’s now back to EVH specs. These are great guitars. 🤙🏼
The toggle is actually meant to be „wrong“. Eddie‘s spec is to have the bridge humbucker in the up position and the neck in the down position. The more you know 😉
I read in an interview with Eddie once that he wanted it that way because when he was tapping he inadvertently bumped the toggle switch to the neck position with his arm.
My stabdard was great out of the box my stealth special is in need of shims & re blocking according to my dealer … not happy about that But I got it done and it’s great but really there’s burrs on the fine tuners that needed dealing with too it’s a fresh 2022
I will agree on the German Floyd, i upgraded and man its still solid. I sweat a bit and they are now looking crappy,(i sweat on the hand) but still work and turn easy.lmao they did rust on me, but they do make a diff and my sound was better.
I scored the 21st out of 40 EVH Frankie's available through Chuck Levin's on pre-order for mid December delivery after watching the Tone King review his and mention where it came from.
I had a peavey wolfgang special was quilted green with binding pretty guitar but hated the baseball bat neck and sold it. the new ones look way better.
For anyone considering it today, I got one last week with zero defects and the set up was perfect out of the box. It’s fantastic, I didn’t know that I would like the guitar this much and there’s nothing to dislike at retail.
I bought a Standard and will say the same. I might need a special
I could have written that review word for word. LOL. I bought a WG Standard, and for the money, it's an incredible instrument. Hell, double the price and it would still be worth it!
I’m thinkin about selling my epiphone sg and replacing it w a Wolfgang standard, seems like a great repo
Ain't it crazy how perfect the neck is on a $500 standard.
I think that the sound quality of EVH Guitars and amps really improved when they teamed up with Fender. It was a brilliant pairing of the two brands.
I was looking at the exact guitar and wanted to pull the trigger on buying it, but I'm so happy to see that it's in your hands and to see a full review of it. Awesome guitar!
That things sounds sick. Great video Phil.
thanks Phil . your cheerful personality combined with good channel content always bring some happiness to my day
Thanks for showing the different tones that you can get with this guitar. All of the other videos I watched just played Van Halen and that is it. One retailer was talking about how versatile it is then played Van Halen for 12 minutes.
😂😂
Eddie is our lord and savior, we require 102,000,000 hours of Van Halen before we buy a guitar
I love the EVH Wolfgang guitars! I played one today!
I have the Limited Edition Wolfgang in RBW with maple fretboard and matching headstock. I LOVE IT! That thing is a tone machine you can go from jazz to metal it’s f-ing great. RIP EDWARD and thank you for all you have done🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
That smile while playing, that's what it's all about!!!! yeah!!!
100% correct! Loads n loads come with the crack at the body/heel. I had one, I let it go. Also Stainless frets also come in MIC / USA / MIJ too :-) not just USA.
Bought a used Special off of Reverb a few months back for under 600 with a lot of upgrades; Grover tuners, German Floyd, FU Tone Floyd upgrades (brass block, brass claw, titanium screws, noiseless springs), push/pull pots, and a Duncan P-Rail neck pickup. I added a brass bracket trem stop to deck the bridge. Guitar just rings with sustain, but have to sort out the D-Tuna, which seems to be jammed. Might get a pro setup too, but its decent as is. Black cherry flame top is subtle but nice.
Damn, that sounds like a great pickup! I’m currently on the market for one of these myself
I had a Schaller Floyd installed in the first run LTD M series back in the late 90s. I have never treated a guitar worse in my life. It's been thrown through a TV/Glass Table, the body looks like it was hit with a truck, the fretboard looks like it is covered in coffee grounds...I can't get that Floyd to go out of tune even if I try. I LOVE that guitar so much! Haha
One of the best reviews thank you!!!
I have the 2010 EVH Custom Shop Wolfgang and the new Wolfgang Special Ebony Deep Purple Metallic. If you measure around the fretboard & neck, the Ebony neck is thicker than the maple by almost a half inch at the 12th fret. AND I prefer my Wolfgang Special Mexican to the EVH Wolfgang Custom Shop. Just as stable, & I hear no difference in the pickups except the Mexican Wolfie sounds better. I've been playing Wolfies since 1999.
Thank you for comparing the necks - I had a Peavey Wolfgang that had my favorite neck profile, and I've been wondering about the EVH necks. Good to know the difference.
The USA version has a slightly thicker neck than the import, mine measures .810” - .900” (1st to 12th fret). I can’t go any thinner than that. Eddie must’ve had tiny hands.
@@primeDecomposition eddie had huge hands dude. I have a peavey Wolfgang usa and the neck is like a baseball bat. Love it
@@MRPERFECT_79 Lol he was like 5’7”. He was a tiny tiny man. And you have ZERO idea what a baseball bat neck is if you think the Wolfgang has a baseball bat neck. An R9 has a thick chunky neck, WAY thicker than ANY iteration of the Wolfgang, still not baseball bat; an R7, now THAT’S a baseball bat neck.
@@primeDecomposition Height has ZERO to do with hand size my man.Fallacy.
@@MisterBlue80 I mean, people tend to be proportional to their height, but yeah thinking about it, Hendrix had huge mitts and he probably wasn’t even 6ft tall. And Vai has huge hands and he prefers really skinny necks. I just don’t get how guys with bigger hands find those tiny necks comfortable. Maybe just ‘cause I do a lot of thumb-over-the-top is why I prefer chunkier ones, idk.
Great review! Just got the EVH exotic Ziricote! Great guitar for the money!!
It’s like finding a unicorn, everyone is sold out , I want one for my 50 birthday this November 🆘
Kevin Alfrey I got lucky! Got it on reverb. Guitar was in mint condition (new) came set up and perfectly in tune out of the box. Just had to stretch the strings!
So how Ziricote behave? From a few demos I found that it's a bit darker, warmer in tone if tested side by side. Congrats on your new baby.
sham zamri so far it’s gone above my expectations! All my other guitars are boutique guitars much more then double the Wolfgang. Nice and rounded fret ends no sharp ends.great feeling overall. Glad I took a chance and purchased it. I do find the guitar a bit darker but my other guitars are maple, neck throughs. So not sure if it’s the pickups or the guitars construction.
@@RetroFan1992 That's why I'm curious after watching Cameron Cooper demos sometime ago..maybe you've seen it but here's the link anyway..ua-cam.com/video/r5s5mWN9YSc/v-deo.html.. thanks for the feedback.
Great demo Phil,and I don't think Eddie wanted anyone ripping up his guitars for mods, except for him lol anyway ,he was the working mans guitar hero and thats why so many people have been affected by his passing, players and fans alike
I bought a Wolfgang Special Stealth a couple of years ago, mainly for the Floyd Rose.
Sweetwater was on back order, so (for the only time) I ordered it from Amazon.
It was WAY more guitar than I expected.
The neck is my favorite of any guitars that I’ve played. The pickups are outstanding and the volume and tone controls give the widest variation of tone that I’ve experienced.
It can do it all and is my favorite guitar (and I have several, many much more expensive)
For those wanting a brand new Peavey Wolfgang I strongly recommend you check out the Peavey HP2 they are virtual identical to the original Peavey Wolfgang Archtop. Not only are they freaking amazing guitars the tops on most of them are damn close to PRS 10 Top at almost half the price!
What is the neck like? Thin?
@@Rockandrollgeerage If you've ever played or are fimilar with a USA Peavey Wolfgang they're almost identical in feel. Well worth every penny!
@@jdj62464 Wish you were right. Yes, the first 200 might have used NOS parts, but they actually skimped on the Floyd. They're nowhere near the quality of the Ping that the original Peavey WG had. Other main difference is the original Wolfgang was entirely manufactured in the USA, the HP2's are manufactured in the Czech Republic I believe. Whilst that not might sound like a great deal, there have been a number of complaints regarding the overall quality of the guitar, specifically the finishes in most instances. Not saying that they aren't great guitars, but they're definitely not worth the price that Peavey are asking for them at RRP.
Good timing. I got evh Wolfgang standard today . Love it
I love the fact that the headstock is white. I just think a white guitar looks amazing with a matching headstock. Too many times I've seen awesome white guitars get ruined by a black headstock. Just my opinion. Thanks for the great video Phillip, seriously thinking about buying one, if I can find one! LOL!
Ruined though😂😂😂
I totally agree. If you can't match a headstock, don't bother making it. It looks so cheap!
I'm amazed at how good the mini 5150 sounds with everything at pretty much 12 o'clock!
🤘👍
I also thought my EVH had a shorter scale neck when I first played it but after measuring, I realized that it's a standard scale and what they do is to make the body a few inches shorter at the bridge end. When you wear a strap, the head stock is shifted a few inches closer to you. There are a few other body adjustments that they've done making it the most comfortable guitar I have ever played.
I have this guitar in the same and I love it. Aside from setting up the saddles, the frets were perfect unlike my Standard.
I definitely agree with the German Floyd rose fine tuners feeling smooth unlike the Korean ones.
You just oil them lol, not a big deal at all.
I got one also, totally awesome, one of the best playing and sounding guitars I've ever had period!!! Better than my Gibsons!
The pickups are definitely different Mexico vs. US. I bought a US bridge pickup for my Special and it has a thicker base plate and bobbins, and taller pole pieces with braided metal wire. That said, the neck pup sounds awesome - so the specs must be pretty close.
Like that tuxedo look. RIPower EVH
Phillip, I have a purple Peavey hardtail EVH like yours. I love it, it plays great. It's one of my favorite's.
I loved the Peavy EVH. I was going to get one before Ed passed but after he passed they sky rocketed and tripled in price
Yeah people want crazy amounts of money for them now. I have a first year gold top Wolfgang and it's my favorite guitar. I wish that I had bought another one when I had the chance. Now people are using Eddie's death as a way to line their pockets.
ABSOLUTELY ENJOY AND LOVE ALL YOU DO BROTHER !
ALWAYS AWESOME VIDEOS .
🧐❤️👍🏻🎸 THANK YOU
Love the demo. What a great price for the guitar & the amp.
You got a good deal! I own one of those and love it. I installed a heavier trem block. Frets were perfect.
I have a 2010 Wolfgang from Japan with the toggle up for bridge and that thing screams and stays in tune like a champ
Got two of em. Played a 3 hour show with chlorine burst and stayed in tune and perfect. Next day ordered second
Just bought the Wolfgang Special in Deep Purple Metallic. Set it up & It's simply fantastic.
I have a WG Special from Japan. Has all of the USA specs , minus the carved top.
Bruh, that thing sounds amazing!!!
Picked up a Wolfgang special limited edition Sassafrass, right after Ed passed... I love it! It's a tone beast!
Specials used to come with stainless steel frets. Since production left japan for mexico then they dropped them.
Today, at Guitar Center, I played the $700 standard in "stryker red" and I really liked it. I was just grabbing different mid-priced guitars off the wall and testing them out. I'm years beyond my hard rock, whammy bar days, so I wasn't looking for an electric that's geared for that type of music. It just has to feel and sound good. I don't want a thin-sounding Tele or Strat. So, if I had $1500 to burn, I'd get a Gibson Les Paul Studio. But the $700 EVH Standard really caught my eyes and ears. I just might grab one!
I have a hardtail Wolfgang. It is excellent. I'm surprised they don't make more of them.
The Floyd Rose on these is a 1000 series. Supposedly the same as a German made but manufactured in Korea. Available only on stock guitars and no option to buy it aftermarket. It feels a bit different to the German made Floyd but it is an excellent bridge with great stability.
I have a evh wolf gang standard and is great after the compleat set up .
The special is way too much more than the standard! I would go with the standard any day, superb guitars.
@Phil...just wanted to tell you, I don't play guitar, however, I do enjoy watching most of your video's. I have been inspired by you, Dovidas channel and Darrell (a Canadian) channel. To begin learning guitar, I should note, I'm 55 years old and a surgeon. Friends and even the wife think I'm crazy. But I see it as a fun hobby to learn. And hopefully one day in the far future. I become halfway decent at it. Thanks for the vids and the inspiration.
You're never to old to Rock n Roll.
If you're a surgeon, then you've definitely got the steady hands..aswell as the drive and self-discipline to achieve goals. No to mention the earning potential to feed your soon -to-be-activated G.A.S.* habit!
Just know that with guitar, there's no point where you'll ever feel like you've achieved your goal! It always takes longer to get only halfway as good as you imagined - and there's always much improvements to be made.
That said, you make some quick , satisfying gains early on. And I wouldn't trade this hobby for anything!
* Guitar Acquisition Syndrome
I want this guitar so bad. I’ve been a player for almost 30 years and I own one guitar. I have had a few, lost a few and I NEED this guitar you’re playing like I need air to breathe. I hope to be able to save and buy it, if I can get back to work.
Nice. EVH would be proud
So happy you’re reviewing this. I just ordered an evh wolfgang sassafras. I probably won’t get it until November, but I’ve been wanting to try the evh neck carve for sooooo long. Never had a d-tuna either. Looking forward to getting the thing. I was looking at it before the news broke about Ed. A couple places I was looking to get it went out of stock, so ordered the next one I could.
I bought that color and model. I'm in love.
So I was tripping over the Standard vs the Special After watching this and a few other reviews. I pulled the trigger on a polar white Special
Got a stealth black one in August. I love it.
Yeah you can totally drop tune a floyd. I used to do it all the time on my pacer. It's not hard at all.
of course you can....just gotta adjust the spring tension in the back to compensate....
I had a German Floyd Rose on my G&L. Could play all night and never go out of tune. The G&L also had Bill Lawrence Humbuckers.
My Wolfgang special is the best guitar I’ve ever owned and I’ve heard a ton of them. It’s the final iteration of Eddie Van Halen’s design
Just ordered a Purple special, can't wait to play it.
@Chris Murphy yup, got delayed from end of Nov to end of Dec 😠
Hi there! I have the Japanese version and the pups doesn’t have 4 wire conductors so, no push pull for me, it’s awsome they’ve added to the recents models! Regards!
Very nice. Thank you for sharing this. Pretty sure I want one of these guitars.
That’s great waiting on mine to come today
I found it on Reverb
MIM HT Black hardware
Vintage White
014 or 015 model
Love your channel
The Made in Japan Wolfgangs came with stainless steel frets too, along with Birdseye maple fretboard, same pickups and electronics than the USA models... I owned one and fretboard was absolutely perfect, no fret sprouts at all. And came with a hardcase. They offered more than the current MX by the same money if not cheaper.
I've got the MIJ WG Special hardtail. Comes with vintage SS frets. Seemed to be a rare find. In tobacco burst.
I got one a week ago. Overall I like it however, the pickups were not as hot as I expected. I really like how it hangs with a strap, no neck dive.
Hey, I bought a B-Stock Burnt Orange Wolfgang Special from Bizzarre on Reverb, too. Love this thing!
I had a Mexican made wolfgang special and then switched to a Japanese made Wolfgang special with the American pick ups, stainless steel frets and hard tail. There is definitely a difference between the two in sound. The Japanese model is my favorite guitar out of all that I own.
I've got the same. 2012 MIJ SPECIAL. tobacco burst. Really well made.
No comparison. The first run of EVH specials were top notch.
Awesome review as always! Thank you.
Still thinking of trying the 5150 50w stealth? Would like to see some more clean and bluesy crunch reviews. Obviously it brings the gain.
Phillip would love to see a review for folks on the EVH Special from Japan. I have a lefty version that is AMAZING. It has the SS frets and the USA made parts.
I own that one. Made in Japan 2011. I believe everything are the exact as US model except made in Japan and flat top.
Same here. 2012 HT. Things a beast.
About 10 years ago I was weighing the purchase an Ibanez JS2400 and an EVH MIA Wolfgang. I went with the Ibanez because the neck felt better in my hands. I previously had not because with the Ibanez I could not justify the purchase. I recently sold the Ibanez d/t being unemployed (thank you COVID-19) and when my personal economy is better I’ll be looking to score one of these EVH Wolfgang guitars.
I’ll be firing up the soldering iron to add the coil spilt first thing. It’s too useful of a feature to not have.
I’ll also add the treble bleed mod to the volume control if the EVH lacks this feature. My JS2400 had this feature and now so do the rest of my guitars. Too useful to also not have.
As an aside, I’ll still can’t believe Eddie is gone. It still hurts.
Nice review Phil, I’m thinking about getting one of these myself.
Same. I prefer the maple fretboard, but that Deep Purple Metallic special with the ebony is SO BEAUTIFUL 😍
Do it! I own one, so versatile, so great!
EVH Wolfgang USA neck is very close to Peavey Wolfgang, the profiles on the Special and Standard models are just a little different than USA line for some reason... Also on the USA models the pickup selector is still reversed, but the USA models also come with Asian built Floyd because "that's what Eddie wants". Go figure. Will be interesting to see what Eddie's son does with the brand... I think that real maple cap on the USA line is accounting for most of the "USA pickups sound different" theory. If they were different in any way other than country of origin, EVH/Fender would have incentive to advertise that to upsell EVH Special and Standard buyers to the USA pickups which EVH sells as a part... As EVH support told me "they aren't hand wound... same machine building them just on two different continents" I imagine they build the USA line pickups in the US factory to maintain tighter quality control on them.
I have a Evh Usa Edward Van Halen Signature Wolfgang and its a badass guitar I couldnt be happier it plays like a dream!
I had a EVH Wolfgang special with the hard tail that has the micro tuners on it. Absolutely loved it. Wish you can get it as an after market piece for my other hard tail guitars. If anyone knows where to get it please let me know.
I got a 2012 WG special made in Japan with the locking but and fine tuners. Things a beast! Never goes out of tune
I found one on reverb. Shaller
Nice review, Phil. I'd like to hear more about your Peavey Hardtail.
Ditto on the German FRs being in a league of their own. Specials and the like are pretty cool for a while but the German ones can last forever with proper upkeep. Total machines.
I'm hoping to get my hands on a red Solar just like yours but with a Floyd Rose.
The used prices don’t get much lower then new ones, it’ll probably continue be that the way for the next couple years
They are amazing guitars though for really a good price
I love my hardtail in stealth black. It's just a very comfortable guitar to play and pickups are amazing.
I’ve played peavy guitar before, it’s softer to the touch when playing the guitar.. hope this guitar had the same feel to it too
I used to have the MIJ Special in cream. That was a beauty and had the stainless frets. Unfortunately life got in the way and I had to sell it
I really want a mij special
@@shanealan2995 they are hard to find bro. Especially the HT version
I've got a 1996-1998 model of this guitar (Frankie) on hand. I believe it was made in the US even though it's named "Peavey EVH Wolfgang special"?
Any reason I should steer clear of this? Asking price is about USD 900-1000,-
The d- tuna is really cool. Great video Phil.
I thought the way Evh wanted the switch was up position be the bridge so wouldn't get hit for 2 hand tapping
Exactly
I ordered one from Sweetwater within 30 minutes of hearing that Eddie had died. I'd wanted one for a long time and that was the kick I needed to just bite the bullet and pull out the ol' credit card. Got mine in Deep Purple Metallic, which was back-ordered so I'm having to wait til late November. A bummer, but i'll be so glad to finally have an Eddie signature guitar. I remember windowlicking back in the 90s when my local guitar stores had the original EB/MM ones.
Just bought a Wolfgang on Reverb also. Same deal got a B-stock at a great deal but it says I payed the original cost.
Interesting guitar. I can see that not all those EVH have a D-tuna. I also saw that you can buy one. Could it be possible to have a video on how to install a D-tuna on Floyd rose??? Thanks
It is surprisingly easy to install/set-up.
Do a pic comparison between Mac atar and Wolfgang standard. The standard made in Indonesia with the baked Maple neck is actually a nicer guitar.
That's a great deal just for a little crack in the finish!
Cool, I just picked up the same guitar from pro audio. It was marked as used. Couldn’t find a flaw anywhere. I am very happy with it so far 😀
I owned a standard way back. I still miss that guitar. The neck and playability was a dream come true. The Floyd stayed in tune pretty well if you didn’t wail on it. The pickups were absolutely dead though and that’s most of the reason I let it go (yours sounded really lively though even on cleans). Shoulda switched them and put in some locking tuners, I coulda totally lived with it. Plus I traded it in so I got next to nothing for it anyway!
I just looked at mine and I have that crack too. Didn’t even know it. Mine is also a Special and I pulled out the pickups enough to see if there’s a Made In whatever sticker on it but there’s no indication where it was born. Don’t care really, but I like to be able to tell a buyer what they’re buying. And the DeTuna device will be very finicky and stiff when you first get it. Just keep everything clean and oiled and it will break in. The only mod I did was to put a brass nut. I just like the tonal properties of brass. And the EVH branded Floyd is no where close to the Schaller or the USA models. Nice, but not the same level of quality and smoothness. I paid $780 used for mine.
Yeah so I just saw a really nice evh in the pawnshop for 400 had to check it out and like you said very comfortable the neck felt really the body carve this one had just made it feel right at home when I picked it up seriously need to get some cash cuz 400 seems like a steal
The Mexican state is Baja California or B.C. Mexico and has a marine layer over it as its near the beach so if you don't live on the East or West coast expect climate related issues though not that bad.
I love mine it retired my American strat.I play alot of southern rock tome it's perfect for that music
I have a striped EVH Wolfgang Special that has that classic Van Halen tone. I love it.
My EVH Wolfgang USA sounds great but it is definitely a different tone than classic Van Halen. Maybe more of a later, Hagar era tone.
I have another USA Wolfgang now. A black stealth. It was used off the Guitar Center website for half the price of a new one. When I got it, it had been blocked to be essentially a hardtail. It’s now back to EVH specs.
These are great guitars. 🤙🏼
The toggle is actually meant to be „wrong“. Eddie‘s spec is to have the bridge humbucker in the up position and the neck in the down position. The more you know 😉
I read in an interview with Eddie once that he wanted it that way because when he was tapping he inadvertently bumped the toggle switch to the neck position with his arm.
My stabdard was great out of the box my stealth special is in need of shims & re blocking according to my dealer … not happy about that
But I got it done and it’s great but really there’s burrs on the fine tuners that needed dealing with too it’s a fresh 2022
I will agree on the German Floyd, i upgraded and man its still solid. I sweat a bit and they are now looking crappy,(i sweat on the hand) but still work and turn easy.lmao they did rust on me, but they do make a diff and my sound was better.
I swapped a German floyd in my old Jackson Dinky, man...they are solid!
I scored the 21st out of 40 EVH Frankie's available through Chuck Levin's on pre-order for mid December delivery after watching the Tone King review his and mention where it came from.
Hey! You ordered this guitar from Bizarre Guitar in Reno, Nevada. They’re local to me. I’ve been going there for over 3/4 of my life. Too cool.
I would love one of those but only if it had a hardtail rather than the Floyd Rose tremolo
These models definitely have the Korean Floyds. Basically an EVH branded Floyd Rose special. And the proper German Floyds are another world apart.
The standards have the Floyd Rose Special, says right on it. This one is different
The Shitty Special is a different thing.
That white looks great!
I had a peavey wolfgang special was quilted green with binding pretty guitar but hated the baseball bat neck and sold it. the new ones look way better.
My favorite part 6:58 lmao 😂 I wish this dude was my dad seriously