EVH has announced the limited-edition Star T.O.M. electric guitar – a contemporary revision of the pointy axe Eddie Van Halen spent much of his early career playing.
Combining the “legendary features that defined early Van Halen music with modern performance enhancements", the decidedly 1980s-looking instrument has evolved with the times.
As such, EVH has described this revision as “a modern interpretation of (although not quite a re-creation of)" the guitar Eddie played during the band's 1980 World Invasion tour.
A basswood body provides “sustain and crunch”, while its one-piece quartersawn neck features an EVH-modified C profile. It offers a 12-16" compound radius ebony fingerboard and 22 jumbo frets.
A single EVH Wolfgang humbucker sits in the bridge position – primed to capture the essential essence of Eddie's no-nonsense original Star – and pairs with a single Volume control for a streamlined setup. A kill switch is also an aptly playful addition.
The not-so-subtle guitar has been updated with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and Stopbar tailpiece setup, meaning it’s not been made to channel Eddie’s signature whammy bar tricks. However, EVH is quick to talk about its “exceptional sustain” in place of such acrobatics.
A different version of the Star guitar dropped last year, featuring a Floyd Rose tremolo. Both versions were inspired by Eddie's Charvel and Danelectro hybrid.
The original Star debuted during the band’s 1980 World Invasion tour and married a Charvel Star body with a Danelectro-style neck and a single pickup design.
Interestingly, while Van Halen's eye-catching axe used a genuine Charvel Star body, he had actually inspired the instrument in the first place. Charvel – now part of the Fender stable alongside EVH and Jackson – had seen Eddie's modified Ibanez Destroyer, nicknamed "The Shark", and went to town with it for a design of its own.
The limited edition EVH Star T.O.M. is available now and costs $1,299.99. There are three colorways to choose from: Stealth Black, Silverburst, and Vintage White.
Head to EVH to learn more.
In related news, Alex Van Halen has released the last song he and his brother worked on before his passing in 2020.
