EVH Striped Series Shark

The Shark: When Chainsaw Meets Genius. When you think about revolutionary guitar design, Eddie Van Halen's Dutch innovation completely rewrote the rulebook - and this instrument carries that same groundbreaking spirit in every carefully crafted detail.

Most guitarists baby their instruments - Eddie Van Halen grabbed a saw and started hacking. What emerged from that seemingly insane moment of creative destruction became one of rock's most instantly recognizable axes, proving once again that Eddie's best ideas came from pure instinct rather than conventional wisdom.

Picture this: you've got a perfectly good offset guitar, but something's bugging you about the aesthetics. Normal people might sand it down or change the finish. Eddie? He literally sawed chunks out of the body, leaving jagged teeth-like edges that would make a great white shark jealous. Then came that brilliant burgundy-and-silver striped paint job - not guitar paint, mind you, but Schwinn bicycle paint grabbed off the shelf because it looked right.

The result first stalked stages during Van Halen's 1978 World Tour, but it was that iconic back-cover shot on "Women and Children First" that burned the Shark into rock mythology forever.

Here's what makes this EVH Striped Series recreation so compelling - they didn't just copy the look. That angular ash body delivers the resonant bite Eddie craved, while the set maple neck provides rock-solid stability that bolt-ons sometimes can't match. The compound-radius Pau Ferro fingerboard transitions smoothly from comfortable chord work to lead territory, exactly what you need when you're channeling Eddie's dynamic playing style.

But the real magic lives in those custom Wolfgang pickups. The bridge pickup sports parchment bobbins with metal braid wire, while the neck pickup features black bobbins - subtle visual details that show serious attention to authenticity. Together, they deliver that perfect balance of power and articulation with thick, chunky rhythms and sweet sustain that defined Van Halen's sound.

That chrome-plated brass harmonica bridge isn't just eye candy either - it provides massive attack and presence that cuts through any mix. Even the low-friction volume pot with treble bleed circuit serves the music, giving you smooth volume swells without losing clarity.

Sometimes the best innovations come from pure audacity.

Model Name: Striped Series Shark
Country Of Origin: South Korea
Color: Burgundy w/ Silver Stripes
Body: Ash
Body Finish: Satin Urethane
Body Shape: Shark
Neck Material: Maple
Neck Finish: Satin Color Matched
Neck Shape: EVH Backshape .0790" @ 3rd Fret, .825" @ 12th Fret
Scale Length: 24.75" (629 mm)
Fingerboard: Pau Ferro
Fingerboard Radius: 12"-16" Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)
Number of Frets: 22
Frets Size: Jumbo
String Nut: Brass
Nut Width: 1.6875" (42.86 mm)
Position Inlays: White Dot
Truss Rod Wrench: 5 mm Hex (Allen)
Bridge Pickup: EVH® Wolfgang® Parchment Pickup w/ Metal Braid Wire
Neck Pickup: EVH® Wolfgang® Neck Black Pickup w/ Metal Braid Wire
Controls: Volume (500K EVH® Bourns® Low Friction Pot) with Treble Bleed, Tone
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
Pickup Configuration: HH
Bridge: EVH® Chrome-Plated Solid-Brass Harmonica
Hardware Finish: Chrome/Gold/Aluminum/Brass
Tuning Machines: EVH®-Branded Custom Gotoh® SG381 (Chrome & Gold)
Pickguard: None
Control Knobs: Numbered Black Speed Knobs
Strings: Nickel Plated Steel .009-.042 Gauges
Included Accessories: Turnbuckles