Hey guys, take it easy. I checked out the site, and noticed a couple things. First of all, the headstock says "Made in USA". That is the first of the new Charvel line that I've seen that is made in the USA.
Secondly, nobody has played one of these guitars, so I don't think it's fair for anyone to label it as a "novelty item" just yet.
As far as the headstock, I thought I heard somewhere that Fender owns Charvel now, but I'm trying to confirm that.
As far as the stripes not being done more accurately, I don't know what the hell more you could want. The man himself, Eddie Van Halen, is laying his own hands on the guitar and striping them himself. Just because he is not striping them as a carbon copy of the guitars he played in the past should make no difference. In fact, I would think a big EVH fan would be more excited about the fact that the stripe scheme on each individual guitar would be a one-of-a-kind EVH creation.
Don't get me wrong, I'm as big an Ernie Ball fan as you will find, but the fact of the matter is that EVH himself never touched most of the EBMM/EVH guitars that came out of the Music Man production line. These Charvels are actually coming out of the hands of the man.
All I am saying, is give EVH a chance.