EVH-Custom Guitars

[OrangeChannel]

The first EVH Art series guitar is on Ebay, bidding starts at $5150.

Ridiculous pricing. That's just me tho'.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3736190506&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW


Figure a min of $5150 per axe x 90 gitars (30 of each design according to the website) = $463,500


Almost half a million in sales! That's weak from a guitar hero standpoint but a decent marketing strategy. I'm guessing PV weren't hip to the idea.

 

[Shnook]

According to Peavey's customer service folks, they knew nothing about this. Not sure what that means, if anything.

 

[OrangeChannel]

Here's the white one....


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3736172545



Again still a bit steep and rising....I mean I don't think I'd be in line to say: Hey I have something that 89 other people have.

I could see a more reasonable sticker price of say $800 or so being viable but not half a toyota corolla.

 

[Shnook]

So are these stripes just taped and not painted on? If so, what's to keep the tape from eventually peeling off if someone does decided to actually play one of these guitars?

 

[PurpleSport]

Naw....they're painted. Lookit the pics where Ed-man is taping the guitars up, and you'll see a bunch of yellow painted bodies. To wit:

Taped off yellow body + black paint topcoat = predominantly black w/yellow stripes
Taped off black body + white topping = predominantly white w/black stripes
Taped off white body + red & black paint mishmash = frankenstein

(I know 'cuz I did at least 2 of these paint jobs myself back in the day)

They're definitely Fender authorized, too...notice they have Charvel neckplates and they're being auctioned from Corona, CA, the home of the their post-Fullerton factory.

Does anyone know exactly when the EVH/Peavey association began? Just curious if the timing of this might coincide with a contract renegotiation/expiration...

 

[nobozos]

Here's the white one....


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3736172545



Again still a bit steep and rising....I mean I don't think I'd be in line to say: Hey I have something that 89 other people have.

I could see a more reasonable sticker price of say $800 or so being viable but not half a toyota corolla.

C'mon man, get real. 800 bucks for an Axe that Eddie striped himself and played on stage. Not to mention that only 90 will be produced a year. I'm also guessing that the quality and the setup on these guitars will be exceptional if Eddie is actually playing them on tour.

How much do you think an autographed EBMM/EVH or Wolfgang would go for if it were one that he personally striped and played onstage?

We just have to resign ourselves to the fact that none of us normal people will ever be able to afford one. They will be bought up by collectors, and rich folk that want something cool to hang on their wall. Hell, I'll bet the majority of the people that buy them probably won't even know how to play the guitar.

I think that is the whole point anyway. I think it's really being marketed as more of a piece of art and musical history, than a musical instrument.

 

[OrangeChannel]

I am being real. A realist. I don't see the history in a brand new guitar. The chance that you win something that's:

A) Brand New
B) played for one song in a set...

...isn't that big a deal. That's been my whole point the entire time. It's not like the original 5150 Kramer was up for auction. The stripes have been on the backburner for years until Joe Schmoe's custom shop started doing striped copies for people. Then Ed decided to sue. Taking care of the fans isn't charging an outrageous amount of money for a repro, nor is it suing someone who isn't passing off their one offs as the real thing. Not to mention there is no philanthropic endeavor (like JP having an axe auctioned off for the CLB Foundation) behind this as far as I can see. I've had cancer surviors in my family, hell my own mother was one. So lets see the proceeds go to something other than Ed's and Fender's pockets. Why does he need to start bidding on a charvel at $5150, how about $51.50 so some of the poor folk can get a piece of the pie. Most people that I know that saw VH play said that those guitars sound terrible when he pulls them out. It's like stripe it, slap a neck on, and 1 song.

It seems like we're spinning the wheels NB, I'm not looking for an enemy due to differences in our P.O.V.'s (not that big a VH fan myself I'm more into the EBMM's due to Morse, Levin, JP, and Flea actually), we're both intelligent guys and upstanding members of this community so I'ma bury the hatchet and say we definitely agree....to disagree.

 

[Ali]

Does anyone know exactly when the EVH/Peavey association began? Just curious if the timing of this might coincide with a contract renegotiation/expiration...

Funny you should ask....October 2004

Rumour also has it that Ed hasn't been happy with Peavey since NAMM 2003, and was extremely peeved not to be invited to NAMM 2004, where Satch took his place...

Rumour also has it that he's keen to move to either Fender or Gibson...

 

[lostrebel]

fender makes charvel.

 

[nobozos]

I am being real. A realist. I don't see the history in a brand new guitar. The chance that you win something that's:

A) Brand New
B) played for one song in a set...

...isn't that big a deal. That's been my whole point the entire time. It's not like the original 5150 Kramer was up for auction. The stripes have been on the backburner for years until Joe Schmoe's custom shop started doing striped copies for people. Then Ed decided to sue. Taking care of the fans isn't charging an outrageous amount of money for a repro, nor is it suing someone who isn't passing off their one offs as the real thing. Not to mention there is no philanthropic endeavor (like JP having an axe auctioned off for the CLB Foundation) behind this as far as I can see. I've had cancer surviors in my family, hell my own mother was one. So lets see the proceeds go to something other than Ed's and Fender's pockets. Why does he need to start bidding on a charvel at $5150, how about $51.50 so some of the poor folk can get a piece of the pie. Most people that I know that saw VH play said that those guitars sound terrible when he pulls them out. It's like stripe it, slap a neck on, and 1 song.

It seems like we're spinning the wheels NB, I'm not looking for an enemy due to differences in our P.O.V.'s (not that big a VH fan myself I'm more into the EBMM's due to Morse, Levin, JP, and Flea actually), we're both intelligent guys and upstanding members of this community so I'ma bury the hatchet and say we definitely agree....to disagree.

No enemies here OrangeChannel. Like I said, just presenting my arguement. I think it's healthy for people in a community like this to see a couple guys on opposite sides of an issue have a responsible disagreement without name-calling or ill-will. Maybe if people in other communities would try that, we would all be better off.

I do think we have common ground on some points. I wouldn't trade my EBMM Axis for one of these.
First of all, I find it hard to imagine that it would play better than my Axis.

Secondly, this Charvel is a collector's item, and it would be silly to expose it to the rigors of gigging, and the potential for damage. If I wanted a guitar to play, I would have to order a Mean Street for gigs and put the Charvel up, and I don't believe in owning something you can't use for it's intended purpose.

Third, athough Van Halen is my favorite band, and Eddie is my favorite guitar player, I don't play like him, nor would I want to. I'm more of a Neil Schon, Slash, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry kind of guy. If you get up on stage playing a striped EVH guitar, you better be prepared to play like Eddie, or you just make yourself look foolish. Cool if you're in a VH tribute band, but not if you're just a hack like me.

We will just have to disagree on the "value" of the EVH Art series, and agree that EBMM is the best manufacturer of quality, affordable guitars hands down.

BTW, sorry to hear about your mom. I wish you all the best with that stuff.

 

[PurpleSport]

If you get up on stage playing a striped EVH guitar, you better be prepared to play like Eddie, or you just make yourself look foolish. Cool if you're in a VH tribute band, but not if you're just a hack like me.

True, but here's a notable exception:

Believe it or not, I saw a DEAD-ON copy of the black/yellow EVH guitar in the hands of the skinny blond whiteboy guitar player for a famous funk band/artist back in the late 70s/early 80s on some American Bandstand or Don Kirschner's Rock Concert appearance (I'm thinking it was Rick James, but I could be wrong because it's been such a long time ago and I only saw it that one time).

Could very well have been one of those "unauthorized" Charvels that irked the Ed-meister back in the day...I just remember being knocked out at how accurate it was, as I was heavily into VH at the time and was making/painting guitars as well, not to mention kinda bowled over to at seeing that instrument WAY out of it's original context!

 

[OrangeChannel]

No enemies here OrangeChannel. Like I said, just presenting my arguement. I think it's healthy for people in a community like this to see a couple guys on opposite sides of an issue have a responsible disagreement without name-calling or ill-will. Maybe if people in other communities would try that, we would all be better off.

I do think we have common ground on some points. I wouldn't trade my EBMM Axis for one of these.
First of all, I find it hard to imagine that it would play better than my Axis.

Secondly, this Charvel is a collector's item, and it would be silly to expose it to the rigors of gigging, and the potential for damage. If I wanted a guitar to play, I would have to order a Mean Street for gigs and put the Charvel up, and I don't believe in owning something you can't use for it's intended purpose.

Third, athough Van Halen is my favorite band, and Eddie is my favorite guitar player, I don't play like him, nor would I want to. I'm more of a Neil Schon, Slash, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry kind of guy. If you get up on stage playing a striped EVH guitar, you better be prepared to play like Eddie, or you just make yourself look foolish. Cool if you're in a VH tribute band, but not if you're just a hack like me.

We will just have to disagree on the "value" of the EVH Art series, and agree that EBMM is the best manufacturer of quality, affordable guitars hands down.

BTW, sorry to hear about your mom. I wish you all the best with that stuff.

Thanks man, the mommer is doing great these days, remission is a good thing.

I love intelligent debates. Flaming is blatant idiocy, I mod on another board and most people there are pretty chilled out, the guys that used to start the flame wars ended up leaving since none of us responded to their baiting.

 

[OrangeChannel]

Addendum:

White is over $10k Black dropped to about $6200ish, someone musta had bad feedback or something.

 

[Ali]

fender makes charvel.

Yup, I know. Though the EVH Art guitars aren't actually Charvels, they just use the licensed necks IIRC. The current thinking is that Eddie is doing this as a way of pushing the case for a Signature series. Apparently no-one at Peavey knew anything about it but there has been a fair degree of animosity between the two parties lately.

I'd love to see Eddie returning to EBMM though. They are certainly the most highly regarded of his custom guitars. I do think it hurts the credibility of the signature guitars when he keeps shifting station so often (Kramer, EBMM, Peavey and now Charvel?). It certainly makes me think twice at buying any EVH related guitar, though I still think I'd choose the Axis based on it's own merits rather than the EVH connection. When you look at the credibility of, say, a JEM, Universe, JS, Luke etc, where a successful long term relationship has resulted in credibility for the guitars and some degree of additional credibility for the artist, it seems daft for EVH to constanly move the goalposts.

Perhaps his old friend, Mr Lukather, could have a word with him. Wasn't it Luke that brought EVH on board in the first place, as he himself moved his signature series to EBMM when he followed the Valley Arts guys?

 

[Hookpunch]

Funny you should ask....October 2004

Rumour also has it that Ed hasn't been happy with Peavey since NAMM 2003, and was extremely peeved not to be invited to NAMM 2004, where Satch took his place...

Rumour also has it that he's keen to move to either Fender or Gibson...

If that is true, I am not sure if any company would want a client as difficult as Ed. It was a good business decision from Peavey - Satch had a brand new amp to promote - Ed had been laying low for 6 years and in truth does not seem that dependable.

 

[nobozos]

Yup, I know. Though the EVH Art guitars aren't actually Charvels, they just use the licensed necks IIRC. The current thinking is that Eddie is doing this as a way of pushing the case for a Signature series. Apparently no-one at Peavey knew anything about it but there has been a fair degree of animosity between the two parties lately.

I'd love to see Eddie returning to EBMM though. They are certainly the most highly regarded of his custom guitars. I do think it hurts the credibility of the signature guitars when he keeps shifting station so often (Kramer, EBMM, Peavey and now Charvel?). It certainly makes me think twice at buying any EVH related guitar, though I still think I'd choose the Axis based on it's own merits rather than the EVH connection. When you look at the credibility of, say, a JEM, Universe, JS, Luke etc, where a successful long term relationship has resulted in credibility for the guitars and some degree of additional credibility for the artist, it seems daft for EVH to constanly move the goalposts.

Perhaps his old friend, Mr Lukather, could have a word with him. Wasn't it Luke that brought EVH on board in the first place, as he himself moved his signature series to EBMM when he followed the Valley Arts guys?

Ali, I think you may be incorrect on the EVH Art series not being a Charvel. I had a couple conversations today you may find informative.

I talked to a friend of mine that owns a guitar shop, and he said that he was put on notice to expect something really cool from Charvel this year at NAMM.
I also was talking to a guy that seemed to be informed on another forum that said the 25th anniversary Charvel is a guitar due to be released this year, and that Eddie is taking some and striping them. He said that the 25th anniversary Charvels come stock with the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop 1978 model Evenly Voiced Harmonics (EVH) pickup.

Those bits of information indicate to me that these a new line Charvel guitars that have yet to be introduced, and that Eddie is striping some of them.

 

[OrangeChannel]

White is over 14 grand.

 

[nobozos]

The Ebay store is now closed. Wonder what legal issues crept up?

 

[dwf1004]

This whole venture was apparently a surprise to Peavey a few days ago, per threads on vhlinks.com. And then a few days later, the EVH banner on the site disappears, and now this.

I sense a storm comin', boys and girls...better run for cover.

 

[nobozos]

EVH Art guitars back up on Ebay.