EVH was established thanks to the Van Halen’s collaboration with Fender. The brand’s U.S. manufacturing facility is housed within the Fender offices in Corona, California. The whole thing started when lots of companies, which became a part of world’s obsession with Van Halen’s playing techniques, began to manufacture the imitations of Eddie’s guitars copying everything from the style to the minor details of the models he used to take on stage. Anyway Eddie didn’t care too much about signature – he changed brands, picked guitars of various body shapes, nuts and so on. Among his choices there were not only Strats but Kramer ones and Ernie Ball/Music Man models as well. He even participated in developing of Peavey instruments.
When he finally decided on manufacturing his own guitars he preferred to opt for Fender as a partner. Van Halen and his craftsmen engineered a replica – really close to an authentic one – of the famed Frankenstein guitar, there was also a 3-channel 5150 III devised which constituted a completely new amplifier design. The EVH’s policy of treating their guitars is mesmerizing. All the instruments are put through the severest testing. When all the extreme values the unit claims to survive are on - the instrument or equipment being checked get away with it. Believe us, EVH products come out tested and yet alive.
The manufacturing facility itself is in the good company of Fender, Jackson, Charvel, Gretsch, and Guild sharing the same factory space. You’ll feel you’re into Van Halen’s premises finding here the first Frankenstein replica, various Wolfgang prototypes straight away – it’s filled with Eddie’s style. Mike Ulrich, Chip Ellis, Chris Cannella, Matt Bruck, and Keith Chapman are the valued and respected designers of the EVH’s glory.