Wolfgang Van Halen admits he finds it “bittersweet” to play his father’s iconic Frankenstein guitar
For Wolfgang Van Halen, few instruments carry more emotional weight than his father’s Frankenstein guitar – the iconic red-black-and-white Strat that rewrote the rules of rock.
Built and modded by Eddie Van Halen himself in the late ‘70s, Frankenstein is one of the most recognisable guitars in music history. And decades later, it’s still shaping the sound and story of Van Halen’s legacy, now through Wolfgang’s hands.
Speaking to Guitar World about Mammoth’s upcoming album The End, Wolfgang explains that every time he brings out the guitar, he feels the full gravity of what it represents.
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“Any moment I have it in my hands… just being able to hold something that my dad had such a history with is nice, since my dad’s not around anymore,” says Wolfgang. “It’s a little bittersweet, but it’s a nice thing to have on the record with me. I think that’s why I try to bring it out on every record.”
Recording at the famed 5150 studio, he adds, only amplifies that feeling.
“I mean, just the fact I’m recording in 5150 is enough,” says the guitarist. “But because Frankenstein is arguably one of the most famous instruments in music history, let alone guitars… the emotional and historical weight of it all is a lot to handle. You almost have to push it to the side and just enjoy the moment.”
While the Frankenstein makes its presence felt across The End, Wolfgang says the backbone of the album comes from his own signature EVH SA-126 – a guitar he developed alongside Matt Bruck, Eddie’s longtime guitar tech, and EVH masterbuilder Chip Ellis.
“I have a burst – I believe it was the second prototype of the 126 – and that was the backbone of Mammoth II,” he says. “Pretty much everything recorded on The End was the goldtop 126 I have now, other than the Frankenstein guitar parts. It’s just been so fun to have this instrument that Matt Bruck, Chip Ellis and I put together become the defining sound of what Mammoth has become.”
Amp-wise, he’s kept things simple, sticking to what he knows best. “It’s pretty straightforward, and it’s what we’ve been using on tour,” Wolfgang notes. “I have the EVH 5150 III 6L6, and the specific one I have in the studio is the one I used for the Taylor Hawkins tribute shows [in 2022]. The cabinet, too.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
