Before Van Halen was...The Dils?

[PsychoCid]

For as sensitive as Eddie was about his intellectual property, it looks like it wasn't his to begin with.

Chip Kinman had already done the stripes in 1977.

[toomanycats]

The motif of geometric lines against a plain backdrop and utilizing primary colors (red, yellow, black, white) was pioneered by Dutch Modern artist Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, who began painting like this in 1919. This type of composition became widespread in 60s pop culture and can be seen in such places as The Partridge Family bus, the dresses of Yves Saint Laurent, and architecture. Also, some of the organic shapes and flourishes on Frankenstein have the feeling of artist Joan Miro. I don't doubt that Ed's visual sensibility may have been influenced by these Modern artists, even if only unconsciously, and found expression in the designs he painted on his guitars.