EVH FRANKIE RELIC (ARRIVED)

[toomanycats]

I ordered this used EVH Frankie Relic from Guitar Center late last week and it's being shipped to my local store for pickup (or immediate refund, depending upon my determination of it's condition).

For those who don't know, it's this guitar from the EVH brand lineup:

You may justifiably ask, why would somebody pay close to 2K for a used made in Mexico guitar that's scratched and scuffed, with a non-functional "dummy" neck pickup, that doesn't even include a case?

Admittedly, I don't have a straight up rational explanation. I certainly don't feel the need to help fatten Wolfie Van Halen's coffers any further.

I can say that, as the owner of an EVH 5150 Standard, I am very impressed with the brand and judge the guitar as superior to Charvel, Jackson, and Schecter instruments I own that are similarly outfitted. The EVH 5150 Standard has begrudgingly forced me to put aside my cork-sniffy, tonewood inclined opinions and admit that I do NOT hate basswood. In particular, the necks of the EVH guitars are exceptional and the "Wolfgang" humbucker is truly a stellar pickup. Over the Summer I had the opportunity to briefly inspect an EVH Frankie Relic, and the unique juxtaposition of high quality combined with the feel of a broken in old baseball glove left a deep impression on me which I haven't been able to shake.

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=2329&p=31550&hilit ... ard#p31550

But the real reason why I pulled the trigger on the EVH Frankie Relic is deeply personal and emotional. My justification for this purchase is best made through reference to music and images that are inextricably intertwined with my psyche. Why does a patriot fly the American flag in their front yard? Why do some people tattoo "Harley Davidson" on their body? It's this kind of connection that I feel to this guitar. Those first six Van Halen albums are my musical Hexateuch, they're sacred to me, and it is that guitar which I associate them with.

I don't know if I'll ever have the nerve play this guitar live. It may be something I just enjoy in privacy (though I'll share pics when it gets here).

[Partscaster]

whats the body made off?
Eddie's was ash, so I've read.

You know what I'ld do.

wolfgang bucker: 170$
strat ash body with floyd rose route: 160$
2022 Eddie Van Halen EVH Striped Series NECK Quartersawn Maple Compound Radius. 380$

[toomanycats]

whats the body made off?
Eddie's was ash, so I've read.

You know what I'ld do.

Basswood.

There are other things which differentiate this guitar from both the original and Fender's $25,000 relic. Cosmetically, the 1971 US Quarter is absent, along with the bicycle reflectors on the back, and cigarette burns on the headstock. I believe the real guitar has a brass block on the Floyd. Likely different pickups too, but as I've noted, the "Wolfgang" humbucker (even the Mexican one), is unbelievable.

Damn, I wish @PsychoCid was here! He's the one who could really do a deep dive with these details. He's got equavalent to a Phd in EVH Studies.

[Partscaster]

wolfgang bucker: 170$
strat ash body with floyd rose route: 160$
2022 Eddie Van Halen EVH Striped Series NECK Quartersawn Maple Compound Radius. 380$

you could build a tribute, just like he built/assembled the original.

[toomanycats]

wolfgang bucker: 170$
strat ash body with floyd rose route: 160$
2022 Eddie Van Halen EVH Striped Series NECK Quartersawn Maple Compound Radius. 380$

you could build a tribute, just like he built/assembled the original.

True, and I totally get your argument. After all, the unspoken, though very powerful and lasting message behind the Frankie guitar is, "Do it yourself, blaze your own trial, make it your own." A production model Frankie is in many ways an affront to the spirit that the original instrument represents.

In my defense, I suppose I wanted the instant gratification of just being able to hand over the dough and have the thing, or at least it's close approximation. On the upside, resale value will likely be better with the EVH branded instrument as opposed to a DIY instrument. I say this as somebody who never considers resale.

[Partscaster]

I'm the same way. Some stuff, I just want, and get it. Its done, and I love having it.

[Partscaster]

I enjoyed this

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[Rollin Hand]

whats the body made off?
Eddie's was ash, so I've read.

You know what I'ld do.

Basswood.

There are other things which differentiate this guitar from both the original and Fender's $25,000 relic. Cosmetically, the 1971 US Quarter is absent, along with the bicycle reflectors on the back, and cigarette burns on the headstock. I believe the real guitar has a brass block on the Floyd. Likely different pickups too, but as I've noted, the "Wolfgang" humbucker (even the Mexican one), is unbelievable.

Damn, I wish @PsychoCid was here! He's the one who could really do a deep dive with these details. He's got equavalent to a Phd in EVH Studies.

The neck is different: this has the standard Striped Series neck, which to me is not a downside (quartersawn maple, jumbo frets, compound radius, graphite reinforced).

The "Big Dog" Frankie replica has a Duncan replica of the pickup that was in the guitar at the time.

The bridge on your incoming is a Floyd 1000, and does have a brass block, albeit a standard-sized one.

I keep thinking I want to build one but...well, Project 5150 literally took YEARS, and it I imagine it was way less work. Having young kids limits that type of thing.

I want one, and damn near bought a used one (could you tell if it was blemished?) from ProAudiostar last year. They are doing the painting by hand (with templates I am sure) so the price difference over a regular Striped series is somewhat understandable.

That said, I never pulled the trigger. My wife was OK with it, and I have the money in my gear fund, but....I dunno. I just can't seem to jump. Maybe I just need to build it. Maybe I have too many EVH guitars. Of course, I could end up with one next week, so who knows.

[toomanycats]

whats the body made off?
Eddie's was ash, so I've read.

You know what I'ld do.

Basswood.

There are other things which differentiate this guitar from both the original and Fender's $25,000 relic. Cosmetically, the 1971 US Quarter is absent, along with the bicycle reflectors on the back, and cigarette burns on the headstock. I believe the real guitar has a brass block on the Floyd. Likely different pickups too, but as I've noted, the "Wolfgang" humbucker (even the Mexican one), is unbelievable.

Damn, I wish @PsychoCid was here! He's the one who could really do a deep dive with these details. He's got equavalent to a Phd in EVH Studies.

The neck is different: this has the standard Striped Series neck, which to me is not a downside (quartersawn maple, jumbo frets, compound radius, graphite reinforced).

The "Big Dog" Frankie replica has a Duncan replica of the pickup that was in the guitar at the time.

The bridge on your incoming is a Floyd 1000, and does have a brass block, albeit a standard-sized one.

I keep thinking I want to build one but...well, Project 5150 literally took YEARS, and it I imagine it was way less work. Having young kids limits that type of thing.

I want one, and damn near bought a used one (could you tell if it was blemished?) from ProAudiostar last year. They are doing the painting by hand (with templates I am sure) so the price difference over a regular Striped series is somewhat understandable.

That said, I never pulled the trigger. My wife was OK with it, and I have the money in my gear fund, but....I dunno. I just can't seem to jump. Maybe I just need to build it. Maybe I have too many EVH guitars. Of course, I could end up with one next week, so who knows.

The one I ordered was $1650.00, plus I had to pay shipping and tax. Still, I came out well under the $1999.00 street price for a new one.

It's a good question how places like Guitar Center even ascertain the condition on a guitar that comes so heavily relic'd from the factory. When I pick it up at the local store I'll be looking specifically for fret wear, neck twists, obvious repairs, and other things that guys-in-the-know like us focus on when looking at a used instrument. The way I see it, with Guitar Center's return policy I've got nothing to lose by rolling the dice. If the guitar isn't up to snuff for whatever reason, I'll return it right then and there, get my refund, and only be out $21 for the shipping.

Regarding the pickup, ya know I still have that awesome vintage Might Mite 1300 Distortion laying around here unused. That could arguably be even more authentic in the guitar than the Duncan replica that comes in the "Big Dog" Frankie.

[Rollin Hand]

Basswood.

There are other things which differentiate this guitar from both the original and Fender's $25,000 relic. Cosmetically, the 1971 US Quarter is absent, along with the bicycle reflectors on the back, and cigarette burns on the headstock. I believe the real guitar has a brass block on the Floyd. Likely different pickups too, but as I've noted, the "Wolfgang" humbucker (even the Mexican one), is unbelievable.

Damn, I wish @PsychoCid was here! He's the one who could really do a deep dive with these details. He's got equavalent to a Phd in EVH Studies.

The neck is different: this has the standard Striped Series neck, which to me is not a downside (quartersawn maple, jumbo frets, compound radius, graphite reinforced).

The "Big Dog" Frankie replica has a Duncan replica of the pickup that was in the guitar at the time.

The bridge on your incoming is a Floyd 1000, and does have a brass block, albeit a standard-sized one.

I keep thinking I want to build one but...well, Project 5150 literally took YEARS, and it I imagine it was way less work. Having young kids limits that type of thing.

I want one, and damn near bought a used one (could you tell if it was blemished?) from ProAudiostar last year. They are doing the painting by hand (with templates I am sure) so the price difference over a regular Striped series is somewhat understandable.

That said, I never pulled the trigger. My wife was OK with it, and I have the money in my gear fund, but....I dunno. I just can't seem to jump. Maybe I just need to build it. Maybe I have too many EVH guitars. Of course, I could end up with one next week, so who knows.

The one I ordered was $1650.00, plus I had to pay shipping and tax. Still, I came out well under the $1999.00 street price for a new one.

It's a good question how places like Guitar Center even ascertain the condition on a guitar that comes so heavily relic'd from the factory. When I pick it up at the local store I'll be looking specifically for fret wear, neck twists, obvious repairs, and other things that guys-in-the-know like us focus on when looking at a used instrument. The way I see it, with Guitar Center's return policy I've got nothing to lose by rolling the dice. If the guitar isn't up to snuff for whatever reason, I'll return it right then and there, get my refund, and only be out $21 for the shipping.

Regarding the pickup, ya know I still have that awesome vintage Might Mite 1300 Distortion laying around here unused. That could arguably be even more authentic in the guitar than the Duncan replica that comes in the "Big Dog" Frankie.

Well, that Duncan is based on the one that was on the guitar when they did the replicas. You can get it as the Frankenstein from the Duncan Custom Shop. Lots of good, less expensive options out there though.

If I do a build, there are two options: a "spend what it takes" build, or a "how cheap can I do this well" build. I have a neck that would work, have a couple of good sources for a body....then it's just a matter of time management and painting.

[Partscaster]

https://www.lockecustomguitars.com/products

Frankie and Frankie78 bodies , and a few necks to match.

[toomanycats]

An update on the EVH Frankie relic:

Yesterday afternoon I get an email from Guitar Center informing me that the guitar has arrived at my local store and is ready for pickup. I had a client at my house for a recording session in the mid afternoon, and I purposefully cut our session short to give me enough time to drive to Guitar Center and retrieve the guitar.

I get to the store, show my printed receipt, and tell them I'm there to pick up my Frankie. A couple employees disappear into the back to get my guitar. While I'm waiting I looked around the store, my attention falling on a a couple cool used instruments, including a 70s Gibson SG, and a 70s Ibanez double cut. And I waited . . . and awaited . . . and waited. It was a really long time.

An employee emerged from the back and told me it was really messy back there and that they were still looking.

Another long expanse of time elapses, and they finally come back out and inform me that the guitar is in fact not there. They confirm that it did in fact come in that day via UPS, then conjecture that it was then immediately sent back out on the same truck. What the what? The way they informed me of this goof made it seem like it was in no way an abnormal occurrence, like it was just a regular thing that happens all the time.

Where did it go? Unknown
Where was it now? Unknown
Was it going back to the Guitar Center it was sent from? Unknown
Would it be back tomorrow? Possibly

Allow me to briefly interject here and pose a tangentially related question to the forum:

Are any of you guys aware this stuff called Delta 8? It's all the rage in North Carolina. Marijuana isn't legal here, but it seems that you can buy Delta 8 at almost every gas station. Apparently it'll get you, in the immortal words of Carl Spackler, "Stoned to the Bejesus Belt." It's my belief that better than half the people I regularly associate with on a regular basis are stoned out of there minds on this stuff most of the time.

What I'm wondering at this point is this:

1) Are all Guitar Center employees constantly high as f*ck?

2) When I return to the store again today should I try to leverage a discount in exchange for my not insubstantial inconvenience?

[Partscaster]

People were smoking some fake weed product in Northeast a few years ago worthy of news broadcasts. Might have had bathsalts in it, IDK.
Our peoples need better education.

That guitarcenter occurrence sure seems disappointing. What a drag. I would explain to them how they are getting the cost of guitar, less the financial equivalent costs of them upon you. (cut music session, travel time, gas, wear & tear on vehicle etc (56 cents per mile). I wouldnt necessarily spell it all out, but I'ld suggest to them that they cost you real $ when they so nonchalantly f-off like that. They need to make it right.

This EVH pursuit of yours has spun me off to be looking for hotter strat pickups for a Jeff Beck type sound. He's got a few one-off stacked coil sets from when John Suhr worked for Fender. I'm now thinking SD Vintage Hot Plus stacked. Not sure yet.
Good luck. I wanna hear a clip of the guitar.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Never heard of Delta 8, but I don't actually try to keep up on the latest drugs... I have had similar experiences with my local GC, and had a vibe they were lying to me about where the gear actually was. I wouldn't be surprised to learn someone (an employee) wanted to try it out before you got it. Hope you find it safe and perfect.

[toomanycats]

I've got the guitar!

This thing is magical. I've read rave reviews about the virtues of this instrument, with many commenting about how light and resonant it is, the incredible sustain, the stellar feel of the neck, off the chart playability, and the righteous tone. If I hadn't read all these things I would be inclined to believe I'd simply gotten a really good one, because all of what I've read is in fact true about the particular Frankie that is now in my possession. It is a ridiculously good instrument.

It's not just an eye catching wall hanger thrown together and designed to emotionally appeal to fans of Eddie. Frankie is actually the best superstrat I've ever played. It has the supremely comfortable, broken in, and perfectly set up feel of a Custom Shop Fender, and if you've ever played one you know what I mean.

My impression is that somebody didn't say, "Let's make a guitar that visually pushes the buttons of all these boomers, one they simply can't resist on an emotional level. We'll throw it together as cheap as we can, then charge them a boatload for it."

My impression is that whoever was the brainchild of this (that's gotta be Eddie, right?) said, "This is the formula for a perfect guitar. We'll build it right. It's not going to be dirt cheap, but it will be reasonably affordable. The visual/emotional appeal will be the icing on the cake."

I was so blown away by this guitar that I actually forget to even ask about the discount. I was like Like Ralphie's Father in A Christmas Story, speechless, "Overcome by art."

The tech at this Guitar Center is a friend of mine. She's a superstrat fan, and has built many Frankie replicas herself. Her most recent purchase was a Jake E Lee model Charvel, which she proudly showed me not too long ago. I handed my Frankie to her immediately after removing it from the box, saying, "Look it over, you know the deal, don't bullshit me." After she played it a good while I said, "What do you think." She responded, "You notice how I don't want to give it back to you." That spoke volumes. She then elaborated how extraordinarily impressed she was by the perfect fretwork, spongy feel, and exemplary resonance and sustain.

When I got home I did a comparison between the new Frankie relic and my EVH 5150 Standard, the latter of which I have always raved about.

The 5150 Standard sounds fatter and more rounded, almost like a Les Paul, which is kinda unbelievable considering it's a basswood guitar with a bolt on neck and a Floyd. It's a great sounding guitar by any measure, and admittedly more versatile than Frankie by virtue of having a humbucker in the neck position as well as a tone knob. I mean, I can do Clapton's "Woman Tone" on the 5150 Standard, make it sound like a Tele in the middle position, and get those Billy Gibbons Pearly Gates neck pickup tones.

By way of contrast, Frankie is more focused and precise. Frankie is open, clear, and breathy, while being simultaneously capable of aggression and raunch. It is forceful and full, yet articulate and nuanced. It is an incredibly musical sounding guitar, a fact that is clearly evident even when unplugged. Honestly, what it sounds like, no bullsh*t, is Eddie on Diver Down and 1984. While the 5150 Standard is a great sounding guitar in general sense, Frankie sounds distinctly like a clone of Eddie's exact tone in the early 80s.

There's something weird that happens when I play Frankie. While it definitely has to do with the overwhelming sensory effect of the visuals and feel, there is a profound psychological weight it imposes. The net result is that I'm almost forced to play in the style of Eddie when Frankie is in my hands. Is that a bad thing? That's up to everyone to decide on their own. But for me personally, it's the combination of a feeling of Christmas morning, the best drug you ever took, the enthusiastic naivety of adolescent romance and aspiration fueled by surging hormones, and of reaching for something intangible and actually grasping hold of it (a woman, a motorcycle, a sword . . . choose your own iconic and mythic object of reference and symbolic meaning). It takes me to an innocently happy, wistful, mentally intoxicating place . . . one that is well worth the price of admission.

I LOVE MY FRANKIE!

[jtcnj]

Congrats on a great find!
Hope it brings you many hours and years of joy, and a bit of reliving lost youth.

I'm a little concerned though of the strong, immediate attraction: perhaps it is possessed ala "Christine", be careful.
Happy Halloween season......

[Rollin Hand]

Dammit.

Dammit.

HNGD!

Dammit.

(Goes to look online)

[Rollin Hand]

Dammit.

Dammit.

A Long and McQuade a city over has a used one they'll ship to my local store. For $550 off the new price of $2549 Cdn (plus tax, of course)

Dammit!

[toomanycats]

Dammit.

Dammit.

A Long and McQuade a city over has a used one they'll ship to my local store. For $550 off the new price of $2549 Cdn (plus tax, of course)

Dammit!

[Partscaster]

Congrats !
So,...did UPS take it back that same day, and deliver it again the next?

[toomanycats]

Congrats !
So,...did UPS take it back that same day, and deliver it again the next?

I didn't get clarification on that. There was a guy behind the counter who hadn't been there the night before, and when I mentioned what had happened to my guitar the previous evening he said, "That's nothing compared to the crazy stories I have from when I was an Uber driver." It's like he was trying to one up me or something.

But like I said, once my eyes fell on my Frankie it was like my brain short circuited. Every consideration other than putting my hands on that guitar vacated my mind.

[Jaymo]

If I:
Had the money.
Had the talent.
Was a righty.

I’d buy it, too.

Please don’t take the following as anything but a complement.

I think EVH did a brilliant job of hiding just how ugly his guitar really was.
Not a dig at the Frankenstrat. Not at all. Big fan.
But, no pick guard, except for a tiny little bit to hold the electronics in.
One functional pickup.
Eye screws instead of strap buttons.
Purely form over function and I just wouldn’t be able to pull that off if I were to try.
Something for cork sniffers to hate.

If the guitar had been a single, solid color it would have looked like arse.
The paint scheme he used was chaotic enough to hide the incomplete look of it, and 80’s enough to make Eddie instantly recognizable without even playing a single note.
And, dare I say, it’s t made it one of the coolest looking and most iconic guitars in history.

Damn, I miss VH.

[toomanycats]

If I:
Had the money.
Had the talent.
Was a righty.

I’d buy it, too.

Please don’t take the following as anything but a complement.

I think EVH did a brilliant job of hiding just how ugly his guitar really was.
Not a dig at the Frankenstrat. Not at all. Big fan.
But, no pick guard, except for a tiny little bit to hold the electronics in.
One functional pickup.
Eye screws instead of strap buttons.
Purely form over function and I just wouldn’t be able to pull that off if I were to try.
Something for cork sniffers to hate.

If the guitar had been a single, solid color it would have looked like arse.
The paint scheme he used was chaotic enough to hide the incomplete look of it, and 80’s enough to make Eddie instantly recognizable without even playing a single note.
And, dare I say, it’s t made it one of the coolest looking and most iconic guitars in history.

Damn, I miss VH.

No need to explain. I understand.

There was a period where Ed was a genius gifted with almost superhuman abilities, the kind of person one takes on faith. That's exactly how I felt when I first heard "Jump" in December of 1983. It was so different from what had preceded it, but this was the guy who played "Eruption," and "Dead or Alive," "Romeo Delight," "Sinner's Swing," and so on.

The guitar solo on this MTVish, poppy, synth heavy song "Jump" just exploded out of the speakers, like the Kool-Aid Man bursting through a brick wall.

The video for "Jump" starts with celluloid film running. At the time it was a message saying, "We don't need a big MTV video budget to make magic; our charisma and musicianship alone allows us to do that with a couple 8mm cameras."

But looking back at the "Jump" video 39 years after the fact (holy sh*t how time has flied), it's became a message from the past which says, "This is the full glory of analog culture." And there in the video is Frankie (with a Kramer neck)!

Frankie was like Han Solo's Millennium Falcon: "She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid." This piece of junk looking guitar is going to run circles around everyone else.

Also, I believe that Ed was a legit visual artist/graphic designer in the style of the early 20th century Modernist. I find the design of Frankie to be highly redolent of the De Stijl movement. After all, the man was half Dutch. Frankie is also a deconstructed Fender Strat, reassembled with Bric-à-brac elements added (the 1971 quarter, the bicycle reflectors). There is also the strong sense with Frankie that, "This thing isn't precious, it's just a tool, like a sculptors hammer and chisel, or a painters pallet and dirty smock." The double side tape for holding picks, the cigarette burns on the headstock, the worn neck all allude to that.

[Jaymo]

If I:
Had the money.
Had the talent.
Was a righty.

I’d buy it, too.

Please don’t take the following as anything but a complement.

I think EVH did a brilliant job of hiding just how ugly his guitar really was.
Not a dig at the Frankenstrat. Not at all. Big fan.
But, no pick guard, except for a tiny little bit to hold the electronics in.
One functional pickup.
Eye screws instead of strap buttons.
Purely form over function and I just wouldn’t be able to pull that off if I were to try.
Something for cork sniffers to hate.

If the guitar had been a single, solid color it would have looked like arse.
The paint scheme he used was chaotic enough to hide the incomplete look of it, and 80’s enough to make Eddie instantly recognizable without even playing a single note.
And, dare I say, it’s t made it one of the coolest looking and most iconic guitars in history.

Damn, I miss VH.

No need to explain. I understand.

There was a period where Ed was a genius gifted with almost superhuman abilities, the kind of person one takes on faith. That's exactly how I felt when I first heard "Jump" in December of 1983. It was so different from what had preceded it, but this was the guy who played "Eruption," and "Dead or Alive," "Romeo Delight," "Sinner's Swing," and so on.

The guitar solo on this MTVish, poppy, synth heavy song "Jump" just exploded out of the speakers, like the Kool-Aid Man bursting through a brick wall.

The video for "Jump" starts with celluloid film running. At the time it was a message saying, "We don't need a big MTV video budget to make magic; our charisma and musicianship alone allows us to do that with a couple 8mm cameras."

But looking back at the "Jump" video 39 years after the fact (holy sh*t how time has flied), it's became a message from the past which says, "This is the full glory of analog culture." And there in the video is Frankie (with a Kramer neck)!

Frankie was like Han Solo's Millennium Falcon: "She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid." This piece of junk looking guitar is going to run circles around everyone else.

Also, I also believe that Ed was a visual artist in the style of the early 20th century Modernist. I find the design of Frankie to be highly redolent of the De Stijl movement. After all, the man was half Dutch. Frankie is also a deconstructed Fender Strat, reassembled with Bric-à-brac elements added (the 1971 quarter, the bicycle reflectors). There is also the strong sense with Frankie that, "This thing isn't precious, it's just a tool, like a sculptors hammer and chisel, or a painters pallet and dirty smock." The double side tape for holding picks, the cigarette burns on the headstock, the worn neck all allude to that.

Ed turned a mangy mutt into “Best in show.”
Teenage me never noticed that Frankie was a rat rod. Frankie just looked like a superstrat with a cool ‘80s paint job.
Only much later did I realize that Frankie was just a tool of the master that had been cleverly disguised as an ‘80s icon, BY an ‘80s icon
He was brilliant and the music world is poorer for his passing.

[Rollin Hand]

If I:
Had the money.
Had the talent.
Was a righty.

I’d buy it, too.

Please don’t take the following as anything but a complement.

I think EVH did a brilliant job of hiding just how ugly his guitar really was.
Not a dig at the Frankenstrat. Not at all. Big fan.
But, no pick guard, except for a tiny little bit to hold the electronics in.
One functional pickup.
Eye screws instead of strap buttons.
Purely form over function and I just wouldn’t be able to pull that off if I were to try.
Something for cork sniffers to hate.

If the guitar had been a single, solid color it would have looked like arse.
The paint scheme he used was chaotic enough to hide the incomplete look of it, and 80’s enough to make Eddie instantly recognizable without even playing a single note.
And, dare I say, it’s t made it one of the coolest looking and most iconic guitars in history.

Damn, I miss VH.

I miss Ed like crazy....and that design CAN look good in a solid colour.