I have an ‘89 Strat Plus, a ‘94 Ibanez RG550, and now a Mexican-made EVH Wolfgang Special, and the Wolfgang is by far the best of the bunch. The neck, with its compound radius is utterly sublime.
Can understand how he feels about this USA Wolfgang, but some people have different playing styles, and I respect that, but I own a Gloss Black USA Wolfgang and it's the best guitar I've owned and played! Built for the guitar enthusiast in mind!
I didn’t want to like this guitar. I thought it was ugly and misshapen. I also love all things VH. I have a striped EVH 5150. I saw a Wolfgang on Reverb all striped up in black, red, and white. The stripes seemed to camouflage the misshapen body. Having never played one….I took a chance and bought it. OH MAN….this guitar is FANTASTIC! So easy to play! That neck! I have seen the light. I’m sorry I doubted Eddie all these years. I should have known he would KNOW what a great guitar should FEEL like! The Wolfgang is now my number 1 guitar over a pair of PRS, a Gibson Les Paul Custom, and a Fender American Standard Strat. The 5150 has all the nostalgia but the Wolfie is the truth. That is one badass rock machine.
These pickups sound surprisingly great split. I have a 2010 Japanese Special that i've put a Freeway 6 way switch in and it makes it an incredibly versatile guitar. Proper tele style tones and the humbucker rock goodness with that lovely neck make it a complete winner.
My Man, I've owned my EVH Wolfgang since 2018, it holds a special place in my heart for obvious reasons. it's surprisingly very versatile in the sounds it allows you to achieve. Great video John!
So I have a 2020 USA Edward Van Halen Signature EVH Wolfgang (that's too many words). I'm not a shredder, but I play a lot of hard blues and metal mixed with some ambient stuff. I haven't owned a lot of high end guitars in my life, but I feel like it's better built than the $2k-$3k Gibson's I've played (and the one I've owned). I adore the neck, fredboard, build quality, and consistency. I'm thinking of doing a review video of it but... I hate being on camera so we'll see. The pickups are... EXTREMELY even but also, I feel like they're a little lifeless. When comparing them to DiMarzios or Seymore Duncans or Burst Buckers, the EVH alnicos are very even tempered and super easy to control even in extremely hi-gain setups. But, also because of their output, I don't need as much gain as I do with my Fat Strat or Les Paul. At the end of the day, I think this is probably the best made guitar I'll ever own. I can cover a lot of musical ground with it (though I agree with John that the clean tone is really uninspiring out of the box). Was it worth the money? Man, that's hard to say. I find more value in this guitar than I do with similarly priced Les Pauls, for sure. But... that's just me. My taste, playing style, and uses for the guitar are all served very well. It's comfortable while still being fun. Also the finish is REALLY good.
Sounded very good. Your legato playing took on a different dimension I've not heard on any of the other guitars you've played. I think that's due to the how good the sustain is, almost like it has a Sustainiac. Very cool, and looks like a lot of fun to play. I would play it if I had one, or any of the Music Man models. Only problem is that I didn't hear it do any good clean tones. Thanks
The original EVH brand Wolfgangs had the USA model and the Japanese made Wolfgang special. The special was basically the same as the US model but with a flat top instead of carved. After the first few years they changed the special production to Mexico they added the carved top but reduced a lot of the other specs (cheaper Hardwear). Eventually they also introduced a lower spec far East version too. The USA versions have been available throughout but these are quite a bit more expensive than the other versions - like custom shop compared to Mexico Strats difference
My old Peavey Wolfgang USA from about 2006 is always my favourite that I keep going back to. But you're right, not the most versatile guitar tone wise, especially regarding clean tones.
Ernie Ball Music Man EVH (1991-1995) --> Peavey EVH Wolfgang (1996-2004) --> EVH Wolfgang (Fender) Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Peavey HP2 (the latest one of them)
The guitar was made to Eddie's spec's, nobody else's spec's. Expect to tinker around and mod it to fit specific personal needs. If your seeking specifics, it's prudent to have a luthier custom make a guitar to your specs. The Wolfgang is a solid start with the neck options, body options, etc. I've had several Wolfgang's, and several of every other guitar brand in my arsenal. I also manufactured hand built custom shop guitars for years from log to finished product. The Wolfgang has excellent qualities built in that give the end user a solid base to start with.
I recently tried the sterling axis which is kind of a cousin to this and against all odds I loved it. It has a 5 way switch and the 2 and 4 positions sounded really unique. Neck was a cool profile too. Needed fret polish but otherwise it was awesome especially considering money!
I got one for $239 at Guitar Center 15 years ago. Still have it and is a very well built fun guitar to play. I installed a Frankenstein pickup in the bridge position. Screams
I’ve had my Wolfgang for a couple years now and by far, I play it more than my Jem jr. and my Js32 Dinky. It feels great playing , the pots are on par with being hot toned with my Ibenez. Though I have an active neck pick up in the Ibenez. None the less I find myself playing it more than my other guitars that have full float trems opposed to the Floyd rose special on the Wolfgang.
You know that one guitar you just wont part with ? For me, this is it. You can literally, see, feel, and hear the quality. I play mostly classic rock and i haven't found anything it cannot handle. It is an awesome compliment to my Fender American Pro Strat, My Gibson SG, and my Gibson Les Paul. Put one in your hands and give it a try.
I tried one years ago and didn't like it but bought a MIM Special about 6 months ago.... liked it a lot but didn't know if I would like the vintage SS frets on the US models Was able to find and trade for a 2010 MIJ special and just loved it and the neck so much I sold a PRS P24 and got the Signature which is the easiest guitar to play I've ever owned in my 40 years of playing... a slight roll of the volume and the A3 neck pickup cleans up great on the Signature as well.
I immediately picked up my strat to feel the down AND UP motion of my trem for a nice slow wide vibrato Aaahhhhh… comfort 😂 I understand the use case of course, but it always felt like theres a price to pay as regards “moody feel”
Sort of been interested in these lately, not sure why. They look like a guitar you'd get at media play (electronics store in the US years ago), but I can't look away.
If you have old fingers with RA you'll love the neck...butter. Only other neck I'd compare it with is the Pattern Thin I have on a PRS Swamp Ash Special. All my other PRS' necks feel like baseball bats now and my Strats too. Of course I think it would be easy for most players to dismiss this guitar because of the name and automatic association with a certain type of music kind of like for years every country player thought they had to have a Tele. Jonathan, I've watched you play with all kinds of guitars and it always sounds like you (good thing) so you could probably pick up a BC Rich Warlock and make it work...
Great playing my man. Being a huge EVH fan I've actually had two of these guitars, the Special and a Standard. I'm a strat man so found them both a wee bit uncomfortable but nice guitars. I sold both as I needed the money at the time but might well buy one again at some point in the future. I love the tone you have in the intro, are you using compression ?
My Wolfgang is a very particular instrument that only sounds good with certain amps and certain genres... not at all like my single coil strat or less paul. Of course it sounds fine playing the fusion type stuff you here in this video....
One of the reasons that I’m not a big basswood fan is that the clean tones sound homogenized and rather androgynous. It’s typically too wallpaper for me. As is the case with many things, there are exceptions to this; for instance, I have a Japanese made Strat that is more lively than most other basswood guitars I’ve played.
Are all EVH Wolfgang’s Fender built? Or is this a special collab model? Also is it a wolfgang special or standard model? I’ve been liking these a lot and have been thinking of getting one. They are incredible and for the money can’t be beat.
The EVH brand is owned by Fender like they own Charvel. I think a lot of the same factories get used depending whether the model is built in Mexico, the far East or the US. This one is a USA model. The special was originally a Japanese built version with a flat top instead of carved but otherwise all the same hardware. After a few years the special became a Mexican made model with cheaper hardwear. The standards are I believe made in the far East
@@danielgreenberg4751 you have to look for a japanese or pre- 2012 chinese model for the reasons told above. These are great undervalued guitars (esp. the chinese ones).
Do you attack others brands like you're doing here? Apply this disrespectful approach to say FENDER for example. ... so you didn't think you'd like the stratocaster guitar as well. ... so you didn't think you'd like the BOSS pedals ... ... so you didn't think you'd like a marshall amplifier. How about you tell your sick jokes to your mental health doctor.
What do you mean ONE? That's an extreme thrifty point 👉 of view. What a poor perspective you've portrayed here. How long have they been built and why has it taken you so long to just try out ? Shouldn't you get angry about your retailer not doing any work for you?? It's CLEARLY LABELLED AS being from a full setup but you think taking 1 item out of the set, is going to work for you by itself. Stop misleading the public over and over.
I have an ‘89 Strat Plus, a ‘94 Ibanez RG550, and now a Mexican-made EVH Wolfgang Special, and the Wolfgang is by far the best of the bunch.
The neck, with its compound radius is utterly sublime.
Can understand how he feels about this USA Wolfgang, but some people have different playing styles, and I respect that, but I own a Gloss Black USA Wolfgang and it's the best guitar I've owned and played! Built for the guitar enthusiast in mind!
Same here. Love mine!
Best guitar I own!
Your mum's guitar is better
I didn’t want to like this guitar. I thought it was ugly and misshapen.
I also love all things VH. I have a striped EVH 5150. I saw a Wolfgang on Reverb all striped up in black, red, and white. The stripes seemed to camouflage the misshapen body. Having never played one….I took a chance and bought it. OH MAN….this guitar is FANTASTIC! So easy to play! That neck! I have seen the light. I’m sorry I doubted Eddie all these years. I should have known he would KNOW what a great guitar should FEEL like! The Wolfgang is now my number 1 guitar over a pair of PRS, a Gibson Les Paul Custom, and a Fender American Standard Strat. The 5150 has all the nostalgia but the Wolfie is the truth. That is one badass rock machine.
These pickups sound surprisingly great split. I have a 2010 Japanese Special that i've put a Freeway 6 way switch in and it makes it an incredibly versatile guitar. Proper tele style tones and the humbucker rock goodness with that lovely neck make it a complete winner.
Hi, I'm "John from up the road"...great demo...of a great guitar...nice one...😎🎸
My Man, I've owned my EVH Wolfgang since 2018, it holds a special place in my heart for obvious reasons. it's surprisingly very versatile in the sounds it allows you to achieve. Great video John!
So I have a 2020 USA Edward Van Halen Signature EVH Wolfgang (that's too many words). I'm not a shredder, but I play a lot of hard blues and metal mixed with some ambient stuff. I haven't owned a lot of high end guitars in my life, but I feel like it's better built than the $2k-$3k Gibson's I've played (and the one I've owned). I adore the neck, fredboard, build quality, and consistency. I'm thinking of doing a review video of it but... I hate being on camera so we'll see.
The pickups are... EXTREMELY even but also, I feel like they're a little lifeless. When comparing them to DiMarzios or Seymore Duncans or Burst Buckers, the EVH alnicos are very even tempered and super easy to control even in extremely hi-gain setups. But, also because of their output, I don't need as much gain as I do with my Fat Strat or Les Paul.
At the end of the day, I think this is probably the best made guitar I'll ever own. I can cover a lot of musical ground with it (though I agree with John that the clean tone is really uninspiring out of the box). Was it worth the money? Man, that's hard to say. I find more value in this guitar than I do with similarly priced Les Pauls, for sure. But... that's just me. My taste, playing style, and uses for the guitar are all served very well. It's comfortable while still being fun. Also the finish is REALLY good.
Sounded very good. Your legato playing took on a different dimension I've not heard on any of the other guitars you've played. I think that's due to the how good the sustain is, almost like it has a Sustainiac. Very cool, and looks like a lot of fun to play. I would play it if I had one, or any of the Music Man models. Only problem is that I didn't hear it do any good clean tones. Thanks
That guitar sounds amazing. Great playing too. I have 2 EVH WG and they are the absolute best guitars I have ever owned.
The Musicman version of this was one of my favorite guitars ever made
I just commented how cool I thought the sterling axis I tried as well. Would love to get my hands on the MM version
Amazing necks.
Phoenominal Guitars Imo.
I agree. I have one from '93, and the neck is butter. Really beautiful guitars.
I get a lot of holdsworth vibes when you play. Very tasteful it made the guitar sing in moments
AMAZING instruments! I have the same one but in a hard tail version. Best necks ever!🤘🏼
The original EVH brand Wolfgangs had the USA model and the Japanese made Wolfgang special. The special was basically the same as the US model but with a flat top instead of carved. After the first few years they changed the special production to Mexico they added the carved top but reduced a lot of the other specs (cheaper Hardwear). Eventually they also introduced a lower spec far East version too. The USA versions have been available throughout but these are quite a bit more expensive than the other versions - like custom shop compared to Mexico Strats difference
Anything with Ed's name on it is the best guitar/amp ever made.
Very nice, and cool playing! Yes, I would grab one in a flash. That neck looks very comfortable, more my preference,even with piano fingers.
"I'm not sure I'd get much use out of a guitar like this... " procedes to shred and play epically as if he's owned this guitar for years. 😂
I was thinking the same thing! 🤣
Do you now realise you're being mislead?
How about you report this guy for lying to you so this gossip can get removed out of the internet.
My old Peavey Wolfgang USA from about 2006 is always my favourite that I keep going back to. But you're right, not the most versatile guitar tone wise, especially regarding clean tones.
Ernie Ball Music Man EVH (1991-1995) --> Peavey EVH Wolfgang (1996-2004) --> EVH Wolfgang (Fender)
Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Peavey HP2 (the latest one of them)
The guitar was made to Eddie's spec's, nobody else's spec's. Expect to tinker around and mod it to fit specific personal needs. If your seeking specifics, it's prudent to have a luthier custom make a guitar to your specs. The Wolfgang is a solid start with the neck options, body options, etc. I've had several Wolfgang's, and several of every other guitar brand in my arsenal. I also manufactured hand built custom shop guitars for years from log to finished product. The Wolfgang has excellent qualities built in that give the end user a solid base to start with.
I recently tried the sterling axis which is kind of a cousin to this and against all odds I loved it. It has a 5 way switch and the 2 and 4 positions sounded really unique. Neck was a cool profile too. Needed fret polish but otherwise it was awesome especially considering money!
I got one for $239 at Guitar Center 15 years ago. Still have it and is a very well built fun guitar to play. I installed a Frankenstein pickup in the bridge position. Screams
I’ve had my Wolfgang for a couple years now and by far, I play it more than my Jem jr. and my Js32 Dinky. It feels great playing , the pots are on par with being hot toned with my Ibenez. Though I have an active neck pick up in the Ibenez. None the less I find myself playing it more than my other guitars that have full float trems opposed to the Floyd rose special on the Wolfgang.
You know that one guitar you just wont part with ? For me, this is it. You can literally, see, feel, and hear the quality. I play mostly classic rock and i haven't found anything it cannot handle. It is an awesome compliment to my Fender American Pro Strat, My Gibson SG, and my Gibson Les Paul. Put one in your hands and give it a try.
I tried one years ago and didn't like it but bought a MIM Special about 6 months ago.... liked it a lot but didn't know if I would like the vintage SS frets on the US models Was able to find and trade for a 2010 MIJ special and just loved it and the neck so much I sold a PRS P24 and got the Signature which is the easiest guitar to play I've ever owned in my 40 years of playing... a slight roll of the volume and the A3 neck pickup cleans up great on the Signature as well.
I immediately picked up my strat to feel the down AND UP motion of my trem for a nice slow wide vibrato
Aaahhhhh… comfort 😂
I understand the use case of course, but it always felt like theres a price to pay as regards “moody feel”
Carvin/ Kiesel fan. Their resale sucks, but you get what you want.
I love how you say I wouldn’t get much use out of it and then proceed to jam the shit out of it. 😂😂
I have a Made in China EVH Wolfgang…the neck is the most comfortable neck I’ve ever played.
Sort of been interested in these lately, not sure why. They look like a guitar you'd get at media play (electronics store in the US years ago), but I can't look away.
If you have old fingers with RA you'll love the neck...butter. Only other neck I'd compare it with is the Pattern Thin I have on a PRS Swamp Ash Special. All my other PRS' necks feel like baseball bats now and my Strats too.
Of course I think it would be easy for most players to dismiss this guitar because of the name and automatic association with a certain type of music kind of like for years every country player thought they had to have a Tele.
Jonathan, I've watched you play with all kinds of guitars and it always sounds like you (good thing) so you could probably pick up a BC Rich Warlock and make it work...
Ed was such a tone chaser. It was all in his hands...and amps. The Musicman EVH signature model was superb. Missed a original one many years ago...
Great playing my man. Being a huge EVH fan I've actually had two of these guitars, the Special and a Standard. I'm a strat man so found them both a wee bit uncomfortable but nice guitars. I sold both as I needed the money at the time but might well buy one again at some point in the future. I love the tone you have in the intro, are you using compression ?
Sounds good though John. Good for that instrumental rock thing
Fantastic playing ❤
You're like Eric Johnson doing math rock with the sensibility of Eric Clapton.
With all the effects who can tell what the guitar sounds like you could be playing a squire and it would sound the same.
Man I would love one of those
My Wolfgang is a very particular instrument that only sounds good with certain amps and certain genres... not at all like my single coil strat or less paul. Of course it sounds fine playing the fusion type stuff you here in this video....
Throw some overdrive at that tone!
Great guitar, suits your playing.
There awesome guitars
I think this guitar would bring something Hiding in you
That my Favorite Guitar
One of the reasons that I’m not a big basswood fan is that the clean tones sound homogenized and rather androgynous. It’s typically too wallpaper for me. As is the case with many things, there are exceptions to this; for instance, I have a Japanese made Strat that is more lively than most other basswood guitars I’ve played.
Are there any guitars you try and don’t like? or do those not make it into videos?
Are all EVH Wolfgang’s Fender built? Or is this a special collab model? Also is it a wolfgang special or standard model? I’ve been liking these a lot and have been thinking of getting one. They are incredible and for the money can’t be beat.
The EVH brand is owned by Fender like they own Charvel. I think a lot of the same factories get used depending whether the model is built in Mexico, the far East or the US.
This one is a USA model. The special was originally a Japanese built version with a flat top instead of carved but otherwise all the same hardware. After a few years the special became a Mexican made model with cheaper hardwear. The standards are I believe made in the far East
@@tonystartup3817 Oh okay I never knew that. Thanks for letting me know.
@@danielgreenberg4751 you have to look for a japanese or pre- 2012 chinese model for the reasons told above. These are great undervalued guitars (esp. the chinese ones).
Eddie VanEric Johnson
My thoughts exactly 😊 Sounded great!
Big fan, but you have a long way to get everything out of that guitar.
Earline Motorway
Synthaxe
Really you wouldn’t get much use out of a Wolfgang OK sounds like you really don’t know what a great guitar is
There are lots of great guitars - the Wolfgang is very much a specific beast. Great for some folks, not so great for others....
Do you attack others brands like you're doing here?
Apply this disrespectful approach to say FENDER for example.
... so you didn't think you'd like the stratocaster guitar as well.
... so you didn't think you'd like the BOSS pedals ...
... so you didn't think you'd like a marshall amplifier.
How about you tell your sick jokes to your mental health doctor.
Das ist nicht deine Gitarre...klingr auch nicht gut wenn du sie spielst
Go away.
What do you mean ONE?
That's an extreme thrifty point 👉 of view.
What a poor perspective you've portrayed here.
How long have they been built and why has it taken you so long to just try out ?
Shouldn't you get angry about your retailer not doing any work for you??
It's CLEARLY LABELLED AS being from a full setup but you think taking 1 item out of the set, is going to work for you by itself.
Stop misleading the public over and over.
Ewig dieses legato gespiele...spiel mal was aus deinem Gefühl heraus...nicht zu technisch...einfach herz
Big no.