NAMM 2009: Van Halen officially launches EVH Wolfgang

This isn't exactly earth-shattering news, since details have been filtering out for a while now, but Eddie Van Halen has officially launched the new EVH Wolfgang guitar (and finally, FINALLY updating his evhgear.com website).

It seems the biggest differences between this and the Peavey version is that the new Fender-build, EVH-brand version has a much thinner neck and new pickups. Also, you can crack open a Heineken on the headstock.

By the way, if you go to the evhgear.com site, you'll see that soon you'll be able to buy Eddie's striped shoes...

Anyway, here's the press release:

Eddie Van Halen launches the all-new EVH Wolfgang electric guitar, available worldwide beginning January 2009. The EVH Wolfgang guitar represents Eddie's 35 years of experimenting with guitars, over two years of intense research and development, and a full year of brutal road testing during the top-grossing VAN HALEN 2007-2008 tour.

It was during the massive 2007-2008 VAN HALEN tour that the all-new EVH Wolfgang guitar went through extensive live "road-testing" performance trials. The tour kicked off in fall 2007, and Eddie punished early versions of the new Wolfgang each night; playing every updated prototype onstage under the full, unfiltered spotlight of his fans. The results are reflected in the EVH Wolfgang guitar; produced to Eddie's exact specifications and with features identical to the Wolfgang guitars he records and performs with.

"A guitar is a very personal extension of the person playing it. You have to be emotionally and spiritually connected to your instrument. I could have just stayed at home and built this guitar for myself. I do this because a lot of people ask if they can get what I use. Well, yes you can and what you get is identical to what I use," commented Eddie. "From the basics of the guitar to painstaking aspects like the binding and everything else-we re-did everything on this guitar."

"Every aspect and component of this guitar has been examined and upgraded to the highest standards possible: stainless steel frets, double-potted custom-wound pickups, five-piece binding on the matching body and headstock, custom-made signature tuning machines and Floyd Rose bridge, new low-friction pots, and the list keeps going … we left no stone unturned," said Eddie. "Everything that I've built, destroyed, stumbled onto, learned and experienced is in this guitar."

When Eddie Van Halen made his debut into the rock music scene in 1978, he did so with a homemade guitar (later known as "Frankenstein"). At a time when his monster technique and tone demanded a high-performance, indestructible guitar, he created his own to reach his own seemingly impossible standards. For over 35 years, he has continued to examine and improve every variable within the instrument, all culminating with the new EVH Wolfgang guitar.

In 2007, Eddie Van Halen and Fender collaborated to launch the first EVH brand high-performance products, including the all-new EVH 5150III amplifier, the limited run of Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein replica guitars and an array of high-quality EVH brand accessories.

For more information, go to http://www.evhgear.com/.

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

Three Guitar Zens

Two Guitar Gloves

And Andy Partridge From XTC

1. Zen Guitar
2. The Book of Six Strings The Six Fold Path of Zen Guitar (National Guitar Workshop)
3. Philip Toshio Sudo's music

About 8 or 9 years ago I discovered the book Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo, and I found it very helpful, when read in conjunction with The Inner Game Of Music, in helping me break out of self-restrictive patterns as a guitarist. The two books approach the same problem from slightly different perspectives. While The Inner Game Of Music is about quietening that little voice that says ‘I can’t!,’ and amplifying the one that says ‘I can!,’ Zen Guitar says ‘I do,’ encouraging the reader to explore their own musicality for what it is, and to enjoy the process of learning while also taking time to stop and enjoy the moment.

Philip Toshio Sudo played guitar in a band called Avant Garbage, and in addition to Zen Guitar he wrote Zen Computer, Zen Zex (oo-eer) and Zen 24/7. He released a critically acclaimed album called One Sound One Song. He passed away from cancer in 2002 but his works are widely available today and I recommend Zen Guitar to every guitarist, regardless of genre or level.

NAMM 2009: First new Ibanez 2009 guitars

Thomann has opened up preordering for new 2009 Ibanez guitars, and while not all the photos are on the site yet, you can tell a lot from the specs. They're talking about these over at the official Ibanez forum and at Jemsite, which is where I first heard about the Thomann links, so I figure it's ok to re-post the info here now that it's out there in the public domain.

For instance, there's the PGM401-TFB (pictured). Paul Gilbert Signature, ash body, 5-pcs maple/walnut PGM Prestige neck, rosewood fretboard, 24 medium frets, dot inlays, painted "f-holes", cosmo black hardware, fixed bridge, DiMarzio Air Classic humbuckers, 648 mm scale lenght, color: Trifade Burst, incl. case and leather strap. CLICK HERE to preorder. And by the way, check out his new CD, United States, with Freddie Nelson. It's awesome.

Or how about the return of Andy Timmons to Ibanez's endorser list? AT100CL-SB, Andy Timmons signature, alder body, 1-pcs maple neck, (AT "Prestige"), maple fretboard, 22 jumbo frets, Wilkonson by Gotoh VSVG bridge, DiMarzio Cruiser neck, DiMarzio Cruiser middle postion and DiMarzio AT1 Custom bridge pickup, cosmo black hardware, 648 mm scale lenght, color: sunburst, incl. Prestige case and leather strap. CLICK HERE to preorder.

Oh and who likes maple fretboards? RG2550MZ-GW, basswood body, 5-pcs maple/walnut neck, maple fretboard 24 jumbo frets, shark inlays, Edge Zero tremolo, 1x Di Marzio/IBZ-N neck humbucker 1x Di Marzio/IBZ-S single coil middle position and 1x Di Marzio/IBZ-B bridge humbucker, with mirror pickguard, incl. case, color: galaxy white. CLICK HERE to preorder.

RG2570MZ-VBE (pictured), Basswood Body, 24 Jumbo Frets, 5-pc. Maple/Walnut Neck, Maple Fretboard, Prestige Shark Tooth Inlays, Edge Zero Tremolo, 1x Di Marzio/IBZ-N Neck Humbucker 1x Di Marzio/IBZ-S Single Coil Middle and 1x Di MArzio/IBZ-B Bridge Humbucker, 648 mm scale lenght, Color: Vital Blue, incl. Luxus Case and Leather Strap. CLICK HERE to preorder.

And let's not forget the return of the Destroyer series. DTT700-MGS, destroyer-series, mahogany body, 5-pcs. maple/walnut neck-through neck (Wizard II), rosewood fretboard, 22 jumbo frets, AR block inlays, Gibraltar custom bridge, chrome hardware, 2 x Dimarzio D-Activator humbuckers, 648 mm scale lenght, color: metallic gray sunburst , incl. case and strap. CLICK HERE to preorder.

The Xiphos series also gets a lower cost little brother: XP300FX-BK, X-Series Xiphos, mahogany body, 3-pcs bolt-on maple, rosewood fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, white dot inlays, fixed bridge, cosmo black hardware, INF3 neck- and INF4 bridge humbucker, 648 mm scale lenght, colour: black, incl. gigag and strap. CLICK HERE to preorder.

There's also a way pimped out version of the Xiphos: XPT700XH-GSF, X-Series Xiphos, mahogany body, 5-piece maple/walnut neck thru-neck, rosewood fretboard, 27 jumbo frets, white sharktooth inlays, Edge III tremolo, black hardware, DiMarzio Air Norton (N) and Activator (B) humbuckers, 648 mm scale lenght, colour: Green Shadow Flat, incl. case & strap. CLICK HERE to preorder.

27 frets? HELL YEAH.

No news yet on the rumoured Paul Gilbert Fireman (reverse Iceman) or new Steve Vai Jem models - let's wait and see what else is posted on Thomann before NAMM in January.

Regarding the reissued Timmons model, Andy recently posted the following on his website:

Hi Folks,

I'm very proud to announce that Ibanez and I have agreed to re-issue the original AT100 on a global scale. As opposed to the original AT100 which was a limited production (we think @ 300 were made), the AT100CL will be available worldwide and will be made to the exact specs as the original including the hand shaped neck!!

As you may recall, I announced a while back that I had parted ways with Ibanez and that I just wanted to play whatever I felt like playing. I never had any intention of signing with another guitar company as many had speculated. I did get approached by many companies once word got out (which I was very flattered by) but it was more important to me to remain independent and avoid a reputation as an "endorsement hopper".

What I discovered in this time period is that I do love to play Strats occasionally as well as SG Specials, Teles and Les Pauls but nothing feels like "home" like my original AT100. Tone, feel and expression. It's truly MY guitar.

As I was coming to this realization, Hoshino invited me to play for their 100th Anniversary concert in Japan w/Steve Vai and Paul Gilbert. I was very honored to be asked to do so and I thought it was cool for them to ask considering I wasn't currently an endorsee. During my visit they approached me with the idea of re-issuing the AT100. It was just perfect timing...it felt "right"!

I know there has been a lot of interest in this guitar in the past, so I'm so happy to say that it will finally be available in 2009!

The guitar will be unveiled at the January NAMM show (and available for pre-order) in Anaheim and should be in stores by Spring.

The Andy Timmons Band will appear opening for Paul Gilbert and Racer X as part of the NAMM festivities. Good stuff indeed.

I'm off to play...I'm inspired!!!

Andy

NEWS: Earvana compensated nut for Floyd Rose coming soon

I was just cruising the Earvana website after following a link from Strat-O-Blogster, and I noticed that Earvana is working on a compensated nut for Floyd Rose guitars. This is great news for those of us who love their whammy bar freakouts but wish their guitars had better intonation. 

The Earvana nut optimises the scale length of each string for better intonation between the 1st and 12th frets, so chords sound more in tune and notes 'sit' easier in a mix. I've tried the Earvana system on a bunch of guitars (including many ESPs) and I find it to be a really useful, unobstructive way of attaining vastly improved intonation.

Perhaps the only option out there that beats it is the True Temperament system, but the Earvana system is by far the cheapest and easiest option. Let's not forget the Buzz Feiten method though, while we're having an intonation-improving love-in, but Earvana certainly beats Buzz in terms of bucks and ease of implementation.

NEWS: Metallica confirms Guitar Hero Metallica

Metallica continues their association with the Guitar Hero franchise (remember the reports that the Guitar Hero mix of Death Magnetic sounds way better than the CD version?), with the announcement of Guitar Hero Metallica.

In a statement on the Metallica website, the band says:

Yes, we know, it's the worst kept secret in rock-n-roll but we're here now to finally confirm that there will indeed be an all-Metallica Guitar Hero game released in the first half (!?) of 2009.

Guitar Hero Metallica allows you to play as us in either single instrument or band career game modes in your choice of some famous settings (Tushino Airfield anyone?) or new venues with in the round staging.

Included are 28 Metallica songs along with a few from some of our buddies like as Alice in Chains, the Foo Fighters, Slayer, Machine Head and Queen. There is also an all new Expert+ difficulty setting featuring two bass drum kick pedals (!!!) along with all the gameplay modes from Guitar Hero World Tour.

Over the next few months, we're going to be updating you with track listings, more features, of course how and when you can get the game, and some cool previews of the game right here on the site. As you've heard us say before, keep checking back for more details!

According to Blabbermouth, the track listing will include:

Songs by METALLICA:

* "Enter Sandman"
* "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
* "Fuel"
* "Hit The Lights"
* "King Nothing"
* "Master of Puppets"
* "No Leaf Clover"
* "Nothing Else Matters"
* "Sad But True"
* "The Unforgiven"
* "Where I May Roam"

Songs by other artists:

* "No Excuses" by ALICE IN CHAINS
* "Turn The Page" by BOB SEGER
* "Hell Bent For Leather" by JUDAS PRIEST
* "Demon Cleaner" by KYUSS
* "Tuesdays Gone" by LYNYRD SKYNYRD
* "Blood and Thunder" by MASTODON
* "Armed and Ready" by MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP
* "Mother of Mercy" by SAMHAIN
* "Black River" by THE SWORD
* Additional songs from FOO FIGHTERS, QUEEN and SLAYER

How cool would it be if the game was available with Metallica-inspired guitar controllers including Hetfield's ESP Iron Cross and Kirk Hammett's ouija board ESP KH-II?

So what songs would you like to see included? Hopefully they can make room for other great Metallica songs like 'Creeping Death' and 'Blackened.' And maybe Trivium can release their own game which will be pretty much the same thing as the Metallica one, arf.