NAMM 2025: EVH is bringing the goods by honoring the legacy of Eddie Van Halen – guided by his son, Wolfgang Van Halen. Alongside the already-announced SA-126 Standard – which introduced Wolfgang’s first signature model into the sub-$1,000 category – EVH is also treating guitarists to two other models: the Wolfgang Special T.O.M. and the Wolfgang WG Standard T.O.M.
Wolfgang Special T.O.M.
Tried and tested in arenas around the world, the $1,299.99 Wolfgang Special T.O.M. is described as a “purebred music-making machine” that combines “stunning style, giant sound, and high-speed playability.”
First off, it features a basswood body with an arched top and a graphite-reinforced bolt-on quartersawn baked maple neck, carved and rolled to Eddie’s exacting specifications – plus a hand-rubbed satin urethane finish on the back.
The 12”-16” compound radius baked maple fingerboard is outfitted with 22 jumbo frets and black dot inlays, while a pair of flagship, custom-designed EVH Wolfgang Alnico 2 humbuckers guarantees “dynamic yet articulate voicings” as well as “endless sustain for powerful chords and melody lines.”
A “sturdy” EVH compensated bridge and tailpiece, fine tuners, a volume knob with a treble bleed circuit and a 500K EVH Bourns low-friction pot, and a 250K Bourns high-friction tone pot on the tone knob round off this meticulously spec’d guitar.
Moving on to aesthetics – the EVH Wolfgang Special T.O.M. is available in attractive Gloss Black and Husk White colorways with black hardware and Oxblood with gold hardware.
Wolfgang WG Standard T.O.M.
Meanwhile, EVH is also releasing a more affordable counterpart, the Wolfgang WG Standard T.O.M.with a $599.99 price tag.
This cost-conscious version boasts a fawk bound basswood body with a “comfort cut” forearm contour for “enhanced playability,” a bolt-on baked maple neck with graphite reinforcement, and a spoke wheel for easy truss rod adjustments.
Like the pricier version, it also includes a 12”-16” compound radius baked maple fingerboard, 22 jumbo frets, and black dot inlays – but is kitted with dual EVH Wolfgang humbucking pickups instead, as well as black speed volume and tone knobs with 500k pots for more “precise tone control.” And for the aesthetically inclined, it comes in Gloss Black, Cream White, and Sea Foam Pearl Metallic finishes.
In a 2023 interview with Guitar WorldEVH’s Matt Bruck commented on Eddie’s lasting impact on the brand. Bruck, Eddie Van Halen’s former guitar tech and business partner, has worked alongside Wolfgang to carry on Eddie’s legacy following his passing in 2020.
“Ed left a lot of ideas for us to develop,” he said. “We are committed to delivering all of them. We worked with Ed for a very long time, and we know what he would want.”
Additionally, it’s important to note that these two guitars are available strictly as hardtail models. This marks a departure from previous Wolfgang releases, which came fully equipped with the Eddie-approved Floyd Rose locking tremolo, signaling a new direction for the brand.
As Bruck asserted, “More people play stop-tails than guitars with locking tremolos. We dig both and we want to show people what we can come up with.”
For more information about these new models, visit EVH.
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