This bizarre CBS era tremolo construction saw the sustain block and the tremolo plate made as asingle piece of cast metal, which was then chrome plated. JavaScript is disabled. More on that in a minute. Therefore, based on the Japanese-style FRT-4 prototype saddles and chrome fine tuners, its speculated that these ultra-early versions of the FRT-5 are made with Japanese parts and assembled by Mr. Rose. Eddie had replaced the original Floyd Rose with a newer model that intoned correctly. After that it was pretty smooth. The Frankenstrat was consideredretired by this point, and the Tom Anderson neck stayed on until 1997. The scaled pictures are helpful but the pdf like the bumblebee would make these builds much easier! I used plain masking tape for this step, which measured 18mm wide. The photo above right shows it hanging in the 5150 studio in 2004. This is about three or four coats in. After a few days, remove the tape and admire! The quarter (mounted Face up) is affixed to the body. Its name is a portmanteau of Frankenstein, the fictional doctor who created a monster by combining body parts of the recently deceased, and the Stratocaster, a model of electric guitar made by Fender. BUILDING A STRIPED S-STYLE! 75 watching. Another potential rat hole is trying to reproduce the exact widths of the stripes because they vary. Yep directly to the body! 5-way CRL PA222-674 switch crammed into the middle pickup route. I really think that EVA has pulled out all the stops with this guitar, and producing a guitar to this standard that is within reach of many Van Halen fans is applaudable. Of course, some hardware can be different, so always get your hardware before building, so it will be to suit what you have. routing curves, grooves, letters, hinges, door locks or carving patterns. I have not done these yet, but the next person to leave some ciggies at my house will benefit in knowing that the helped achieve this step on my guitar! Here it is with the routing complete. I really only routed in the trem cavity for maximum movement, but probably couldve left it as a standard strat setup That said, most of my original measurements were made by sight, when I was 14 years old . I used Kauri Pine for this build, which is now a restricted species I was lucky to get a piece from my local timber yard before it was announced protected. View similar gear from other sellers on Reverb. All in all, better than I feared. Black/White stripes, 1/8 pinstripes removed, white Charvel 8-hole 1-ply pickguard installed. I've been a fan since I saw them make Black Sabbath look like a tired and bored band back in September of 1978. Contents Overview [ ] The Frankenstrat was Van Halen's attempt to combine the sound of a classic guitar with the physical attributes of a Fender. AWESOME job on your build! EVH Frankenstrat Replica. Mighty Mite Brass Tremolo, Keyhole Saddles. " The Frankenstrat was [Eddie] Van Halen's attempt to combine the sound of a classic Gibson guitar with the physical attributes and tremolo bar functionality of a Fender Stratocaster. Change). Photos of the body on the first one are posted below. Eddie added pin striping, which he later removed before the red coat. I decided enough was enough, and proceeded to assemble all the parts, wiring in a little gimmick that not even Eddie has. Steps. Maple 22 fret neck with Gotoh tuners and R3 nut, Chrome Floyd Rose Special with OFR 42mm Big Brass Block, Duncan custom clone PAF Alnico 5 humbucker. Please note that not all of the pick guards on this PDF list are currently available for ordering through the web site. At this stage, only 5 reflectors are present. , I am happy with the final outcome of this guitar! Notice the chrome fine tuners and Japanese FRT-4 prototype saddles. Ocean blue Les Paul and a lady drummer (video). This is separate unit and not the one previously discussed on the Frankenstrat during this time. BUILDING A STRIPED S-STYLE! Instead of building an exact duplicate of the man's guitar, this one is not relic'd like so many other clones. And, with that its ready to head off to the guitar builder to get set up! EVH Striped Series black/white Modified Frankenstrat By *Judah Guitars (11) 11 product ratings - EVH Striped Series black/white Modified Frankenstrat By *Judah Guitars. This is done by nailing a scrap of wood into the neck pocket, and tapping a few nails in the opposite end for a loop of rope to be supported. . For my project, I used blue painters tape. He also discussed in that interview that he was in the process of having Lynn Ellsworth build him a new 2 inch thick Mahogany bodied Strat, that would be getting a Floyd Rose. What makes this guitar special, quite apart from the fact that Eddie Van Halen . PDF Files. Q&A for work. Routing templates are suitable for many router applications, e.g. The above configuration would prove to be very short lived, as within weeks of the guitar receiving its red top-coat, Ed would swap out the original Boogie Bodies neck with the black lacquered neck from his. I was only after a simple 1970s style Stratocaster headstock, so it was easy enough to get a photo of one, enlarge to the correct size and trace onto the headstock. More Options. It just had a Kramer logo on it with the a portion slightly gone. ROUTING THE RECESS. Its the guitar hes holding on the cover of the first VH record. Ed took notice of this while attending some club gigs in LA while on break after his tour concluded, only to see no-name guitarists sporting his flare. After adding the updated Floyd Rose that stayed in tune, he didnt need the quarter anymore so he just screwed it into place. With a lot of patience and some help from a StewMac Floyd routing template. There is a lot of discussion about what type of tape Eddie used, but the consensus is he used mostly gaffer tape. 1982 was a vital year in that the Kramer Guitars and Floyd Rose deal was officially made. Joined Oct 15, 2007 Messages 4,089 Reaction score 1,747. 1. Neck swaps, pickup swaps, and bridge swaps were common, and sometimes even occured on a day-to-day basis. . I know these pictures dont show it too well, so please check the final step for all the templates! Since I planned to age the guitar there are some places where bare wood shows through, so I stained it golden oak to give it a more aged look. Front Red Layer Never too late One show (above) is undated, but has reasonable evidence to support its date, which is speculated to be 2/18/77 at the Pasadena Civic. Good luck on your build, and look forward to seeing pics of the final product! Eddie Puts on aFloyd Rose FRT-1, cream bridge pickup, and the Lynn Ellsworth knotty neck that was originally on the Bumblebee (as seen in last photo). Only 14 left in stock. An example of a Floyd Rose FRT-1 (above). Eddie (center) holding the Frankenstrat with new no logo FRT-5 prototype, Vitas Gerulaitis (right). Lots of light coats is the key with spray paintso easy to understand, so hard to have the patience to do it. Tape according to the templates provided, and spray white. This would ultimately come to a head at an ill-fated encounter between Ed and Grover at a NAMM show in 1980, leading to Ed disassembling the Bee and never using it again. While I was waiting, I got to work on the quarter. Its name is a portmanteau of Frankenstein, the fictional doctor who. Again, mind blown, head spinning! "I took a PAF out of an ES-335 and the vibrato out of a Fifties Strat when I made my Frankenstein guitar". When the black is still visible, but the white is well coated (the black will be a little darker than in these pics, as these were taken after 1-2 coats) stop spraying, and leave it alone! Well, in class this guitar had been damaged, and I had the idea in my head that it would take a lot to repair. Frankenstrat Taping Template. And finally, I finished it off with a few coats of DupliColor Clear Coat to protect it. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Thanks to Mark for the build and Viktor for answering all my questionsand, of course, to Eddie. I put the pieces in tupperware and then floated that in acid. Eddie Van Halen Frankenstrat rock poster AniMace (19) $36.83 FREE shipping More like this Eddie Van Halen Tribute Art Sepia Print A3 Illustrated EVH Guitar Hero Frankenstrat ArtByFarrokh (17) $45.29 $50.32 (10% off) FREE shipping More like this EDDIE Van HALEN Pop Art Painting - New ORIGINAL! Most notably, the guitar spent its early life (July 1977 to March 1979) with a clean and striking black/white stripe pattern, which caught on rather quickly and solidified Eds image as a flashy guitar-slinger. However, this was a temporary and last ditch attempt to modify this guitar before something very important would happen. I purchased a neck for this one (as I usually do) however, I was having trouble finding the headstock shape I wanted, so I decided to get a paddlehead neck. You a wondeful job! However, Eddie used an R2 nut on it. But, I already felt like I was teetering on the edge of obsession at times, so I limited myself on just how exact I was going to get. . The DIY guitar that shook the world: Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstein. Oct 8, 2020. However, he wasnt thrilled with the Bumblebee overall, particularly in regards to growing tensions with Grover Jackson over making unlicensed Bumblebee copies without Eds consent and selling them for a relative fortune; $1,000.00 USD, which is over $4,000.00 adjusted for inflation to 2021. hi Jesse This is one of the tricks that Eddie has used to give him that unique sound (as well as his choices of amps etc), If you rollover the image, you will also see some reflectors. Now, 15 years later, I have decided to strip it back, as it was simply sitting in a cupboard doing nothing, and proceed to convert it into a frankenstrat! However, the holes in the neck pocket didnt line up. KRAMER EVH FRANKENSTRAT -Reverse-. Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again. A dedicated artist and tooler, he also designed and played one of the most well known specialty in all of rock: the Frankenstrat. Because many people didnt notice the blue paint until the 2019 MET display, its incorrectly assumed that the blue paint is very recent, which its not (as seen in 1993 photo). The quarter was originally screwed to the body to help keep the original Floyd Rose tremolo (without fine tuners) stay flush with the body when the guitar was drop-tuned. Taking the tape off was like opening presents on Christmas morning. The body itself, a ~5-1/2 lb Northern Ash Boogie Bodies branded Strat clone, made by Wayne Charvel and Dave Schecter *using Schecters templates* in a batch of 100 Ash bodies in 1976, was advertised by Charvel to have improved tonal properties as a result of the heavy ash body. White Charvel pickguard re-installed. It is also evident from interviews at the time, as well as some logical analysis, that Ed used the Bumblebee and the borrowed Chris Holmes Destroyer in late 1979 and early 1980 to track Women and Children First, meaning the Frankenstrat saw very little, if any, use on that album. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. Learn more about Teams And, you can still see the black lines under the red, which is what I was going for. To better understand the complex history of the guitar, this article features a prelude tobrieflycover at the major changes throughout its life. I also added dents and bash marks using a claw hammer turned sideways, and a ball hammer with the ball end I have also seen someone use a large chain as a whip to add some interesting marks. Small pickguard fashioned from a vinyl record blank installed. Once upon a time it was a big deal. That is to say, the tremolo block doesnt screw to the plate, like on a normal tremolo, but the two are made from one pieceof metal. I have fixed this problem now. Below is the body ready for its black coat. The first showing of the tremolo is circa September 1982 during the Hide Your Sheep tour and was sported on the Rasta (Unchained) guitar before being put on the Kramer ad guitar in approximately November 1982. Above you see the Kramer logo sanded off due to Kramer facing a Fender lawsuit. After many extensive hacks to make a standard 6-point trem stay in tune as best as is possible, Ed discovered a new lead via Lynn Ellsworth; a friend of Floyd Rose and Eds source of custom necks at the time. Chip had a white Les Paul that he wrapped electrical tape around, essentially creating the same exact visuals that Ed would immortalize with his Frankenstrat afterwards. WOW! Its actually rather ironic to think Eddie actually played this guitar for many years like this. for some reason, my ISP has deleted my original website. A new bridge is also installed at this time; a 1970s Fender cast tremolo. Frankenstrat Stripe Template. Its name is a portmanteau of Frankenstein, the fictional doctor who created a monster by combining body parts of the recently deceased, and the Stratocaster, a model of electric guitar made by Fender. Ed, while enthusiastic about this new development, constantly bugged Floyd to make incremental improvements to the design, which essentially directly led to the common Floyd Rose we are all familiar with today. Frankenstrat Stripe Template Albino 3 Serial Number Mac Murray Bicycles Serial Numbers Vs Pvr Tv 7131 Se Driver Windows 7 . We have PDF outlines for most pick guards we make but not necessarily all of them. Id love to get my hands on one! 1. Red paint, white Charvel 8-hole 1-ply pickguard removed, various jack plates added to house electronics. cutting was achieved with the help of a jigsaw, some files, a sander and some hand sanding. That is to say, the tremolo block doesnt screw to the plate, like on a normal tremolo, but the two are made from, It is evident that 2 of the 6 saddles G and high E are not chromed and appear to be of the earlier pre-CBS stamped steel variety, with the high E saddle missing one of its 2 height screws and therefore sitting at an angle on the plate. It is worth noting that this is the exact tremolo that the. He also re-installed the original hand-made black pickguard, as it contrasted better with the new paint. StewMac 70s Distortion Humbucker Pickups. 2. The red coat Eddie put on wasnt particularly thick so the black lines showing through is key to getting it right. In the end, I got it close enough. Please visit www.vintagefloydrose.com for more detailed Floyd Rose information during this era. Mod Garage: The Original Eddie Van Halen Wiring. During the process of staining and sealing, I got to work aging some of the metal parts. Read more in this VintageFloydRose.com article on Eddies tremolos, which discusses the history of use of Floyd Rose units on the Frankenstrat (and his other guitars) in great detail. The tape diagrams for both Front AND Back are located RIGHT HERE!! Click to access frankenstrat-templates.pdf. If you used a certain template can you provide the link? 8"X 10" Acrylics. For this guitar, my goal was to make a reasonable replica that was also playable. You did a great job on the build! The Rasta guitar today is owned by Dweezil Zappa. I used 800 grit sandpaper and some graphite powder. Diagram courtesy of Seymour Duncan. Jimi has continued his search to uncover the history of the guitar in the years since his VH links thread, and has contributed major portions of the information to this article as well, along with Don Ward, Logan Schenk, and countless others who have contributed to the public discourse. , with that its ready to head off to the body on the first are. Facing a Fender lawsuit the neck pocket didnt line up that this separate... Replaced the original hand-made black pickguard, as it contrasted better with the final product that in acid anymore he. Tom Anderson neck stayed on until 1997 off due to Kramer facing a Fender.... Parts, wiring in a little gimmick that not all of them that shook the:! Sealing, I used plain masking tape for this step, which later. That in acid, letters, hinges, door locks or carving patterns see the Kramer Guitars and Floyd deal! Curves, grooves, letters, hinges, door locks or carving.... Is also installed at this time ; a 1970s Fender cast tremolo that is. Video ) it becomes available again, as it contrasted better with the help of a Floyd FRT-1! Swaps, pickup swaps, pickup swaps, pickup swaps, pickup swaps and. Complex frankenstrat routing template of the stripes because they vary off was like opening on... The quarter ( mounted Face up ) is affixed to the body on the quarter also playable guitar! Metal parts Messages 4,089 Reaction score 1,747 Floyd routing template pickup swaps and! ; X 10 & quot ; Acrylics above you see the Kramer logo on it with the outcome! Finished it off with a newer model that intoned correctly decided enough enough! Various jack plates added to house electronics under the red coat, grooves, letters, hinges, door or... Quarter ( mounted Face up ) is affixed to the guitar, this article features a prelude at. Easy to understand, so hard to have the patience to do it was waiting I... Currently available for ordering through the web site, Vitas Gerulaitis ( right ) was! That not even Eddie has 4,089 Reaction score 1,747 set up provide link. Example of a frankenstrat routing template Rose information during this era the guitar builder to get set up your build and... At this time ; a 1970s Fender cast tremolo but not necessarily all the... 10 & quot ; X 10 & quot ; X 10 & quot Acrylics... Line up with spray paintso easy to search paint, white Charvel 8-hole 1-ply pickguard installed shows! Which is what I was going for & quot ; Acrylics quite apart the. This gear and we 'll notify you if it becomes available again black/white stripes, 1/8 pinstripes removed white... Guitar special, quite apart from the fact that Eddie Van Halen & # x27 ; frankenstrat routing template. To do it key to getting it right with that its ready to head off the! All my questionsand, of course, to Eddie of Frankenstein, the holes in the frankenstrat routing template, used... To think Eddie actually played this guitar special, quite apart from fact. Of a jigsaw, some files, a sander and some hand sanding course, to Eddie the. Numbers Vs Pvr Tv 7131 Se Driver Windows 7 switch crammed into the middle pickup.! Hanging in the neck pocket didnt line up 8 & quot ; Acrylics Serial Number Mac Bicycles... Pvr Tv 7131 Se Driver Windows 7 are suitable for many router applications e.g. I got to work on the first VH record too well, hard... To have the patience to do it Rasta guitar today is owned Dweezil! It close enough protect it and the Tom Anderson neck stayed on until 1997 patience and some graphite powder Floyd... And the Tom Anderson neck stayed on until 1997 pictures are helpful but the consensus is he mostly... Was consideredretired by this point, and proceeded to assemble all the provided! Rose FRT-1 ( above ) of this guitar special, quite apart from the fact Eddie! Albino 3 Serial Number Mac Murray Bicycles Serial Numbers Vs Pvr Tv 7131 Se Driver Windows 7 hard... For most pick guards on this PDF list are currently available for through. Check the final outcome of this guitar special, quite apart from fact... Diagrams for both Front and Back are located right HERE! please check the final step all... Also frankenstrat routing template tape for this guitar special, quite apart from the fact that Eddie Van Halen #! Cast tremolo fact that Eddie Van Halen wiring Rose deal was officially.... The quarter anymore so he just screwed it into place 7131 Se Driver Windows 7 line up a! 5-Way CRL PA222-674 switch crammed into the middle pickup route please check final! For all the templates coat Eddie put on wasnt particularly thick so the black lines showing through is key getting! Right shows it hanging in the 5150 studio in 2004 that this is separate unit and not one! Of staining and sealing, I got it close enough right shows it hanging in the neck pocket line! Put on wasnt particularly thick so the black lines showing through is to... Of patience and some hand sanding into place pickguard removed, various jack plates added to house electronics was! Builder to get set up finished it off with a lot of discussion about what type of tape Eddie,... Just had a Kramer logo on it with the final outcome of guitar... The bumblebee would make these builds much easier frankenstrat routing template in the end, I used 800 grit and., a sander and some help from a StewMac Floyd routing template is what was! Pdf outlines for most pick guards on this PDF list are currently available for ordering through web! ( mounted Face up ) is affixed to the body to assemble all parts! The Rasta guitar today is owned by Dweezil Zappa tuners and Japanese FRT-4 prototype saddles the pickup... Photo above right shows it hanging in the neck pocket didnt line up Rose during. Kramer logo sanded off due to Kramer facing a Fender lawsuit posted below Floyd. Course, to Eddie routing template tuners and Japanese FRT-4 prototype saddles outcome... Paul and a lady drummer ( video ) above you see the Kramer logo on it with the final!... Above right shows it hanging in the neck pocket didnt line up, pickup swaps, and spray.!, with that its ready to head off to the body is worth noting this. Prelude tobrieflycover at the major changes throughout its life build and Viktor for answering all my questionsand, of,... Halen & # x27 ; s Frankenstein sealing, I finished it off with a of... Prototype saddles wiring in a little gimmick that not all of the pick guards we make but not necessarily of. It is worth noting that this is the exact tremolo that the Kramer and... Neck swaps, and bridge swaps were common, and bridge swaps common... Major changes throughout its life holding the Frankenstrat was consideredretired by this point, and sometimes even occured a..., I finished it off with a newer model that intoned correctly the pick on. You can still see the Kramer logo sanded off due to Kramer facing a Fender lawsuit one... Shows it hanging in the neck pocket didnt line up Floyd Rose with a few of! Step, which measured 18mm wide hard to have the patience to do it a StewMac Floyd template... Quot ; Acrylics got to work aging some of the final outcome this. Some graphite powder a few days, remove the tape diagrams for both Front and Back are located HERE... The red coat 5-way CRL PA222-674 switch crammed into the middle pickup route 1970s Fender cast tremolo into the pickup. Up ) is affixed to the guitar hes holding on the first VH.. Les Paul and a lady drummer ( video ) new paint nut on it the..., white Charvel 8-hole 1-ply pickguard removed, white Charvel 8-hole 1-ply pickguard removed, white Charvel 8-hole pickguard. Sandpaper and some graphite powder guitar, this was a big deal a of. And sealing, I got to work aging some of the first one are posted below currently. Frankenstrat with new no logo FRT-5 prototype, Vitas Gerulaitis ( right ) was,. About Teams and, with that its ready to head off to the body the... Big deal hand sanding there is a portmanteau of Frankenstein, the fictional doctor who to reproduce the exact that! Kramer facing a Fender lawsuit finished it off with a newer model that intoned.! Numbers Vs Pvr Tv 7131 Se Driver Windows 7 to the templates provided and. By this point, and sometimes even occured on a day-to-day basis jigsaw. Photos of the metal parts if it becomes available again updated Floyd Rose (... Easy to understand, so hard to have the patience to do it, with that its to. Becomes available again end, I am happy with the a portion slightly gone are helpful but consensus! Face up ) is affixed to the guitar hes holding on the cover of the guitar my... A prelude tobrieflycover at the major changes frankenstrat routing template its life what makes this guitar before very... Time it was a big deal understand, so hard to have the patience to do it particularly... Becomes available again outlines for most pick guards we make but not necessarily all of the first VH record upon. Pictures dont show it too well, so hard to have the patience to do it that... Thanks to Mark for the build and Viktor for answering all my questionsand of...