Eddie Van Halen - "The Frankenstrat" Interview (Guitar World, Nov. 2006) 

I wish Jimmy Hendrix could have see and heard this man play.

“I didn’t have the money and the guitar I wanted didn’t exist.” So the man built one. Eddie was a true trailblazer.

Rest in peace Eddie! Its so sweet to hear him give Dimebag a shoutout. Now they are both reunited in rock n roll heaven.

I love how Ed just couldn't hold back anymore and had to start playing while they're talking. What a legend savant.

Who is here to pay respect to the man? RIP 5150

Eddie says he's a 'Tone Chaser' that's where it's at. Eddie had a distinctive tone that defined his sound. If they ever make a film about EVH maybe a good title would be Tone Chaser

amazing that eddy let one of his originals be buried with dimebag .. RESPECT

I love how Eddie can't stop noodling even during the interview...always itching to play...always a new monster riff within fingers reach.

Respect to Eddie for giving Dimebag his original bumblebee guitar, Dimebag loved Eddie hard.

2 weeks since we lost Edward and I’m still very sad. It’s strange how so many of us never even met the man yet he had such a profound effect on our lives. God speed Ed. I pray that you are experiencing true joy and peace.

People: I want a stratiest Strat, preferably a vintage one or at least Custom Shop made. That will make me a great guitar player. Eddie: builds his nameless strat made of cheap leftovers that looks like crap. Plays like hell, earns pile of cash.

In 1978, I was flipping through record bins in the record store. I saw the cover of the first album and said these guys look like they f-ing rock. I dropped the needle and fell in love!!!

I still " freak out" when I see Eddie rip on his guitar. Even in his 60s he hasn't lost a step.

Saw Eddie around 8 times, first time touring with Sabbath 1978 when Frankie was still black and white. That guitar blew my mind many times live.

First song I ever heard from VH was “Unchained”. My brother had the cassette and I couldn’t believe how angry and awesome it sounded. I was hooked forever

I still can’t believe Eddie is gone. It’s like he’ll never really be gone.

Like so many others Eddie was such a huge inspiration to me as a young guitarist back in the 80’s I would have never thought he would end up being even more inspirational and a source of strength in my older life. Like Eddie I was diagnosed with avascular necrosis (AVN) in my late 40’s and it scared me to death. When I turned 48 I was in a wheelchair and dangerously close to losing my career. The Doc’s told me that I was long over due for surgery and needed total double hip replacement and pelvic reconstruction. I found Eddies story of his hip replacement and how he went under the knife while being awake and actually talked to his surgeon during his surgery. Well true or not I don’t know but I said to myself “If EVH can do this then the least I can do is try and I did. I’m still jamming to Eddies music and I’ve done everything I can to try to clean my life up. I still drink too much, party too much, smoke to much, stay up to all hours of the night practicing riffs but I do it in moderation now. Eddie has just been a way bigger part of my life than I ever imagined he would. Thanks Mr EVH for touching my life and giving me the courage to make it when I thought I couldn’t.

RIP Ed -- you were/are so loved and will be missed.

This interviewer is a very bright guy. Knows his stuff

Fair Warning is the hardest VH album and it's incredible. Hearing Mean Street for the first time was almost as amazing as Eruption.

It’s like a Jedi building their own lightsaber lol rip 🙌

Didn't even know Dimebag long, and buried Dimebag with his original legendary black and yellow guitar. It was Dimebag's favorite. Mad respect.

RIP Legend.. And that interviewer was so full of respect and dignity.. hats off to him..And you can see the humbleness in Eddie..even as he is being praised..

I love Eddie so much. I love when Ellis says, “This guitar was a big part of my life…” and Eddie chimes in with equal earnestness saying, “It was a big part of both of our lives…” humbling himself and not putting himself above. 17:07

"Rest in peace Dimebag.." Now I'm crying....

Is there any doubt that Eddie is the king of mod after Les Paul and Leo Fender? Love to hear Eddie talk about guitars as much as I love to listen to him play. He's definitely one of the greatest guitarists of all time!

The Lord Of The Strings!

It's so cool just to hear a couple of guys talking gear, especially when one of them is Eddie

This man Eddie Van Halen is truly legendary among the six-string killers out there, even while he's still alive! The man and his image, the famous striped six stringers, the techniques...A true legendary guitar icon!

In my opinion , the best hard rock player , best gear ear , best hard rock guy ever . The taste , the sound , the cool fills nobody ever did . I still get chills listening to him . Made me pick up guitar at age 9 .still listen to vh all the time ,

Ed has been telling this story for decades. And, he's known to have spun tales to throw people off the scent of his tone and secrets through the years. But, there is some evidence to suggest that the guitar was actually originally a Fender Strat. At least the body. There are early photos from the club days of Ed playing a black strat with a rosewood neck, and that strat has some virtually identical signature wear marks on the body that are also visible on the Frankie beneath the layers of peeling paint. Only Ed and Al know for sure. Either way, he slapped a beast together.

For me Eddies "Frankenstrat" is the mad max of electric guitars...there will never be anything that comes even close to that sound.

Rest in peace🎸🎼🎶

That was by far the best interview and video I ever seen on u-tube. Thank you.

Legendary instrument. We used to talk about that guitar and look at pictures of it. I can't imagine life without super strats. Thank you, Eddie!

A major/huge thank you for posting this! Great interviewing,questions. 👍

My college entrance essay was on who I admired. I wrote it about Eddie. The personification of cool....i got accepted! 😁

Eddie's white guitar with the black stripes immediately made the strat body look fast... But red white and black stripes guitar made it look like a Ferrari.. I just received by $1700 Frankie strat and while it's not as spot on as the $25000 version it's pretty amazing Promise You the sound and feel of this version is unique compared to all my other humbucking guitars..Strat SG Les Paul...love em all..Frankie is special..Eddie is also very special..

Me really I respect EDDIE VAN HALEN guitar playing... But really want to know... About Alex Van Halen and how he come with a drum beat sound... With the songs EVERYBODY WANTS SOME, LIGHT UP THE SKY'S, HOT FOR TEACHERS and PANAMA.. Probably the most underrated drummer of all time... Overshadowed by his brother.. I get it but can't say it. ..

By far the most in-depth and best interview I've ever seen or heard on the Frankenstrat... Thank you!

I always forget they buried Dime with the original black/yellow and man what a proper send off from Eddie. There's a reason they're all legends. This is so in depth and amazing.

I was eight years old had ten bucks and bought this album my favorite band of all time

Eddy was a cool cat, very genuine and humble. I play guitar because of him

Wow. So freakin' fascinating! Totally love this behind the scenes type of stuff.

There aren't alot of things that you automatically associate with someone or something, but the millisecond you see frankenstrat, you instinctively think EVH!!!

This was a great watch, very informative!

That Unchained riff is so good that they played it twice in the intro xD

My Gosh, that was excellant. I really enjoyed this interview , remembering Ed and how cool and humble he was. Miss him

The people who recreated his guitar had an impossible time trying to find those reflectors Ed put on the back of that guitar!

Oh man that is so Awesome! Thanks for uploading this in high quality.

RIP eddie. Thanks for the timeless memories

"the original yellow and black one got buried Dime bag with.".. this line is really hard. a sign of true respect, only legends can have such a big heart

Keep this here forever. Edison/Mozart is talking. We love you. RIP.

Rip dimebag

An iconic guitar indeed. You'll always know whose hands it should be in!

Eddie vanhalen......"it just blows my mind man".

This is just awesome. Great job all around.

David Lee Roth said on his radio show back in 2006, it was his idea to paint the guitar with stripes. He said he got the spray paint from his basement at his folks home in Pasadena. He also said it was Ed's friend/guitar tech Rudy Liren who put the guitar together. On RU-vid, search for "David Lee Roth Show Van Halen Discussions 2006" skip to 11:27 into the show. He talks a lot about VH.

A great interview !

Eddie is totally twacked out in this video...

Yes, I am here to grieve and celebrate the genius and greatness of Eddie.

First concert was in 1981 it changed me forever, much respect ✊, the body cost him 50 buck and the neck 30 and made millions now that works.

Such a beautiful human being. Thank you for the music, it will live on forever.

What a great interview / interviewer

I am so honoured and privileged to be in His lifetime.

I love the part where he mentions burying the yellow & black guitar with Dimebag. RIP!!! 🤘🎸

If we keep remembering him and share with each other what he did for us individually , then we can keep him semi alive and keep him with us as long as we talk about what he did for us , the first time we heard him , concerts or if you were lucky enough to have met him , it seems that we put our differences aside and meet on one level . The peaceful , music , especially new music comes first, and create that atmosphere that we can re-live hour own memory’s with him , and keep him in our hearts and minds , then he is always with us . I have to think that way because I can’t handle the reality that he really is no longer with us . After getting shocked to the core on October 6, 2020 , it was well into 2021 before I could listen to Van Halen music. What was one of the most natural things that ever existed in my life , listening to and digging VH music , I now physically could not do The moment that I realized what was going on it really hit me hard and all the arguments against anyone else ever being a better guitar player than Eddie and all of those moments (which was every second Eddie invaded my ears) , I knew that my instinct of knowing he was the best, all those moments in life when the odds were against me , that sticking to my EVH is the best mindset paid off and that was one thing that I could hold true to myself , made me proud knowing that I have been right all along and that’s a great feeling. When that hit me , which was about 6, 7 months after he past, I began to loosen up and before long , the music worked its way back into my life and back where it belonged , to its rightful place atop the Mt Everest in my heart. But that’s just one story that I have to go along with all that are in the world. It’s that loyalty syndrome’s little voice in your head that says when your listening to the music , I may or maybe I may not be correct when I think he’s the best ever, because there could be someone out there who might be as good or better, and that’s ok , and that’s anyone’s right to think and say that . To that , I answer back with s peaceful response of , you know , if you like the other one better , then by all means enjoy yourself with your choice , I don’t care if my favorite is not your s , but as for me , I’m thankful and lucky that I have my favorite , and for the rest of my life , I can enjoy my favorite artist,, Maybe your guys better , but you’ll never convince me of that because I found and have the very best , and I’m just fine with my choice ,……and yours , …. God Bless!

So cool … I was 16 in 1986 & one of the millions of kids learning the guitar. The first thing I learned is that none of us would be as great as Eddie. ☮️

Sorry I know this interview is about ed but Michael Anthony’s playing at the start is 🔥

This never gets old

Wow, back when Guitar World was still amazing. What an insight.

We miss you Eddie.

Awesome video really good stuff.

Was also super cool just to see Eddie sitting so relaxed wat a dude!

Tears flooded when the DIME was mentioned xxxxxx

I love how at the end when the interview guy says “I gotta question for both you guys”, both chip n Eddie sat up and sorta zoomed in like they’re getting fed some secret info

Awesome stuff!!!

Thanks for the vid

I’m a lifelong die hard vh fan and atl falcon fan and I love how he puts on our team hat here(the red black and white forever!)

the first time I heard Eddie was in 1976. when I was in the Navy, A kid that was in basic training with, told me about these partys he used to go to. He brought one of that cheap cassette recorders and recorded about an hour of a show. He brought it to basic training , (what a shitty recording) but you could hear him just rockin out. he said you'll hear about this guy soon!

Eddie Van halen found his purpose on this earth!🎸thankful he shared it with the world! Such a gift 🎁

sweet interview

I like it when Eddie is under the influence. Eddie, you were and are and will be among us forever. A great guitarist. RIP Eddie.

History of Rock axe!!! Thanks for sharing this with us!!!

It's amazing what he did on his own to create that iconic guitar. Super inspirational!

This stuff is priceless to watch!!

@10:20 when Eddie says they buried Dimebag Darrell with the Yellow and Black guitar, I teared up. Eddie was great for doing that. Eddie was a really classy guy

It would be nice to see a redux version of this interview w/ Eddie now. Back in the days of these interviews, he was a wreck.

I just got my Frankenstrat! Awesome Guitar Definitely! Love the Action and Everything.

That tone is amazing

*MY CONDOLENCES TO EDDIE'S FAMILY & CLOSEST FRIENDS...* He will be greatly missed ... by many. / =

I did the exact same thing this builder did and built my own replica, down to every single detail including the original reflectors to the quarter with the exact same size drill holes. Fking rad plays killer looks like hell LOVE IT lol I wake up every day and out of all my guitar (or some I have in the racks) she stands out amongst all of them. It truly is the most recognizable guitar in the world.

The love that Ed has for that instrument is infinite I admire that he is so dedicated and obsessed with it that he is playing it or carrying it around (always) like an extension of his own body… like Frankenstein Who is built from the body parts of other people Ed is built on guitar parts😂I am obsessed with music myself but never have I seen a musician love his instrument so much it’s admirable

That guitar.....just amazing !

Bless eds heart. hes like a child with his favourite toy in the background as the guitar builder is being interviewed

Eddie has always been gorgeous 😍💕😍🥰

I love how everything Eddie did, regarding getting the sounds he wanted, was just whatever it took to get that sound. It didn’t have to be pretty. It didn’t have to be expensive or follow some set of rules saying that you need nice equipment. Sure, he got nice equipment when he could afford to, but until then, he still knew how to get the most out of everything. He was the very definition of, “It’s not the car, it’s the driver.” Sure, sometimes it’s the car, but a good driver can do a hell of a lot more with a hell of a lot less.

When i was a teenager in highschool late 80s..i had a late 70s Hondo strat copy..loved it..but i modded it..cut it up cut pickguard..added a humbucker in bridge ..removed other knobs..i hated how the volume knob was always in the way...played shows with it..goodtimes..like 40 yrs later i still have it...

even whilst just sitting there not even playing, his fingers are in formation. crazy! RIP!

Michigan misses you Ed, Van Andel Arena 2004 reunion with Sammy. ✌️😍🎸 A stellar show!!!