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This is one hell of a cool-looking six-string

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The only feature here that Ed hasn't seen fit to change is the three-way toggle. It's still upside down – the up position selecting the bridge pickup and vice versa – so if you don't like it, just loosen it and turn it around.

The bridge is an EVH-logo'd double-locking Floyd Rose unit – the company's first official signature vibrato – that also features a D-Tuna and a 41.2mm-wide locking nut. The very cool 'offset shrimp fork' design (our description) of the revamped headstock bristles with a sextet of EVH-branded Gotoh tuners capped with bijou pearloid buttons.

Sounds

There's no doubt whatsoever that this guitar gives any rock player the tone taken from God's own top drawer. Full, warm and fat, yet clear and striking – big chords fill the room with that lauded 'brown' sound. Even the neck pickup – although obviously fuller and more rounded than the bridge – continues to give an excellent string separation.

The low action, skinny frets and wonderful neck also make the Wolfgang as comfortable as ever and, even acoustically, the guitar's inherent ringing tone is very apparent.

As is always the case with Ed's guitars, the Floyd Rose is set flush to the body, meaning that only downward bends and bombs are possible; it's part of his genius that he's able to simulate upward squeals by pre-bending strings – it's a cool trick to learn. However, the payoff, aside from stability, is that the strings have a far more intimate connection to the body wood than virtually any other Floyd-equipped guitar, again enhancing the tone.

Use of the D-Tuna, which quickly drops the low E a full step, leads to plenty of scope for hard metal styles and, needless to say, Wolfie can cope with modern ultra-high gains too.

If you do use genuine single-coil tones, you probably won't be attracted to Wolfie, but it is possible to obtain at least a modicum of Fender-y twang with the middle selection and some EQ-twiddling on your amp. That being said, the Wolfgang is designed to rock, and heavens to Betsy it does so quite magnificently.

Is this the best-sounding Wolfie so far? On this evidence we'd have to say that it is and, as the build quality and lovely neck are par for the course, there's no better reason to try one out as soon as you can.

On the face of it, an RRP of £2,399 – rising a further £180 for the sunburst finished, quilted maple-capped option – does seem an unwieldy figure. But considering the amount of time and research that's gone into the guitar's genesis, its USA Custom Shop build, not to mention the fact that Edward Van Halen himself plays these exact models, the price really shouldn't surprise anyone.

Add to that a truly wonderful tone, an elegant neck and excellent overall performance, and we're close to anointing this the best mainstream EVH guitar ever produced. Looks like the choice is yours, but beware – you'll want one.