Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • Easy Lover
  • Yes
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Music theory tricks
  1. Guitars

EVH reveals new Circles finish for Striped Series guitar

News
By Michael Brown
Published 30 July 2014

New Unchained finish for Eddie Van Halen model

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

The Striped Series has been seriously in demand since its introduction in early 2013, and the fervour shows no sign of letting up with the addition of a whole new outlandish finish, named 'Circles'.

The design is based on Eddie Van Halen's 1981 guitar, which he used for live renditions of the drop D-tuned Unchained, and features a far-out black-and-white 'crop circles' graphic on the front, and a distinctive 'See Ya Later Bye' print on the back.

Elsewhere, the guitar is spec'd to the same rock-ready standards as the rest of the Striped Series, with a hand-rubbed oil maple neck and compound radius fretboard, EVH-branded Floyd Rose locking vibrato with D-Tuna, plus a single EVH Wolfgang humbucker. And yes, the tone knob is, of course, a volume knob.

Click through the gallery above for a closer look at the EVH Striped Series Circles, and head to the official EVH website for more info.

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

Even from the rear, the Circles is unmistakably an EVH guitar

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

One of the few departures from EVH's original is a correctly positioned jack socket; Eddie's was fitted upside-down

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

The graphic gloss finish comes complete with a tone (ie, volume) knob turning suggestion

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

True EVH nuts will want to remove the rear vibrato cover for maximum authenticity

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH's D-Tuna allows easy access to drop D tuning – perfect for busting out Unchained

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

The EVH logo adorns the Strat-a-like headstock

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
EVH Striped Series Circles

EVH Striped Series Circles

With a smooth, 'played-in' feel, the hand-rubbed oil neck is ripe for blistering riffs and solos

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Michael Brown
Michael Brown
Social Links Navigation

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.

Read more
EVH Gear Wolfgang Special Baked Maple: the high-performance electrics are refreshed with baked maple necks, TOM bridges and Floyd Rose vibratos
Guitars Eddie Van Halen-approved baked maple necks? Check. Flagship pickups? Check. EVH Gear unveils stunning refresh of the Wolfgang Special
 
 
MusicRadar Guitar Gear Round-up June 2026
Guitars MusicRadar’s epic guitar gear round-up: June ’26 edit, ft. EHX, PRS, Fender’s mega-launch and more
 
 
Charvel's Neo-Classic Series offers the San Dimas Style 1 with and without a Floyd Rose, with finishes including Robin's Egg Blue, Ivory Blitz, Gloss Black, Velvet Midnight and Racing Red
Guitars Dweezil Zappa shredding in a skate park? That must be Charvel’s all-new American Neo-Classic Series
 
 
Kramer 50th Anniversary Collection
Guitars Kramer marks 50 years of shred with a gold metallic makeover for its high-performance lineup
 
 
The Gibson Victory Floyd Rose was teased at NAMM and arrives in Iguana Burst, Deep Ocean Burst, and Translucent Ebony Burst finishes.
Guitars Do not adjust your set – Gibson just unveiled a doublecut shred machine with a Floyd Rose
 
 
MusicRadar Guitar Gear Round-up July 2026
Guitars MusicRadar’s July 2026 guitar gear roundup: featuring Orange Amps, Harley Benton, Epiphone and more
 
 
Latest in Guitars
MusicRadar Guitar Gear Round-up July 2026
Guitars MusicRadar’s July 2026 guitar gear roundup: featuring Orange Amps, Harley Benton, Epiphone and more
 
 
Mastodon pictured after performing on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2021 [L-R]: Brent Hinds, Troy Sanders, Brann Dailor, and Bill Kelliher.
Artists Mastodon's Brann Dailor and Troy Sanders on their complicated relationship with the late Brent Hinds
 
 
Tony Iommi sits at an old table and contemplates his guitar.
Artists Hear Tony Iommi's new single World Alone as the Black Sabbath icon announces his solo album
 
 
Harley Benton Aged Series
Guitars Harley Benton is making hand-aged relic'd guitars for under 250 bucks
 
 
MXR Textures Granular Synth Pedal
Guitars Introducing Textures, the granular synth pedal from MXR that dreamy ambient tones are made of
 
 
Kirk Hammett plays a Jackson Rhoads [left]; Peter Green with the Les Paul that Hammett would eventually own.
Artists “That song has so much voodoo in it”: Kirk Hammett on the Fleetwood Mac classic that defines heavy music
 
 
Latest in News
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Steve Hackett performs at Fox Theater on November 18, 2025 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images)
Guitarists “I would even play harmonica or do a walk on”: Steve Hackett is still open to a hypothetical Genesis reunion
 
 
Richie Sambora performs onstage at the 33rd Annual Race to Erase MS Gala held at Fairmont Century Plaza on June 05, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty Images)
Guitarists Richie Sambora offers some eyebrow-raising advice to aspiring guitarists
 
 
sub bass speakers
Samples SampleRadar: 473 free sub bass samples
 
 
(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Duran Duran at photo studio in Tokyo, May 2, 1982. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Artists “Mick said ‘You know you really do need to stick together'”: How Jagger stopped Duran Duran from splitting
 
 
HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 11:  (L-R) Musicians Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden attend the premiere of Marvel Studios' "Marvel's The Avengers" held at the El Capitan Theatre on April 11, 2012 in Hollywood, California.
Bands Drummer Matt Cameron confirms that a final Soundgarden album is currently being mixed
 
 
MusicRadar Guitar Gear Round-up July 2026
Guitars MusicRadar’s July 2026 guitar gear roundup: featuring Orange Amps, Harley Benton, Epiphone and more
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...