Summer NAMM 2016: EVH introduces 5150III EL34 amp head and Wolfgang Striped Special guitar

Introduction

SUMMER NAMM 2016: They may not be breaking new ground, but EVH's summer announcements are sure to get guitarists' pulses racing, as they team the 5150III with EL34 valves, and give the Wolfgang a Striped makeover.

As is the case with a lot of news from this year's show, RRPs are nowhere to be found, but be sure to mark October 2016 in your calendars, 'cause that's when this gear will be hitting the streets. So, without further ado…

EVH 5150IIIS 100S EL34 Head

EL34s fuelled Eddie Van Halen’s playing on the early Van Halen albums, so we're thrilled to see the arrival of this sharply finished 100-watter.

The EL34 power valves offer a modern take on the classic British sound, but promise “more sustain and versatility than ever before”.

Three channels are on offer: channel one is pure clean, while channels two and three handle the gainier side of things, with some serious compression and saturation on tap.

Other features include a rear-panel resonance control section to tweak the low-frequency response for each channel, plus a bias testing and adjustment port to fine-tune your tubes.

EVH Wolfgang Special Striped

Now, it's just a new finish, but this mash-up of classic EVH guitars is so cool, we simply had to include it here.

An arched top basswood body is paired with a robust graphite-reinforced quarter-sawn maple neck, 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets and heel-mounted spoke wheel.

Pickups are direct mounted Custom Designed EVH Wolfgang humbuckers, while you'll also find an EVH-branded Floyd Rose locking tremolo bridge, Floyd Rose locking nut, EVH D-Tuna, chrome hardware and black headstock.

EVH 5150IIIS EL34 412ST Cabinet

Matching the 5150IIIS 100S EL34 Head is this 100-watt, 16-ohm 4x12 cab with matching black and gold trim.

It features solid birch construction, Signature Celestion G12EVH speakers, EVH casters and recessed metal handles.

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.