Two custom models of the Peavey EVH Wolfgang. Manufacturer Period 1996–2004 Colors available Gloss Black, Gloss Ivory, Vintage Gold, Seafoam Green, Transparent Sunburst, Transparent Amber, Transparent Red, Transparent Purple, Transparent Green, Transparent Blue, Transparent Cherryburst, Transparent Black Cherryburst (plus numerous other colors and graphics offered via the Peavey Custom Shop) The Peavey EVH Wolfgang series is the result of the collaboration between guitarist and 's company,.
Peavey included the following endorsement in their advertising: ' For as long as I've been playing guitar, I've always been searching for a certain feel and tone.I've experimented by tearing apart and reassembling hundreds of guitars in different ways searching for these qualities. Although I've ruined a lot of great guitars by having done this, I have learned what it takes to make a truly great guitar. The Wolfgang, after years of trial and error, (for me) is that guitar.
Serial Numbers For Peavey Guitars
Our collective efforts in designing the Wolfgang guitar have resulted in a versatile, quality-crafted guitar that feels great, sounds great and is truly inspiring to play. I've already put mine to the test in the studio and on tour and now it's your turn.' The EVH stands for 'Edward Van Halen' while Wolfgang is the name of (born in 1991). Contents. History Since the late 1970s, when regularly performed on the club scene, and with the release of Van Halen's self-titled debut album, Edward Van Halen's guitar tone—nicknamed the 'Brown Sound' for being full yet distinctively aggressive and articulate—had been widely acclaimed. It immediately set a standard for guitarists all over the world. To achieve the legendary 'Brown Sound', Edward Van Halen employed a to limit the voltage of his Marshall guitar amplifier while still allowing the volume to be at its maximum.
He also used a custom-assembled -like guitar with a (taken from a ) mounted directly to the guitar's body. Van Halen's infamous (a.k.a. The 'Frankenstrat') guitar laid the groundwork for most of the custom guitars he played throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Prior to working with Peavey, Van Halen had worked with and endorsed, and. Production of the Peavey EVH Wolfgang began in late 1996 (after a year-long development process) and lasted until 2004, when Edward Van Halen and Peavey parted amicably. Production of the Wolfgang guitar (along with other Peavey models) occurred in a dedicated plant but was moved to in early 2003. Van Halen had also developed three amplifiers with Peavey, starting in 1991. In 2009, Edward Van Halen announced the release of a new Wolfgang guitar built by Fender but only carrying his own 'EVH' brand label.
The newer Wolfgang retains many of exactly the same attributes as its Peavey-built predecessor. Models In some sense, the Peavey EVH Wolfgang guitar picked up where the Ernie Ball Music Man EVH model left off, with the prototype design being made by Jim DeCola (an amber quilted top model which still didn't have the Wolfgang headstock shape, but rather a Peavey classic one). The body was made of and often had (like its predecessor) a cap. This combination is considered by some, such as renowned luthier, 'the Holy Grail of tone.' The Ernie Ball model, however, used a 1/8' figured maple cap, which is itself less likely to change the overall effect of the tonewood. Peavey Wolfgangs had maple caps ranging from 1/4' to 5/8'.
This article contains: vague phrasing that often accompanies or information. Such statements should be. (November 2014) Many Peavey Wolfgang owners have incorrectly adopted the terms 'Standard' and 'Deluxe' and applied them to their guitars. Though common, these terms were never officially used by Peavey. Wolfgang owners were simply seeking a way to distinguish between arch top and flat top model Wolfgangs and maple cap and solid basswood model Wolfgangs. The word 'Deluxe' was used by Peavey, but only to describe Custom Shop models.
Edward Van Halen playing a sunburst first year quilt top model in 2004. Peavey EVH Wolfgang The original and top-of-the-line model. Made in the USA.
It featured an arched (carved) top, body binding, two knobs (volume and tone), three-way pickup toggle switch, two Peavey/EVH-designed humbucker pickups, oil-finished bird's eye maple neck and fingerboard with dual graphite reinforcement rods, ten-degree tilt, and Schaller mini M6 tuners (with either pearloid or ivory colored buttons). Two base versions were offered: a solid basswood model and a solid basswood/maple cap model.
(The maple cap was 5/8' before carving.) Each version could come with either a licensed Floyd Rose tremolo with D-Tuna (d-tuner device) or a tune-o-matic bridge and hard tail piece. Solid basswood Wolfgangs were offered in gloss ivory and gloss black; solid basswood/maple cap Wolfgangs were offered in various transparent figured maple finishes (sunburst, amber, red, purple, blue, green, cherryburst, and black cherryburst) as well as vintage gold and seafoam green.
Very occasionally a rejected maple top was painted either gloss black or gloss ivory. Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special Peavey and Edward Van Halen's attempt to make a 'budget' version of the Wolfgang that didn't compromise quality in parts or craftsmanship. Made in the USA, and first offered in 1998. It featured a flat top, one knob (volume), three-way pickup toggle switch, two Peavey/EVH-designed humbucker pickups, licensed Floyd Rose tremolo with D-Tuna (d-tuner device), oil-finished hard rock maple neck and fingerboard with dual graphite reinforcement rods, straight headstock, and chrome tuners. Two base versions were offered: a solid basswood model and a solid basswood/maple cap model.
(The maple cap was 1/4'.) Each version could come with either a licensed Floyd Rose tremolo with D-Tuna (d-tuner device) or a tune-o-matic bridge and hard tail piece. Solid basswood Wolfgang Specials were offered in gloss ivory, gloss black, vintage gold, gloss purple, and sunburst; solid basswood/maple cap Wolfgangs were offered in various transparent figured maple finishes (amber, red, purple, green, sunburst, and black cherryburst). Very occasionally a rejected maple top was painted gloss black. Peavey EVH Wolfgang & Wolfgang Special Deluxe (Custom Shop) The Peavey EVH Wolfgang Custom Shop operated from January 2002 to December 2004. It was run by four highly talented craftsman, each with a different area of specialty. The Custom Shop launched with a contest held via Van Halen's.
Twelve unique Wolfgangs were given away throughout 2002—one every month. Approximately 285 Custom Shop guitars were produced in Leakesville, of which 92 of these were made to fill specific orders while the rest were built for the 'Wolfgang Vault'. Another 130 specific customer orders were produced in Meridian after mid-2003 as well as another 70 guitars, many of which are not really true Customs as they were using up remaining materials inventory.
Some guitars where the only upgrade is a rosewood fretboard is technically called a Custom Shop, but most really are not. Edward didn't want the production guitars to have rosewood fretboards so the only way they could produce them like this was to call them Custom Shop guitars. Thus, approximately 500 Custom Shop guitars were built from 2002 through 2004, some 220 of them being specific customer orders (Approximately 50 of those were ordered and/or purchased by guitar collector Geoff Knapp. These and many more are pictured at his website, ). Peavey had an area at their website for people to 'build' (and order) their own Custom Shop guitars. The basic options that anyone could select were; the body wood: top wood; fretboard wood; fretboard inlays; bridge type; hardware color; top color or graphic and matching/standard headstock. The body wood options were basswood (standard), and even or which weren't standard options.
Bridge options were a stop tail bridge or a Floyd Rose Tremolo system in chrome (standard), gold or black. The Special models came with the birdseye (not hard rock) maple neck, which was an upgrade from a production special. For the fretboard you could select Birdseye (standard), Rosewood or Ebony. For the inlays they had pearl or black dots (standard), EVH Blocks, Tribal Flames, Skulls or no inlays at all. For the top you could select flame maple (standard), quilted maple, koa or none (solid body construction). There were about 30 colors to choose from including graphics and a custom graphic option. Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special EXP Offered from 2002 to 2004, the Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special EXP was a Korean-made version of the Wolfgang.
It contained no markings to differentiate it from USA models, but there were several deviations. The Wolfgang Special EXP had a 1/20' quilt maple veneer top and came in four transparent colors: amber, maroon, blue, and sunburst. The body was made of solid basswood and had a masked 'faux' binding. Like the USA Wolfgang Special it featured a flat top, one knob (volume), three-way pickup toggle switch, Peavey/EVH-designed humbucker pickups like USA models, licensed Floyd Rose tremolo with D-Tuna (d-tuner device), hard rock maple neck and fingerboard, straight headstock, and Grover mini tuners (a feature unique to this model). Some aspects of the Wolfgang Special EXP were different to its USA counterparts: the neck had no graphite reinforcement rods and was finished with a satin poly. A hard tail version was not offered. Serial numbers USA-built Peavey Wolfgangs typically had serial numbers that started with '91' followed by six more digits.
Late-run USA Wolfgangs had serial numbers that started with '50' or '51'. A very few prototype models had serial numbers that started with '1'. Though Peavey Wolfgang owners have often sought to find a corroboration in the serial numbers of their guitars and the year in which each was built (similar to the system Gibson uses), there was no such information contained in the serial numbers.
There was also no code specific to Custom Shop models. Peavey Wolfgang serial numbers were stamped on the back of the headstock between the tuners. Edward Van Halen's signature and the headstock patent number were both branded just below the serial number. Early Wolfgang models (1996–1998) contained the term 'Pat. In place of the patent number. Korean model EXP Wolfgang Specials had serial numbers printed in black on the back of the headstock.
Peavey HP Special Shortly after the split with Eddie Van Halen, Peavey released the HP Special model (HP stands for Hartley Peavey) in 2005, with both American and Asian versions, a guitar that encompassed many of the characteristics of the Wolfgang (basswood body with optional contoured maple top, bolt-on maple neck with maple fingerboard, etc.), but was somewhat of a departure from the collaboration with the guitarist - an H-S-H pickup configuration option, a 5-bolt neck joint, and the headstock shape change, even if the Wolfgang headstock patent remained with Peavey. Work with Fender - the Charvel Art Series and the EVH brand In his last times with Peavey, Edward Van Halen began working with Charvel to produce replicas of three of his striped guitar models, the, in black and white, yellow and black, and also the most common red, white, and black color scheme. During the Van Halen, the guitarist played a different custom striped Charvel Art Series in a few songs of each concert, later autographing and auctioning them on. In 2007, under the supervision of master-builder Chip Ellis, a single run of 300 of his original Frankenstein guitar were made available by under the, in strict collaboration with Edward Van Halen.
The guitars were priced at $25,000, having a massive demand upon their arrival to the market. After the, and once again under the supervision of Chip Ellis, the evolution of the Wolfgang within the Fender group became available to the public, with the (in 2008) and the (in 2010), both sporting the 'bottle opener' shape, which is owned by Edward Van Halen, unlike the old Peavey headstock.
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An amplifier series - the EVH 5150 III - and several instrument accessories and merchandise soon followed, all under the EVH brand. Peavey HP2 In July 2017, during the Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Peavey announced the release of the HP2 model, an instrument which has exactly the same appearance and specifications as the discontinued Wolfgang, with minor differences such as the inclusion of a push/pull switch in the Tone knob (for a split-coil connection), the removal of the EVH Wolfgang inscription, and the announcement of left-handed models as soon as production begins; the company also hinted at Special and Custom Shop models. References.
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This one's for all of you Peavey Predator experts. I've searched and read all of the threads here on the merits of the Predator strat copies. I started looking around on eBay for something good and I'm a little perplexed as to how to figure if they are the 'good' MIA early-90s Predators vs. The 'not-so-good' International versions that came mid-90s onward.
I know the MIA Predators can have 'Made in the USA' on either the front or the back of the headstock. Will all of the International versions have it on the headstock? Front or back? What colors did the MIA Predators come in? Actually they will say 'Handcrafted In The USA' on the back of the headstock. The early Predators had a couple of different necks. The ones I have had and used since way back in the early 90's have a larger 'Peavey' decal on the front of the headstock, with the word 'Predator' under it.
(shown in the below picture). One the back of the headstock you will see the serial number stamped into the wood, and it will have 'US Patent Number XXXXX and XXXXX', and 'Handcrafted In The U.S.A' under that. Some of the Predators and Reactors after the first batch will have a smaller Peavey decal on the front of the headstock, with Predator/Reactor and Crafted In The U.S.A. They don't have the US Patent Numbers and Handcrafted In The U.S.A.
On the rear of the headstock.
The first digit of the prefix was a number, indicating what year in the decade the piece was manufactured. That was followed by a letter, which IIRC ('If I Recall Correctly,' in case you were wondering) indicated the type of gear in question. And in the lower right hand corner there was a number and a letter corresponding to the year the prefix indicated. So, for example, my Bandit 65's serial # is 4A-01900152, so my Bandit 65 was an amp manufactured in year 4 of the 1980s, i.e., 1984. And in the lower right hand corner of the nameplate is the designation 84C, which corresponds to the year indicated in the serial number. IIRC, some time in the early 1990s, that serialization system changed.
My Peavey Studio Pro 112 TransTube (1995 or 1996, I believe) has an 8 digit serial number without a prefix. But then again I have an old Peavey Envoy 110 teal stripe that is a 1990, and uses the serialization system of the 1980s. The Solo Series Bandit 112 was manufactured after the Bandit 75, beginning in 1988, continuing to 1995. In my limited experience, a teal stripe such as yours would date from 1990 on. Your serial # 1A-05016114 still follows the system used throughout the 80s, and apparently into the early 90s. So that prefix indicates an amplifier manufactured in year 1 of the decade.
Also, that number in the lower right hand corner, '91B,' corresponds with a 1991 date.
8Mxxxxxx.1978 0000xxxx t/m 0030xxxx.1978 0031xxxx t/m 0047xxxx.1979 0048xxxx t/m 0065xxxx.1980 0066xxxx t/m 0099xxxx.1981 0100xxxx t/m 0129xxxx.1982 0130xxxx t/m 0169xxxx.1983 0170xxxx t/m 0199xxxx.1984 0200xxxx t/m 0239xxxx.1985 0240xxxx t/m 0259xxxx.1986 0260xxxx t/m 0339xxxx.1987 0340xxxx t/m 0359xxxx.1988 0360xxxx t/m 0419xxxx.1989 0420xxxx t/m 0439xxxx.1990 0440xxxx t/m 0519xxxx.1991 0520xxxx t/m 0599xxxx.1992 0600xxxx t/m 0639xxxx.1993 0640xxxx t/m 0769xxxx.1994 0770xxxx.1995. :: I pulled my old Peavey T-60 out of the basement.have never played it much. I'm wondering when it was made.if it is pre or post 1980??:: Is there a source for dating Peavey guitars??:: the serial NO. Is 00420080: hi i was searching about the t60 and i found this wep.okthere is guitar of it here in syr its about100$: i dont know what to do i like it so much but it seems so old guitar for our age.so i need iformations about it plase mail me at [email protected] The best site in the world!!! ::: I pulled my old Peavey T-60 out of the basement.have never played it much. I'm wondering when it was made.if it is pre or post 1980??::: Is there a source for dating Peavey guitars??::: the serial NO.
Is 00420080:: Hi,:: I got a Peavey T60 too. I know mine has been manufactured in 1976. Fine piece of guitar!!:: Does anyone know what the original price of it was, or currently is?:: write to my e-mail [email protected]:: Thanks:: Julia My 1998 edition of blue book guitars says that in the 70's the T-60 was $299 with molded case. Finishes other than natural are worth more also worth more with a rosewood fretboard. In the 1970's $300 bucks was like a $600 guitar today. : Hi, I just purchased a peavey T60 from a friend I play music with.
I too would love to find out it's real worth. It was manufactured in 82. I love playing it, It really plays and sounds great. Sketchup chamfer tool. Can you tell me if you ever found a source for a price list. Thank you, mike: I pulled my old Peavey T-60 out of the basement.have never played it much.
I'm wondering when it was made.if it is pre or post 1980??:: Is there a source for dating Peavey guitars??:: the serial NO. Is 00420080: Hi,: I got a Peavey T60 too. I know mine has been manufactured in 1976. Fine piece of guitar!!: Does anyone know what the original price of it was, or currently is?: write to my e-mail [email protected]: Thanks: Julia.
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