Eddie Van Halen's wildly iconic black-with-yellow stripes Strat®-style guitar made its official debut on the cover of the 1979 album Van Halen II. “Bumblebee,” as it would affectionately come to be known by fans, was heavily played by Eddie throughout Van Halen's 1979 world tour.
40 years later, EVH® has meticulously recreated this world famous instrument in the form of the ’79 Bumblebee. Limited to only a 50-piece worldwide run, this tribute model features all of the original specs including an ash Strat® body, bolt-on birdseye maple neck with oiled back finish, straight 12” radius birdseye maple fingerboard with 21 jumbo frets, katalox dots and black side dots, and skirted Strat-style “Tone” volume knob.
True to Eddie’s pickup recipe, the instrument has been outfitted with an EVH ’79 Bumblebee humbucking bridge pickup. EVH also matched the Bumblebee’s six screw holes, which are hidden under the original prototype non-fine tuner locking tremolo bridge that EVH recreated just for this project, along with the original proto locking nut. All hardware has been reliced, including the custom brass string retainer, screw-eye strap hooks, original period-correct Schaller® tuning machines and side output jack.
Its black-with-yellow-stripes paint job has also been reliced to match the wear and tear from his year of touring, and is stylishly finished off with chrome hardware.Adding to the value and the once-in-a lifetime collector’s nature of this instrument, Eddie Van Halen signed the back of each headstock.
Arriving in a custom-made Anvil® hardshell case, the package will also include '70s-era Fender Super Bullets strings, Van Halen '70s tortoiseshell picks, exclusive collector’s Bumblebee booklet, Young Guitar book Van Halen Live Tour in Japan 1978 & 1979 and several autographed items including a certificate of authenticity, 8”x10” 1979 concert photo of Eddie Van Halen and vinyl copy of Van Halen II.
- Body Shape: Stratocaster
- Body Material: Ash
- Body Colour: Black with Yellow Stripes
- Body Finish: Gloss Urethane
- Fretboard Material: Birdseye Maple
- Fretboard Radius: 12" (305 mm)
- Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
- No. of Frets: 21
- Fretboard Inlays: Katalox Dot
- Pickup(s): EVH '79 Bumblebee H
- Bridge: Period-Correct Prototype Non-Fine Tuner Locking Tremolo
- Pickguard: Period-Correct Schaller with "S" Engraved
- Strings: '70s-Era Fender® Super Bullets (.009-.040 Gauges)
- Tuning Machines: Period-Correct Schaller® with "S" Engraved
- Hardware Finish: Chrome Relic (Unplated Tremolo)
- Included Accessories: '70s-era Fender Super Bullets strings, Van Halen '70s tortoiseshell picks, an exclusive Bumblebee collector’s booklet, Young Guitar book "Van Halen Live Tour in Japan 1978 & 1979" and several autographed items including a certificate of authenticity, 8”x10” 1979 concert photo of Eddie Van Halen and vinyl copy of "Van Halen II."
