It all started on a cold winter's day back in February of 1978 when Eddie van Halen appeared on the front of Van Halen's debut album holding his one-of-a-kind black-and-white Strat. Now, you can get your hands on a devoted remake in the tight form of the EVH Striped Series '78 Eruption Relic - named after Eddie's legendary soloing style. If any Eddie fan has done their homework, they'll know that he spent his life searching tirelessly for the ultimate tone - anything that might match the sound in his head. Since no guitar in existence could match up, he took matters into his own hands and just built them himself. As such, his custom black-and-white axe was the first Strat ever seen - or heard with a humbucker - and it caused a revolution. Blending Original Features with Modern Perks Every inch of the EVH '78 Eruption mimics Eddie's original, but as soon as you start digging into the specs, you'll find a nice fistful of more modern perks have been piled on top. So besides the single slanted EVH Wolfgang humbucker planted at the bridge, this model features the convenience of a heel-mount truss rod, making neck adjustments far easier, while the compound 12 inch to 16 inch fretboard radius provide far more consistent grip than the 7.7 inch or 9 inch radius of vintage models from back then. The oversized, licensed Strat headstock is an undeniably cool detail, as well as the 43mm brass block sitting beneath the vintage-style tremolo bridge, and as a sweet finish, the volume pot has been fitted with a tone-pot-cover - true Eddie style.