Peavey Flat Top Prototype Wolfgang Eddie Van Halen Owned EVH Guitar w Magazine Cheap The Cheapest

The guitar pictured is the actual guitar you will receive!

This has been in our private EVH collection vault for over a decade. If someone comes along that is a huge fan like us and wants to buy it to play and appreciate it, that’s great, however we do not need to sell it and are happy to keep it. Please give us a ring if you have questions. 

This Peavey “Flat Top” Prototype was built by Jim DeCola for Eddie Van Halen and was completed on December 24, 1995. This was the first prototype Flat Top made – it was referred to as the “Flat Top” before the name “Special” was decided upon. 

After having this for over a decade, on June 27, 2018 we took this guitar to the Peavey factory in Meridian, Mississippi to verify that is was indeed Eddie’s guitar. That is how we received the COA from Peavey.  

Knowing there must be more to the story we dug deeper and located Jim DeCola, who was the master luthier for Peavey during the Eddie years. We met with Jim on November 7, 2020 and took the guitar for his inspection and verification. 

We have included pictures of Jim with the guitar from when we met with him, and from the COA that we received from him. 

Jim DeCola’s description of this guitar is the following: 

“This was the Transparent Black Peavey EVH Wolfgang “Flat top” prototype guitar handmade by Jim DeCola for Edward Van Halen and completed on December 24, 1995. It was referred to as “flat-top” before the “Special” name was decided upon. 

FEATURES INCLUDE: 

• Transparent black finish 
• Quilted maple top (3/16” thick) and basswood back 
• Cream body binding (not epoxy-poured binding) 
• Birdseye maple neck 
• 12” radius Birdseye maple fingerboard 
• Tilt-back headstock with shiny Gold Peavey logo. 
• First version, small neck mount washers. 
• Carbon graphite neck reinforcement 
• EVH Humbucking pickup with pre-production bobbins, hand-wound by Jim DeCola 
• Prototype, machined, recessed truss rod wheel 
• Schaller tuners with cream tuner buttons 
• EVH Strap Eyehooks (extra eyehook added by EVH) 
• Mic Adapter/cable strain relief (added by EVH) 
• Shielding paint in control, switch and pickup cavities. 
• No serial number or wood burned signature on back of headstock 
• Hand-signed by Jim DeCola (in green ink) on inside of neck heel 
• Fernandez Sustainer added by Pete Skermetta at Fernandez Custom Shop 

This prototype guitar was used by Edward Van Halen in the studio and shows tell-tale playing wear. It was also pictured on the cover, and in the April 1996 issue of Guitar World magazine. Billy Corgan is pictured holding this guitar on the cover and in the magazine. “

 

The backside of both electronics covers feature a signature by Pete Skermetta. We reached out to him as well and spoke via the phone on November 9, 2020 when he confirmed that he installed the sustainer electronics in the fall of 2000 when he was the custom shop director for Fernandes Guitars. He worked on several of Eddie’s and also Steve Vai’s guitars.

To add to this already majestic and storied guitar, it was featured on the cover of the April 1996 edition of Guitar World, where Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins is holding this very guitar and standing next to Eddie. Please notice the birdseye maple pattern matches exactly in the pictures in the magazine.

*For your protection all purchases over $99 will be shipped signature required.

You are buying a quality instrument made of wood. Each instrument goes thorough a pre-shipment inspection to ensure you are getting a great quality instrument. However, please keep in mind when instruments are shipped they can endure temperature changes as well as doing the “shipper shuffle” and therefore minor adjustments may be needed to set up the instrument to your personal preferences after receiving it.

Included in your shipment will be instructions on care and maintenance. 

We are musicians just like you and we want to help you Grow Your Passion®