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# Van Halen Frankenstein Electric Guitar

National Museum of American History

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                      -     DetailsRelatedObject Details- Van Halen, Edward
- E.L.V.H., Inc.
- Description
- This Fender Masterbuilt Custom Shop guitar was played by Dutch-American musician Edward “Eddie” Van Halen ( 1955-2020) while on tour in 2007-2008. It is a replica of the guitar built by Van Halen in 1977 and named “Frankenstein” by fans (the guitar is also referred to as "Frankenstrat" and "Frankie”).The self-taught performer’s colorful, virtuosic style made him a premier guitarist of his generation and one of the most emulated musicians in rock history. In 1974, brothers Eddie and Alex formed the band Van Halen, whose innovative California-influenced heavy metal and pop sounds continue to inspire global audiences.
- In 1975 Eddie Van Halen realized that no existing guitar had the features that he needed to create his signature sound. A constant tinkerer, he set out to construct a guitar to fit his standards, needs and playing style, combining different elements of long-established guitar designs into one instrument. By 2006, the original “Frankenstein” guitar had been in service for more than 30 years and was retired from performances. Chip Ellis, a master guitar builder at Fender, replicated every detail of the original guitar, which, when presented to Eddie Van Halen, appeared to be indistinguishable from the original. During the Van Halen 2007-08 North American tour with original lead singer David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen used this replica guitar, nicknamed “Frank 2,” for the majority of the performances.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Eddie Van Halen through Jeff Cary, Senior Vice President, Fender Musical Instruments Corp.
- 2007
- ID Number
- 2010.0246.01
- accession number
- 2010.0246
- catalog number
- 2010.0246.01
- Object Name
- guitar
- Physical Description
- paint (overall material)
- red (overall color)
- black and white (overall single or multi-hued designation)
- wood (overall material)
- metal (overall material)
- plastic (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 39 in x 12 3/4 in x 5 in; 99.06 cm x 32.385 cm x 12.7 cm
- overall: 39 3/4 in x 12 11/16 in x 3 7/8 in; 100.965 cm x 32.1945 cm x 9.8425 cm
- See more items in
- Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
- Music & Musical Instruments
- Guitars
- Exhibition
- Entertainment Nation
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of American History
- Subject
- Music
- Record ID
- nmah_1397533
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ad-5202-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Related Content-                    Guitars                Smithsonian Music 
-                    Musical Treasures                Smithsonian Music 
-                    Rock and Roll Music                 
  CC0Creative Commons - No Rights Reserved iconUsage Conditions Apply>download icon>          There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .        International media Interoperability FrameworkIIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.View manifestView in Mirador ViewerExpand to view image×                PreviousNext             Footer logo      
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