“The guitar I wanted to play did not exist. What I wanted was a cross between a Gibson and a Fender”: New Eddie Van Halen documentary traces the guitar journey that led him to create the Frankenstein – and it's narrated by the man himself
From Van Halen's first $40 Teisco Del Ray to the Univox 12-string that featured Eddie's first successful mod, The Journey to Frankenstein tells the story of the instruments that came before one of the most legendary guitars of all time
(Image credit: Fin Costello/Redferns via Getty Images)
A new mini-documentary charting Eddie Van Halen’s pre-Frankenstein electric guitar journey has been released online.
Masterminded by Simon Alkin and narrated by old audio of Van Halen himself, The Journey to Frankenstein tells the stories of the guitars that helped carry the late guitar god’s early musical career, before he eventually sparked his lifelong affinity for Frankie.
The tale begins way back in 1967, when Van Halen purchased his first-ever guitar – a $40 Teisco Del Rey – at the age of 12. Over the next decade, Eddie would embark on a journey of six-string discovery, shredding his way through Les Pauls, Stratocasters, Destroyers and more before finally landing on an instrument that catered to all his needs.
Along his way to Frankie, Van Halen would also try out such instruments as the Univox 12-string – which he retrofitted into a six-string – that Eddie himself described as his first successful guitar experiment attempt.
It was followed by a $400 Les Paul Goldtop – EVH’s “first professional guitar” – which was used in the early-to-mid 1970s, as well as a raft of other Gibsons, including a 1958 Les Paul Jr. and an early 1960s ES-335.
EDDIE VAN HALEN MINI-DOCUMENTARY: The Early Guitars In His Own Words | The Journey to Frankenstein - YouTube
Other oddball instruments that further facilitated Van Halen’s mod jobs came after, such as the Ibanez Destroyer that was transformed into The Shark, and the first Fender Stratocaster hybrid that served as the strongest segue into what would eventually become the Frankenstein.
The nine-minute mini-doc also charts the creation of Frankie, including the various aesthetic and functional upgrades that it received over the years, from its initial design to its final red-white-and-black striped form.
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“The guitar that I wanted to play did not exist,” Van Halen can be heard in the doc’s audio. “What I wanted was a cross between a Gibson and a Fender. A humbucking sound with a vibrato.”
The Journey to Frankenstein was completed using previously unheard audio, with the help of EVH guitar expert and Guitar World writer Chris Gill, and EVH specialist Steve Rosen.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
