Eddie Van Halen’s red-white-and-black striped electric guitar is a legendary musical instrument, and affectionately referred to by two similar, but slightly distinct, names: Frankenstein and Frankenstrat.
However, while some see the two titles as interchangeable nicknames for the guitar, others assert that the ‘Frankenstein’ moniker is in fact the true authentic name for the Holy Grail guitar, which is perhaps the most revered rock instrument of them all.
Clarity from official sources surrounding the debate has been hard to come by, but now Wolfgang Van Halen – the man currently closer to the heavily modded six-string than any other person on the planet – has shed some light on the guitar’s actual name.
In a recent episode of Chris Shiflett’s Shred With Shifty podcast, the Mammoth WVH frontman – who showed off the actual instrument – was quizzed over the guitar’s authentic name. This came after the Foo Fighter noted he had called it “Frankenstrat”, while Wolfgang had dubbed it “Frankenstein”.
And it turns out there is a correct answer: “Officially, on the case, it says Frankenstein,” Wolfgang revealed.
He did caveat that Eddie himself wasn’t too strict about the naming etiquette of the guitar, suggesting that fans called it “whatever they want”, but confirmed that its “official” name was indeed the one that is emblazoned on its case.
“People call it whatever they want – Dad never really had a name for it, it’s just what people called it,” he went on. “But officially on the case, for the nerds that really want to know, it says Frankenstein, so that’s what I say.”
According to the EVH brand itself, the guitar was indeed never actually named by Van Halen. Instead, “it was his legions of devoted fans,” EVH writes in the guitar’s bio. “To Eddie, it was simply ‘My baby’.”
Having said that, Van Halen did eventually adopt the moniker, and – as sources have pointed out – always referred to it as “Frankenstein”, and never “Frankenstrat”. So, now you know.
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