Evh Frankie Striped MN Relic R/W/B

Evh Frankie Striped MN Relic R/W/B: Technical Test and Signature Features

The Evh Frankie Striped MN Relic R/W/B stands as an affordable tribute to one of rock's most iconic instruments. This is a Mexico-made signature model, officially licensed and designed to replicate Eddie Van Halen's legendary Frankenstrat: red, white and black striped with deliberate aging on the body and hardware. At a list price of $1,444, this is not a budget instrument, but it aims to deliver a playable version of EVH's vision and sound, not just a collector's wall piece.

Construction: Materials and Build Quality

• Body: Lightweight linden (basswood), comfortably contoured, finished with faded paint, visible "damage", and chrome relic hardware for a relic appearance that's generally convincing at this price.
• Neck: Bolt-on maple with a specialized EVH neck profile, mildly asymmetric, thin, and flat on the back. The fingerboard is also maple, with a compound radius (12 to 16 inches) that feels modern and efficient for chords and extreme string bends. Jumbo frets (22 in total) provide a forgiving surface for both speed and string bending.
• Weight: Reports average around 7 lbs (about 3.2 kg), making for comfortable sets and rehearsals.
• Aging: Some customer notes point to cost-saving shortcuts in the relic process, parallel lines and uniform marks absent from the original, but still visually striking in practice.

Electronics and Hardware

• Pickups: The guitar has a single EVH Wolfgang humbucker installed directly into the body at the bridge with a non-functional single-coil dummy at the neck. Some experienced users have rewired the dummy to playably add neck or middle tones, but stock, you only get the bridge output.
• Controls: Stripped to essentials, there is one volume pot (low resistance for fast swells) and a non-working five-way switch, included to match the original's DIY aesthetic.
• Tremolo: Floyd Rose 1000 series double-locking vibrato, branded for EVH. The D-Tuna system allows instant drop-D tuning at the bridge. The locking nut is steel, also branded and sized at 43mm. Opinions on the tremolo are sharply split: the hardware feels cheap to some, with tuning stability below more expensive Floyds (the German-made Schaller versions are better), but others highlight perfect zero-point return and fine performance after a careful setup.
• Machine Heads: EVH-branded, adequate and stable when the nut and bolts are well-tightened.
• Strings: Factory set with EVH nickel-plated steel, 0.009, 0.042 gauge, which favors fast playing and big bends, but makes careful tremolo adjustment necessary to avoid tuning drift.

Playability and Setup Quality

The EVH profile neck receives high marks for comfort and speed: smooth satin finish, well-contoured shoulders, and rounded board edges. Compound radius and jumbo frets enable low action down to 1.2, 1.5mm at the 12th fret. However, factory fretwork is inconsistent: some guitars arrive with slightly sharp fret ends or minor buzz, especially compared to higher-end or American-built models. A basic fret polish and setup can resolve most issues.

Several users report a poorly adjusted tremolo out of the box, leading to issues with bridge floating, neck lock tightness, and D-Tuna stiffness. For beginner Floyd users, the learning curve is real, and the setup process is critical. Many out-of-the-box problems trace back to loose bolts at the neck plate, nut, and machine heads: tightening these dramatically improves feel and stability.

Sound: The Brown Legacy

With the single humbucker routed direct to the output (no tone control), the guitar delivers a punchy, clear, and dynamic sound. The Wolfgang pickup produces plenty of harmonic content with enough mid push for signature EVH rhythm parts and "brown sound." Attack is sharp with quick note response, great for palm-muted riffs and wide vibrato dives. Clean tones are simple, direct, and surprisingly airy given the pickup style, but this is not a multipurpose guitar. If you want versatile pickup options (such as neck or center positions), rewiring is possible but not stock. Feedback from various amplifiers (including the EVH brand models) consistently puts this guitar in the correct sonic territory for classic Van Halen tones.

Visual Aesthetics

This guitar's appeal is inseparable from its look. The hand-finished stripes, aged chrome hardware, custom pickguard, and "played-in" visual style create an unmistakable stage or display presence. Some relicing details fall short of vintage nerd perfection (missing coin, absent burn marks, shortcut abrasions), but the overall impression is faithful and convincing.

Omissions and Value

• No included bag or hard case: For the price, this is a persistent disappointment across the board, especially as rivals include bags or molded cases in lower price brackets.
• Hardware and consistency: The Floyd Rose tremolo and bridge hardware are divisive: some users get a solid system out of the box, others end up needing fine adjustment or, at worst, consider immediate upgrades.
• Component grading: Overall, hardware materials are below genuine American models, but fit the price class and artist intent.

Conclusion: Who Is It For?

The Evh Frankie Striped MN Relic R/W/B is not a do-everything guitar, nor does it aim to be. It is a signature tribute with high-impact visuals, faithful "brown sound," and a neck designed for speed. Its biggest weaknesses are factory setup inconsistencies and hardware that, while functional, sometimes requires hands-on attention for best performance. For intermediate and advanced players happy to tweak their instrument, or motivated fans of Eddie Van Halen's legacy, it's an inspiring, playable, and musical choice.

If you want the Frankenstrat look, the feeling of a fast EVH-style neck, and the direct sound that made hard rock history, this is easily one of the most convincing options under $1,500, provided you're willing to put in the initial work. For collectors, fans, and players who want a reliable stage guitar in the EVH mold, and don't mind the lack of a case or gigbag, the Frankie delivers. Just keep a screwdriver and a tuner on hand for the first afternoon.