In its May issue, Vintage Guitar magazine spotlights the EVH Striped Series Star as part of its ‘VG Approved Gear’ feature.
A replica of the guitar Edward Van Halen used on Van Halen’s 1980 World Invasion Tour in support of third album, Women and Children First, the Star features a basswood body, bolt-on one-piece quartersawn maple neck with graphite reinforcement and scarf joint, rosewood compound-radius fingerboard, 22 jumbo frets and a hand-rubbed urethane neck finish.
And as VG‘s Oscar Jordan concluded, “The over-the-top Star is no ‘Madison Square Bedroom’ axe. Offering little comfort in a seated position, it kicks serious butt hanging on a strap. Its smooth playability and no-frills ease of use lure the player to commit numerous ‘Crimes Against Good Taste,’ including excessive use of artificial harmonics and unnecessary whammy abuse (throughout which, it should be noted, the Star stays in tune.) The humbucker is loud and hot, but malleable, and it produces a no-nonsense rock-and-roll bark that thrives on distortion.”