Wolfgang Van Halen’s Semi-hollowbody Stunner
The EVH brand forges mammoth new territory with the Wolfgang Van Halen–designed EVH SA-126 Special! Merging all the most iconic elements of his father’s instruments with his respective 6-string tastes, Wolfgang’s SA-126 Special starts with a chambered semi-hollow mahogany body, a basswood center block, and a maple top that replaces the traditional F-hole with an E-hole to honor the immortal Edward Van Halen. Taken as a whole, this tonewood concoction delivers the rich, warm, and expressive sound of a semi-hollow, along with exemplary feedback rejection. Next, this guitar’s Tim Shaw–designed SA-126 humbucking pickups provide sweeping sonic versatility, tackling everything from high-gain “Brown Sound” fireworks to pure, rich cleans without batting an eye. Although the SA-126 Special represents a deviation from the EVH norm, this guitar’s slim graphite-reinforced mahogany neck, compound-radius ebony fingerboard, and jumbo frets supply the high-performance playability that Sweetwater guitarists have come to expect from EVH instruments. Inspired by Eddie, designed by Wolfgang, and ready to fuel a lifetime’s worth of ripping rock tones, the EVH SA-126 Special marks a superb addition to EVH’s 6-string pantheon.
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Singing semi-hollowbody construction
Wolfgang’s SA-126 Special was consciously designed to stand apart from his father’s litany of iconic axes. It features a chambered semi-hollow mahogany body that flaunts a crisp-sounding maple top and a basswood center block for superior sustain and feedback rejection. Far removed from King Edward’s Superstrats and other solidbody creations, the SA-126 Special stretches the EVH brand’s tonal horizons with a warmer, richer, and more resonant voice. Finally, the EVH SA-126 Special is topped off with an angular E-hole — Wolfgang’s custom replacement for the traditional F-hole and a personal tribute to his father’s ubiquitous influence.
Slim, speedy mahogany neck
While the EVH Wolfgang’s SA-126 Special represents an entirely new direction for the brand, this guitar’s slim, high-performance neck is sure to feel familiar to any EVH disciple. It all starts off with a 2-piece bolt-on slab of mahogany carved in an EVH modified C profile, complete with graphite reinforcement inside the neck to keep it straight, stable, and true. Topside, you get an elegant compound-radius ebony fingerboard and jumbo frets for a sleek and speedy feel from the first fret all the way up to the 22nd. Finished off with high-class triple-block inlays, the SA-126 Special’s fast-playing neck is primed for 6-string virtuosity.
Remarkably versatile Tim Shaw–designed humbuckers
Voiced by Fender’s resident pickup guru Tim Shaw to Wolfgang’s fine tonal tastes, the EVH SA-126 Special’s custom humbuckers split the difference between fire-breathing overdrive fury and dense, glassy cleans. Old-school EVH adherents will have no trouble coaxing liquid leads and Eddie’s iconic “Brown Sound” out of this superlative semi-hollow — it’s certainly a rocker if you want it to be! However, these SA-126 humbuckers are designed by Wolfgang and Tim to provide modern guitarists with the greatest degree of sonic versatility possible; there’s no pigeonholing these pickups to a single style or genre, as they’re equally at home spitting out expressive blues leads, modern rock crunch, and straight-ahead clean warmth.
EVH SA-126 Special Features:
- Designed from the ground up by Wolfgang Van Halen, representing an entirely new generation of EVH tones
- Chambered mahogany body with a basswood center block delivers singing semi-hollowbody resonance with superb sustain and feedback resistance, even when drenched with gain
- 24.75-in. scale length offers a slacker feel than your typical EVH, making massive multi-step bends a breeze
- Incredibly stable graphite-reinforced bolt-on mahogany neck in an EVH modified C profile
- Glassy 12–16-in. radius ebony fingerboard grants comfortable chording down low and effortless performance on the high frets
- Tim Shaw–designed EVH SA-126 pickups split the difference between high-power humbucking firepower and sonic versatility, voiced by Wolfgang to excel in his band Mammoth
- Classic harmonica bridge with a stop tailpiece for robust setup reliability and superior sustain
- Distinctive E-hole design on the top puts a signature EVH spin on old-school semi-hollowbody style
