Summer NAMM 2019: EVH resurrects the ’79 Bumblebee, 40 years after Van Halen II
The 40th anniversary of Van Halen II brings the ’79 Bumblebee
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After yesterday’s announcement of the new 5150 models, Van Halen fans are in for a treat in 2019. EVH is commemorating the 40th anniversary of Van Halen II with a ’79 Bumblebee tribute guitar, with that classic ‘yellow on black’ stripy paint job.
EVH Van Halen II ’79 Bumblebee
Yes, it’s the 40th anniversary of Van Halen II! To celebrate, EVH has announced it’s making 50 replicas of Eddie’s ’79 Bumblebee model. EVH says they will be true to the original specifications, including an ash Strat body with a bolt-on Birdseye maple neck that has an oiled back finish. The birdseye maple fingerboard has a straight 12” radius and comes loaded with 22 jumbo frets, Katalox dots and black side dots. This beast should be perfect to play all you favourite Van Halen riffs on.
“The ’79 Bumblebees that we’re making sound very much like how I always wanted the original to sound,” Eddie Van Halen is quoted as saying. “So it may have taken 40 years, but I now have everything I wanted back then – a bitchin’-looking guitar that plays and sounds great.”
Tone?
The guitar has just a single Tone knob as a volume control, as Eddie used his volume control to dial in his tones. This one knob will control the output of a single EVH ’79 Bumblebee humbucker, in the bridge position.
EVH Van Halen II ’79 Bumblebee front
Vintage Locking Trem?
Yes, that is correct. In fact you even get a period correct ‘prototype non-fine tuner’ locking tremolo, a brass string retainer, the classic screw-eye strap hooks and side output jack , plus a set of original period-correct Schaller tuning machines.
EVH Van Halen II 40th Anniversary ’79 Bumblebee
Goodies galore!
Each of the 50 guitars will come in a custom-made Anvil hardshell case with ’70s-era Fender Super Bullets strings, some Van Halen ’70s tortoiseshell picks, an exclusive Bumblebee collector’s booklet, Young Guitar book Van Halen Live Tour in Japan 1978 & 1979, plus a load of autographed items.
Of course, you also get a certificate of authenticity, plus an 8”x10” 1979 concert photo of Eddie Van Halen and vinyl copy of Van Halen II.
Dimebag Darrell
We will never know how close these 50 guitars are to the original Bumblebee, as the guitar itself is buried with Dimebag Darrell.
Eddie Van Halen only met Pantera guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott a few weeks before he was shot dead on stage with his band Damageplan on 8 December 2004. But Van Halen gave up his guitar as a personal tribute to the late guitarist and it was buried with him.
RRP – TBC (it won’t be cheap)
More Information
- EVH Van Halen II ’79 Bumblebee front: EVH
- EVH Van Halen II 40th Anniversary ’79 Bumblebee: EVH
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