DAVID LEE ROTH EXPLAINS HIS ROLE IN HELPING TO CREATE THE ICONIC DESIGN FOR EDDIE VAN HALEN’S “FRANKENSTEIN” GUITAR
Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth has released a seven-minute video , which can be seen below, where the singer discusses how he was involved in helping to create the iconic red-white-and-black-striped pattern for guitarist Eddie Van Halen‘s “Frankenstein” guitar. Van Halen has held the copyright, for the design, since 2001.
In 2011, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History acquired the Frank 2 guitar played and made famous by Eddie Van Halen through a partnership donation with Fender Musical Instruments.
The guitar was made in 2006 as part of a joint venture between the artist and Fender to produce a limited-edition number of guitars for the EVH brand. Known as the Frankenstein Replica, or Frank 2, it is part of the museum’s Division of Culture and the Arts, which preserves a large and diverse collection of instruments.
No one can control the Mouth of David Lee Roth, and obviously the guy can say whatever he pleases. However, it’s all a bit unseemly and inappropriate for Dave, at this late date, to even seem to take partial credit for Eddie Van Halen’s trademark guitar design. Why Dave even feels the necessity to insinuate that he helped in the design (even if he, in fact, did) is inexplicable. Maybe the guy is just that insecure about his place in VH’s history? (which he shouldn’t be). Again, totally unnecessary. For all anyone knows, Ed might’ve also gotten the idea from fellow LA club band The Dils whose guitarist also striped his guitars (check out the excellent Sunset Sound podcast where they actually discuss this). And the constant, “Al and I are in frequent contact…we laugh like pirates.” Is that supposed to somehow give more credence to the rest of Dave’s story?
Maybe Roth has been asked about it over the years and decided to address it now? Who knows?
Yes, it would have been better to have been said it while Eddie (RIP) was still alive, BUT, he is in regular contact with Alex, and I think if this was an issue, Akex would have acknowledged it.