Wolfgang Confirms the OFFICIAL Name of Eddie Van Halen’s Legendary Guitar

Eddie Van Halen's legendary custom-modded guitar goes by a couple names and, in a new interview, Wolfgang Van Halen sets the record straight on what it is officially called.

"Frankenstein" or "Frankenstrat"?

Wolfgang guested on the Shred With Shifty podcast. It's hosted by Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett and, during their conversation, he asks whether the guitar is named "Frankenstein" or "Frankenstrat."

“Officially, on the case, it says Frankenstein,” Wolfgang reveals, “But people call it whatever they want."

He also notes that the official name was not something his father Eddie was all too concerned with. "Dad never really had a name for it, it’s just what people called it," Wolf explains, "But officially on the case, for the nerds that really want to know, it says 'Frankenstein,' so that’s what I say."

READ MORE: Alex Van Halen's Memoir Is a 'Love Letter' to His Brother Eddie

The Last Big Modification to 'Frankenstein'

Over the decades, Frankenstein has undergone countless modifications, but what was the most recent big update?

"Most likely the bridge," Wolfgang estimates, stating, "The Floyd [Rose] looks like it's from this century." He also believes the strings were last changed in 2015.

Wolfgang on Playing Frankenstein on Mammoth WVH's "Take a Bow"

On Mammoth WVH's second album, Wolfgang used some historic gear on the song "Take a Bow" — the Frankenstein guitar and the the original Marshall head and cabinet that Eddie used on the early Van Halen albums.

As to why he elected to do this, he offers, "I think this solo marked an evolution in my own songwriting and solo playing for Mammoth that it felt really cool to commemorate that with a little bit of dad on top of it."

"These instruments aren't being played," he goes on, "and I thought it would be really fun to have it played on my music and have it be there forever [as] a little part of dad joining with me on it. It just felt like the right moment."

Wolfgang Van Halen on Shred With Shifty Podcast With Chris Shiflett