Purple Daze EVH Series Deluxe QM is not just another "Eddie Guitar"

If I had long hair and wore leather pants, I'd consider buying this.

What we have here is, according to EVH Guitars web site, a "reimagined 5150 Series Deluxe".

I'll first say that this guitar is loaded with the good stuff that speed players look for. C profile neck, satin urethane finishing on the back (meaning no sticky hands), "cheese wheel" truss rod adjustment at the heel, graphite reinforcement rods flanking the truss rod, 12"-16" compound radius ebony fingerboard, jumbo frets, a big ol' red kill switch, Gotoh tuning machines, an "EVH D-Tuna" to allow switching from drop-D back to standard quickly, body-mounted pickups...

...yeah this thing is really loaded up nice for what it is. For speed player guys, that is.

Yes, the color is called Purple Daze.

When I look at this thing, I have to admit that it exactly fits the mold of what a modern '80s shredder axe should be. All the good hardware is in it, and the look is loud but at the same time subdued. Believe me, EVH could have made this guitar look louder if they wanted (and some other color choices do), but this one holds back a bit. That was a wise decision.

What I like about this best is that it's not trying to be "Eddie's Guitar" yet again. This model stands on its own.

Of course, Eddie Van Halen's name is what sells these guitars, but I do appreciate that EVH Guitars is making a genuinely good attempt to go outside of that by simply making a better instrument for its intended audience. This 5150 is not just another "it uses everything Eddie used" clone thing, and instead concentrates on delivering with some seriously good hardware.

Not my type of guitar, obviously, but still, job well done. And said honestly, the price isn't bad considering how loaded it is.

Lastly, I'll say that if you like the guitar but the purple isn't to your liking, see the Black Burst and Aqua Burst versions here.

Published 2022 Mar 17