The EVH SA-126 Special electric guitar delivers Wolfgang Van Halen’s modern rock approach into a chambered, center-block design built for clarity, sustain and controlled gain. As the Grammy-nominated songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist behind Mammoth, Wolfgang needs a guitar that can move from clean melodic parts to dense rhythm work and saturated leads without losing definition. The chambered mahogany body with a basswood center block and arched maple top gives chords more air than a typical solidbody while keeping the low end firm for tighter riffs. A 24.75" scale, ebony fingerboard, jumbo frets and EVH SA-126 humbuckers give the guitar a familiar feel with enough output for heavier amps, while independent volume and tone controls let each pickup stay useful across shifting set lists and studio parts.
Chambered Mahogany Body With Center-Block Control
The SA-126 Special starts with a chambered mahogany body designed to sit between semi-hollow openness and solidbody focus. The chambers give the note a wider, more resonant character, while the basswood center block keeps the attack controlled when the amp is pushed harder. That balance matters for players who want clean passages to breathe without letting overdriven rhythm parts turn loose or cloudy. An arched maple top adds snap at the front of the note, helping lower-string riffs and layered chords keep their shape under gain.
SA-126 Humbuckers Built for Clarity and Output
The EVH SA-126 bridge and neck humbuckers were developed by Fender pickup designer Tim Shaw and the EVH team to cover the guitar’s wide range. The bridge pickup has the output and focus needed for saturated amps, palm-muted rhythm parts and lead lines with sustain, while the neck pickup adds a fuller voice for clean sections, melodic phrasing and thicker single-note work. A 3-position toggle on the upper horn selects bridge, combined and neck settings, while individual volume and tone controls let you preset each pickup for different parts without changing pedals or amp settings.
Ebony Fingerboard and Compound Radius for Fast Movement
The 2-piece mahogany neck is reinforced with graphite for stability and finished in natural satin for a dry, fast feel. Its ebony fingerboard uses a 12"–16" compound radius, giving lower-position chords a comfortable surface while flattening out higher up the neck for wide bends and faster lead work. Jumbo frets and triple block inlays add to the high-performance feel, while the 1.75" Graph Tech TUSQ nut gives the strings enough spacing for accurate fretting. The result is a neck that supports heavy rhythm playing, clean melodic parts and faster phrasing without feeling locked into one style.
EVH Hardware for Practical Setup Stability
The hardware package keeps the SA-126 Special focused on reliability without overcomplicating the instrument. The EVH Harmonica bridge and stop bar tailpiece give the strings a solid anchor point for sustain, tuning stability and direct response. EVH keystone tuners keep the look classic while supporting dependable function, and oversized strap buttons add practical security for stage use. At the heel, the EVH-branded spoke wheel truss rod adjustment makes small setup changes faster after travel, seasonal shifts or string changes.
A Wolfgang Van Halen Signature Built for Modern Rock Range
The SA-126 Special reflects Wolfgang Van Halen’s own path as a modern rock writer: melodic, heavy and built around songs that shift in intensity. Instead of chasing one narrow sound, it gives players controlled resonance, high-output clarity, fast playability and enough onboard control to move between clean intros, dense choruses and lead sections with confidence. In the studio, the chambered body adds width without pushing the low end too far forward. Onstage, the center-block design and EVH hardware keep the response focused. The included EVH SA-126 ivory case completes a signature model built for players who need modern rock versatility in a serious working instrument.