Eddie Van Halen’s Charvel/Sandoval Megazone

This guitar was seen in the famous “pickaxe” photo, of Eddie standing next to his guitar collection. The photo was taken during the Women and Children First album photoshoot in 1980. As far as one can tell from photos and videos available, he never used the guitar live.

Specs

Very little is known about this guitar, apart from that it was made by Karl Sandoval sometime in the late 70s when he worked for Wayne Charvel. From the photos, it can be concluded that the guitar had a glued-on neck with a rosewood fretboard, a white humbucker in the bridge position, and a Strat-style tremolo bridge with brass saddles.

Eddie Van Halen Shares the Guitars Behind His Quest for Tone

In the video below, you can listen to Karl Sandoval himself talk about the guitar. In short, Karl revealed that the body was actually designed by Jerry Sewell, who also worked for Charvel at that time, which Karl modified somewhat. He also tells the guitar had a different neck on it when he sold it to Eddie, with a 3+3 headstock. According to him, Eddie asked whether the headstock could be changed to a Strat-style 6 inline.