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David Lee Roth on How He Helped Design Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat

David Lee Roth enjoys sharing the various paintings he’s created via his social media channels. Recently, one painting caused a stir with Van Halen fans for resembling the iconic stripe…

David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen
David Becker/Getty Images

David Lee Roth enjoys sharing the various paintings he's created via his social media channels. Recently, one painting caused a stir with Van Halen fans for resembling the iconic stripe design from Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat.

The painting in question is titled "Big Wave" and was shared on November 29.

DLR would then share a nearly seven-minute clip on YouTube of him talking about his influence on the guitar's paint job. Roth says, in part, "We've been getting a lot of cards and letters — digitally, so to speak — in regards to that there's similarities between my work and the stripes on Eddie's guitar, and that's because it's my work."

Diamond Dave adds, "Alex Van Halen and I speak on the phone frequently now and laugh like pirates. And we were laughing not long ago on the phone about — and Alex was there — when I walked in with three rolls of tape: One roll of gray duct tape, one roll of black, not very sticky and the fuckin' thing kept coming off electrician's tape, and one roll of blue RTape like we used for pin-striping."

For the next six minutes of the video, Roth has a fast-talking stream of consciousness about the paint design and how the body of the guitar was all white a la Jimi Hendrix, but he would also note, "That design wouldn't have gone anywhere without Eddie sending it and giving it the shape and shine that he did. I'm just proud to have been part of it."

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Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights

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