What are the differences between the old Edward Van Halen signature guitar and the model that took its place, the Axis?
When Eddie left Ernie Ball/Music Man in 1995, the decision was made to keep the guitar in production pretty much the same as when it was the Eddie Van Halen guitar. All of the design, including the neck, pickups, and woods used are the same, but we made a few improvements: 1. The neck was widened slightly (1/32″) at the body end. This was to correct problems for players who were having trouble with the high E string slipping off the neck on the 12th fret and up. 2. The switch was moved near the volume knob. This was done to help prevent accidental hitting of the switch, especially while strumming. 3. The “tone” knob was replaced by a volume knob (NOTE: it was always a volume pot – the “tone” knob was a sort of joke). 4. We added a comfort contour (a belly cut) to the top and back of the body.
