Our dear leader Trey Xavier was just down at Summer NAMM, in Nashville, to check out all the wares. One of the most interesting pieces of gear debuted was Peavey’s “new” guitar model, the HP2. And y’know, Â it looks awfully familiar. I can’t quite put my finger on it though…
Eddie “lives in his van” Van Halen debuts the original Wolfgang model during the 1996 NAMM
The HP2 is essentially an Eddie Van Halen Peavey Wolfgang redux.
Here’s a quick run down of some specs:
• Basswood body w/ carved flame-maple top
• 25.5 inch scale length
• Graphite-reinforced, oil-finished, birdseye maple neck and fingerboard
• 22 jumbo frets
• Schaller tuning machines w/ pearloid buttons
• Ten degree tilt-back headstock
• Staggered ergonomic tuning machine placement w/ straight string pull
The Wolfgang was in production from 1996 until 2004, when Eddie split. Peavey released the first version of the HP soon after that. It also had a very Wolfgang-esque design, but it didn’t go all-out “mirror match” like this newer HP2.
Interestingly, Eddie had been endorsed by Peavey for 3 years before they collaborated on a signature guitar. During that time he was with Ernie Ball for his guitar and worked with Peavey solely as an amp endorser (and subsequently created the god-tier 5150 amp). Hmm, well now I’m curious, I wonder what his Ernie Ball signature model looked like…
I see.
In another parallel to this HP2 situation, Ernie Ball continued to produce the Eddie’s signature model as the Axis after he left them. On top of that, Fender is currently producing the 3rd incarnation of this guitar under Eddie’s own brand as the EVH Wolfgang. Patents, how do they work?
As he his currently selling a similar guitar, experts have speculated that certain people may get litigious over this new Peavey model, so buy it while you still can.
Stay up to date on the HP2‘s production and availability over at peavey.com.
griffin6002 / October 9, 2018 9:00 am
I am an actual patent law expert. Laypeople get very confused over how patents work, and what the difference is between copyright and a patent and a trademark.
A patent is a 20 year monopoly granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for an invention that is original and useful.
For instance, Floyd Rose was able to patent his original tremolo because there had never been anything like it before. For 20 years, only Floyd could produce that tremolo, or license others to produce it. After 20 years, the patent expired and now anybody can make that tremolo. Now that there is competition, the price of those tremolos has dropped across the board.
You cannot patent something like putting a rosewood fingerboard on a guitar neck because that is obvious and has been done for hundreds of years. You can’t patent a 10 degree tilt to a guitar neck because that is obvious. You can’t patent a headstock shape because that is purely for looks; it doesn’t really do anything unique or useful. However, you could potentially trademark a specific headstock cut to differentiate your guitar from someone elses.
In short, the HP2 is not violating any patent just because EVH is currently selling a Wolfgang model with a similar headstock cut. There isn’t even a trademark violation. The headstock cut is different enough that no consumer is going to mistake the Peavey for an EVH Wolfgang.
Therefore, don’t worry that these new Peavey HP2’s are going to stop being sold. There is no violation of any Intellectual Property Law.
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