EVH Premium Electric Guitar Strings (.009–.042): Eddie Van Halen's signature gauge

EVH Premium Electric Guitar Strings is the signature set behind the Fender-owned EVH brand, the strings Eddie Van Halen played through his later career and the set Wolfgang Van Halen's own EVH SA-126 prototype guitars were strung with at a recent Premier Guitar rig rundown. The .009-.042 gauge, .009, .011, .016, .024, .032, .042, is a nickel-plated steel wrap over a hex steel core, no coating. EVH's own Van Halen Store product page describes it plainly: strings "designed to Eddie Van Halen's exacting standards," built to survive nightly abuse without losing tune.

The line is sold in four gauges, .009-.042, .009-.046, .010-.046, and .010-.052, all under the same EVHGS product listing. This page covers the .009-.042, the lightest of the four and the one closest to Eddie's own long-running Fender 150XL gauge from the 1970s and 80s.

EVH

Premium Electric Guitar Strings (.009–.042)

.009 – .042

Price tier: $

Why this one: Eddie Van Halen's own signature gauge, the set Wolfgang Van Halen's EVH SA-126 prototype guitars were strung with per Premier Guitar, manufactured by D'Addario under the Fender-owned EVH brand.

E StandardEb StandardHard rock

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Eddie Van Halen spent the 1970s and early 1980s on Fender 150XL strings, .009, .011, .015, .024w, .032, .040, a hand-balanced set with a plain .015 G and a wound .024 D. When the Fender-owned EVH brand launched in 2007, its signature Premium string line was built to land as close to that original 150XL feel as a modern six-gauge set can. The .009-.042 EVH Premium set isn't a re-issue of the 150XL, the numbers differ slightly (.016 vs .015 on the G, .042 vs .040 on the low E), but it's the closest of EVH's four gauge options to what Eddie played for most of the Van Halen catalog. Ground Guitar's deep-dive on the 150XL era documents the original gauge in full; EVH's own product page covers the modern replacement.

For the full picture of Eddie's rig, the Frankenstrat, the Wolfgang guitars, and the Marshall-to-5150 amp progression that built the "brown sound", see his complete strings and gear guide.

EVH Premium strings aren't just a museum-piece signature line. Premier Guitar's own Rig Rundown with Mammoth WVH, Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen's band, documents this exact gauge in current use: the new EVH SA-126 semi-hollow prototypes Wolfgang and EVH master builder Chip Ellis were road-testing on that tour "took EVH Premium Strings (.009-.042)."

One easy mix-up: that same rig rundown carries a sponsor banner for D'Addario's separate XS Electric Strings line, a coated product with no EVH branding. That's an ad placement for the article, not a claim about what's strung on Wolfgang's guitars. The strings actually on the prototypes, per Premier Guitar's own reporting, are the EVH-branded Premium set this page covers.

Three different major string brands independently sell the exact same six gauges, .009, .011, .016, .024, .032, .042, as a light electric set: EVH Premium, Ernie Ball Super Slinky, and D'Addario EXL120. The gauge itself is not exclusive to Eddie Van Halen's signature line. What differs is core construction and which artist's name is attached.

If you want this exact feel without the EVH branding, Ernie Ball Super Slinky and D'Addario EXL120 are functionally the same gauge. If the Van Halen connection matters to you, or you're trying to match Eddie's or Wolfgang's actual rig, EVH Premium is the one with that documented tie.

• Van Halen fans chasing Eddie's actual gauge. This is the closest production set to what Eddie played for most of his career, and it's still what EVH's current prototype guitars are strung with.
• Players who bend often. A .009 top three is about as easy-bending as a production electric gauge gets, suited to lead lines, vibrato, and two-handed tapping.
• E standard or Eb standard on a 25.5-inch scale electric. The gauge is built around Fender-scale tension; Gibson-scale guitars play it fine with slightly looser feel.
• Beginners who want a light, forgiving gauge. Easy to fret, easy to bend, no unusual technique required.

• Committed rhythm or drop-tuning players. The .042 low E is a light-gauge string built for standard tuning. Step up to Hybrid Slinky (.009–.046) or a dedicated heavier set for anything below Eb standard.
• Shoppers who don't care about the Van Halen name. Ernie Ball Super Slinky and D'Addario EXL120 are the identical gauge and construction family under a non-signature brand name.
• Players who want a documented pro roster beyond one family. Eddie and Wolfgang Van Halen are the names tied to this exact set; if you want a wider roster at this gauge, Ernie Ball's and D'Addario's own catalogs list more names elsewhere in their lineups.
• Anyone who wants a breakage guarantee or reinforced construction. This is a plain nickel-wound set with no added durability treatment.

EVH Premium .009-.042 is a standard light nickel-wound gauge, the same core recipe Ernie Ball and D'Addario both sell under their own names, with one real differentiator: it's the set Eddie Van Halen actually played, and the one Wolfgang Van Halen's current EVH prototype guitars are strung with per Premier Guitar's own rig rundown. If that connection matters to you, or you're chasing Eddie's exact gauge and construction, buy this one. If you just want the .009-.042 feel and don't care whose name is on the pack, Ernie Ball Super Slinky or D'Addario EXL120 will deliver the same gauge and feel without the Van Halen branding.

EVH

Premium Electric Guitar Strings (.009–.042)

.009 – .042

Price tier: $

Why this one: Eddie Van Halen's own signature gauge, the set Wolfgang Van Halen's EVH SA-126 prototype guitars were strung with per Premier Guitar, manufactured by D'Addario under the Fender-owned EVH brand.

E StandardEb StandardHard rock

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