Bolt neck double cutaway with maple body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, black hardware, graphite nut and Bendmaster two-post bridge, two humbuckers, one single-coil pickup with three pull-switch knobs (V-T-T) for coil tap, fat (center on) and phase; and 3-way selector switch.






X189RD (H-S-H)(red)

X189RB (H-S-H)(red burst)

X189PB (H-S-H)(pearl burst)

X189JB (H-S-H)(jet black)




The X189 was an upgraded X185, with a two-post tremolo bridge to replace the six-screw vintage tek-lok bridge. EVH had gotten everybody playing with their wang bars, and unhappy because surprise, the guitar would go out of tune.

The way to make deep bends stay in tune properly was to set up a full floating bridge, and that was much easier to do with a two-post bridge, which also allowed greater range. The Bendmaster was an excellent two-post bridge with a stamped plate and cast saddles. Low in profile, it could be equally easily adjusted flush against the guitar body as a good hardtail bridge.

1984 Phoenix 189 RB (Red Burst)

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