The following story is courtesy of Marco R. della Cava from USA Today:

His fingers aren't fingers. Think muscle-powered pistons that hammer guitar strings to fretboard with the force of a rivet gun. And right now, they're flying.

"Just a little thing I made up," says Eddie Van Halen, 53, punching out a blues-rooted riff at once fresh and yet wholly reminiscent of the hard-rock staples created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band that bears his name.

The flurry of notes ends with ringing harmonic feedback, a VAN HALEN trademark. The guitarist looks down at his polished instrument and grins, like a jockey beaming at a prized pony: "This baby turned out great."

Wolfgang. That's this baby's name, a tribute to his 17-year-old, bass-playing son with ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli. The kid's not around Dad's place today, but nearly 20 other Wolfgangs are, prototypes that line the walls and floors of Van Halen's 5150 recording studio just up the hill from his Tudor mansion that dominates seven acres here.

More than two years in the making, the $3,000 EVH-branded Wolfgang, which makes its debut at the National Association of Music Merchants trade show in Anaheim, Calif., Jan. 15-18, is an anomaly.

In a business that typically finds famous players using tweaked versions of classic models such as the Fender Stratocaster (Eric Clapton) or Gibson's Les Paul (Jimmy Page), Van Halen is known for playing handmade instruments that are the product of endless tinkering and part-swapping.

For many six-string fans, this is an event.

Read more and watch a video here.