Wolfgang’s Custom Guitars For the Custom Guitar Collector

Dec 9
09:06

2009

Peter West

Peter West

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Starting in 2002, the Peavey Electronics company along with guitar legend Eddie Van Halen developed what he considered at that time to be the ultimate custom electric guitar, Wolfgang, named after the rock star’s son and band bassist.

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The Wolfgang’s custom guitars shop was first located in the then legendary Leakesville facility and later was moved further north to the company’s main plant at Meridian,Wolfgang’s Custom Guitars For the Custom Guitar Collector Articles Mississippi. People who buy custom electric guitars are not your ordinary kind of collector or guitar fan. And the buyers of the Peavey Wolfgang’s custom guitars were no different.

Due to the fact that the entire custom electric guitar shop was basically comprised of only four master craftsmen even at the height of the production only a one Wolfgang custom guitar was made per work day.

Because of this methodical method of production only 450 or so custom orders were completed by the Wolfgang’s custom guitar shop from 2002 to 2004. These custom electric guitars still considered to be a highly prized item by the more sophisticated EVH fans and guitar collectors.

These custom electric guitars all started off with the basic configuration features as on a standard, standard deluxe or special and special deluxe Wolfgang but could be ordered such changes to the wood of the solid body, the top panel, woods and inlays on the fretboard along with the type of bridge, color of the mounted hardware, and coordinated tops and headstock picked out in your choice of color or graphics.

The solid body of a Wolfgang’s custom guitar could come in not only the standard basswood body construction and a signature offset cutaway design, but customer could also order the custom electric guitars with alder (known for it superior tonal qualities since the 1950’s) along the bright and sweet resonate of ash or the darker tones of mahogany. You could also special request a Koa body although it was not a standard option.

Another feature of the custom guitars was the standard Peavey/Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo system or a stop tail bridge which some guitar makers and musicians believe offers better tuning stability along with a richer tone and better sustain than a tremolo whammy bar.

You could also have your hardware in either the standard highly polished chrome or a nicely glossed gold or black. The two humbucking pickups were custom wound to Eddie Van Halen’s specs and were designed to provide the best output and tonal response.

The pickups were double-dipped in a wax process to provide ultra-noise operating and to prevent any microphonic feedback. All custom Wolfgangs had the pickups mounted directly on the body to prevent feedback issues at higher volumes and enhances the overall tonal quality.

The fretboard on a one of these custom electric guitars could come in Birdseye which was a standard issue or you could get it in Ebony or Rosewood. Inlays were made from pearl with various graphics from skulls to the EVH logo.

Since the original curly maple tops were discontinued after the first year, you basically had a choice of only the flamed maple, a quilted maple or Koa wood top or a solid body construction. But since these customs could come in 30 different colors with various in-house graphic designs, you didn’t have worry about having the same guitar as the guy down the block.

And with a custom graphic design option from the Wolfgang’s custom guitars, you could have provided your own artwork for application in order to make the special custom electric guitar even more unique.