This one is a terror!
Since Benjamin, the owner of La Grange Guitars, became a guitar builder, he had been eager to create a new "classic" instrument for the blues and rock guitar player. He wanted to come out with an original design with uncompromised playability and comfort that would look and feel familiar, an instrument with incredible responsiveness and sensitivity, able to produce a wide range of tones, from fat and juicy low ends to sparkling highs, through crunchy middles tones.
The Wheel is the result of this quest - a short scale (24.75") set neck guitar that combines a light soft wood korina body with a stiff neck made of two quarter sawn rock maple blanks and a purple heart stripe with an ebony fretboard. This original tone woods combination provides the twang and high end that you can't get on traditional short scale style guitars and your low end can be really fat and juicy without losing clarity.
Easy access to the upper frets is ensured by the original design of the cutaway and of the set neck joint. Fingerboard smooth rolled edges, body curves and a belly cut provide maximum comfort to the guitar.
Tyson Tone pickups (hand made in California) made the ultimate P90s set to match The Wheel and achieve the balance Benjamin was looking for between pickups. With the orange 22k capacitor and the treble bleed circuit, you can really dial in your tone using the volume and tone controls.
The Dog-Hair finish is Benjamin's favorite finish for The Wheel.
- Model: The Wheel
- Serial #: W1813
- Body wood: korina
- Belly cut: yes
- Neck wood: 2 maple pieces with a purple heart stripe
- Fretboard: ebony
- Headstock: ebony with faux shell logo inlay
- Frets: 22 Jescar medium-jumbo
- Nut: unbleached bone
- Dots: vintage clay
- Side dots: white 2mm
- Truss rod: welded double action
- Radius: 12"
- Neck shape: C, 22mm @ 1st fret, 23mm @ 12th fret
- Width at nut: 42.65mm (1.68")
- Scale: 24.75"
- Bridge: Tune-O-Matic ABR-1
- Tailpiece: TonePros locking studs
- Tuners: Gotoh vintage nickel
- Strap buttons: nickel Fender style
- Knobs: fast, black
- Pickguard: matte black
- Aged parts: yes
- Bridge pickup: Tyson Tone P90
- Neck pickup: Tyson Tone P90
- Switch: Switchcraft 3 way toggle, white knob
- Controls: 1 master volume, 1 master tone (CTS 250K pots)
- Capacitor: Orange 22k & treble bleed circuit
- Cover (back): black
- Finish, body: Cherry Red "dog hair"
- Finish, back of neck: Cherry Red
- Strings: D'Addario 10-46
- Case: black hard shell