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. It brings out the best of the korina body. But, you can ask for something else. Now, it is your time to play! Everything is in your hands!.
- Model: The Wheel
- Serial #: W 1811
- Body wood: korina
- Belly cut
- Neck Wood: maple w/ purple heart stripe
- Fretboard: ebony
- Headstock overlay: ebony with faux shell logo inlay
- Frets: 22 Jescar medium-jumbo
- Nut: unbleached bone
- Vintage clay dots
- Side dots: white 2mm
- Truss rod: welded double action
- Radius: 12"
- Neck shape: C, 22.5mm @ 1st fret, 23.5mm @ 12th fret
- Width at nut: 42.65mm / 1.68"
- Scale length: 24.75"
- Bridge: Tune-o-Matic ABR-1
- Tailpiece: Tone Pros locking studs
- Tuners: Gotoh vintage nickel
- Strap buttons: nickel Fender style
- Knobs: amber fast
- Pickguard: tortoise
- Aged parts
- Bridge pickup: Tyson Tone P90, standard cream cover
- Neck pickup: Tyson Tone P90, standard cream cover
- Switch: Switchcraft 3 way toggle, amber knob
- Controls: 1 master volume, 1 master tone (CTS 250K pots)
- Capacitor: Orange Cap 22k & treble bleed circuit
- Cover (back): black
- Finish, body: Sonic Blue matte "dog hair"
- Finish, back of neck: Sonic Blue matte
- Strings: D'Addario 10-46
- Case: black hard shell