$789.00
The PHRED instruments DeadBolt gets its inspiration from Steve Cripe’s Lightning Bolt, one of the iconic guitars played by Jerry Garcia in the 1990s. The body features a triple humbucker setup mounted in a custom pickup plate, with discrete split coil switches and a 5-way pickup toggle for 14 different tone combinations! DeadBolt is professionally setup with low action and D’Addario 10-46 strings, and the frets are leveled and milled here at our shop in California for a nice smooth and clean feel all around.
Order fulfillment is currently estimated at 12 months because we are working on fulfilling a backlog of pre-orders.
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Body
The contoured body features a triple humbucker setup mounted in a custom pickup plate, with discrete split coil switches and a 5-way pickup toggle for 14 different tone combinations! There is one master volume and 3 discrete tone knobs, allowing you to dial in tone that goes from dark and muddy to crisp and bright. There are two 1/4″ output jacks on the top of the body. One of them is a standard guitar output to plug in a standard guitar cable. The other output is used for the built-in on board effects loop (OBEL), allowing you to gain further control of the sound coming from your effects pedals. Scroll down below to read up on the benefits of having an OBEL equipped guitar. On the back of the guitar, there is a large and accessible electronics cavity and a 9V battery box that powers the internal built-in preamp. The built-in pre-amp boosts the signal a small amount and lowers the output resistance so that the signal is better preserved along the guitar cable to your amp. The DeadBolt body shape can fit inside a form fitted stratocaster case, but we also offer a custom hard shell case to go with the DeadBolt.
Neck
The maple core neck is attached to the body using very strong wood glue. The back of the neck contour is a C-shape that feels somewhere in between a strat and an LP neck, not too thin, and not too chunky either. The 2-octave ebony fingerboard has 24 medium jumbo frets which are leveled and milled here at our shop in California for a nice smooth feel along the edge of the fretboard. The fretboard features a 12 inch radius which is perfect for soloing and playing chords up and down the fretboard. Topping off the fretboard are custom inlays which are inspired by Doug Irwin’s Tiger guitar fingerboard inlays. At the top of the neck, you’ll find a bone nut for good sustain, and white binding all around the fingerboard for a clean look and feel. The tilt-back 3+3 headstock shape is inspired by Cripe’s headstock with some visual design changes. Under the fretboard is the adjustable double-expanding truss rod, keeping the neck stable in any climate.
OBEL stands for On-Board Effects Loop. It is a wiring design inside the guitar which uses a separate 1/4" stereo jack to allow the direct output from the pickups to go to effects pedals and then back into the guitar for post-effects volume control. The purpose of the OBEL is to allow for volume adjustments on the guitar after being processed by effects. You may notice that distortion and envelope filters respond differently with volume adjustments on a standard electric guitar. Using an OBEL allows for consistent response from your effects pedals/processors at any guitar volume.
We recommend to use a junction box with a stereo 1/4" guitar cable to connect the guitar to a junction box (a stereo Y-cable can be used instead). A junction box looks like an effects pedal. It has a 1/4" stereo input jack on one side, which is where the stereo guitar cable from the guitar's OBEL jack plugs into. The other side of the junction box has 2 mono 1/4" jacks. One of those jacks is a send to the input of your effects the other is a return from the output of your effects. Using one mono guitar fx patch cable, connect the send from the junction box into the input of your first effect pedal, and the the return from the junction box plugs into the output of your last effects pedal in the chain.
Yes, you do not have to use the OBEL in order to plug in your guitar to your effects. Â You can simply bypass the OBEL using the OBEL bypass mini-toggle switch on the guitar and use the guitar as a standard electric guitar with your effect pedals plugged in-line between your guitar and amp.
The answer is yes.  You do need a working 9V battery installed at all times to hear sound coming out of the main output, even with the OBEL bypassed.  The pre-amp is always active in the signal and the pre-amp is powered on by plugging in a guitar cable to the main output.  To save battery life, unplug the guitar cable when not playing your guitar.  If you accidentally leave the cable plugged into the guitar, the battery would drain out in about 2 weeks, that's about 14 full 24 hour days of battery life from a single 9V. We do offer a Pre-Amp Bypass Upgrade option for OBEL equipped guitars that will allow you to bypass the Pre-Amp should the 9v battery power drop down too low to power the Pre-Amp properly.
The Godfrey Daniels HubBub Junction Box is wired Tip to Send, and Ring to Return. Sometime in 2018, we made sure that PHRED instruments guitars moving forward are wired with the OBEL I/O jack on the guitar to be compatible with the Godfrey Daniels HubBub and HubBub Stage Pro Junction Boxes.
If you are experiencing issues with your OBEL equipped guitar and a Godfrey Daniels HubBub Junction Box, there are few things you can try to troubleshoot the issue.
1. Plug a regular mono guitar cable into the Main Output jack on the guitar. The other end of the cable should be unplugged. This is just to power on the pre-amp, if your guitar has a pre-amp. Most guitars with OBEL have a pre-amp.
2. Plug another standard mono guitar cable into the OBEL I/O jack, and the other end of that cable directly into your guitar amp.
3. Put the MINI toggle into OBEL mode, and you should get sound if the OBEL jack on the guitar is wired correctly. The volume knob on the guitar won't work in this test, and that's ok, as the volume on the guitar is bypassed for this test. Here's a video that shows how to perform the test above.
This test is mostly specific to PHRED guitars with copper foil inside the electronics cavity or with a dual output jack plate. If you perform Test #1 above and don't get sound, we'll need to make sure that neither the tip or ring lug on the OBEL jack are grounded somehow to the copper foil inside the electronics cavity. You can visually inspect for this by removing the electronics panel on the back. If any part of the OBEL jack is touching one of the screws that is securing the Dual Output Jack plate, then there could be grounding. The best way to check is with a multimeter. Here's a video on how to test for that.
<!-- wp:embed {"url":"","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} -->If you have performed Test #1 and Test #2 (inspected for grounding of the tip or ring lugs, and there is no grounding, and also no sound from Test #1) then it's recommend to swap the wires that connect to the tip and ring lugs on the OBEL jack. This will require soldering. Here's a video that shows which wires need to be swapped.
<!-- wp:embed {"url":"","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} -->Effects like delay, reverb, noise gate, limiters, and compressors can be placed inline between the standard guitar output jack and your amplifier so that those effects are always on and/or always accessible to you whether the OBEL is engaged or bypassed.
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Our 13-point setup and inspection ensures that every PHRED Instruments guitar we ship is professionally setup and ready to play when it’s delivered to you. Setup will include string-height adjustment, intonation, electronics inspection, and the frets are leveled, crowned, and polished, as outlined below.
Fretwork and Fingerboard
1. Debur Fret Edges
This process involves filing the edges of each fret such that the edge of the fretboard feels smooth as you play up and down the neck.
2. Level Frets
Leveling all the frets ensures that you can play at low string action and with clear and articulated notes on each fret.
3. Crown Frets
After leveling the frets, they are crowned. Crowning frets is a process by which the frets are rounded slightly at the top. This makes the frets feel nice and smooth all around, ensures smooth bends, and also makes it easy to slide up and down the fretboard.
4. Polish Frets
After crowning the frets, polishing makes them shine brightly. Polishing them also makes them even more smooth to the touch.
5. Condition the fingerboard
The fretboard wood is cleaned and conditioned using fretboard oil.
Setup
6. Adjust Truss Rod
The truss rod should be adjusted such that the neck is slightly concave.
7. Adjust Nut
The nut height is adjusted to the fingerboard, and the string slots are filed to a perfect height and width for the strings we install
8. Adjust the Bridge Height
As a part of setting the string action, the bridge height is adjusted to our standard measurement of 1.75mm above the 12th fret on the low E string, and 1.5mm above the 12th fret on the high E string. We leave a little bit of room if you want to adjust the bridge a bit lower than that.
9. Adjust the Bridge Saddles
Intonation is set by adjusting the bridge saddles. We tune up and stretch a fresh set of strings, and then adjust the bridge saddle position until the harmonic at the 12th fret compared to the note at the 12th fret.
Pickups
10. Adjust pickup height
The height of the pickup is adjusted such that the perceived volume is consistent between each of the pickups installed on the guitar.
Electronics
11. Inspect and test electronics
Whether you upgrade to our USA wiring option or go with the stock wiring and electronics, we are going to make sure all the electronics work properly prior to shipping. For guitars that have an OBEL jack, we wire it Tip=Send, Ring=Return.
Strings
12. Install D’Addario 10-46 gauge strings
We install D’Addario EXL 10-46 gauge strings on all guitars. If you prefer a different brand or string gauge, contact us and we can accommodate other brands and string gauges, and adjust the setup accordingly to the strings that you prefer to use.
Guitar Body & Hardware
13. Clean and polish the guitar body and hardware
Just before we package up a guitar for shipping, we clean and polish your guitar using StewMac Guitar Polish to make it shine.
| Body Style | Solid Body |
| Body Wood | North American Ash |
| Scale Length | 25 1/2" |
| Frets | 24 Medium Jumbo |
| Neck Wood | Maple |
| Fretboard Wood | Ebony |
| Fretboard Inlays | Pearloid Designs |
| Fretboard Radius | 12 inch |
| Neck Stabilization | Double-Expanding Truss Rod |
| Nut Width | 1 11/16" (43mm) |
| Nut Material | Bone |
| Tuning Machines | Unbranded Stock Tuners |
| Neck Pickup | Humbucker (4-wire) |
| Neck Pickup Color | Black |
| Middle Pickup | Humbucker (4-wire) |
| Middle Pickup Color | Black |
| Bridge Pickup | Humbucker (4-wire) |
| Bridge Pickup Color | Black |
| Bridge Style | Tune-o-matic Bridge |
| Stop Tailpiece Style | Custom Brass Tailpiece |
| Volume Knob(s) | 1 Main Volume Knob |
| Volume Knob(s) Notes | Main volume knob is wired post-OBEL |
| Tone Knob(s) | 3 Tone Knobs (Neck Pickup : Middle Pickup : Bridge Pickup) |
| Pickup Toggle | 5-way Pickup Toggle |
| Neck Pickup Toggle Switch | Mini Toggle (Series/Split Coil) |
| Middle Pickup Toggle Switch | Mini Toggle (Series/Split Coil) |
| Bridge Pickup Toggle Switch | Mini Toggle (Series/Split Coil) |
| Pre-amp / Buffer | Yes (Requires 9V battery) |
| On Board Effects Loop (OBEL) | Yes |
| Battery Box | Yes (9V Battery Included) |
| Electronics and Wiring Notes | OBEL is wired to use external effects before the guitar volume knob (requires split stereo Y-cable or OBEL junction box with stereo cable) |
| Output Jack(s) | 1 Standard Mono Guitar Output Jack and 1 OBEL I/O Jack |
| Output Jack(s) Notes | Plugging a guitar cable into the mono guitar output jack powers on the pre-amp. |
| Guitar Dimensions | 39" (h) x 12" (w) x 1.75" (d) |
| Guitar Weight | Approximately 8 lbs |
Nick Namaqui –
I don’t normally buy guitars for their looks. As someone who writes music rather than performs it, what I am really looking for is the widest sound palette possible. But, it has to be said, this guitar was bought primarily for its looks – I have always wanted that horned Jerry SG look for less than $10,000 – and this is a lot less than $10,000, although you couldn’t probably tell that from playing it. I wasn’t involved in the ordering process, but my wife says Fred was just magnificent. I just came in at the gimmee, gimmee! phase. Well, it sure is spectacularly beautiful and it feels like tens of thousands of dollars to the touch – it has the lowest action I have ever played, and the construction of a guitar has to be made with precision for that. And it arrived in tune: never had that before! The basic sound is exactly what I expected it to be from the demos: to my ears, a mix of a Les Paul and a Gretsch, with that truncated Jerry Garcia super-articulation. I knew what I wanted to record with it and there was that spot-on sound straight out of the box. I haven’t used the OBEL loop-the-loop thing, but as I am not performing live, it’s not that essential. Still, it’s a kick and I may well buy the OBEL peddle anyway, just because. Just such a gorgeous, well-made guitar, and frankly a better guitar than I would ever aspire to. It’s action is so low, in fact, that it keeps tripping me up until I can get used to it. It’s been a wonderful experience from ordering it to playing it, and my wife insists on buying another one from PHRED next year – the Trey hollow-bodied guitar in natural wood. Oh OK, if we have to … Nick Namaqui
Andrew Smith –
I just recently received my Deadbolt guitar after an extended wait time due to the pandemic of 2020. I have to say it was well worth the wait and the cost for all the upgrades. This is the best guitar I’ve played and the set-up with the neck, action, intonation, etc was spot on. The DiMarzio active pick-ups are hot. Now I just need to get the OBEL Hub Bub and cable to really dial in that sweet Jerry tone.
richard shinn –
Just received the guitar and it is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. Totally worth the wait!!!!
Clayton Bonjean –
I am very happy with my purchase. This guitar is high-quality and a nice addition to my collection. I am a gigging musician have been recently doing some Dead tribute shows and that led me to this guitar. I was skeptical because I own some very high-end guitars like PRS McCarty Hollowbody, USA Strat, USA Telecaster, Gibson SG, etc. This guitar hangs just fine with my others. I upgraded mine a bit with the Schaller tuners, brass plates, and the american rewire. I have the stock pickups and they sound really good. Love the pre-amp and the sound through my deluxe reverb amp. If you are on the fence, go for it. I think you could buy this guitar with no upgrades and be fine, but be sure to check out all of the cool upgrade options. If you are planning to gig with the guitar, I think the USA re-wire is a no brainer.
John Sakoff –
The Deadbolt it amazing. It’s sounds great but more importantly for me it plays well. I love it. Thank you very much for delivering such a nice instrument. Well worth the wait. I play it every Sunday at my church in with an audience of about 1,000. During the week I enjoy playing all those great Jerry tunes with it. The OBEL is another amazing feature. So far my friends that have played the instrument are impressed with what the OBEL delivers. Anybody playing without one is living in the past. Paired with the MXR Phaser, a Mutron III, a tube amp with the drive set around 50% the sound can’t be beat. I’m also using it with a Line 6 Helix. Not enough time in a day to explore the endless possibilities with such a wonderful instrument. Thank you for all your hard work……….the VH is awesome also. Not sure I’ll ever master You Enjoy Myself but still enjoying dreaming with it and the Deadbolt.
Tom San Filippo –
What I can say about Phred Instruments beyond what you see and hear online from the many other satisfied guitarists using one. Well, that would be the FEEL of these guitars, they are just so playable! Having a handcrafted instrument in my collection that cost ten times more, the very affordable Deadbolt is every bit as functional and easy to play… and much lighter too. Of course, for a serious player, there is always room for upgrades, but I must say that the sound that this guitar produces right out of the box is comparable to a much higher-end instrument. I’ve been using it completely stock and just love its tone and playability. To me a good guitar is determined by the way it makes me play, leaving nothing between me and the instrument. The Phred Deadbolt has all the Mojo I need to achieve a higher level of playing. Order one today, you’ll be glad that you did! Tom San Filippo Half Step / Tiger Rose
John Skinner –
Thank you so much for such beautiful guitar. I am completely blown away with every thing about my guitar. And my gang of musicians are in awe, so impressed.
Kris Lambert –
Today I’ve fallen in love with my DeadBolt. It came at 11:30 this morning. I was making lunch I opened it and put it on a stand and ate looking at it. About 12:15 I started playing it and did not stop for 2 and a half hours. When my bro showed up he started playing it and wants one. I played it on my vibro champ first then my pro reverb then my hot rod deluxe sounded great on all three best on the deluxe. The tuners work great the pickups sound as good as the 3 paf humbuckers on my 76 Les Paul Custom. Well my first opinion is it was well worth waiting for. Thanks for making this guitar. A pleasure doing Business with you.
Mik Bondy –
A nicely built guitar with that great bolt body and neck shape that plays nice and easy. Although Phred’s guitars seems a bit on the small side (I’m a big guy), the sound of the guitar with the stock pickups sound pleasing…All in all, its a decent guitar for the $600 price. If you are looking for the shape, i don’t think you could loose. Mik Bondy The Garcia Project