Body
The fully hollow body with a flame maple veneer on the front features a dual humbucker setup, with discrete split coil switches and a 3-way pickup toggle for 8 different tone combinations! There is one master volume and discrete tone knobs for shaping your tone. The guitar strings pass over a floating bridge that is anchored to the guitar body on one side. Similar to a violin, banjo or mandolin bridge, the bridge simply rests on top of the body and is held in place by string tension. The ebony tailpiece is attached to the end of the guitar with a solid steel bracket, holding the strings in place. There are two 1/4″ output jacks on the side 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 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. We offer a custom hard shell case to go with the Ernesto guitar.
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 and all around. 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 pearloid inlays designed by PHRED instruments. 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 6-inline headstock shape is a PHRED instruments trademark design. Under the fretboard is the adjustable double-expanding truss rod, keeping the neck stable in any climate.
Anonymous –
I came across this guitar after playing a few hollow bodies but not being 100% sold on their tone. Was a little nervous buying a guitar I hadn’t played before, but the return policy was lenient and Feddy seemed very easy to work with, so I took the plunge. I have had it for several weeks now and cannot express how happy I am with the purchase. It’s capable of producing that distinct Trey tone, as well as about pretty much anything else you can imagine. The hollow body gives a great resonant quality to the sound, but without sacrificing the punch. Sounds amazing clean, and really starts to bark if you run it through a tube screamer (or similar pedal). The three-way toggle and split coil switches for the humbuckers let you achieve anything from warm jazzy tones to much heavier stuff, and everything in between. They set the guitar up for you before shipping it, and the benefits are immediately apparent. It is completely effortless to play. In summary, this guitar sounds wonderful (exactly what I was looking for), looks wonderful, and even smells wonderful. You get a whole lot of guitar for the price. I have the stock model, for what it is worth. Might upgrade it in the future, but am perfectly happy with how it is as of now. Only negative to the whole experience is that it takes a long time to ship, so be prepared for a wait even if you are not having a custom build. It is worth it once it arrives, and the customer service was outstanding at every step of the process. I look forward to doing business with Phred guitars in the future.
Billy Voight –
Out of the box, I had to do no setup work besides tuning it up to pitch. The only mods I did to get it gig ready were a piece of orange tape so as not to confuse the output jacks. I also put a thick rubber washer over the top strap button. Billy Voight Guitar World Magazine https://www.guitarworld.com/electrics-gear-blogs/gear-review-phred-instruments-ernesto-vh3-guitar/ 26065
Tranum Fitzpatrick –
This guitar is awesome. The achievable tone with this thing is outstanding. The neck feels really great and its plays really quick. Customer service was also great with quick response times and a friendly attitude. I would recommend this guitar to any Trey/Phish fans. Great guitar. Great customer service. Two thumbs up.