Wolph NT

PHRED instruments

$1,189.00

The PHRED instruments Wolph NT (Neck-Through) gets its inspiration from Doug Irwin’s Wolf guitar, one of the iconic guitars played by Jerry Garcia. The 7-layer body is constructed of alternating layers of ash and mahogany with curly maple veneers on the top and back for appearance. The body features a single-humbucker-humbucker setup mounted in a custom pickup plate, with discrete split coil switches and a 5-way pickup toggle for 12 different tone combinations! Our Wolph NT is professionally setup in the Los Angeles, CA area with low action, and the frets are leveled and milled here at our shop for a nice smooth and clean feel all around.  D’Addario 10-46 strings are installed providing a nice balance of tone and playability.  View our production schedule for more information about placing an order, or contact us with any questions.

(10 customer reviews)

Order fulfillment is currently estimated at 12 months because we are working on fulfilling a backlog of pre-orders.

Hard Shell Case

Protect your guitar with a Hard Shell Case. Case dimensions are approximately 42"x15"x5".

Case

USA Re-wire and Electronics

Re-wire the entire guitar with vintage cloth wiring, CTS or Bournes pots, Orange Drop Capacitors, Switchcraft output jacks, and a CRL 5-way pickup lever switch. In addition to upgrading your tone, you'll get smoother turning knobs and a smooth pickup toggle selector feel.

Electronics

Pickup Installation

Replaces the stock pickups with DiMarzio pickups (other colors and covers may be requested for additional charge).

Brass Mounting Plates

Choose to replace the stock plastic mounting plates with the following solid brass mounting plates.

Tuning Machines

Upgrade the stock tuners with the following 3+3 tuning machine heads.

Tuning Machines

Nut Type

Replace the stock bone nut with a brass nut to enhance the guitar's natural sustain and brightness.

Nut

A brass nut improves sustain and brightens the tone of the open strings. When playing chords and soloing, your fingers, frets and bridge have more influence on tone than a brass nut.

Bridge

Choose to replace the stock tune-o-matic bridge with one of the following options.

Bridge

Hi-Phi Aluminum Knobs

Replace the stock chrome knobs with our "Hi-Phi" Aluminum knobs, inspired by, and extremely similar to, the the knobs on Jerry Garcia's Wolf guitar by Doug Irwin.

Knobs

Sticker

Stickers will be affixed to the guitar prior to shipping unless otherwise requested. Stickers are created by inlaystickers.com.

Stickers

Additional Notes

Please add any additional notes in the text area below.

Additional Notes

Product price: $1,189.00
Order total:

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Wolph NT Videos

PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Deal)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Deal)
Craig Marshall of Cubensis playing a Phred Instruments Wolph Guitar Part 2
Craig Marshall of Cubensis playing a Phred Instruments Wolph Guitar Part 2
Craig Marshall of Cubensis playing a Phred Instruments Wolph Guitar Part 3 - Ship of Fools
Craig Marshall of Cubensis playing a Phred Instruments Wolph Guitar Part 3 - Ship of Fools
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Shakedown Street)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Shakedown Street)
Craig Marshall of Cubensis playing a Phred Instruments Wolph Guitar Part 1
Craig Marshall of Cubensis playing a Phred Instruments Wolph Guitar Part 1
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Jack Straw)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Jack Straw)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Samson and Delilah)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Samson and Delilah)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Estimated Prophet)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Estimated Prophet)
PHRED instruments Wolph Demo by Mark Masson
PHRED instruments Wolph Demo by Mark Masson
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Althea)
PHRED Instruments Wolph Demo (Althea)
Half Step Band Clip From Grateful Fest at Old Bethpage - Short Clip Showing Guitar Gear
Half Step Band Clip From Grateful Fest at Old Bethpage - Short Clip Showing Guitar Gear
Louis Electric Captain Trips Amplifier
Louis Electric Captain Trips Amplifier
Half Step Performing "Tennessee Jed" Brooklyn Bowl 1-20-15
Half Step Performing "Tennessee Jed" Brooklyn Bowl 1-20-15
X

Body
The body features a single-humbucker-humbucker setup mounted in a custom pickup plate, with discrete split coil switches and a 5-way pickup toggle for 12 different tone combinations! There is one master volume and 2 tone knobs, allowing you to dial in tone that goes from dark and muddy to crisp and bright.  The custom tailpiece is made of brass with chrome plating.  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. We offer an optional custom hard shell case to go with the Wolph 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.  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 which are inspired by Doug Irwin’s Wolf guitar fingerboard inlays.  At the top of the neck, you’ll find a bone nut for good sustain, and black binding all around the fingerboard for a uniform look and feel.  The tilt-back 3+3 headstock shape features tortoise binding.  Under the fretboard is the adjustable double-expanding truss rod, keeping the neck stable in any climate.

OBEL FAQ

  • 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.  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.

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  • 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.

    Test #1

    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.

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    Test #2

    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.

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    The Fix

    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.

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  • 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.

10 reviews for Wolph NT

  1. Chris Benson –

    I was very excited to receive my Wolph Neck-Through guitar from Phred Instruments. ?As far as the stock guitar goes, it is good for the price point. The weight feels right and it has an accurate, chunky neck. Top and finish are slightly different than the photo advertised when I ordered, but that is expected and overall I am satisfied with how it looks. I fully upgraded this guitar and Freddy was always willing to work with me and answer questions. You can count on solid communication from Freddy throughout the process of ordering and building your guitar. I had very specific setup requests that Freddy was able to complete for me in his California shop. The upgrades are very high quality, from the brass pieces, to the bridge and locking tuners, to the Lafayette style knobs. I do not have a wiring background and so cannot attest to the quality of the wiring upgrades or upgraded electronics. I will be getting it checked out by my guitar tech to ensure everything is solid, but to my ears, everything sounds how it should. It was a pleasurable experience working with Phred and I am very much enjoying playing my new Wolph Neck Through. While the wait was significantly longer than expected, that was happening everywhere in every industry during the 2020 – 2022 time period due to pandemic, inflation, and supply chain issues. After receiving the guitar, the wait was worth it to me. I would recommend Phred to anyone in the market for a similar guitar. I look forward to countless hours playing this guitar.

  2. Anonymous –

    Had my Wolph for three weeks now and it’s just off to have the pickup upgrade which I decided to do here in Scotland. Love the guitar and it is all that I was hoping for. Would happily recommend Freddy Rose and his team to anyone thinking of making a purchase. Geoffrey Thomson

  3. Anonymous –

    Although the Wolph comes at a very reasonable price, don’t let that fact deceive you into thinking you’re settling for a less-than-quality instrument. Everything from the good looks to the totally “familiar” feel of the instrument begs you to play it, take full advantage of its capabilities and go for broke! You could pay a LOT more and not get any more quality than is offered by the Wolph. Whether you play Dead music like I do, or any style at all, you’ll find the answer to your tonal questions at the end of your arms!

  4. Cary Cohen –

    I have had my Wolph for a couple of months and have had a chance to do a few shows and get pretty familiar. Besides the obvious appeal of it’s inspiration and the OBEL, I find this to be the most expressive guitar I have ever owned in terms of tonal palette and playability. My expectations were exceeded in almost every category. Almost instantly I felt the connection you want to have with an instrument. Most importantly I feel there is so much more to learn in terms of how to utilize everything this guitar is capable of, which can only inspires me to be a better player. My Wolph won’t do that by itself, but it is making it far more enjoyable for me, and those around me, to put that work in. Thanks for excellent product and communication. Needless to say I am looking forward to getting my Liger.

  5. Sal Gargano –

    Thank you so much, sending the Wolph guitar out so soon to me, got it Wednesday… Took it out of the box, and I haven’t stop playing it yet…lol..had band practice Thursday night , and the other players, love it also… plays great and sounds great..

  6. Jordan Zylak –

    First I would like to just say wow! My Wolph is one of the finest guitars I have ever had the joy to play, and arrived set up better than any other guitar I own. Thank you for making the dream of owning one of these guitars possible.

  7. Brian Carr –

    I got my Wolph yesterday! It arrived undamaged and well packed. It’s pretty darn nice, especially for the price. Thanks man. I can’t wait for the other two but this will keep me busy until they arrive. Good stuff. I look forward to playing a lot this weekend. Peace Brother!

  8. Brian Badger –

    Totally worth the wait! I couldn’t imagine what this was gonna turn out to be, but it exceeded my expectations in every way. My initial thoughts were to put some super 2s in there, but these pickups are just fine. I think I’m just going to play and enjoy. Thanks again for such a great guitar!

  9. Ben Gordon –

    I just wanted to thank you for everything. The guitar is beautiful and sounds fantastic. I couldn’t ask for more for the price. I think the grin on my face says it all. I saw you have a lighting bolt now. That maybe down the road. I would recommend your guitars to anyone.

  10. Harry Tamber –

    My Wolph guitar arrived at about 5:45 p.m. on Monday, and last night I had the time to tune it and play it. It’s wonderful and so beautiful!!!! (one of the nicest I’ve ever seen up close and personal)!!!!

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

13-point Setup

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.

Contact Us

    Body
    Body Style Neck Through
    Body Wood 7-Layer Ash & Mahogany
    Body Top Wood Quilted Maple Wood Veneer
    Body Rear Wood Quilted Maple Wood Veneer
    Neck
    Scale Length 25 1/2"
    Frets 24 Medium Jumbo
    Neck Wood 5-ply Maple & Mahogany
    Neck Binding Black with White Dots
    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
    Headstock
    Headstock Binding Tortoise Pearloid
    Tuning Machines Unbranded Stock Tuners
    Pickups
    Neck Pickup Single Coil (2-wire)
    Neck Pickup Color White
    Middle Pickup Humbucker (4-wire)
    Middle Pickup Color Black
    Bridge Pickup Humbucker (4-wire)
    Bridge Pickup Color Black
    Hardware
    Bridge Style Tune-o-matic Bridge
    Stop Tailpiece Style Custom Chrome Plated Brass Tailpiece
    Control Knobs and Toggles
    Volume Knob(s) 1 Main Volume Knob
    Volume Knob(s) Notes Main volume knob is wired post-OBEL
    Tone Knob(s) 2 Tone Knobs (Middle Pickup : Bridge Pickup)
    Tone Knob(s) Notes Tone Knobs value and pickup association can be customized upon request.
    Pickup Toggle 5-way Pickup Toggle
    Middle Pickup Toggle Switch Mini Toggle (Series/Split Coil)
    Bridge Pickup Toggle Switch Mini Toggle (Series/Split Coil)
    Electronics and Wiring
    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
    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.
    Other Specs
    Guitar Strings D'Addario EXL 110 Nickel Wound 10-46
    Guitar Dimensions 40.5" (h) x 13" (w) x 1.75" (d)
    Guitar Weight Approx 9 lbs
    SKU: wolph-nt Categories: , , , , , Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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