Guitar Gear Forum

I admit I might have a weird fixation on these guitars. But it really stems for 2 reasons. The simple one is my sons name is Wolfgang. So it seemed like I Need at least one. But where it TRULY stems is before Guitar Center took over, there were a plethora of great music stores in my area growing up. And one was , at one point, mildly “famous” or known outside of the Chicago area, was Roselle Music. They were the Peavey dealer for YEARS. That’s also why I started in with the Peavey amps. From a Bandit, to an Ultra 60 and then when I first played the 5150 there in about 1994, I was absolutely floored! And a few years later I was able to get my combo from there…

But they didn’t only have the amps of course, they had all the guitars. Wolfgangs, Wolfgang Specials, Vandenbergs, you name it. Dozens and dozens of these guitars. And back then it wasn’t totally frowned upon to pick up guitars you weren’t gonna buy and jam out. I mean, I can’t think of how many times we just went there to try and play thru better gear than our own! Haha. It helped that my friends and I could could actually play so I don’t remember hearing too much about loitering around playing gear.

But during that time I played a LOT of Wolfgangs. And even tho it wasn’t anything I wanted then, I remember thinking these played really well and of course sounded great Thru the PV amps… There was a certain “feel” I recall about what I considered was the BESt guitar I had ever played at that time. It was the high end carved top PV Wolfgang. It was just butter.

So fast forward, thru the years I’ve eventually put together numerous Wolfgang’s from parts. I have what would be considered a stock(Altho I put in stainless steel frets to match the USA) EVH Wolfgang Special. Which has the arch top. USA Wolfgang pickups and it’s a great guitar. But… It’s not what I would say is what I remembered.. mainly cause the Evh neck is much thinner than the PV.. And by now that “feeling” I remembered from 30 years ago is likely bullshit.

I’ve ended up with 5 Wolfgang’s now. One I built totally myself. The ONLY one I ever bought stock was a used Peavey WG special a few years ago. Those had a flat top tho. But the stock pickups, trem and neck were all the same as the Top of the line Peavey Wolfgang’s. It’s good and all and there are some great soundign specials, mine is good. But I had an inkling yesterday to swap that OG Peavey neck(which again is WAY different than the current EVH models. Much fatter) which I like cause I really do have big hands.

And what happened is one of the greatest moments in my guitar building and modding career! Hahah. It honestly FEELs like that feeling I remembered my favorite Wolfgang back in the day. Somehow that neck feels DIFFERENT on that body than it does on the PV Special body. I’d be skeptical too, but it absolutely feels perfect now. . It’s different… and even tho these are essentially the same design except one is carved and the other is flat, I’m still saying without a Doubt the neck FEELs so much more comfortable on this body.

So this is an EVH special body. PV neck(which measure .830 @1st fret and .940 @12th) . Evh Wolfgang Neck pickup. Bareknuckle true grit bridge. Made in Germany Floyd with Stone tone Block. It’s THE one. It plays like one the best guitars I’ve ever played. Can’t put it down… and it sounds like it plays. It has damn well solved this years long puzzle! And I feel comfortable letting go 2 of the others!! And it is satin black which my hands have buffers certain areas but whatver. I was gonna buff it all to a shine but I love how this plays so much I’m gonna let it stay how it is

Looks fucking great dude.

I need to have you build me a Wolfgang instead of dropping coin on one of the new USA EVHs.

I remember getting equally as blown away trying out an original PV Wolfgang carved top in to the 5150 combo back in the 90s. It was what I wanted Les Pauls to sound like but had a Floyd and that 5150 was a monster.

But it wrecked my peaverty hate so I never acted on any of em.

30 years later I’m using an EVH

Yeah that's looks awesome man. I love when satin guitars get glossy around the playing area.

Wolfgangs are great guitars. I had a Special and a USA Archtop back in the 00s. Both Peaveys. And I had a EVH Special a few years ago.
The USA Archtop was my favorite but they were all great.


Have you ever played the Vanderberg? The originals were cool guitars too.

Vladimir Putin wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 10:55 pm Looks fucking great dude.

I need to have you build me a Wolfgang instead of dropping coin on one of the new USA EVHs.

I remember getting equally as blown away trying out an original PV Wolfgang carved top in to the 5150 combo back in the 90s. It was what I wanted Les Pauls to sound like but had a Floyd and that 5150 was a monster.

But it wrecked my peaverty hate so I never acted on any of em.

30 years later I’m using an EVH

Haha at the Peaverty hate. You may have been the one to coin that term, no? Lol. At least you seem like the one I first saw say it. It’s a good line! Lol.

Anyway, it really does stem from the tone. Cause one thing about the EVH stuff and the voicing of the guitar and pickups and is they always were slightly warmer but always could get super heavy if one wants to. At least I can with no problem. And while it makes total sense all his gear is voiced around 5150s, I didn’t TRULY recognize that back in the day. Meaning Some guitars and pickups can sound awfully thin and bright thru sumthin like the old 2x12 combo. Especially on leads. So when I was able to try these guitars out, especially next to mine at the time, they just sounded so much bigger and warmer than what I had. So that stuck in my head that these sound heavy.

And I agree, it’s the closest thing to a Les Paul that I can truly get along with. I love Les Pauls for their tone and can play em better than I used to be able to. But the WG always felt much easier so I just went towards those.

I’ll build you one for sure! Besides my excursions into building and modding these, I’ve worked on a lot of em over the years. And feel, I know how to get them to be exactly as designed. Cause many aren’t quite there. Many complain of tuning issues etc. but there’s a few trucks that should solve that if that’s an issue. Also I’m gonna be letting go of one, which I’m hesitant. But I bought/built all these to find ONE! Haha and I’ll keep three I think. But the other 2 can go and the one has the original Peavey Pickuos which alone should get $400-500.. It doesn’t have the OG neck but I got a similar one on there from Musikraft. Im only selling it cause it’s one of the ones, that’s besides the neck, is all original.

Guitarbilly wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 2:29 am Yeah that's looks awesome man. I love when satin guitars get glossy around the playing area.

Wolfgangs are great guitars. I had a Special and a USA Archtop back in the 00s. Both Peaveys. And I had a EVH Special a few years ago.
The USA Archtop was my favorite but they were all great.


Have you ever played the Vanderberg? The originals were cool guitars too.

I almost buffer it all to a shine to match the headstock, but nah… I don’t even want tot take it back apart. Lol. It sounds and plays like a fucking dream! Of course I’m sure I can get it back together in the same state, but I’m superstitious like that to a degree.

I haven’t ever been able to own an USA Evh yet. I’ve had numerous specials and this one included. My other one(white) is technically all stock EVH special, besides I have the USA pickups and a real Floyd. I also re-fretted it to be like the USA. I have had numerous of the new MIJ EVH guitars come thru and it honestly feels and plays just like mine does. It’s also a great guitar but the Current EVH is a touch thinner than I’d totally prefer. While the PV is fatter like the Musicman but has that flatter 15 radius which gives that neck a very unique feel. And one I prefer for the 1 5/8ths nut width…

I have played a Vandenberg. But the old ones. Talking back in the 90s. Even tho the shop I’m at is a Peavey dealer, they’ve been a mass failure at delivering what they promised. We’ve seen maybe 6 HP2’s and they are really good too, but I’m not into the burl tops. And all the old NOS ones are gone. We are SUPPOSED to get Vandenbergs in the near future. But…. I don’t think anyone is holding their breath they’ll come Thru and deliver. Altho I heard they are charging $3k…. PV is a failing company and I can’t imagine they last more than 5 more years… And apparently they still OWN ALL that property and buildings of the old PV plant in Mississippi. It’s fucning huge and it’s literally rotting away. People who do those abandoned building videos are going in there. Lol. I mean… They could prolly rent it out to someone… But idk if it’s Hartley and his stubbornness but they are such a shell and joke of their former selves.

Awesome! Love me a good Wolfgang, glad you found/built the perfect one for you

banana hammock wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 7:31 am Awesome! Love me a good Wolfgang, glad you found/built the perfect one for you

Thanks man. I’ve always had “good” ones and I would say I never built or bought a dud WG. For real. Even the new “standard”. Altho they are my least favorite. The necks on them are high quality and if you have a good neck, you will always have at least a decent guitar.

But for the WG, I wanted one, which I may have overblown a bit, but I remember that old one playing in a shop and hen I was 17, and thinking, as far as guitars and playability goes, it was one of the best guitars I’ve ever played! I’m sure it was good but prolly didn’t live up to the lore in my head, lol, but this one is really good. Everything about it feels like how I imagined that old one!