Hi Mark, I bought one of these secondhand (nearly new) a few weeks ago. For only £100 I just thought why the heck not. Now I play it every day and love it. Buy a 12 string everyone, it'll change your playing life forever!
Great review of what appears to be a very good guitar, especially considering the price. Sounded pretty good even on my iPhone. Will listen again tonight on my computer. I’m guessing you’ve helped Vangoya sales!
Mark, Great video and riff selections. I watched the video on my phone the first time through, and went home to listen to it again and also last weeks video on the Mosaic pedal using my Blue headphones. The new Vangoa really sounds great, especially using the pickup. Had all the requisite "cathedral" tones and feels. I guess it really depends on the player and preferences, but I would anticipate this to be a better option than the Mosaic pedal for a lot of players. Makes the pedal board simpler, and gives the "And now for something different" vibe to the audience when switching guitars. I have attended quite a few concerts lately, and it seemed that guitars were being switched after nearly every other song. Nice to see you still poking the Blocker Bear!
I just received my brand new Vangoe 12 string DG 120 pro. I paid $286. I’m super excited with it. Everything they said about this guitar is right on. I love it. It is now the nicest instrument in my collection. Anybody looking for a 12 string. Go for it 👍it’s made in China lol
Awesome video, great song choices for the review and sounds like an awesome guitar. Super proud of you for this opportunity to review such a great guitar. Your channel is moving up my friend and for good reason. Well done Mark!
I have the Harley Benton D-200 sitting in my checkout basket waiting for me to get the nerve to buy it. It's so cheap it worries me. Then the Vangoa comes along. I feel they are probably even with each other with the Vangoa being a bit more expensive because of all the accessories they throw in ( which I don't want). I can get the HB with a stand and Newport 12 string capo for less! Whatcha think?
Well Mark that was excellent playing as usual. As a owner of 5 12 strings( 3 Acoustic 2 electric ) mostly high end . Where was this when I wanted the chime of the 12 string. Any Guitarist out there without a 12 string. try this one out for that price. Unless your a professional you will not notice any difference in sound from this for example against my 1000 dollar Gretsch . And Mark said its playable out of the box you cant go wrong at 200 bucks .
You caught me by surprise. I did not expect that guit-fiddle to sound so good. I've always been suspicious of laminate tops. I have a Takamine GD30Ce 12 string that I've had for almost 11 months. It sounds great. It's got a split bridge which I never saw in a 12 string before seeing this one. It also has two truss rods. It holds a tune like a champ. Long ago, I had a Yamaha L series 12 string. It put out some beautiful tones, but it was stolen when my apartment was broken into in 2008. For my next guitar purchase, I have my eyes on a Martin J-16e 12 string. I've found that those clip on tuners only work with the low E, A, D and G strings as well as working with the B, And high E. On the octave E, A, D and G strings I always get what I call a, "nonsense reading." I use this quartz tuner that I bought back in 1983. It picks up and tunes both sets of strings in the low and octave. I have a cell phone app that works pretty well, too. I know some people who swear that a 12 string sounds better if you tune the low E-G to 440 kz but drop the octave strings by 20 kz. Part of me says that these people are nitpicking while another part of me says that if it makes you happy and it sound better to you, go for it. The average player or listener may not pick up on the difference or probably doesn't know what a kilohertz is. Do you have any thoughts on this?
The behavior you describe, of clip-on tuners is indeed disappointing. But if I had one, I don't think I'd find that a hindrance, because I'd just tune the fundamental strings, then tune the octave strings against the fundamentals by ear. But then, I usually prefer by-ear tuning anyway, once I get one (or two) reference string(s) tuned. Uh, I think you, too, may be a bit confused about kilohertz. 1. The abbreviation for hertz is Hz; for kilohertz (= 1000 Hz) is kHz. "kz" doesn't stand for anything. 2. I think that by "440 kz," you mean the A₄ = 440 Hz tuning. (A₄ is the A above middle C; the A-string on a 6-string is A₂; on a 12-string, the A-pair are A₂ and A₃. I hadn't thought of down-tuning the octave strings. Maybe I'll experiment with that . . . Fred
Hey Mark, great Job once again (love the Alice In Chains riff you did on your other review...such an easy riff but sounds so great on the 12). I bought a Vangoa in November, been playing guitar since I was 12 years old, have a Cort Earth, Yamaha APX but never had a 12 string, I love the guitar and the sound, switched the strings out to light guage Elixer Nanaowebs and sound is amazing.
I was going through your videos to make sure I hadn't missed any (this is number 89 by my count, so I think I only have a few more to go). I like the new sunburst color, the black I'm not sure about. Sapele is still my favorite. You mentioned a purpleheart bridge, and I picked up on that. As I mentioned in the comments to the first Vangoa review I am a woodworker, and I have worked with purpleheart. It is VERY hard, so I think it is an excellent choice for the bridge since there is so much tension on the bridge of a 12-string guitar.
Hey! Vangoa approached me a little over three years ago and since then the number of guitars people have purchased because of my videos is probably in the 100s. I never asked them for any money. Rather, I asked them to keep improving and to provide the best customer service. I haven't had a single person reach out to me to say that they don't like their guitar. Vangoa does supply one guitar for me to give away each month. I've given away 28 and counting. Of the winners, 2 have had issues. Both times Vangoa sent a new guitar out without even asking for the other one to be returned. They have made the following upgrades in the past three years. Switched to a bone nut. Higher quality bridge. New electronics. Bone saddle. Spruce top. Totally overhauled the giveaways. The gig bag is usable now, capo is good, etc. There are more that I can't remember. I have there here, all strung to open tunings. I use the one in open G all the time. I think they play great. They're no longer the cheapest on the block but when you factor in quality vs. price, customer service, and very usable extras, I'm still happy to stand by them. I hope that helps. Thanks so much for checking out the video. I appreciate your time and comment. Take care and have a great week. -Mark
Just subscribed. Excellent video you and 5 other recent review videos convinced me. Arrived yesterday very impressed cost $176.00 Amazon with free returns. How could I lose? Would you change the strings that come with it? If so, what strings would you recommend I buy?
I would absolutely change the strings. I use Martin and D'Addario. The Martin strings have a 10 for the high G (D'Addario is an 8) so I tend to favor Martin. I use Ernie Ball sometimes as well. I do find that the D'Addario XL strings last a big longer if you have acidic sweat like I do. I hope this helps. Mark
Excellent video as always Mark. Did I somehow miss the section on how to enter this month's guitar giveaway? I only have 4 guitars now, and my rack will hold 5 so the Vangoa would be a nice addition to my man cave.
You made an interesting observation that a laminate top 12 string with onboard preamp can more closely mimic the tone characteristics of an electric 12 string than that of a solid top. That intrigues me as I am primarily an electric player who wants to add a 12 string to my arsenal but have been torn between the two choices. Most of the songs I want to play are acoustic in nature but there are also some more electric leaning songs. That places the Vangoa in a different light.
So how do I enter the contest? I didn't see anything specifically referring to the contest in the description. Do I just like, subscribe and ring the bell? If so, it is done.
Do you think Vangoa may have given additional attention to the details knowing that you would be reviewing it on RUclips? I ask because other reviews complained about very sharp fret ends, for instance.
Hey John. That's a great question. My relationship with Vangoa is as such. I receive no compensation (they have offered on multiple occasions) other than the fact that they supply a guitar for me to give away each month. For anybody that thinks that giving away a guitar every month drives extra traffic to my account: #1 they are mistaken, maybe I get four or five a month but they don't engage with the channel in any way #2 I don't sell anything on my channel so what benefit would that be to me. To answer your question. 100% these guitars come right from the factory in China and they have no idea where they're headed. I always try to tell people that I'm not the pickiest guy. I've made my living as a professional guitarist (performing, teaching, songwriting, and now youtube) for the better part of the last 25 years BUT I've never been a gear snob. As a matter of fact, I'm a bit cynical. I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that if I played the HB and the Rick and switched the audio, people would gush about the Rick and slam the HB. I've seen so many people get fooled. I love how people are commenting on subtleties of tone while listening to the comparisons on their cell phone speakers. LOL. I know I haven't answered your question yet but please let me finish my rant. I understand that a lot of mediocre players make a career out of reviewing gear (I'm a mediocre player but I still spend the majority of my extra time practicing and not looking at gear or trying to get a sound). With all that said, Vangoa has sent me a total of 7 12 string guitars. I have two of them here right now. One is the older model and the frets are smooth up and down. I just did a hard inspection on the sunburst. There are some sharp edges on the fifth and eighth frets on both sides and the 11 fret on the bottom. I just used a wad of really fine steel wool (about the size of a marble) and fixed all five in less than a minute. The guitar sells for $179 and comes with a bunch of extras that while sure they're kinda junk to me, can be quite useful to beginners. They've gone out of their way to please every winner of the guitars they've sent to my people. Two out of 15 had bridge issues and the guitars were quickly replaced. They subsequently upgraded the bridge! They always ask me how the guitar can be improved and they don't hide the flaws (they'd like to make a solid top but the international shipping makes the weather changes too much of a headache at their price point). Fair, honest people, that make an inexpensive guitar and try their best. I can overlook a couple of sharp frets and still feel like I'm representing the product fairly. I watch people complain about a spot of glue on the inside of a guitar or an extra drip of solder. I say, who cares! Some guy was going on and on about how he doesn't like how the speaker is voiced on the Spark. I told him to use the new EQ upgrade which is amazing. I also told him that in the 700+ gigs I've done, no one has ever complained about how my amp speaker was voiced. I'm guessing 500 drunk people have told me how good I am over the years. Probably 100 guitar players have come up to me and said nice show. Maybe 5 people have said 'great tone'. Yet there are people out there that spend $1000s and hours and hours finagling with stuff to get better tone. Most of those people don't even gig. I'm not saying I'm better than anybody else. You have as much as a right to make an assessment on anything as I do. I mean that sincerely. My reviews take twice as long as any other videos and I don't do many because I feel a sense of responsibility. I'm not saying this to you but I will say to the masses "chill out and practice and don't worry about the small crack in the tone control. go practice". I'm sorry but you struck a chord with me (in a good way). Know that I sincerely value your time. you probably stopped reading this 30 minutes ago but I hope you have a great week. Mark
@@8MinuteAxe Much appreciated, Mark. Aside from that certain sounds can inspire the artist to play or try new approaches, I'm pretty much with you. Look what Bob Dylan did with a subpar voice and very average guitar-playing skills. I've always said, you only have to be great at one thing, and for Dylan it was songwriting. I know many a player who is always looking for the latest gadget to cover up weaknesses in their songwriting. Maybe that's why I found a setting on my Spark and just leave it. I haven't even adjusted the volume (let alone any other knob) in months. And I am by no means great or brilliant either. But I do enjoy learning new playing techniques and composition. At any rate, a great song doesn't need great tone but an average song probably does. LOL!
It sounds like one or both of those b strings on the second and 3rd fretts are digging out. I bought one of the new dg pro models and mine is doing that very thing. Can you confirm what I'm hearing ?
A couple of quick questions for you mark First time laughing my ass off at the forbidden what a great fun way to put that in there for those that read the notes Did that come with strings and everything did you just have to basically tune it up how was the intonation out of the box And the last question for you brother is do you still have it and you still feel like it was worth it cuz I mean if you Chuck down a couple 100 bucks on the 12 string just to learn how to play that's the value nowadays if it goes more than a year and a half you got your money's worth and hasn't fallen apart.
Hey Tucker. I currently own thirteen 12-string guitars. I don't play the Vangoa all that much but I highly recommend it if you're in the market for an entry-level 12 string. Here are my reasons. Most of the entry level 12 strings or of similar quality and many of them or built in the same factory. Vangoa reached out to me a couple years ago and asked me what they could do to improve their guitars. They have made significant changes including using harder woods for the bridge, swapping out the tuning pegs for better ones upgrading the electronics and several other changes. Does that mean that the guitar sounds in plays like a $1500 guitar? No. But it stays in tune, I've owned a couple for almost 3 years and I've had no issues with him, and I've given away 23 of them and only one of the recipients had an issue and they literally just sent him a new guitar without even asking for him to return the original. I sincerely believe did they care about their customers in the quality of their instruments. I refused any compensation from them because I don't want to feel compelled to say things that I don't believe. Maybe the best testament is that not a single person in the thousands of comments I received has called me out question my integrity for backing their product. One last thing. They used to give away a capo strings a gig bag strap I tuner etc. That were very low quality. They retooled all of them. Keeper works great the gig bag is no padded the strap is better in the tuner works. I've been playing for 35 years and I don't need any of those things I've got 50 of each, but for a beginner or somebody what a limited budget they definitely make the deal that much better. Again, I say these things I save these things with no vested interest. A guy wants wrote me and told me that I benefit because I get a lot more subscribers by giving away a guitar every month. LOL. Most of the time I have about 35 entries for the giveaway. I have 31,000 subscribers. Perhaps 100 are the result of the giveaways. If that's a benefit then yes I guess I do benefit. Feel free to email me anytime. markaranalli@gmail.com. Don't worry, I don't see ANYTHING! :) Mark
Better be careful, Don Henley has a Slugworth around every corner. This guitar sounds great. I can't believe it is that cheap, especially with the added gear.
LOL. I watched WW stoned one day with a bunch of friends and had the revelation "how does Slugworth know where in the world to be?" Pretty resourceful to get a job as a waiter, tv reporter, peanut factory worker, and he just happened to be trolling the backstreets of London? Take care. Mark
my 16 year old son wants one so baddly but i had to tell him i cant afford one right now. i just had back surgery and am out of work so no paychecks are comming in.
Hi Mark, I bought one of these secondhand (nearly new) a few weeks ago. For only £100 I just thought why the heck not. Now I play it every day and love it. Buy a 12 string everyone, it'll change your playing life forever!
Nothing like the sweetness of the 12 string.
I'll second that. I'll tell you what. The tip about using a thin pick was a total game changer. It completely transformed my playing.
Great video Mark.
Great video , everyone should own a 12 string guitar . Mine's a Crafter....Nice !
I am beginning to think that whateve you played it would sound good, from a 3 string cigar box to a 12 string Mark 😁
Yes, he's demonstrating playing a 3 string guitar a bit later until then. It's a 12
I’m amazed. Not only at the great sound of this guitar but also the price and all the extras that come with it.
Great review Mark!
If your a guitarist, you must play a 12 string, they're amazing!
Great riffs! Never stop playing those classic's. your so good at it.
Great review Mark! Very nice upgrades to this guitar! Awesome playing brother!
That last intro...
..I thought I heard a knock at the door and someone yelling "I'll take cash, cheque or PayPal!"
Great job on those intros!!
You are a 12 string Messiah....keep'em coming.Can't wait!
Pickup sounds surprisingly good. Great video.
Nice job!
Sounds great indeed! Thanks, Mark!
It really sounds wonderful!
Wow. Sounds absolutely fantastic. Only $200. I'm going to check them out. Thanks so much. FYI, loved Orleans!
Love it. Great to hear some new riffs too. Nice guitar.
Great review Mark, yeah it's ots great value. Sadly Amazon deliveries to Philippines are very expensive otherwise I'd own one.
Great review of what appears to be a very good guitar, especially considering the price. Sounded pretty good even on my iPhone. Will listen again tonight on my computer. I’m guessing you’ve helped Vangoya sales!
Thanks for sharing Mark! This guitar looks, performs and sounds awesome. A great value for
Mark,
Great video and riff selections. I watched the video on my phone the first time through, and went home to listen to it again and also last weeks video on the Mosaic pedal using my Blue headphones. The new Vangoa really sounds great, especially using the pickup. Had all the requisite "cathedral" tones and feels. I guess it really depends on the player and preferences, but I would anticipate this to be a better option than the Mosaic pedal for a lot of players. Makes the pedal board simpler, and gives the "And now for something different" vibe to the audience when switching guitars. I have attended quite a few concerts lately, and it seemed that guitars were being switched after nearly every other song. Nice to see you still poking the Blocker Bear!
The guitar sounds better than any entry level 12 string imho
Great stuff! Your channel is addictive !
I just received my brand new Vangoe 12 string DG 120 pro. I paid $286. I’m super excited with it. Everything they said about this guitar is right on. I love it. It is now the nicest instrument in my collection. Anybody looking for a 12 string. Go for it 👍it’s made in China lol
You and it sound great
Thanks for the review. Nice touch when you played the H.C intro 😳
I thank you for the review. I think it is a great starter pack too. I hope to be learning enough to feel confident to get one later. Thank you
I have to be fair but I'm rooting for you!
Great review Mark! I wish for more success to come your way
This kicks ass. I need a new 12 string after I get settled into my new house.
Awesome video, great song choices for the review and sounds like an awesome guitar. Super proud of you for this opportunity to review such a great guitar. Your channel is moving up my friend and for good reason. Well done Mark!
Great sharing 🌸🌸🌸
Thanks for the intro to Turn, Turn, Turn! :)
I own a Harley Benton D200 12 string and i have been very impressed with it. Got it new for 125$ you should definately have a look at it.
I have the Harley Benton D-200 sitting in my checkout basket waiting for me to get the nerve to buy it. It's so cheap it worries me. Then the Vangoa comes along. I feel they are probably even with each other with the Vangoa being a bit more expensive because of all the accessories they throw in ( which I don't want). I can get the HB with a stand and Newport 12 string capo for less! Whatcha think?
Mark, I fully admit, your review is much better than mine! Especially your playing! :)
Thanks for showcasing this 12 string. Just found your channel and subbed right away!
Sound great!
Great video Mark, that was awesome man 😀🤘🎵🔥🔥🔥
Looks sharp. Like the upgrades. 🎸🤘😎
You have been a big influence on which 12 string I eventually buy and Vangoa looks like a good choice. Thanks
Great review! Glad they finished up those fret ends! Looks like a great value. And great playing, too! :)
Very cool. That guitar sounds and looks amazing for such a low price.
I love the sap brown. Sounds beautiful to me.
Well Mark that was excellent playing as usual. As a owner of 5 12 strings( 3 Acoustic 2 electric ) mostly high end . Where was this when I wanted the chime of the 12 string. Any Guitarist out there without a 12 string. try this one out for that price. Unless your a professional you will not notice any difference in sound from this for example against my 1000 dollar Gretsch . And Mark said its playable out of the box you cant go wrong at 200 bucks .
Sounds great, man!
Very helpful - thanks? Does the Sapele Brown sound different from the other models, given its non-spruce top?
Gotta have one now. And a ‘70s songbook. 😊
Thanks for So Central Rain! :)
You caught me by surprise. I did not expect that guit-fiddle to sound so good. I've always been suspicious of laminate tops. I have a Takamine GD30Ce 12 string that I've had for almost 11 months. It sounds great. It's got a split bridge which I never saw in a 12 string before seeing this one. It also has two truss rods. It holds a tune like a champ. Long ago, I had a Yamaha L series 12 string. It put out some beautiful tones, but it was stolen when my apartment was broken into in 2008. For my next guitar purchase, I have my eyes on a Martin J-16e 12 string.
I've found that those clip on tuners only work with the low E, A, D and G strings as well as working with the B, And high E. On the octave E, A, D and G strings I always get what I call a, "nonsense reading." I use this quartz tuner that I bought back in 1983. It picks up and tunes both sets of strings in the low and octave. I have a cell phone app that works pretty well, too.
I know some people who swear that a 12 string sounds better if you tune the low E-G to 440 kz but drop the octave strings by 20 kz. Part of me says that these people are nitpicking while another part of me says that if it makes you happy and it sound better to you, go for it. The average player or listener may not pick up on the difference or probably doesn't know what a kilohertz is. Do you have any thoughts on this?
The behavior you describe, of clip-on tuners is indeed disappointing.
But if I had one, I don't think I'd find that a hindrance, because I'd just tune the fundamental strings, then tune the octave strings against the fundamentals by ear.
But then, I usually prefer by-ear tuning anyway, once I get one (or two) reference string(s) tuned.
Uh, I think you, too, may be a bit confused about kilohertz.
1. The abbreviation for hertz is Hz; for kilohertz (= 1000 Hz) is kHz. "kz" doesn't stand for anything.
2. I think that by "440 kz," you mean the A₄ = 440 Hz tuning. (A₄ is the A above middle C; the A-string on a 6-string is A₂; on a 12-string, the A-pair are A₂ and A₃.
I hadn't thought of down-tuning the octave strings. Maybe I'll experiment with that . . .
Fred
Hey Mark, great Job once again (love the Alice In Chains riff you did on your other review...such an easy riff but sounds so great on the 12). I bought a Vangoa in November, been playing guitar since I was 12 years old, have a Cort Earth, Yamaha APX but never had a 12 string, I love the guitar and the sound, switched the strings out to light guage Elixer Nanaowebs and sound is amazing.
That looks like a great value for the price! Might get one if I don't win one ;)
I was going through your videos to make sure I hadn't missed any (this is number 89 by my count, so I think I only have a few more to go). I like the new sunburst color, the black I'm not sure about. Sapele is still my favorite. You mentioned a purpleheart bridge, and I picked up on that. As I mentioned in the comments to the first Vangoa review I am a woodworker, and I have worked with purpleheart. It is VERY hard, so I think it is an excellent choice for the bridge since there is so much tension on the bridge of a 12-string guitar.
Question - does the guitar still look good? Is the bridge still in place. Thanks for the great demo.
Hey! Vangoa approached me a little over three years ago and since then the number of guitars people have purchased because of my videos is probably in the 100s. I never asked them for any money. Rather, I asked them to keep improving and to provide the best customer service. I haven't had a single person reach out to me to say that they don't like their guitar. Vangoa does supply one guitar for me to give away each month. I've given away 28 and counting. Of the winners, 2 have had issues. Both times Vangoa sent a new guitar out without even asking for the other one to be returned. They have made the following upgrades in the past three years. Switched to a bone nut. Higher quality bridge. New electronics. Bone saddle. Spruce top. Totally overhauled the giveaways. The gig bag is usable now, capo is good, etc. There are more that I can't remember. I have there here, all strung to open tunings. I use the one in open G all the time. I think they play great. They're no longer the cheapest on the block but when you factor in quality vs. price, customer service, and very usable extras, I'm still happy to stand by them. I hope that helps. Thanks so much for checking out the video. I appreciate your time and comment. Take care and have a great week. -Mark
Just subscribed. Excellent video you and 5 other recent review videos convinced me. Arrived yesterday very impressed cost $176.00 Amazon with free returns. How could I lose? Would you change the strings that come with it? If so, what strings would you recommend I buy?
I would absolutely change the strings. I use Martin and D'Addario. The Martin strings have a 10 for the high G (D'Addario is an 8) so I tend to favor Martin. I use Ernie Ball sometimes as well. I do find that the D'Addario XL strings last a big longer if you have acidic sweat like I do. I hope this helps. Mark
Excellent video as always Mark. Did I somehow miss the section on how to enter this month's guitar giveaway? I only have 4 guitars now, and my rack will hold 5 so the Vangoa would be a nice addition to my man cave.
You made an interesting observation that a laminate top 12 string with onboard preamp can more closely mimic the tone characteristics of an electric 12 string than that of a solid top. That intrigues me as I am primarily an electric player who wants to add a 12 string to my arsenal but have been torn between the two choices. Most of the songs I want to play are acoustic in nature but there are also some more electric leaning songs. That places the Vangoa in a different light.
Yep. I'm gonna buy one.
So how do I enter the contest? I didn't see anything specifically referring to the contest in the description. Do I just like, subscribe and ring the bell? If so, it is done.
There was a slide guitar video that you had on the Amazon product page. I can't find it now. Can you send a link to that one ,please? thx
For a budget guitar, this is great, if your looking for a really nice acoustic 12, I would recommend Takamine
Enjoy your videos.
Uncredible sound for such a low price. Any chance for European guitarplayers to win this one in the future? thanx for the review.
It sounds great !
Do you think Vangoa may have given additional attention to the details knowing that you would be reviewing it on RUclips? I ask because other reviews complained about very sharp fret ends, for instance.
Hey John. That's a great question. My relationship with Vangoa is as such. I receive no compensation (they have offered on multiple occasions) other than the fact that they supply a guitar for me to give away each month. For anybody that thinks that giving away a guitar every month drives extra traffic to my account: #1 they are mistaken, maybe I get four or five a month but they don't engage with the channel in any way #2 I don't sell anything on my channel so what benefit would that be to me. To answer your question. 100% these guitars come right from the factory in China and they have no idea where they're headed. I always try to tell people that I'm not the pickiest guy. I've made my living as a professional guitarist (performing, teaching, songwriting, and now youtube) for the better part of the last 25 years BUT I've never been a gear snob. As a matter of fact, I'm a bit cynical. I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that if I played the HB and the Rick and switched the audio, people would gush about the Rick and slam the HB. I've seen so many people get fooled. I love how people are commenting on subtleties of tone while listening to the comparisons on their cell phone speakers. LOL. I know I haven't answered your question yet but please let me finish my rant. I understand that a lot of mediocre players make a career out of reviewing gear (I'm a mediocre player but I still spend the majority of my extra time practicing and not looking at gear or trying to get a sound). With all that said, Vangoa has sent me a total of 7 12 string guitars. I have two of them here right now. One is the older model and the frets are smooth up and down. I just did a hard inspection on the sunburst. There are some sharp edges on the fifth and eighth frets on both sides and the 11 fret on the bottom. I just used a wad of really fine steel wool (about the size of a marble) and fixed all five in less than a minute. The guitar sells for $179 and comes with a bunch of extras that while sure they're kinda junk to me, can be quite useful to beginners. They've gone out of their way to please every winner of the guitars they've sent to my people. Two out of 15 had bridge issues and the guitars were quickly replaced. They subsequently upgraded the bridge! They always ask me how the guitar can be improved and they don't hide the flaws (they'd like to make a solid top but the international shipping makes the weather changes too much of a headache at their price point). Fair, honest people, that make an inexpensive guitar and try their best. I can overlook a couple of sharp frets and still feel like I'm representing the product fairly. I watch people complain about a spot of glue on the inside of a guitar or an extra drip of solder. I say, who cares! Some guy was going on and on about how he doesn't like how the speaker is voiced on the Spark. I told him to use the new EQ upgrade which is amazing. I also told him that in the 700+ gigs I've done, no one has ever complained about how my amp speaker was voiced. I'm guessing 500 drunk people have told me how good I am over the years. Probably 100 guitar players have come up to me and said nice show. Maybe 5 people have said 'great tone'. Yet there are people out there that spend $1000s and hours and hours finagling with stuff to get better tone. Most of those people don't even gig. I'm not saying I'm better than anybody else. You have as much as a right to make an assessment on anything as I do. I mean that sincerely. My reviews take twice as long as any other videos and I don't do many because I feel a sense of responsibility. I'm not saying this to you but I will say to the masses "chill out and practice and don't worry about the small crack in the tone control. go practice". I'm sorry but you struck a chord with me (in a good way). Know that I sincerely value your time. you probably stopped reading this 30 minutes ago but I hope you have a great week. Mark
@@8MinuteAxe Much appreciated, Mark. Aside from that certain sounds can inspire the artist to play or try new approaches, I'm pretty much with you. Look what Bob Dylan did with a subpar voice and very average guitar-playing skills. I've always said, you only have to be great at one thing, and for Dylan it was songwriting. I know many a player who is always looking for the latest gadget to cover up weaknesses in their songwriting. Maybe that's why I found a setting on my Spark and just leave it. I haven't even adjusted the volume (let alone any other knob) in months. And I am by no means great or brilliant either. But I do enjoy learning new playing techniques and composition. At any rate, a great song doesn't need great tone but an average song probably does. LOL!
It sounds like one or both of those b strings on the second and 3rd fretts are digging out. I bought one of the new dg pro models and mine is doing that very thing. Can you confirm what I'm hearing ?
Nice !
A couple of quick questions for you mark
First time laughing my ass off at the forbidden what a great fun way to put that in there for those that read the notes
Did that come with strings and everything did you just have to basically tune it up how was the intonation out of the box
And the last question for you brother is do you still have it and you still feel like it was worth it cuz I mean if you Chuck down a couple 100 bucks on the 12 string just to learn how to play that's the value nowadays if it goes more than a year and a half you got your money's worth and hasn't fallen apart.
Hey Tucker. I currently own thirteen 12-string guitars. I don't play the Vangoa all that much but I highly recommend it if you're in the market for an entry-level 12 string. Here are my reasons. Most of the entry level 12 strings or of similar quality and many of them or built in the same factory. Vangoa reached out to me a couple years ago and asked me what they could do to improve their guitars. They have made significant changes including using harder woods for the bridge, swapping out the tuning pegs for better ones upgrading the electronics and several other changes. Does that mean that the guitar sounds in plays like a $1500 guitar? No. But it stays in tune, I've owned a couple for almost 3 years and I've had no issues with him, and I've given away 23 of them and only one of the recipients had an issue and they literally just sent him a new guitar without even asking for him to return the original. I sincerely believe did they care about their customers in the quality of their instruments. I refused any compensation from them because I don't want to feel compelled to say things that I don't believe. Maybe the best testament is that not a single person in the thousands of comments I received has called me out question my integrity for backing their product. One last thing. They used to give away a capo strings a gig bag strap I tuner etc. That were very low quality. They retooled all of them. Keeper works great the gig bag is no padded the strap is better in the tuner works. I've been playing for 35 years and I don't need any of those things I've got 50 of each, but for a beginner or somebody what a limited budget they definitely make the deal that much better. Again, I say these things I save these things with no vested interest. A guy wants wrote me and told me that I benefit because I get a lot more subscribers by giving away a guitar every month. LOL. Most of the time I have about 35 entries for the giveaway. I have 31,000 subscribers. Perhaps 100 are the result of the giveaways. If that's a benefit then yes I guess I do benefit. Feel free to email me anytime. markaranalli@gmail.com. Don't worry, I don't see ANYTHING! :) Mark
Better be careful, Don Henley has a Slugworth around every corner. This guitar sounds great. I can't believe it is that cheap, especially with the added gear.
LOL. I watched WW stoned one day with a bunch of friends and had the revelation "how does Slugworth know where in the world to be?" Pretty resourceful to get a job as a waiter, tv reporter, peanut factory worker, and he just happened to be trolling the backstreets of London? Take care. Mark
great
my 16 year old son wants one so baddly but i had to tell him i cant afford one right now. i just had back surgery and am out of work so no paychecks are comming in.
#4
Like young I have said, anything sounds better on a 12, no matter the cost.
#48
You didn’t play any Stones
You didn't even plug it in and play like you said
@winaguitar