Why Do You Not Talk About the V Brand Anymore?????
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Support the channel here - / davesimpson
Dave Music Here - davesimpson.ba...
This was not an easy vid to make people of the tube.
I hate being negative about gear but when it's not there its not there and the new Vintage's are not there in my opinion.
Look for the old ones.
look for serial numbers starting with I08 to I15.
Not just up to I12 like some fool said in the video. You fool Dave.
I hope this vid makes some sense POTT. I really do and I hope it clears things up. : )
Some years ago I was contemplating buying a Vintage PGM and I had the bright idea to have a look for reviews on RUclips. There wasn’t any videos from any of the channels I watched back then but there were two quite long videos by a chap called Dave Simpson. I thought he must have something to say and quite comprehensively too. So I watched one, then the other. Very soon Dave became my go to for sound advice. Now I’m incredibly lucky and honoured to be able to call him my friend, Cici too.
What is happening with Vintage guitars is very sad. I have a 535 (335 copy) which is great. I had the V6 Icon as seen in this video, which was also great. Then we come to the Gold Top, that is great, but only because Dave made it so.
Thank you for making this video Dave, it’s wonderful to see those guitars again and if nothing else I’m thankful to Vintage because a search for one of their guitars found me a friend.
Dave, you are the perfect person to lead the charge for this guitar community. You are a force for good in the world, thank you so much for the amazing content.
Come on people, let's uplift a genuine and positive person in this community. Like and share, people!
“A duck with asthma” couldn’t stop laughing at that for about 2 whole minutes, had to rewind it and listen to what you said after 😂😂
When Vintage get it right, they nail it. When they get it wrong, it's a disaster....A bit surreal to see my old guitar on your channel too, pleased to see you enjoying it.
Very much so. Full vid on it coming soon. :)
I was speaking with Trev Wilkinson last November and we were discussing the brand. I was surprised when he said he no longer endorsed them and sticks with his electronics and hardware now. May make a lot of sense that the quality has taken a nose dive.
Did he sell the brand ?
I'm not sure how I missed this video, my respect for you has gone through the roof. I saw vintage at the Birmingham guitar show around 2020/21? and their prices had gone up. I'm glad I didn't end up going home with one. Thank you for your service Dave!
Oh! I got the new Vintage V6 ReIssued Silverburst stratocaster this month. Fender custom shop worthy.
The neck is FAT, 10's play like 9's, QC was amazing. Only the pickups aren't quite inspiring but I'll get some Tex Mex to fix that soon.
But in other words: super satisfied with mine. Cheers!
I agree wholeheartedly Dave. I've had 25 Vintage guitars in the last 10 years many I regret selling. Best period for Vintage was when they were building up the brand and Wilkinson started to have serious involvement in around 2005 till around 2014 when they looked to expand into the US so started to change the body shapes to avoid litigation. JHS have used many factories in many different countries like a lot of different brands, Korea, China, Indonesia and now Vietnam. Some of the early Vintages are stunningly good especially if the stock appointments are upgraded and I have picked some up for literally peanuts 2nd hand. The older ones are unfortunately getting really hard to find now especially the Icon series and the limited edition signature models such as the Mick Abrahams, and Graham Oliver SG's and the Thomas Blug V6 which are uniformly incredible guitars for what they cost new.
Have to agree, and have 7 Vintage brand guitars in my collection - all bought secondhand and from early 2000s up to 2019, and they are uniformly great. A valid point is that many may have been setup before I got them BUT as a luthier (amateur) in training and after 46 years playing, none of them had any major flaws. I know that Dave's video has upset some folk over on the Vintage Guitar Facebook group, but I would be horrified to buy a new Vintage and find the problems Dave describes in the video. It doesn't matter who the brand is - Fender, Gibson or Vintage - the QC has to be top notch and ALL of them screw up from time to time. My brand new Fender Mex strat came with a bloody plastic nut and I went ballistic with Fender (non)customer service (got me nowhere). I love Vintage guitars but I would complain like hell if one arrived - as a £400+ guitar - with serious QC and playability issues. If other companies like Harley Benton can get it right (yeah they suck sometimes too) then so should Vintage. I'd be gutted to see this great brand and Trevor Wilkinson's rep - even though not directly involved anymore - go down the toilet.
TO ALL WHO READS THIS: As Dave does the right thing by us, by not forcing us to sit through "midroll" advertisements (which reduces his income) simply allow the ads at the start of the videos to run to completion. You will be increasing his income and be saying THANK YOU.
Nope. Love Dave but I wouldn’t even do that for god
@@donthaveaname1086 Would you prefer to have ads interrupt your videos?
There is a guy who put afford in his clips and i get them for free...its totaly fine for me to watch commercials for that. Like my granny always told me: nothing in life is for free😅
@@donthaveaname1086 Dude I hope you never need a small helping hand for anything …Sad..very sad ..🙁
Can't even cancel them ads lol
The RUclipsr MadMalko once made a point that could be true of Vintage. He said back in the 80's a lot of company's started out making affordable guitars and a lot of them were very high quality, because they built the guitars for £200 say and sold them for £400. But then once the guitars started getting more popular they thought, well hey, people are buying these for £400, why don't we start making them for £50 and selling them for the same price. Profit comes before the quality of the instruments and the public profile tanks.
yep , when ceo's , managers ect. get involved there only motive is money / bonus , this greed thing is killing all that's good on this planet in so many way's , and yet , it just goes on and on , ahh , people , it makes you wonder sometimes .
Phil McKnight once said that some of his favourite affordable guitars are Vintage. He also said that his worst affordable guitars were also Vintages! My guitarist will absolutely swear by them, but every one I've had has been incredibly heavier, a weird sticky finish and all time unpleasant to play.
I think they're one of those brands that have tried to cut corners, but also can't keep up with the current plethora of affordable guitars from Harley Benton, Cort, Jet etc. They're just not up to it right now.
I must have touched lucky as my 2021 Lemon Drop is pretty much perfect. Also very heavy - a couple of pounds heavier than my Les Paul - in fact it's the heaviest one I have - a real shoulder breaker. Only thing I've done other than periodically change the strings has been to lower the action to suit me. Having listened to the nightmare you've had I think you've put me right of getting a Silverburst.
Great video, have encore vintage standard custom, body of evidence sunburst. Recently purchased the new vintage pgm I love it.
Keep up the good work Dave. Peace ✌️
Thanks for doing this video Dave. I was wondering what was going on. I have 5 vintages, they are all very good, a couple are flat out great, but they are all second hand older models.
Bought a 2011 Vintage icon series v6 strat,
Amazing guitar!!
Got a tonerider ‘classic blues’ bridge pickup sounds awesome.
I had a vintage v6 with a huge neck pocket gap, and when I took off the trem cover, a huge chunk of wood had been crudely hacked out as the trem block didn't fit. Sounded great though
I’ve recently bought a 2024 v100 silver burst. Honestly can’t fault it! It arrived with no flaws unlike my Gibson. It has a good spec. Grover tuners, graphtech nut, rosewood board, long neck tenon, one piece neck. etc etc. no problems with dead or sharp frets. Heavy too, like an lp type should be. Maybe I got lucky!
I remember your V gold-top, and the video you did after doing all the work you had to do. All my V's are old ones, all brought used (mine were great bergins, as they can be) and all play very nicely
Bought a cheap V6 in 2018 off eBay as a guitar to mess around with. Haven't changed a thing and it's now my number 1. Was planning on getting a V100 PGM at some point. After watching this I've go for an old one
Hi Dave, I have 4 Vintage Guitars. I have 2 Acoustic's one Synergy and a Paul Brett Statesboro' both excellent. I also have a Peter Green icon distressed, and it is amazing. And I have a Strat icon V6 series and also very good. A happy chap.
Interesting Vid. After watching your V6 Shootout I bought a 2012 V6 cheap online.. While waiting for the postman I went into the guitar store and played a few new ones and instantly regretted my purchase. The guitar that arrived though is brilliant. It doesn't feel nor sound "cheap". Not sure if the previous owner had a luthier go to work on it cause it's that perfect but it's a keeper.
When someone is bought in to increase profits for a company, the easiest route is to change your current manufacturer. Of course this rarely if ever benefits your customers, this happens all the time in the fashion world. I think you gave a very fair assessment Dave.
The fashion industry is able to change factories easily because the skills to produce fabrics and clothing exist in every country in the world, so they simply move production to wherever wages are the lowest.
I used to work for the world leader in fabric testing instruments, and we could track the fashion industry around the world just from where we were exporting to at any time.
I have 5 Vintage guitars all bought between 2019 and end of 2021 a VSA500,VS6,V75,V100 and the last one I got is a V65 all absolutely perfect no QC issues at all apart from string height to my own preference and I'd put all of them against their Gibson/Fender counterparts amazing guitars for the money. Although, I haven't tried any of the newer ones I think they changed factories and specs in 2022 at some point and although they now have Rosewood boards again and Grover tuners, so sound better spec wise I haven't tried any personally. The only thing I would add is if you get them from a reputable guitar shop like Richards Guitars or I got all of mine from GAK you are more likely to get a good one especially Richard Guitars I think they setup all of them up before hand👍🤘Keep up the good work though Dave I appreciate why you've done this video👍
I must have gotten lucky. I recently purchased a new V100IT. Perfect out of the box. Well set up, no finish flaws, perfect fretwork and sounds great. In the 56 years I've been playing I have owned many Gibson LPs over the years and this guitar is as good as any of them and in fact better than some that have passed through my hands.
Every guitar company including Gibson, Fender, Martin...you name it, have all gone through periods of quality control issues and made the necessary adjustments to recover.
I have recently played 2 newer Vintages, my own, and one belonging to a member of The Commodores that I met in December who uses a V100 when touring. In fact, I bought mine afyer checking his out. Both are beautiful guitars that play and sound great.
I have a Vintage V100 burst that I purchased in 2011 from a music shop it had been hanging around in for a year or two. It has no serial number anywhere on the outside of the guitar.. It isn't that it was removed. The guitar was pristine! Can anyone provide some insight on this? Beautiful, magnificent guitar in every way. But yes hoping for some clarity on this. Quite odd-- no serial number.
Vintage didn’t serial number all there guitars. I used to have a v6 with no serial number.
Thank you! Guess it’ll just have to remain part of the mystery & beauty of it. Love your channel! Keep on keeping on
Got my V100 PGM in November. It‘s pretty much like Mr. Simpson describes his. It‘s heavy, the finish is clean, the frets and the nut have the right length and it sounds amazing. Serial Number starts with I21. Lucky me.
I have a PGM I21. It is heavy, well made and plays great. Made in Vietnam.
My username comes from my 2002-ish Vintage SG.
When I bought it, I tried a Gibson and an Epiphone too. The Vintage came home with me. I'll not sell it. In 21 years, I haven't had to alter the truss rod, furtle the frets, dress the nut or replace the tuners.
I replaced the pickups as after ~15 years they became microphonic. The bridge is a roller type now, to accommodate a Duesenberg trem, and there's a String Butler fitted to maintain post-wobble tuning stability.
It's as smooth to play as a Yamaha SG1000 I once had the pleasure of playing.
Sad to hear they've dropped the ball so far from the early days of the brand.
As for crash testing, unlike a Gibson, mine has survived a ( pre straplock fitting ) drop from the strap coming off, landing head first and a few knocks off the stand. No damage.
I bought a Thomas Blug signature strat several years ago and I love it . Having said that I did put a new neck on it as the shaved neck didn’t suit me . I would certainly give it 10 out of 10 . Thanks for sharing Dave .
I have a 2011 Vintage Thomas blug Summer of love (Monterey) guitar. It’s heavy but it plays as good as my top end custom shop strats and the floating tremelo works perfect - never goes out of tune, even after wild dive bombs. Cost me £240 second hand.
How would you compare the new v6's to the G&L tribute series? I am planning to buy either one of them as in my country they are about the same price(600 USD-ish). My opinion on these two guitars are very conflicted as the v6 has my aesthetics while the G&L are renowned for their quality control. I would love to hear your thoughts on these guitars so I could decide on what to get and which gives more value for the money.
I started following Dave's channel recently and don't have any experiences with Vintage Brand guitars, so I can't comment on their quality. However, I have experienced one very bad Harley Benton which had the nut cnc cut on angle 1/16 over the binding on one side to 1/16 under the binding on the other.Planning to recut and fill the nut cut in the neck, but out of 7 HB guitars,having one fubar is not a bad average. There seems to be a pattern with inexpensive guitars, get them when they are just getting a following, when their attention to quality is apparent. I wonder if Jet guitars are still on the "Up Swing" on quality?
Sam- Do you still use the Jet JS300 you bought?
I recently bought a V6 Reissue. After months of failing to be satisfied with Fender or Squire. So, what did I get? Great sound to be fair. But frets that stuck out and cut me, nut from a completely different guitar and drips in the finish that need knocking back and polishing out. Annoyed, but I'm doing the work myself so no cost to me. Now the frets are re done it does play and feel really good. Shame they couldn't give me a finished one!
I am a guitar repairman and had a 62, 64 and 68 strat had lots of lespauls and newer strats and teles. I see a lot of gibsons and fenders in my shop and discovered the vintage brand guitars about 2 years ago. a friend of mine owns a guitar shop and carrys them. i have 3 vintage strats and 4 of there lespaul models and a jd tele. had to do some minor fret work on some and had a microphonic bridge pickup solved pulling the cover off. For the price of these guitars i think they are great instrments. I love the hardware and pickups in these guitars, necks are fantastic and they all sound great. each one has its own feel and sound, i have seen some that are not as good but i have been lucky in finding good ones. i think this is in all guitar brands, i once read that sammy hagar said that they made bad guitars years ago also.
Bought a V6 icon strat about 8 year ago and its lovely solid guitar . And I'd been thinking about getting another, maybe a Les Paul type? Ive noticed the Icon strats have turned in Coaster strats and Wilkinson pickups are now Entwistle . Anyway I'll look for a older one 👍
Just after coming across a 2001 v6 which even seems to have a rosewood fretboard. Any info on these really early ones?
I don’t really know. Sorry.
I think you also got a splinter(!) off that gold top if I recall. I was very tempted to buy one when they first came out, until I saw your video that is. Probably saved me a lot of heartache, cheers!
So what is the good Vintage cutoff date ? The pre-CBS date or serial number for the good Vintages.
I have an I22 reliced Lemon Drop and it is excellent. That said, I had to do some set up work to get the action to where I want it, but it played fine out of the box after tuning. The tuner on the G is a bit rattly which can be annoying. The guitar is the correct weight but where they have done the relicing the wood is quite pale. The neck is like silk, nicely finished and the right colour, but I do kinda wish I had bought an un-reliced one. The relicing is not hand done on the wood and on some of the metal parts look almost corroded rather than aged.
There’s a real split (Splitters! LOL) about the current state of the Vintage brand. I just watched a video by a shop owner in Stratford who adores them & has for 25 years. Funnily enough though he makes some of the same points as here, about their sometimes what he calls,“ raw quality” 😂
Hello Dave, I hope all is well with you. I have a Vintage V100 TSB (no flame top) with gold hardware. The headstock has what appears to be mother of pearl for the name and the pattern. There is no serial number on it, the neck joint is like that of an Epiphone or Gibson, the humbuckers were unbranded but I fitted Vanson 57 Alnico II humbuckers to it and it absolutely sings. After a little bit of research I believe it to be a MK1 but I couldn't say for sure.
I have the same guitar, wonder when they stopped using the mop inlays ?
I have a V100 AFD that I brought ten years ago and with the exception of a nut that needed slightly filing it’s a great guitar, sounds great feels nice too play, Sad to see that their quality has tanked.
,agree with the poor fretwork - bought a 2019 PG lemon drop and spent an hour finishing the frets. Was less than £300 so happy with it as a fixer upper. I still like the pups and out of phase wiring tho
Great video as always Dave. I have to ask though, where’s the Gibson video. You posted a picture about of the Gibson. Saying look what came into my life, but no video what’s going on buddy? I’m excited for you as always. How ever I need a video buddy, what’s going on. Where’s the video, I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering.
I’ll get a vid done but it won’t be out till june due to a backlog of vids i have to get through.
Hi Dave,
the guys at my local shop are selling Vintage guitars and so far the ones I’ve played were ok. Of course, they’re not high-end, customshop guitars, so you will always be able to find some “imperfections”. Main thing I don’t like about these Wilkinson pickups is the lack of bite. They are too woolly for me. But next time I’m at the shop I’ll have a closer look. Let’s see if they’ve got an old one to try to see (feel and hear) the difference .😉👊👍
Got a VSA 500 2020 and it's a great guitar! I thought these instruments were made for upgrade but it sounds amazing! Maybe I'm lucky but there is nothing wrong with this guitar, sound, playability and wilkinson pickups are great. For the post 2015 instruments maybe people should try in a shop and really feel if it's good or not?
I have a Vintage V6 Icon with a humbucker in the bridge. It was bought new about two and a half years ago, and although it has flaws, I think it's good. It was my first proper electric (i had a £100 ibanez sg before that broke), I think it's great. Yeah it had issues like the frets weren't perfect so you could hear the scratching of the string when bending or using vibrato, but with enough use, that issue literally wore away. I replaced the pots because they got scratchy fast but that was pretty cheap. Also, the string tree sometimes creaks when you bend the high b and e, and I recently replaced the bridge because I needed new saddles as the old ones were somehow collapsing in on themselves when I tried to adjust the action.
However, this has been over the course of the past two and a half years. I've played it at home, at gigs, and everywhere else. The tuning is impeccable for a guitar at this price and with the new bridge, the only time it needs tuning is after drastic temperature changes which aren't common. I'm able to downtune and have it stay there without need for adjusting the strings over and over. I don't have much experience with other guitars but it is definitely comfortable to play and I love it. But compared to the way you talk about the brand from the past, I don't think it lives up to that standard anymore.
Hi Dave, if you would buy a les paul today. Would it be better to get a secondhand vintage v100 or a epiphone les paul 60s standard?😊
Second hand vintage but try before you buy.
A couple of years ago I picked up a 2019 V6 icon distressed strat copy, I'm not a very good player but It's my favorite to play over my Fenders and Gibsons as the neck is only 42.24mm wide at the nut. The finishing is superb to my untrained eye and it feels just right . I think these (almost mythical it seems) thin necked versions are the ones to look out for .... maybe?
thanks for the vid, i have a v6 2018? (really hard to read gold lettering on maple?) i got it from richard guitars and had to be sent back for a set up has settled into one of the best guitars i have owned(silly cosmetic issue but no probs) and i love this guitar- i take it i must have one of the better new ones ? kep up the brilliant channel xx
Dam! That is brutally honest. That is why I respect your decision. And again, thank you for the absolute recommendation on that Golden Plexi 1. It is absolutely insane. Although may i please make one request? Supro Delta King 8. Yes it is a 1wtt, not much head room, no reverb, but you can crank it, add pedals if you want clean and go straight into plexi because it is a literal Blues Breaker before Marshal. The Chicago blues amp. It is worth every open box or retail sale. It can be used like a pedal! I am NO salesman FYI
I just LOVE this amp. It is the extra weapon that you may secretly need. It's addictive. 😂
@Two Ravens Music absolutely! It blew me away. Can you imagine that ran through a bigger amp as a Blues Breaker? It would send Dave into absolute orgasmic spasm. I know I would.
I bought a non-relic 2011 (serial starting 11 with no letter) lemon drop last year and it’s awesome, I wouldn’t mind if it was a bit less heavy though 😄 I love how it sounds - It was probably one of your videos that convinced me!
Hi Dave, you totally echo my experience, I can't comment on new Vintage brand guitars but I have 2, both early models. My PGGM lemon drop is the original with Gibson like neck heel and I prefer it to my real Les Paul, likewise my early Strat style Vintage guitar is better than my 1990's Fender Stratt. It's a shame, but as you say it seems the older, First edition Vintage guitars are fantastic. Come on Vintage, get your act and Mojo back.
Just ran to check my Vintage V100PGM... Mine's an I19xxxx but have to say that it's beautiful (and built like a tank - heavier than a heavy thing!)... no sharp frets, looks gorgeous, had the same look on my face as Dave in his original unboxing video... #Phew
I own the Vintage LP style "paradise" that is meant to look like slash's guitar. It's a 2017 model and it's pretty solid, no complaints. Paid 450 for it and it was brand new. It's not quite a nice as my gibson (the top is cheesy) but it's a great guitar for the price.
I've got V100 tobacco sunburst I got second hand a few years back and I love it. This one has no serial number and I don't think it was removed by previous owner. It has an old style Les Paul set neck and not one of the new ones that come with modern easy access set neck. Anyone seen this before? I can't tell the age of it.
I'd love to see how you use your Katana Artist. I've watched all your videos about the Katanas and I bought a Katana 50 mk2 on your recommendation, which I love. I just haven't seen you do any videos about your Katana Artist outside of when you unbixed it and used it one time. Did I miss a video or two?
You have yeps. I have some other vids on it and using it.
I’ve got an old fretless p bass
and the fretboard is at least 10mm thick rosewood slab. Sounds killer.
A duck with asthma is the quote of the year
I bought one of those original vintage gold tops and the fit finish etc was top,notch ,,it sounded ,felt and played as good as the Gibson I own ..same with the PG lemon drop I still own ,mines the relic one ..the neck on that knocks spots off the Gibson for feel and playability ….as for fenders .I bought a Fender 50’s road-worn vintera strat a few weeks ago, a limited edition 57 like gilmours .it’s got fat 50’s in it which sound ruddy awful too be frank ..I told you about an affinity squier a while back which cost me 50 quid from a shop in town ..that thing knocked spots of this Vintera for feel ,playability and sound .that’s with the stock ceramic pickups too ..to be honest I’m thinking of getting rid of it and buying a squier CV for a hell of a lot less money and then getting a CV tele as well …❤❤you got me back into playing a bit Dave after years of not wanting to ..I’ll not be gigging again but playing again is a start..
I just bought a new Thomas Blug Signature Strat a few days ago at my favorit guitar store and it is sounding and playing killer! Only 3,4 kg and and no quality problems at all! I own also a F CS Strat, and for me the Vintage sounds as good as! Cheers Nobby
I have a newer v100 AFD and it’s amazing besides the setup. Took it to a luthier and the bridge had to be raised really high to get it playable with no buzz and to intonate it. Besides the high bridge, it’s perfect. Good to hear all of this as I’ve been looking for a Peter green model in lefty, might have to search for an older one if they made lefties back then.
I’ve owned several of them and the QC is very iffy which is a shame because they’re pretty good specs. Getting a bit expensive too now.
I must have had insane luck with my V6 that I bought last year as a B-Stock. Looks amazing, feels amazing, and sounds amazing. Okay, it has enough fret buzz to actually hear it through the amp, but somehow that just makes me rock out absolutely psychotically with that thing, so ....oh well....I guess...
Thanks Dave. That’s really interesting.
The serial number of my AFD Paradise LP-style V guitar suggests it was made in 2013.
It’s a guitar with great bones, but the nut was poorly installed and is a fraction closer to the high E string, so that the high E sometimes strays off the edge of the fingerboard board and gets stuck under a fret. There is also filler between the fingerboard and the nut slot. I need to get the nut redone.
Apart from that, once I put a Seymour Duncan Jazz neck humbucker in, it’s sounded great. It’s very well made except for that one bit of sloppy workmanship.
It weighs as much as a hippo (if not more). I’m not sure if that’s an advantage - I most often reach for one of my lighter guitars. But it sounds like a LP-style guitar should.
Mine has the name ‘Vintage’ inlaid with Abalone. Does that indicate that it’s one of the better ones? I’ve not been in a shop that sells them for ages, but noticed that they’d stopped using Abalone lettering - which made me think they might be cost-cutting.
If I were to buy an LP today, I’d go for one of the best Epiphones - they’re hitting it out of the park these days. My ES-339 Epi is perfect (I also put Seymore Duncans in that one, which helped). They are really fantastic guitars.
I’d rather spend more and get something that’s perfect out of the box than buy a budget guitar that needs fixing and upgraded parts. In the end, it may cost about the same (and that doesn’t take into account wasted time, fixing it oneself or taking it to a tech).
If I were a broke student, I could see the logic in buying something cheap and upgrading various parts when money allowed, but that’s not my situation these days.
My experience overall has been that one gets a lot more quality for one’s money than one did two or three decades ago - thanks, I think, to computer-controlled precision. It’s a shame JHS have lost their way, however, and hope they can lift their quality to its former level. If they can’t get their QC up to scratch, there are other makes (eg. Epiphone) that will attract buyers that might have formerly bought a V. If that’s happening now, I can’t imagine how they’ll survive.
Thanks again.
Why do they need to be heavy? I quite like light personally. I don’t get the ‘toy’ vibe because a guitar is light.
i have a 2015 lemon drop plays like a dream and you are bang on its heavy around 4.5kg and is solid extra wide padded strap sorted that out. will never get rid of it ive had a few epiphine les pauls (cant afford gibson) and they have no comparison campared to the lemon drop
Hullo Dave, I would love to hear about your experiences playing at that Fashion show, would be interesting to hear about!
I have a vid coming out in june.
I have a 2021 and a 2015. The 2015 is remarkably stable. The newer one needed a fret level, but was fine after that. The newer one is more resonant and sounds a tad better amplified. The neck is also bit chunkier.
I do actually have a V52 Icon Telecaster, you can see me play it in my videos and... It's wonderful, and it's only from around... A year an half back, brand new from Vintage as well, one of the Distressed Telecasters and... I love it, I just have some trouble with the electronis with the neck pickup being weird, but in a way... I don't miss it cause the middle position still works with them both, and it's just gorgeous, it's my favourite tone at the moment. So yeah, weird in it haha! Maybe it just is exactly that, Trev has decided to stick to what he's good at but don't endorse them anymore and the factory just isn't up to par... Which, if that is the case, is ridiculous seeing as they have made their money now haha 😂 But definitely, just thought I'd share that, keep these wonderful videos always coming Dave, I don't comment much cause I always forget hahaha! But I watch every single one of your videos and have been a subscriber for many years, absolutely love what you do, and thanks to you, I get the tones I'm after now, none of this 12 o Clock to start with, all zero and work from there haha. Works with modellers, VSTS, amps, it's so great xx And you're right... Treble is just fingers on a chalk board sometimes hahaha! Depending on how it's voiced... Anyhow, god bless and see yah in another soon buddy 🙏🙏😍😍
Interesting, thanks. I own an older Vintage acoustic which sounds lovely. V300 solid-top. I recall hearing that this much-lauded acoustic was amazing for the first few production runs, but that they started to drop off somewhat to be only 'quite good later on, in contrast to the plaudits it received in the beginning.
I regret selling a Fernandez Telecaster a few years ago, it had vintage SDs in it and it sounded bloody marvellous. I think I sold it for £120, crazy moment.
Go lie down in a darkened room for an afternoon...!
Thaanks for your honesty Dave.
What are your thoughts on Harley Benton? I've a few knocking about and I could send you one to have a play with for a while if you want R Dave
I’ve not had a good experience with the company so I don’t really have anything to do with them.
I picked up an 09 v100pgm 2 weeks ago for £220 off eBay, absolutely loved it... So much so that I managed to grab a 2012 v100afd for £130 the week after. Both guitars are well finished with great fretwork and feel and sound absolutely wonderful.
This is one of the many reasons we closed down the largest Vintage group on Facebook 5k members at one point . None of us could recommend the newer stuff. Quality spiralled downwards from 2016 ish and only got worse. It seemed once Trevor Wilkinsons association ( contract ) with the Vintage range was over the quality left the building with him.
For inexpensive amazing fender style try the entry level Tagima brand. I found them to be as good as American fenders. Would have bought one but I already have 3 classic vibes and I'm more of a Gibson style man.
I highly recommend the MIJ Burnys but now they're made in china I think? But even those are better than Epiphones. Look better too, But the Tagima are amazing for Fender Style. Truly.
Sadly, when a company goes for profit over quality you will always be left disappointed as a consumer. I don´t own a Vintage, I went the Cort route and would put them against any Gibson even today, but I have played quite a few, the old ones were mint! Now that they are going for profit over quality, they are shite! So disappointing!
May of 2020 I purchased a V100pgm model with serial starting M20,which means its a 2020 year of production,brand new from the shop,zero fingerprints on guitar straight from the box.Stunning flame top,all the frets edges are done perfectly without sharp leftovers ,smooth feels through all neck,fingerboard is rich dark color .Bone nut just like should be.The guitar staying in tune forever seriously for weeks.Never have that experience before.Its 3.7 kg heavy and you can feel the resonance and vibration while you playing it.The only thing that I changed so far is output jack which is my fault.
Not so far ago I had opportunity to play R0 ultra light aged with the price of almost 8.000€…Preferred v100 over R0 without doubt in this case
i hope this video doesnt have the jhs effect and increase the prices of those 2008-23 ones by 10x lol. thanks for making a video on the brand tho cos i had never heard of them beforehand and will have a look round for pre owned ones from around that time when looking at getting another guitar. i guess aswell if you find new ones in shops in real life you can check them out in person to see wether a new ones worth buying or not
I've had five Vintages over the years. I had a V2 I kept for a few years, but I don't have any of them now, which probably says it all. I have played some nice ones though.
Thanks for this. The lemon drop is one I always wanted . I saw your video on it years ago and thought it sounded brilliant. Good to know the newer versions of it aren't the same. Do you have any feeling on the epiphone special with p90s ?The television yellow version looks sleek.
I am glad someone reputable said it loud....I had to return 3 V guitars two years back, none of them was a decent quality and my basic squiers and HB were built better :( I really wanted the V strat, but just was not lucky enough to get the decent piece. All the tube reviews presented excellent quality and tone and I wondered how possible I got three lemons....
The Vintage guitars were excellent, mostly before they changed to the funky neck heel and the over curve on the body around the toggle switch area... I have a 2011 Lemon drop and it's fantastic... I also have a VV60 TA flying V which is pre body shape change... They are both amazing guitars and are playing superbly still in 2024...
Vintage was essentially a platform for Wilkinson and I don’t believe that relationship exists anymore. I could be wrong.
I don't mind buying a cheap guitar cause I do my own mods and set ups etc but if I'm paying $6-$700++ I do expect a certain amount of fit n finish
My Guitar tech says the same, a real pity as my old Vintage SG is good and my son's lefty Strat is fantastic, they really need to sort their act out, got brands like Jet now turning out very good guitars and even epiphone getting reasonable, I've heard!
I stopped buying replicas of the real stuff. That Les Paul in honey color is really beautiful but I’m a Strat girl. I finally got my Custom Shop 59 Reissue and unless I find an affordable 50s or 60s Strat I’m done. I’m selling my Les Paul and Reverend Sensei because I don’t like playing them. Probably going to sell my Jaguar and maybe the MIJ Jazzmaster. That leaves me with all Strats, a Reverend 6 Gun and a Squier Bullet Telecaster that I really like. I enjoy your demo videos, especially amps and pedals. 👍☮️🌞🎸🎵❤️
This surprised me, as I owned a couple of 'Vintage' Strats in the early 80s. I gigged and toured with them. I could go on about why they were good, but I'll spare everyone lol. Early Squires could also be very good or not so much. Guess it comes down to how you choose an instrument, and the "timing" of production.
@Jamie Mallender No, the Asian built guitars branded 'Vintage'. Allegedly made in the same factory that made the 'Vantage' guitars.
In 2006 I walked into my local Guitar Center and saw a made in 2004 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top with a $50 discount. Being interested I saw that it was made in Korea. The other Epi LPs in the store were more current made in China versions. In my opinion the '04 MIK was much better made that the current MIC at that time. I ended up buying the '04 MIK because I figured that if I wanted an Epi LP I should get the MIK before they were no longer available. The quality of the Epi MIC did improve, in my opinion, but at that time seemed lower quality.
My Vintage lemon drop is 2011 - Perfect guitar
Played a few Vintage branded guitars around five years ago in a shop in York, they were superb instruments for the money and had their own character too. Actually , scratch that, they were Fret King guitars. Still from the Trev Wilkinson catalogue I believe? Are they still around, as I don't see them anywhere these days?
Bought a vintage VRS in secondary school because it looked cool. Kept it because it plays absolutely amazingly. I agree that the new ones just aren’t on par. It’s a shame really.
I think if you get a new Vintage you really have to get it set up. I've got a Lemon Drop LP which needed the nut filed down and the 13th fret had to be filed down as well. I got it second hand at about half list price so that's fine. I like the fact it's light, it's a relief from my two Gibson LP whch are like strapping on a boat anchor in comparison. I've got a Vintage Strat which I had no trouble with, fine guitar
Dave...What is your opinion on the Hiwatt Crunch solid state series? I would like to hear you demo them. They make a 350 watt head that looks like a monster.
I’ve not tried them I’m afraid.
I have a 2007 Lemon Drop with the original neck joint. The matte 'relic' finish looked shit but a bit of polishing sorted that out. It's a great guitar for the price, with superb tones; fairly close in sound to my Gibson and with a smaller, easier to play neck. I swapped the bridge pickup for a DiMarzio Virtual PAF and for some reason cannot get the Peter Green in-between tone anymore, however, at £349 this guitar was a real steal
I bought a Vintage V100 back in 2013 or so, back when everyone raved about how amazing the quality was, and people today say they were amazing, but despite the quality control label saying it was fully done set up etc, the damn thing had a very obviously wonky fretboard and terrible frets. Since then I haven’t so much as touched the brand, and have been put off ever touching one again.
Totally agree Dave. Its like they are now being pumped out of the same factory as the low end Harley Bentons, with all the same kinds of hit and miss quality issues. The best years for JHS Vintage seem to have been around 2005 - 2015. I had a 2010 '56 style LP Goldtop with Wilkinson stacked soap bar P90's that was really well finished and I still have one of their aged SG Juniors with Wilkinson single dog ear P90 that is great to play.
What do you think of the newer v100 greeny moore?
I don’t think its as good in looks, feel or sound.
I got a Vintage Les Paul 2 years ago. Rubbish pickups. No bite at all. Put in some Tonerider pickups and it now sounds great.
Interesting. I was after a Casino and tried the Vintage copy a couple of years ago and was completely underwhelmed.
I bought 3 new ones a few months ago, Strat, tele, and les Paul ( the PGM ) and came to the exact same conclusion in my vids, Buy a new one direct and theres an almost certain chance it will be wrong, possibly very wrong. Im kitted out to fix all these guitars and make them right before they go to their next homes but sadly 99.9% of people buying them new will end up being ripped off.
Yeah, mine’s alright. I’m no expert but I’m pleased with it. It had had some set up work done on it prior to me buying though.