V6 Icon
Reviewed by:
J.MitMetallica, on august 17, 2007 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 327.57
Purchased from: Ebay store
Features: It’s true to say that the best guitars are built from the inside out, and Vintage enjoys a well-earned reputation for building great guitars. Nothing gives off that unique, so-cool vibe like the Vintage V6 ICON. The instrument’s character shines through the worn finish, saying 'this guitar has paid its dues’. it's sound has the heart and soul of a thousand gigs in it and you can feel it when you play it. It feels special to hold, and special to play. But how many people can afford the vintage instrument of their dreams? That special instrument which displays a unique level of wear from decades of playing, at home, numerous rehearsal sessions, smokey pubs to working mens’ clubs, gigs and tours at home and abroad? Or how many guitarists can wait 20 years before their own guitar starts to show that kind of time-related character? Now you don’t have to wait! You don’t even have to re-mortgage the house to make the payment. Renowned guitar specialists Vintage, in conjunction with acknowledged guitar guru, Trevor Wilkinson, have a new specially-aged electric guitar range that ticks all the boxes, the Vintage V6 ICON Series! // 8
Sound: I play quite a few types of music, although mainly I choose between rock or rock-blues, or even real blues type playing, and more shreddy and/or metal playing. To be honest, I bought this as a project guitar, and didn't expect it to be anything special, or even good, when I bought it, but actually, the bridge pickup's output is rather impressive, for a singlecoil, and a cheapo one at that. Using with a Vox AD50VT, no sound altering effects other than distortion, which is handles surprisingly well, not as high output as the F3 IBZ USA in the Ibanez, but that was not expected. The sound is very bright, but this was quite expected, it is a Strat copy after all, but there is no harshness to the sound, on clean it really can mellow up, and high-gained, they can scream (to an extent, which is why I will probably change the bridge pickup to a stacked hum). The neck pickup is so stratty is could be mistaken quite easily, so no problems there. Perfect for bluesy rock, decent for higher gain, but not quite high output enough. You get '60s cycle hum, but not a massive problem, I can Live with it, it doesn't bother me, so it shouldn't bother you! // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: Quite well set up for something cheap, a couple of dead spots, where the action is too low/truss rod needs adjusting, but the action overall is spot on. Pickups are fine. Bridge routing at the back is a little scraggly but nothing you can see without looking, and not an issue in terms of sound. The frets look a little crappy, but I haven't experienced any playing problems from them yet, they feel fine, which is what is important. The finish flaws are supposed to be there. // 9
Reliability & Durability: Looks pretty tough, haven't played it like. Nothing looks like it's about to fall off, and the tuning stability is excellent, barely had to tune it at all since I first did it. Haven't put a strap on it yet, but the buttons aren't moving or anything. Wouldn't gig without a backup, this is my backup. // 9
Impression: This guitar suits my needs now, and with a few mods (pups and pots), I think it will be one hell of an instrument! Have been playing 6 years, own an Ibanez Radius 540R LTD (you don't get much better quality to compare with than something from the FujiGen factory). Have 4 other guitars, but that's not important. I would probably get it again if it were stolen or lost, it is undoubtedly very cool, and a good gutiar. Like the finish, and the pickups are much better than expected. The only thing I don't like is the voulme pot being right below the bridge pup, but seriously not a biggie. Colour is very cool! You cannot go wrong at this price. I don't understand why all beginners don't buy these! // 9
V6 Icon
Reviewed by:
rv_phoenix, on november 03, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: € 256
Purchased from: M&C Music, Bucharest, Romania
Features: I've aquired a Vintage V6 Ico about a month ago, from my regular music shop. It's made in Korea, in 2010. 22 medium frets on a standard Fender scale of 648 mm. It's basically a copy of a Fender Stratocaster, with some modifications, like the body's timber - Eastern Poplar -, a graphite nut, Wilkinson E-Z-Lok tuning pegs, Wilkinson WVCCR vibrato bridge with push-in arm, 3 Wilkinson WVS passive single coils. All the rest is like in any Strat: Rosewood fingerboard (very smooth), Hard Maple neck, 1 volume and 2 tone knobs, 5-way pickup selector.
The special thing about it is, as you already know, its Worn (or Distressed, in Trev Wilkinson's British English) finish. Pretty well done. It came with an Allen key and a useless cable, all packed in a cheap cardboard box. A normal thing, I guess, given its price range. Btw, I got it at this unbelievable price because I've been offered a generous 15% discount, so its initial price was higher. I would have bought it anyway. // 8
Sound: V6 Icon's sound can be described, in a few words, as the right Fender Stratocaster sound: bright, colorful, versatile, crispy in intermediate pickup positions. However, as you know, there are many kinds of Strats: this one's sound is close to the sound of Strats from the '50s. It's warmer and mellower than a regular Strat, although its pickups are made in Alnico V, instead of Alnico III, like Fender's Vintage pickups of the '50s. I guess its extra warmth is due to its Eastern Poplar timber, whose resonance is warmer than Alder's, when playing the guitar unplugged. I must admit I had my doubts about the wood: Fender has used Poplar only occasionally, once every 10 years, but Wilkinson pickups do justice to the guitar, extracting from the wood everything it has to offer. If the wood doesn't have Alder's bright resonance, its excellent pickups make the V6 Icon sound brilliant.
I chose this guitar because I needed a Strat. I've gave away a good one, at the end of the '80s and, until now, I didn't manage to have a new one. A genuine American Strat is very expensive, though, so I sought after its best copy, because of my budget and of my limited needs. Vintage V6 Icon is one of the best copies available nowadays, at least in my country. When I took the decision to buy it, I also considered a Squier Classic Vibe '50: a very good Strat, with just about the same sound and playability as my Vintage, but more "basic" (no staggered polepieces, no Wilkinson trem, no E-Z-Loks etc.). I'm not very fond on the Worn finish, but the sound and the playability of this V6 Icon worth every cent I've paid for it.
My music style is floating between Progressive, Classic Rock and Blues. It's obvious the V6 Icon suits this kind of music perfectly, as any good Strat. It "collaborates" perfectly with my amp - a Vox Night Train + Vox NT cabinet - and my pedals (see the list in my profile). When playing Prog, I use quite a few pedals, but when playing anything else, and especially Blues, I plug the V6 Icon straight into the amp: that's when I like it the most.
As any Strat provided with Vintage single coils, it is noisier when playing in position 1, 3 and 5, because of the inevitable 60' cycle. When playing in position 2 and 4, obviously, the reversed polarity cancels the hum. But its hum is the normal hum of any Strat and it has already become a part of our musical culture. I measured it against the hum of a Fender Classic Player '50, and its hum is perfectly equal to Fender's, so I guess Wilkinson has done the right job.
V6 Icon's sound is rich, bright (but warmer than in most Strats, as I've said), sometimes crispy, with excellent highs and good harmonics. It has decent lows too, but this isn't its strongest point. I guess it's the only feature a little under the standard of a regular Strat.
You can get all the sounds you expect from a good Strat, from David Gilmour to Eric Clapton, from Jeff Beck to Eric Johnson. Due to its warmth, it doesn't reach to Yngwie, though, and, to my surprise, it doesn't do Buddy Guy so well neither: its warmth don't allow you to get that crunchy tone, characteristic for the Chicago Blues. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: I've mentioned buying it from a reputed music shop, whose regular client I am. The guitar was flawlessly setup, well intonated, the action was as it should be (not too law, so it doesn't affect fingers' dynamics, not too high, so it doesn't affect playability). The guys at the music shop said it came like this from the factory, they've only kept it in tune. However, it had two finish flaws I have to mention: 1) the vibrato's arm is a push-in type, but the small screw behind vibrato's block, that keeps the arm tight, was unscrewed: it took me an hour to find the clue and 10 seconds to fix the problem, and 2) a screw fixing the 6th tuning peg case was half unscrewed: another 10 seconds to fix it. An issue are the stock strings too: Vintage has this peculiar approach to the price tag; the guys up there think it's better to deliver the guitar with the cheapest strings available on Earth, thus lowering the price by 8 euros or something. If you're not experienced, you might just give up buying the axe, because the stock strings sound and look terrible.
Pickups were not only properly adjusted, but also staggered, for an excellent sound consistency across all 6 strings. Bridge was perfectly routed, its springs are neatly calibrated, so if you use the same strings gauge, you can re-string the axe without adjusting the vibrato. I must also say frets are perfectly polished and the general quality of the guitar is extremely satisfactory, regardless its price.
On the other hand, I've found some spots on the fretboard, after fret 17-18, where the low E string sounds slightly more silent than it should, but since I didn't notice it when checking and double-checking the axe at the music shop, I assume it might be a problem caused by the new GHS Boomers strings.
Of course, I'm aware it's not a Strat. It probably has cheap electronics, its shielding is an average one, wire inside is cheap as well. I didn't encounter any problem yet, but in this price range it's impossible to buy a masterpiece. I'm glad nothing buzzes or screeches and the guitar works just fine.
The Worn - or Distressed - finish is excellent. Once again, it can't compete against Fender's Time Machine: for instance, the push-in vibrato arm isn't consistent with the finish, being so contemporary. There are also some emulated aging marks in spots unlikely to get any marks at all. All in all, though, it's an impressive job done by the Koreans. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I didn't play it live yet - no gigs during last two weeks, - but it surely withstands any live action, with the condition of replacing its thin strap buttons by some good straplocks. The hardware, being genuine Wilkinson, is very solid and the Distressed finish doesn't have any impact on its life expectation. The paint seems to make it too, but it takes time to appreciate it more accurately.
Of course I depend on it! It's my fifth guitar, but my only Strat. I can't play it without a backup, because I use to change guitars while playing and I always have all of them on stage. I don't recommend playing live without a backup anyway, no matter which axe you play on. Axes are made by humans and are alive too: they might give up when you expect it the least.
Being a Strat and being carved in Eastern Poplar, I'm sure it's more sensitive than my Mahogany-made Vintage V 100. I wouldn't use it for stunts on stage, but, again, this is not a criterium for me personally (I never made stunts, but music). // 8
Impression: As I've said, I play Progressive, Classic Rock and Blues (occasionally doing some Heavy Metal too). It's a perfect match for Prog, Classic and Blues. I wouldn't recommend it for heavier styles of Rock. I play for about 30 years now, I own some other guitars and gear - check the list in my profile - and dare I say it's one of the good Strat-type guitars I've played in my life. It can compete against any Squier, and none of the MIM Standard Strats I've played on recently was strikingly better overall than V6 Icon. It's strange how Trev Wilkinson succeeds to give a personal touch to classic designs, like the Les Paul, the Tele or the Strat, but still retaining all their classic vibe. V6 Icon is an amazing axe when you reach to that combination of Strat brightness and Vintage warmth, so rare on recent Fenders. Its sound and playability are V6 Icon's best features, IMHO. I also depend on its versatility, and I don't dare to think someone might take it away from me, because such models are rare on a small market like my country's, hence the odds of getting another one are small too.
As I've said, it can be compared to Squier Classic Vibe '50, also to Squier Standard Stratocaster, and I can say these axes are pretty close. V6 Icon has some extra features I appreciated, like the staggered polepieces, the E-Z-Loks and the vibrato made by Wilkinson. It's also cheaper, even without the discount offered to me by M & C Music. I've also heard Tanglewood makes a pretty similar axe, but it's much harder to find one in my country, and I'm not a fan of Entwistle pickups neither (reviews for the equivalent Tanglewood are mixed, btw).
As a conclusion: if you don't afford a Fender Stratocaster - or you just don't want to pay so much on a guitar -, but still want to indulge yourself with that unmistakable Strat vibe, Vintage V6 Icon is one of the 2-3 axes you have to consider. // 8
i have a v6 guitar (they're the same except for the finish) and its awesome. only the tone potis are crap. you can only hear a difference between 1 - 3. from 4 - 10 everything sounds the same. but that doesnt really bother me. for the price this guitar is amazing. when i went to the store i requested a fender american standard strat to compare and i was really disappointed. the fender costs 4 times more and i really didnt like it. the sound was nothing special. the only thing where the fender was better were the bendings. a 2 tone bend is no prob on the fender but on the v6 its quite hard. well.....thats it. i love this guitar
hi! i would like this as my first electric would you reccomend it ? the v6 and the v6 icon are the same but they differ only in their finish, same pickups and everything...or should i go with the v100 model please reply
The vintage icon v6 is a great guitar.
In my opinion this guitar is far superior in playability and versatility to my new American strat.
I love it!
The wilkinson pickups are superb.
Don't let the looks fool you, this guitar relic is for serious players.
Don't take my word for it, if you happen to find one out there go and road test it for yourself.
Let's not exaggerate. Straight 10s are irrelevant, since any guitar on Earth has its limitations. Let's just say it's one of the best Strat copies - if not the best - available today and, also, that it has an amazing finish for its price range. I agree MIM Fenders tend to be very inconsistent, but an American Made Fender Stratocaster is still one of the greatest tools ever made. Trev's unassuming V6 Icon cannot compete with it, no doubt about it. An 8 to 8,6 rating is more accurate.
Rv_phoenix's review is awful, only a novice would buy a distressed guitar to make out he has been gigging for years when really he plays a few chords in his bedroom.
Eastern Poplar is a dull non-characteristic wood, the midtones are non-existent. It's ok for metal with hot/active humbuckers but anyone who can actually play the guitar and isn't tone deaf can hear it isn't suitable for a single coil strat sound.
Also, Wilkinson pickups are nothing more than rebadged Chinese G&B pickups, the same as Artec, GFS and Vanson. Their hardware is nothing special either, no where near the quality of Gotoh or Grover, but I wouldn't expect a novice who buys distressed poplar strats to understand this anyway.
This reviewer really shows his "wannabe" status with this review. This guitar will not give anything close to a genuine strat though it is fairly well made and its own sound is passable. My own view is that if you drool over an "aged" guitar you should really get out more an perhaps play outside your own room....if you can play that is. Just think how small you will look though when you come across another with the same guitar...."worn" in the same places with marks in the same places.....just shows up the wannabe in the people using them.
I have that guitar, i bought it last year as a new one, from internet, because in the scottish highlands there's no chance to buy used guitar without travelling hours. Anyway i needed a kinda cheap guitar, i wanted to buy epiphone firebird, or a nice les paul copy, but my stupidity is that im a strat fan, and every time i wanna buy something else i totally will buy a strat. At that time i had at home my '87 fender american strat, wich is the best guitar i have ever tried, but unfortunatly i couldnt take that one with myself to the highlands, and i didnt have money for a fender. This buy was a bargain, i bought for 200 gbp with shipping. When i got the guitar i was really disappointed. The finish totally sucks (i have the distressed sunburn). All the distressed things are just painted on it, i as expecting something else. The frets were not rounded well enough, and the tremolo setup was shit as well. This tremolo arm falls out every minute for me. Now it is on the wann without the pickguard i need to change the 5way switch in it, then probably i will sell it. Im happy cause since that time i brught my good old fender here, and i have an emperor regent as well, so im not really bored.
My advice is not to buy that guitar, choose an older mexican fender instead.
