Looking very fetching in a stunning and elegantly carved genuine flame maple top, this gorgeous slice of guitardom is as good to play as it is to look at.
Reviewed by:
tommilee, on april 20, 2006 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 457.5
Purchased from: Mel-Tone
Features: Made in 2004 I think but I don't know where it was made probably America. It has 24 frets which is useful for annoying the neibours. it has a laminated finish all over except the fred board obveously. Rosewood fingerboard with abalone dot inlays. The neck is made from maple wood and the body from Eastern Poplar with a flamed top. Wrap over bridge. You get 1 volume control and 1 tone control and a 3-way selector for the pickups. Wilkinson Double Coil x 2 (N)MWVC (B)MWVC pickups. // 9
Sound: This guitar is perfect for what I play. You can play overdrive on this guitar and it sound exactly how you want it however when you use the " whao-Bar" it slightly sets the guitar out of tune so I tend not to use that. I play anything from greenday to Slipknot and this guitar is well suited. I am using it mainly with a 30W Marshall amp but ocasionally a 100W Marshall amp, I have a Boss Overdirve/Distortion Pedal and a Boss Metal Zone pedal which I use all the time. The guitar sounds best on the bridge pickup with full tone, if the tone is off the sound is low and distorted so keep the tone on. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was perfectly set up for any type of playing at the factory although I did have to send it in for repair because the volume knob fell off. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This guitar will withstand live playing although the strap buttons need tightning every now and then because they come loose, the best tip for that is to super-glue the screws into the body and that way the won't come loose for a while. The hardware does seem it will last a while I've had mine for nerly a year and its almost just like when I got it. I would not use it at a gig without back up because I am always prepared for the worst even if I didn't think it would fail on me I would still take a backup. The finish won't last too long I can see it lasting another 6 months before it Starts to wear off. // 9
Impression: As I have said I play anything from Green Day to Slipknot and the guitar plays all the music perfectly. I have been playing for a year now an this was my first guitar and its my favorite, I also have a Hohner Les Paul Copy and a Yamaha electro-acoustic which I play on a regular basis. If this guitar was stolen of lost I would go out and buy 2 more one just like this and a copy of a Gibson SG I love them guitars! I like everything about this guitar it suits me perfectly. My favorite part os the 12th fret marker its different to any other marker I've seen. I can't think of anything else I would want this guitar to have it has everything I need. // 10
Reviewed by:
guitaristclass, on february 18, 2006 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 366
Purchased from: Salop Music Center
Features: As you may or may not know Vintage guitars were redesigned in 2005 by Trevor Wilkinson so I guess (as is a post Wilkinson model) that is was built in 2005 (same as year of purchase) and it was made in Vietnam. It has a set neck, made from maple, and has 24 medium frets on a rosewood fret board. The body is made from solid polymer with a maple top (it is flamed on mine). The body is based on Paul Reed Smith (PRS) guitars, hense the name, (VRS, standing for Vintage Rock Series) and is very close to the real thing cosmesticley. It is equiped with a Wilkinson Virato bridge in either chrome or gold depending on the model chosen (chrome in mine). The guitar has only 1 tone Switch for both pickups, 1 volume control and a three way toggle Switch, the latter is located in a position where it cannot be knoked while playing, unlike that of a Strat. The tuners are Wilkinson E-Z lock and are positioned in a way so that the strings are almost dead straight when they pass through, which cuts down of friction. The guitar comes with nothing but a wammy bar. // 9
Sound: This guitar is equiped with 2 Wilkinson covered humbuckers, which sound awesome with a bit of distortion on them it is definatly a guitar for the wannabe santana fans, or anyone who like their guitar to be loud. You may think becasue this guitar has fairly simple wiring (conventional tone and volume controls with a three way selector Switch) it would be fairly limiting for clean sound, but it gives out a sweet, clear sound when played clean. It is perfectly sufficient for a plump, smooth jazz tone and has a certian bounce about it. It is not, however, anyware near as nice sounding as its much more expemsive brother, but is still high up on the list for this price range. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: For me the action was perfect, not to high not to low, there was a little buzz on it at first, but that disappeared the more I played it. The pickups were configured properly, they flowed well (as humbuckers should) and they were well set for the purpose they would be needed for. Rock! Mine had a very small dent in the neck pickup which was not a major problem, but the jack input was loose and actually came off the guitar when I pulled the cable out. But this was sorted by the shop techie and he even delivered it back to my house himslef when he did it. The only other thing was the covers in the back of the guitar, they had not been smoothed down so they looked untidy, but that was sorted witha bit of enry cloth and elbow grease. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This guitar can definatly withstand live playing. I'm not saying go all 'The Who' on its ass, but it is light and easy to play. The finish is quite durable and has definatly lasted (you can barely see any scratches that so appear). The buttons are very good, but I would still recomend usong strap locks on them, just in case. This guitar is very reliable, I have played it for 3 hours soldily and it has not even slipped once. it's still goin strong after hundreds of hours of playing. The plastic toggle Switch end may break (I replaced mine with a metal one after someone bashed the case and broke it). // 9
Impression: This is my rock/ jazz guitar at the moment and it is perfectly capable of playing both at any volume. I have been playing fot 7 years and I also own an Ovation applause, a Santiago classical, a prosound BA-75 amp, a Korg AX1500G effects board and a custom built Strat copy. If the guitar were stolen or lost I would probably save up some more meny and buy a Telecaster. I love the look and the sound, I'm not amazed by the fact that if your not carfull it sounds like your playin' with elastic bands. My favourite part is the Vintage inlay on the 12th fret, simply becasue its different (not a fan of the dots). I compared it with a few other guitars that were a little less and a little moe money, but this one sounded the best and looked the best out of the 4 or 5 others I tried. The only thing I wish it had with it would be a second tone button so I could get a wider range of sounds. // 10
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on june 06, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 366
Purchased from: Dawsons
Features: This guitar was made in Japan in 2000. It has 24 frets on a rosewood fingerboard. The stunning laminated top sits on a heavy mahogany body. The finish is an exeptional quilted top. The body shape is modelled on Paul Reed Smith, and from a distance you could fool someone that is is! It has a set neck and a non locking tremolo bridge. The tuners are also non locking. It has 2 open coil humbuckers, 1 volume, 1 tone and a 3-way selector Switch. The tone pot can be pulled up to imitate single coils which is really a nice feature. // 8
Sound: I like to play different styles of music ranging from classic blues like Chuck Berry to modern rock like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Offspring. Due to the coil tap tone pot this guitar is very versatile for all these styles. I Play through a simple Marshall MG15CDR amp with reverb and distortion. Through this very simple practice amp this guitar sounds superb. Using the distortion the humbuckers sound fantastic, at the bridge it sounds crunchy, perfect for solos and lead guitar, at the neck it sounds more mellow, with a warm tone, suitable for rythym and at the middle Switch it is inbetween although I don't use this setting alot of the time. Through the clean channel the humbuckers again sound good but have too much feedback, this is where the single coil feature shines. It creates a crunching classic Strat sound, very precise and great for the Chili Peppers. Overall the sound is fantastic and extremely versatile, the only problem I really find with it is that it tends to produce alot of noise out of the amp on the humbuckers, but with a bit of plam muting or string dampening it sounds great. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar came very well set up from the shop, exept the action was too high for me, I am only a 14 year old and my fingers havn't fully grown yet, so I need a low action for those Chuck Berry bends. The pickups are fantastic and the bridge is very well made. The finish is still almost perfect. // 10
Reliability & Durability: This guitar is very heavy for me, and I am very small for my age, I can't really stand up playing this for more than 15 minutes because it then starts to hurt, but the strap locks can cope with the weight and I have never found my strap falling off, it is actually hard to put the strap on! I am not in a band and therfore do not gig, so I don't know if it will withstand live playing, but it is a very durable guitar, I have accidently knocked the head on my metal bed post while reading tabs off the internet and it still hasn't got a mark! The finish is very durable and the neck hasn't got any fret ware, and I have been playing this guitar for 2 1/2 years! The volume pot is a little loose and the 3 way selector Switch does not feel solid. The worst problem I have had is that the jack socket has a metal ring that is on the outside, and this comes loose easy, and has fallen off before, and the lead dosn't stay in without it. But the back panel covering the entry to the bridge is poorly made, the screws don't go in straight and when in need of a change in string they can be difficult to unscrew, but this is just my guitar and may not be the same on others. // 8
Impression: For the amount of styles I play this guitar is superb. The tone pot feature is a great one and the overall quality of the guitar is exeptional. I have been playing for 3 1/2 years now and I feel I have progressed at a fast speed. I have a Marshall MG15CDR amp and no effects pedals. I started off playing acoustic, I have a 3/4 length Lauren acoustic that I started with, an Eko 12 String, and this electric Vintage VRS100. This guitar is still classed as a starter guitar but is at the high end of them, and this guitar feels superb. As my starter electric I was looking for a cheap guitar and I started looking at Squire Stratocasters, and this guitar outclassed all the Squires in the shop.
If this guitar was stolen I would not buy it again because I am after a more expensive guitar at the moment, a real PRS Santana SE or Tremonti. I love this guitar and have enjoyed playing it, I have played alot of electrics although only owned this one. I have played guitars like Fender Strat, Tele and Fat Strat. Epiphone Les Paul, and PRS Santana SE and Soapbar SE. I think this guitar outclasses the Epiphone by far, and is more versatile, I only like single coil sound when played through a clean channel so I don't really like the sound of Strats and Teles, the only guitar that I have heard that have outclassed it are the real PRS's, but this guitar is still a superb starter/intermediate guitar. // 10
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on april 27, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Soundgear
Features: This guitar has 2 humbuckers which can be changed through pulling up the tone control to imitate single coil's. 24 easy to reach frets. Good variety in the tone control. // 8
Sound: I mainly play classic rock, but this guitar could play anything. The variety of the sounds available is huge. This is due to the possibility of changing from single coil to humbuckers in one pull/push of the tone control. Really handy if you want to go from chunky rhythm to screaming lead easily, or from thin picking to thick solo. The three way toggle selector works well. It really is comparable to anything even double the price. It doesn't feedback at all. The only bad thing is the noise cancellation. I play through a 100watt Fender (very loud) and this guitar will only send a signal to the amp if you play above a certain level. This is fine, as it cancels feedback. However, noise can suddenly appear from nowhere. Difficult to explain, but what I mean is, as it is a relatively cheap guitar, the noise cancellation is not the best. I'll still give it 5 though as the quality of the sound is exceptional. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was in perfect condition when I bought it. Action is incredibly low (but not too low) and it is so easy to play. I thought I'd have trouble with a new guitar as my old guitar (a copy of a Strat) was so low and easy to play. I did drop it the day before I recorded my band's new album so I still haven't heard what it sounds like being professionally recorded, although I do have a decent digital recorder and it sounds great through this. When I did drop it, a small amount of paint came off (about 5cm by 1/2cm) and one tuning peg came off. Was easily fixed and replacement parts seem easy to get hold of. I was quoted £250 for a respray so I left the chip! It just fell off my strap (always use strap locks - learn from my experience) and it fell really hard! Tough guitar though and only relatively minor damage caused. // 10
Reliability & Durability: As mentioned previously, this guitar is very tough. I would easily use it without backup. Strings are easy to get on and rarely break. The finish is very good for this money and it looks stunning. I have got it in blue with chrome hardware (beware of gold hardware on 'budget' guitars - always wears off). // 10
Impression: I've been playing the guitar for around 6 years now, and with this guitar for about a year. It really can play any style. I forget how good it looks as I often leave it in my case if I'm not playing it. It's only when people comment on it that I realise. It is just stunning. It's so easy to play and light enough to go a little wild with it, but chunky enough to feel solid. Although this guitar is at the top end of 'budget' guitars, it does feel like a professional instrument. It has been said that it is the most perfect mix between a Les Paul and a Strat, and that's why I bought it and would advise anyone else to buy it. Just for having the best of both worlds. // 10
Reviewed by:
Pocket, on may 04, 2004 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Route 66 -Stoke on trent
Features: This guitar is awesome bang for buck. It has 24 frets, 2 humbucking pickups and a 3 way pickup selecter. The one tone control knob also doubles as a split coil Switch which does splits the humbuckers to make them sound like single coils which sound ace on clean.It also comes with a tremelo that can bend to hell and back. The machineheads are quite stable. It has a beautiful maple top with mahogony body and rosewood fingerboard. // 10
Sound: This guitar really does sound like a much more expensive instrument. Hell, put it through a really good mixer and it even comes close to its PRS idol. I did have a rubbish little amp and it sounded ace through that ith a small overdrive pedal but i upgraded to Marshall mg100! It plays my music (sum 41, guns n roses, Offspring) most excellently. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: The action is really low and makes the guitar feel jus so comfortable. It is absolutely stuningly gorgeous in its perfectly bookmatched maple top and cherry sunburst. Along the sides of the rosewood neck the wood is a little uneven but don't get in the way of playing. The pickup selector is a little loose but not too much so. The guy in the shopknocked me £25 off the £250 price tag cuz it has a little black spot on its side which i lovingly point out as a birthmark. The gold hardware is not so convincing up close(but what wud u expect for this money). // 8
Reliability & Durability: The finish is definately here to stay but i can see myself replcing the knobs for better gold ones in the future. I played this guitar a dam lot and has no scratches on it wotsover. It is totally bulletproof. This can defo withstand hard gigging and theres no problems with the strap buttons. // 8
Impression: For this price there is no other guitar that I would seriously consider being able to play this well. There are some good thrashers though if u dont mind spending £300 only to smash it up on stage. I am never gonna give this guitar up to anyone or for anything. However, I am one day going to own the big one. PRS baby! This Vintage is ace. // 10
CaptainInternet
: Tried one of these, plays like arse. Could have been the setup but it put me off that make for a while. POSTED: 11/05/2007 - 04:49 pm / quote|
ssj2richard
: Not sure how your vrs was setup, but mine was setup very nicely. the action is low and fast and the pickups are warm with great sustain (though not the best pickups for distortion). But at this price, I'd definitely recommend the VRS100 for beginner players. The blue finish is very nice as well POSTED: 12/22/2007 - 05:58 pm / quote|
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