vintage v100

karoo

Hi guys

I see there's a special on vintage guitars for us forumites this month. I've been looking for a les paul type guitar, but don't know if these are any good. Obviously it won't be a Gibson, but I just would like to know your opinions. (Wanted one with P90s but see that this isn't on sale)

AlanRatcliffe

Music Radar listed them as one of the best guitars under GBP300 and it was the only LP type that made it into the list.

Guitarist reviewed the reliced version:
http://www.musicradar.com/gear/all/guitars/electric/6-string-solid-body/icon-v100-19599/review

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sharonzaz

ok.

Good question.
I do own one among the many others i have, and as far as im concerned it is as far from a LP as it is close to it.

lemmi explain.

it looks like one yes, and it ''could'' sound like one.

however.....i stripped mine down from its paint cos it sucked just to find out the is no maple layer on it, it is pure mahogany.
which would explain why it is a bit darker in sound.
the maple was just a paint job.

dont get me wrong, i do love my vintage LP, it is a really nice one.
the neck is great, the sound is good, and the one thing
that really annoys the shit out of me in the Gibson les paul and every one of the
really good copies is the ''never stay in tune'' problem, specifically the G string.

the vintage is free of that problem, however it also does not sound like a les paul.
it does sound like a mahogany guitar with 2 hambuckers on it, and if u accept that then cool.

if you want a really good LP copy go with the Tokai.

a really good cheap guitar will be a vintage ?

karoo

Ok, great thanks. I think I'll rather wait a bit then. Get a tokai with some p90s in. But thank you for the honest "review".

KT66

I Actually own 2 vintage LP's the V100 Tobacco sunburst and the Peter green model

and they are great guitars! better than any other brand I have played at that price point

1stly I can assure you the maple veneer is not painted on the v100 it is an actual veneer
please see specs on http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html regarding the v100's specifications

if you want a actual carved maple cap on your vintage LP I would Recommend the Paradise slash homage model (also on the link)

regarding the 2 vintage LP's I got I find them fantastic guitars excellent build quality nice solid mahogany backs mine is a 2 piece
most other LP copies are 3 piece

also the stock Wilkinson Pickups are really good , I usually mod my guitars extensively ( eg I upgraded the pickups in my squire standard with toneriders)
but I am so chuffed with that old rock 'n roll sound from the wilkinson pickups I aint touching them

if I was you karoo I would go to a shop and play the different brands side by side and buy the one that steals your heart

AlanRatcliffe

better than any other brand I have played at that price point

That's the thing... it's difficult to build a LP at that price point. Most manufacturers cut major corners in body size and hardware or they bolt on the necks. The Vintage V100 is full-size/weight, set neck and sports all Wilkinson hardware and electronics, so it beats out all the other models in that price range easily.

But if you start comparing the V100 to guitars like Tokai or an Epiphone Ultra, of course there is no competition - it's a different price point, so it's not a fair comparison. If you are looking for an inexpensive, decently made LP in the entry-level arena, the V100 is the one to go for.

sharonzaz

1stly I can assure you the maple veneer is not painted on the v100 it is an actual veneer

you can assure? how can you? have you sanded down yours?
if not then how can u be sure?

let me assure you, as i have sanded down mine.
it was a fancy paint job, nothing more.

at that price point, the vintage is a good buy, but closer
to the LP specs and sound is rather the Tanglewood.

AlanRatcliffe

sharonzaz wrote: let me assure you, as i have sanded down mine.
it was a fancy paint job, nothing more.

That's correct, they only use a maple veneer on the flame bursts (HB, CS, IT). But a veneer isn't going to make any difference to the sound over an all-mahogany one, it's a looks thing.

but closer to the LP specs and sound is rather the Tanglewood.

From the tanglewood site:
BODY: Solid Mahogany
TOP: Maple Veneer
RRP: £419.95 (5,283.25 ZAR)

So... looks like basically the same specs at about the same retail price... Or double the price of the special offer.

sharonzaz

mine was a flame burst too, Alan ?

and my tanglewood is 359 not 419, thats the 3 PU black one

DonovanB

karoo wrote: Ok, great thanks. I think I'll rather wait a bit then. Get a tokai with some p90s in. But thank you for the honest "review".

If you're gonna be spending that much get the real thing. A Gibson LP Studio faded is around R9k now.

Anyway,back to the vintage; The specs say:

Body: Mahogany
Top:
Solid Carved Mahogany (GT/ WR/ TSB/ BB/ AW)
Flame Maple Veneer (HB/ CS/ IT)
Neck: Mahogany – Set Neck

I see Gibson now have a mahogany topped les paul out too.

These discussions always come down to the same points, don't merely go by someone else's opinion, go play the guitar and see if you like it or not.

My personal preference is for a maple neck and rosewood fingerboards. Others differ.

singemonkey

Donovan Banks wrote:
karoo wrote: Ok, great thanks. I think I'll rather wait a bit then. Get a tokai with some p90s in. But thank you for the honest "review".
If you're gonna be spending that much get the real thing. A Gibson LP Studio faded is around R9k now.

That again depends on whether he wants the looks and construction of the original '50s LPs or prefers the much altered construction and looks that you get with a Studio. Kinda like: do you want to have a Les Paul like Jimmy Page, or is it more important to have one with "Gibson" on it - or do you just like how the LP Studio is made. Totally depends on your outlook. To me an LP Studio is nothing like the real thing: i.e., a Les Paul made between 1954 and 1961. A Tokai is very much like those LPs.

The Real thing:

Tokai:

LP Studio

makepeace

sharonzaz wrote: mine was a flame burst too, Alan ?

and my tanglewood is 359 not 419, thats the 3 PU black one

My guess is that you sanded through the veneer, thinking that it was paint.

sharonzaz

makepeace wrote:
sharonzaz wrote: mine was a flame burst too, Alan ?

and my tanglewood is 359 not 419, thats the 3 PU black one
My guess is that you sanded through the veneer, thinking that it was paint.

Nope. Those flames came off as soon as the paper touched the guitar

Neon-Gecko

sharonzaz wrote:
makepeace wrote:
sharonzaz wrote: mine was a flame burst too, Alan ?

and my tanglewood is 359 not 419, thats the 3 PU black one
My guess is that you sanded through the veneer, thinking that it was paint.
Nope. Those flames came off as soon as the paper touched the guitar

That sounds like it could have been a photo-finish to me, where they print the flame maple look onto the body...

sharonzaz

yet on the website its says: Maple top....not veneer, MAPLE top.
hmm
☹

DonovanB

sharonzaz wrote: yet on the website its says: Maple top....not veneer, MAPLE top.
hmm
☹

Sharonzaz what site are you looking at? Are you even looking at the same guitar?

I copied and pasted the specs and even made the part bold. They say veneer. veneer

Look...
http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html

Reinhard

Aren't maple veneers REALLY thin? If you hit it with sandpaper I'm sure you wil go right through it. Makes more sense than a painted maple top? Besides you're pretty special if you can paint mahogany to look like maple.

sharonzaz

yip, look here
http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageiconguitars.html

sharonzaz

mine is the V100 icon cherry burst

DonovanB

sharonzaz wrote: yip, look here
http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageiconguitars.html

We were definitely looking at different guitars.
But some of the Icon's on the site say different things;

Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany – Set Neck
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 24.75"/ 628mm
Frets: 22
Neck Inlays: Pearloid Crown
Tuners: Wilkinson® Deluxe WJ303 Chrome
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
Pickups: Wilkinson® Double Coil x 2 (N) MWVC (B)MWVC
Hardware: Chrome
Controls: 2 Volume/ 2 Tone/ 3-Way Toggle

Nothing about the top there.

and then;

Body: Mahogany
Top: Flame Maple
Neck: Mahogany – Set Neck
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 24.75"/ 628mm
Frets: 22

Which is on the distressed models. Which was yours?

Also I don't think the original guitar in question by the OP (ie the one on special) is an Icon series. I could be wrong.

Now, after sending me to that site and only having GAS for an amp, i now want this...