found a cool guitar!

jimistone

jimistone

long standing member
Yesterday on my lunch hour. A 1979 Vantage vlp 550.
Translation: a Cherry burst Les Paul copy with cream colored uncovered humbuckers (Think Ace Frehley without the middle pup)

Mahogany body with carved birch top. Nickel hardware (aged beautifully) in great shape.

This is a guitar manufactured by the Matsumoku factory in Japan.
A guitar from The heyday of Japanese guitar craftmanship!!

I'm going to go make them an offer tomorrow.
I'm stoked.
 
The guitar with the original hard shell case...
$200 cash out the door.
I'm very happy with the deal.
 
jimistone said:
I will try to take some pics tonight when I get home
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Its not that hard mate, just point the camera at it and press the button to take a picture - its normally on the top, or if you're using a phone it will be on the screen, usually on the right.
 
JDOD said:
Its not that hard mate, just point the camera at it and press the button to take a picture - its normally on the top, or if you're using a phone it will be on the screen, usually on the right.
Click to expand...

taking the pics isn't the problem...getting g them from the phone to the website is where I am clueless.
I get my daughter to do it

I already have the pics.
 
that does look nice. What's that extra thing in front of the knobs?
 
ocnor said:
When you hit the "post quick reply" button there are little icons at the top that let you insert pictures and videos.

That is a sweet looking guitar. Does it have a set or bolt on neck?
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It's a bolt on. It really sustains though. It's heavy like the old unchambered les pauls. Very nice craftsmanship on this one.
more pics
https://www.dropbox.com/s/knm5isfgq33a0io/20160303_134048.jpg?dl=0

Look at the rosewood on this fretboard...dark and such a tight grain.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h7zm6iq84zby6p7/20160303_133834.jpg?dl=0
 
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Greg_L said:
Nice lawsuit Clownburst. Is that a coil tap, or a coil split?
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thanks
Im a sucker for a clown burst. Its my favorite LP finish.(well that and the gold top)
I don't really know the difference between a "split coil" and a "coil tap" to tell the truth. I honestly thought they were the same thing.
The switch switches the humbucker to single coil and gives it a snappier sound like a strat or tele
 
Nice score man. I have an '84 Matsumoku Aria Pro II. Its ugly as sin, and the electronics suck...but I've always been really impressed with the fit and finish on it. It's obviously very well made for a mid-grade instrument.

Definitely post a riff or two to the tone thread. I'm curious how the pickups sound.on it.
 
jimistone said:
I don't really know the difference between a "split coil" and a "coil tap" to tell the truth. I honestly thought they were the same thing.
The switch switches the humbucker to single coil and gives it a snappier sound like a strat or tele
Click to expand...

That's a split. Coil Split splits the coil from humbucker to single. A "tap" just takes a milder reading from deeper within the winding. It taps into the signal.
 
Tadpui said:
Nice score man. I have an '84 Matsumoku Aria Pro II. Its ugly as sin, and the electronics suck...but I've always been really impressed with the fit and finish on it. It's obviously very well made for a mid-grade instrument.

Definitely post a riff or two to the tone thread. I'm curious how the pickups sound.on it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the electronics are the weak point on these old Japanese guitars. The pots are crackling and causing the sound to cut in and out on this one. I'm really glad of that because it allowed me to talk them down $100 on the price. I'm going to spray some contact cleaner in the pots and work them a bit to see if I can remedy it. If not I'm going to jerk all of it out and replace it with the good stuff.

The Pickups sound really nice. They loaded these late 70s vantage 550s with alnico humbuckers instead of the ceramic ones.

They are pretty smooth with a very nice high end. Not thin sounding like those Ibanez flying fingers pickups.
Pretty much a vintage PAF humbucker sound.
I will record something pretty soon after I get my setup done on it and get the pots straightened out.
 
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