Vintage Icon VS6MRPCR & VS6MRMA
ultra-thin body. However this also means that the relative lack of a large stabilizing neck heel gives the main neck shaft a tendency to behave a bit like a jumbo-size whammy bar! Both Vintage Icon axes display this particular quirk to some extent but not to the overall detriment of either instrument, the tendency for power chords to undulate a bit whenever the neck is given a bit of a hefty shake doesn’t appear to compromise the overall tuning stability of either instrument and could even be argued to be an extra feature, if you think about it!
the accuracy, build quality and the incredibly realistic artificial aging feels entirely appropriate to this instrument and contributes significantly to the overall impression that you’ll have to spend a lot more money to find anything else that feels as close to the ‘real thing’.
Balance-wise this model and the Mick Abrahams signature both display a tendency to feel a bit neck-heavy, which is more or less identical to the original Gibson guitars that inspired them. However, with a careful adjustment of the guitar strap (SGs in common with
Abrahams came up though the British blues boom of the late 1960s and his sound and style are very firmly based in that particular idiom. Used in this context you can appreciate why Mick fell in love with his original Gibson SG Special; plugged into an overdriven valve amp the VS6MRMA sounds immediately at home. Harnessed to the frequency enhancing effects of distortion the mahogany’s natural resonance seems to make the guitar come alive in your hands, delivering the goods with an exuberant shimmer that feels exceptionally dynamic and
The incredibly realistic artificial ageing feels entirely appropriate…
The battle scarred vintage vibe hinges on a great looking cherry red matt finish with strategically worn areas revealing bare wood beneath, accurately conveying the worn-in smoothness and patina resulting from several decades of hard gigging. Of course, the picture wouldn’t be complete were the hardware not also skillfully treated to the aging process: the Wilkinson designed bridges and tuners also bear numerous rust patches and scratches that simulate the effects of being exposed to bucket-loads of sweat, rubbed against dangling rock star jewelry and generally thrown about like a bag of spanners in the noble pursuit of rock and roll. The overall effect is very convincing. The primitive looking wraparound bridges used on both guitars feature staggered bridge saddles that compensate for the lack of individual intonation adjustment, plus a pair of grub screws permit a degree of lateral adjustment to help fine tune the intonation when necessary. Besides possessing one extra pickup and corresponding controls the Mick Abrahams model tuners are detailed Wilkinson replicas of the original so-called ‘Double-line’ Kluson tuners that would have been fitted to Mick’s original Gibbo. Named after the writing stamped on both sides of the gear cover, the attention to detail on these Wilkinson tuners is really impressive. Everything from the ‘snot’ coloured plastic tuning keys and the authentically rusted steel covers housing the tuning gears feel dead accurate, you really have to look hard to tell that these aren’t original vintage hardware. The single pickup VS6 tuners feature button tuning keys and are mounted on strips as per the original late 50s/ early 60s Kluson units. Once again
32 3pickup
most Gibson’s often seem to play better slung lower and with the neck slightly tilted up) it’s fairly simple to find a workable balance.
VS6MRPCR
Rugged, cool and purposeful, the VS6MRPCR translates the natural resonance of its mahogany DNA into a punchy and powerful amplified voice. The single pickup design is more versatile than one might assume, too. Riding the volume control shapes the tone to a surprisingly wide degree and in common with the best P-90 designs the Wilkinson pickup has that extra little boost that seems to kick in between about ‘8’ and maximum on the volume knob. Alternating between finger style and a flat pick on a mildly overdriven amp delivers a surprising variety of usable tones; snappy country double stops and clipped chords pop out sounding crisp and funky whilst single note lines can sound warm and jazzy or developing an aggressive stinging attack depending where and how hard you pick. Overdriven tones sound leaner and fractionally more transparent compared to a bridge humbucker; big belting power chords seem to offer better individual note definition, particularly noticeable in the low end thanks to the P-90s lean, taught-sounding bass response.
VS6MRMA
If you feel that one P-90 isn’t enough then the twin pickup Mick Abrahams model might be the more tempting option. Feel-wise there is little to split the two although the Mick Abraham’s neck profile does seem to feel slightly wider and chunkier once you get beyond the 12th fret. Maybe that’s just an illusion caused by the edge-bound fingerboard? Mick
expressive. One obvious downside is that all P-90s have a tendency to pick up 60 cycle mains hum at higher gain levels (my own original Gibson SG Special and 63 Junior both similarly demonstrated this unfortunate trait, especially in theatres with big lighting rigs) but regular P-90 users will confirm that there are ways to overcome it, usually concerning where to stand in relation to your amplifier and some judicious adjustment of the gain controls on your amp! The Wilkinson P-90s lend this guitar a very focused tone that isn’t plump and luxurious like a humbucker loaded Les Paul, this guitar feels more akin to a switchblade knife; it’s a lean mean fightin’ machine
that punches well above its weight. PM
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
Leaving aside the ongoing debate regarding artificially aged guitars, the quality of the finish and aging on both of these guitars is very impressive and the extra fun-factor elevates both of them beyond merely being two exceptionally good value interpretations of a classic design. SG players tend to be more individual types (think of Angus Young, Tony Iommi, Zal Cleminson and Mick Abrahams, of course) and these Vintage Icon models appeal directly to that rebellious streak. Comparing the overall standard of build quality, their sound and generally excellent finish against their price, both of these guitars represent amazing value for money and are real honest workhorses that convey many of the unique qualities of the instruments that helped to inspire them.
Vintage Icon VS6MRMA
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