Vintage V100 VINTAGEV100
Looking for a great value single cutaway axe? This great guitar from Vintage will make sure that you’re all white on the night…
Words: Tim Slater
Vintage is never a brand to let a niche slip under its radar. Its Reissued Series contains plenty of very affordable – and extremely good value, it must be said – interpretations of several of the most popular solid body electric guitar designs and its single cutaway V100 is one of its best selling models.
Body & Neck
The white LP style guitar is an icon thanks to great guitarists like Randy Rhoads, Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and even James Bradfield from the Manics who have virtually made this instrument their trademark. The V100 is built using a traditional solid mahogany single cutaway body capped with an arched maple top and a glued-in mahogany neck whose rosewood fingerboard is finished with 22 medium jumbo frets. The finishing is very good, with accurately and neatly fitted pearloid inlays that make a mockery of the lousy finishing on at least one Gibson Les Paul that this reviewer has owned, and the V100’s uniformly smooth fret ends also help to convey
the virtually effortless – some might say ‘lazy’ – playability so beloved by fans of the LP style. Weight and balance-wise the V100 feels almost uncannily familiar and our review sample tips the scales at around 7 kilos, which isn’t actually too heavy compared to some of the weightier examples of the ‘Lizzie’ we’ve played. Upper fret access is never exactly a
breeze due to the massive neck heel but as Slash and countless rockin’ LP players will attest, it is nevertheless possible to sore majestically above the 14th fret once you’ve found the knack of getting your fingers past that awkward neck joint.
Sounds Ironically for an instrument that was ostensibly designed to be the world’s first solid body jazz guitar, the LP has powered more classic rock riffs than most of us have had finger callouses! The V100’s powerful yet well-balanced Wilkinson humbuckers develop the fulsome clean tones and generous low-end thump that some guitar players describe as
SHOULD I BUY ONE? The old adage regarding the only difference between a £400 guitar and an instrument costing almost ten times more mostly being down to the name on the headstock should always be taken with a pinch of salt. However, the V100 does lend the argument some credence. It nails the appropriate target tones and vibe very accurately and it comes with hardware and pickups that are at least the equivalent of its more expensive US counterpart. Looking for an authentic-sounding LP but don’t want to remortgage granny to afford one? The V100 is one of the better alternatives currently out there…and yes, it is also available in sunburst if white isn’t your thing.
THE GOOD BITS:
THE NOT SO GOOD BITS: A wide guitar strap will help to avoid neck-ache!
SRP: £339.99 Contact: JHS Ltd -
www.jhs.co.uk
‘muddy’ and due care is certainly necessary if you want to avoid the lower strings from sounding just a tad too dark. The bridge and middle positions (both pickups selected) will deliver bright punchy clean tones that can sound surprisingly delicate and subtle; the middle position in particularly has a slightly ‘scooped’ tone that sounds surprisingly effective and versatile, particularly on brisk funky strumming or chiming Johnny Marr-esque arpeggios. Cranked through a distorting valve amp the
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V100 slots neatly into its sonic niche, unleashing the powerful muscular punch and effortlessly sustaining ‘hoot’ that hallmarks this legendary single cut design. To be honest, so convincing is the V100 that there is virtually nothing that makes you suspect that this is a budget priced guitar. The tone is virtually 100% on the money. In fact, when we gigged the V100 briefly during its time with us, we had to adjust all of our amp and effects settings to compensate, so powerful is its output! PM
Looks great. Very accurate tones and overall feel.
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