Valley Arts Custom Pro II

This guitar is from start of '90 I believe serial # VA023xx, Neck is Birdseye maple, 22 fret board is ebony with white bindings, jumbo frets. Active EMG SA-SA-85 pickups 5 way sw, volume and one tone. Goths locking tuners and Wilkinson vibrator system. all hardware gold. No pickgaurd all back routing, absolute beautiful cherry sunburst flamed maple body and matching head stock, back of body is black. The body is full scale strat style. The neck/body joint is a mystery to me, it not glued or bold on, there is a hole for adjusting, but what I do not know? if anyone knows about the construction please drop me a email!

This guitar is loaded with sound, is having a bright sound and but still warm, tons of sustain! I play in a effect in stereo + a pure direct mono, use a Marshall JMP1 -> first Peavey 50/50 Classic tube power amp -> first pair of Marshall 12" 1912 cabinets. From the JMP1 -> TC electronic G-Major -> second Peavey 50/50 Classic tube power amp -> second of Marshall 12" 1912 cabinets. This allows my never to loose contact with core sound, never less if it is a clean or over distorted sound. I play from jazz to HM.

Have never need to change the set up, the guitar was unused when I got it, is clean and well setup. All wood parts a very nicely fitted and all over I believe that this a example how thinks shall be done! No only sighs of aging or use, no signs of oxidized metal or cracking paint, believe it or not this guitar is new (a long life forgotten in a pawnshop, not on display before it ended up at ebay.com).

I always gig with several guitars but that's not needed, I have absolute trust in this guitar. All over high quality hardware and wood so no doubt that it will keep playing for decades to come!

Never had a change to deal with them as it a Samick company today, sad but true.

I have been playing on and off for 15 years and own, Valley Art Custom Pro, Levinson Blade RH-4 Classic, Yamaha RGX1212S and a No Name stat, all with EMG SA-SA-85 or 89 (except the Blade). The custom pro is a dream of a guitar well made. If I lost this guitar I will cry that's for sure! If I find one more to this price I go for it no doubt!

Made in the USA. This guitar is absolutely beautiful. Curly Maple top in an obvious cherry sunburst. All gold hardware including a Kahler Floyd Rose Tremelo and locking nut. Very thick neck in both width and depth. My guess (since it's used) is that it has an Ebony fingerboard and birdseye maple neck. Active EMG pickups in the standard super Strat H-S-S configuration. Tele-style body but contoured.

Considering how gorgeous this guitar looks it's incredible how bad it sounds. OK, I don't want to get to carried away, it just sounds very thin and somewhat 80's like. The difference between the neck and bridge pickups is at best marginal. Might as well just have one pickup at this rate.

Action is fine. I prefer a thinner neck. Fit and finish are excellent. Neck joint is smooth. The Kahler is abit of a beast, but aren't they all?

Good guitar. Somewhat heavy to play. This guitar would make a beautiful backup. Just siiting there for all to admire, just as long as you didn't have to play it for too long. However, I would have to rate it rather reliable. It won;t be coming apart any time in the near future.

Out of business.

I have been playing for over twenty years and am largely a Fender man. I have had three Gibsons, a 70's Les Paul, an honest to goodness '62 SG (that couldn't stay in tune to save it's life) and a 70's-ish Explorer with gold (but worn) hardware in my time but always go back to Fender. I currently have a Hamer, a Guild and three Fender Strat's and one Tele. It's easy to see why Valley Art's is out of business now. They make beautiful guitars that sound real poor (unless you are going for a one-dimensional thin 80's sound). I suppose I could drop a few hundred bucks on some real pickups (or at least some with some tonal variety) but I have since sold it (like last week).