Vantage 635TG

This is actually a Vantage 635TG - Which I am guessing means "tiger" striped maple and gold hardware. These days we'd call this "flamed" maple. Maybe this gives some idea as to the vintage. I think it's from the 80's or early 90's. It is not in the current Vantage catalogue, which can be accessed via the Samick web site. I have owned a Gibson ES 335 for 20 years now. I have been looking for an inexpensive Asian copy to try different pickup configurations in. This Vantage is absolutely the closest thing to my actual 335 I have found. I have tried the Hamer Echotone, Epiphone Dot, and I have played the Ibanez AS 80. The Ibanez is a great guitar too. But, due to it's higher name recognition, used ones generally sell for more than twice what these Vantages sell for. This Vantage was a real surprise.

The output from what I assume are stock pickups is much greater than that of my stock '82 Gibson Dot Neck Reissue. The 335 has a well-established reputation of versatility. This Vantage copy is a bit more skewed toward the rock and blues end of the spectrum (away from the jazz end, that is.) If I back off the tone control about a quarter turn, I get a nice, bloopy jazz tone with plenty of treble definition remaining. These pickups are quite a bit more nasally than my Gibson's. The bridge pickup could be described as "snarly." I bought this intending to experiment with other pickups but I am pretty happy with these for now.

Now, this is where this guitar really shines. I should note that I bought it used, so there may have been who-knows-what work done to it. The nut is fine. The stock tuners are not the cheapos you see on today's Korean imports. They feel every bit as good as the Grovers on my Gibson. The toggle switch is not as solid feeling as the Gibson, but nowhere near as flimsy as the current models from Epiphone or the Hamer Echotone. On the other hand, the volume and tone pots are all scratchy. My Gibson 335's pots are all quiet even after 20 years.

The neck shape feels EXACTLY like my Gibson. The neck is maple, as opposed to the 335's mahogany (so maybe it gives it a little brighter tone?) The fretboard is not bound (and I don't care.) The guitar weighs exactly the same and all of the body dimensions are identical to the actual 335. The neck angle is also identical. The action is great. Like my Gibson, it can be set lower than I'd even want to set it. I actually raised it slightly.

It has a great-looking amber sunburst over lightly flamed maple top and back. Sort of fades to a pumpkin color at the edges. All of the binding, the neck joint, and general construction look great. There was nothing sloppy about the manufacture of this instrument.

It feels every bit as solid as my 335. But then any semisolid body is a little more delicate than a full solid body. I bought this partially as a backup instrument but I would feel fine using it on most of what I play and leaving the more valuable Gibson at home.

No idea.

I've been playing for 35 years or so. I have a bunch of guitars right now: PRS Custom 24 (that I never play,) '82 Gibson ES 335 Dot Neck Reissue (that I play all the time,) Fender Jimmy Vaughan Strat (NICE MIM guitar!,) Dan Electro 12 string, a '76 Mossman Great Plains six string acoustic, and a Sigma SDR1228-H 12 string acoustic. I also have fretted and fretless Carvin LB75 five-string basses and a Godin A5 acoustic-electric bass.

Lately I am really kind of into finding really well-made, great-sounding, great-playing Asian-made guitars. You do have to buy and sell a little bit in order to find them. The Vantage is one such guitar. It is THE closest thing to an actual 335 I have found in terms of playability and body shape and feel. You would need to change out the pickups to get a mellower, lower output 335 sound - But I'm digging these pickups as they are for now. Rock players might actually like them better than the Gibson's. The Ibanez AS 335-style guitar is great. But its body dimensions are not exactly those of a 335 as are the Vantage's. It also sells for way too much to garner my interest when compared to this Vantage. I'd get another one in a heartbeat and I probably will. I'll put a varitone switch in this one and a set of those humbucking-sized P-90s in the other one.....