Vantage Avenger/Browndog Custom

Single coil at the neck position, humbucker at the bridge. (I'm not sure what kind of pickups they are, but they're not great.) Three way selector, volume knob, and tone control. I'm really into the two-volume, two-tone Gibson type thing that lets you switch sounds on the fly, so this one wasn't a big hit with me. Oh well, to each his own. 22 frets, which I guess is cool. Output jack has that all-too-common problem that causes it to loosen and eventually fall off if not constantly checked. Bridge is your typical strat-kinda thing. I never use the tremolo. Tuners are OK, but I have an electric tuner built into my effects unit and I really don't mind the fact that I have to tune often because it only takes a second. Kind of a strat-shaped body, but has more sharp, "Yahama"-ey shape. Mine was pretty dinged up when I bought it, but I think the looks are actually quite nice. Mine had a black finish and had a black pickguard with a really cool red border on it. Very dangerous. I've actually recieved some compliments on its aesthetic qualities.

I guess it is usable, but barely. Very, very dull sound even with the tone at ten. I suppose it would work adequately for rhythm, but I'm a lead player. My setup is Avenger-->Dunlop Crybaby-->Boss ME-30 Processor-->Squier 15 or Fender Princeton 112 Plus. I saturate my sound with all sorts of effects from my processor so I don't have to hear its crappy sounds. Not a huge variety of sounds; basically a deep rhythm, a dull sounding lead, and a really crappy sounding hybrid of the two. I really don't like it. It was good enough when I started, though, and I guess it would be good for a beginner who is not sure of his commitment to learning how to play the guitar. I'm just ready to move on.

Terrible in this department. A piece of crap, albeit one of the better pieces of crap out there. Mad fret buzz, a couple of frets hanging off the bottom edge of the neck, and one fret that was so low it didn't even register. I seem to remember one of the saddles being pretty screwed up when I first bought it, but that was several years ago and I can't remember the incident clearly. Action is nice and low, but you can generally adjust this yourself on most guitars.

Strap buttons have come loose, pickups have died, output fizzles in and out sometimes. I play without a backup because I can't afford a backup. I fixed all the problems as they first came up several years ago and haven't had any problems since, so it has actually become quite dependable recently. Finish is nice and thick, seems pretty durable.

Never tried it, so I can't really comment on it. To tell you the truth, if this guitar were to break I really wouldn't bother contact customer service. It probably wouldn't be worth my time or theirs.

I would not buy this again. It's ok for a beginner, but no good if you plan to keep playing. Instead, I'd recommend a Fender Squier Strat (not the Affinity model), an Epiphone Les Paul, or a Danelectro U2. If my rating seems a little skewed, keep in mind that as far as I am concerned TONE IS EVERYTHING.

This is a double cutaway, solidbody electric named for Chris Brown, legendary guitarist for the indie bands Original New Originals, Smog Monsters and, currently, Relaxer. It has a single humbucker (Duncan Distortion) with volume and tone, maple fretboard, and a dark brown natural finish (rumor has it that the early prototypes are hand buffed by "Browndog" himself!). Also notable is the hard tail bridge--a big hunk of brass that, if you melted it down, you would probably have enough material to make a king size bed frame. This axe isn't for wimps, that's for damn sure!

A fire breathing monster. This thing will overdrive even the cleanest Fender amp, and if you run it through a Marshall, stand back. There's something breathtaking about a shorn scrotum--you'll understand what I mean if you stand too close to your cabinet while playing this guitar. Smoking, blistering tone.

Perfect balance, absolutely no fret buzz anywhere on the neck, and like I said before, every model is hand stained and buffed by the man himself, but act fast before he's simply unable to keep up with the demand!

You could drag this thing behind your car for a year, plug it in and it will still smash you in the sternum (sonically speaking, of course). A real man's guitar, if you know what I mean.

Not sure what's up with Vantage these days, but this must be the flagship model for their resurgence. I don't think it's humanly possible to damage this plank, so who gives a damn anyway?

Cobain's JagStang? Yeah, hello! This is the real deal. Browndog rules! 'Nuff said.