Product: Vantage Entertainer
Price Paid: US $200.00 used
Submitted
05/03/2006
at
07:05pm
by
Martin
Email: martmania1960 at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
10
This is a very nice example of the killer " Made in Japan " guitars.
Nice small body and quality set neck make this a easy player. It has body & neck binding, gold hardware, set neck, all things that the quality 80's Made in Japan axes had!
Sound
:
9
The stock pick ups have plenty of punch! Infact with a Fender tube amp if I cranck up the Pups I get get straight ahead distortion. Plenty of wire wrapped arond the poles! Don't change em out as they are very high powered and have a wide varity of tones available with the phase in and out toggle!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Nice finish along with the set up of a quality axe. This is a guitar that you cant set down it plays like a much higher priced axe.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
Everything on this guitar was the best high quality materials of the day. The only single thing that I found "cheap" was the 3 way toggle switch. I didn't change it out though. It is all original so i will replace it if it goes south but it seems fine
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Wow.........Good luck there. Samick would not know what this is.....Hello Korea >???????????
Overall Rating
:
9
Product: Vantage Entertainer
Price Paid: 200 (Canadian) used
Submitted
05/21/2002
at
04:28pm
by
Chris
Features
:
9
Japanese 80's solid body electric. Looks like a cross between a Gibson SG and a Les Paul. It has an arched top like a Les Paul, but horns like an SG. Fender makes a custom shop guitar called the Robben Ford Ultra SP that looks similar. Mine has 22 frets. It appears to be made of one piece of wood, but when you look at the back, it is 4 pieces of wood glued together. It has a dark stained, transparent finish. I don't know what kind of wood, but I'd guess it to be maple. The controls and switches are like a Les Paul, 2 volumes and 2 tone knobs, 3 position pickup switch. It has one switch for pickup phase. The pickups look like Les Paul humbuckers. This guitar has a set neck. The bridge is Gibson stop bar style, like a Les Paul. The tuners are Gotoh style non locking. All hardware is plated in a gold colour. The body and neck has white binding. Vantage was a Japanese company when this was made - so this is a Japanese guitar.
Sound
:
No Opinion
I've only had this guitar for a week and I quite love it. It has a warmer, deeper sound than my Strat. I wasn't expecting so much output from the stock pickups. I used to have a lower model Vantage as my first guitar when I was a kid in the early 80's and this one has better tone. This guitar has very little hum and the pickups are not microphonic. I was considering upgrading the pickups but I'll hold off for now. The people in my band like the sound the best out of all my guitars! Strange , huh? I have some expensive pickups on my other guitars. I'd like a bit more highs in the sound - just a little more. I play alternative rock and 80's 90's classic rock.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
Intonation is perfect. I should adjust the truss rod a bit to improve the action in the higher frets. This is an old, early 80's guitar that seems to have been used very little by the previous owner. The hardware was all green and grungy when I bought it at the pawnshop. No wear in the fretboard little fret wear. All the wood work and the fit of the neck is superb. The Japanese were really working hard in those days to make a decent product
Reliability/Durability
:
7
The varnish seems to be in good condition. I think that I should be able to get some good use out of the guitar. I think I'll make this my main guitar and make my Jap Strat my second guitar. I could play this without a backup. I can get enough sounds out of it. No annoying flaws in the tone.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I don't know. They don't exist anymore anyhow. The name has become Samick's second line.
Overall Rating
:
10
I learned to play as a kid about 20 years ago, but started playing regularly about 6 years ago. I own a Japanese strat with Dimarzio pickups, a strat copy with EMG active pickups, and a Danelectro Convertible. I play through a Peavey Triumph 60 sixty watt tube head and a Silvertone 1482. If it were stolen I would be very upset because it's so nice. This a very attractive looking guitar and my friends have commented about it. I like the transparent finish, the binding and the set neck. I don't like the gold plated hardware, especially since it's wearing off in a lot of places. I was looking at strat like guitars like Jacksons and Charvels but decided against them because they'd probably sound the same as my Strat. If anyone wants to talk about 80's Vantages, send me an email.
