Vantage Les Paul Copy

I bought this guitar in 1983. Red wine finish, 2 humbucker, 2 tone, 2 volume and phase switch. Guitar has a rosewood fretboard. Not sure about type of wood the body is made from.

This is the first guitar I ever bought. Since then, I've added a US Fender Strat and Gibson Sonex. I play out of a 62 Fender Tremolux Head and 69 Hiwatt cabinet and use a Marshall Guvn'r pedal. Even though this guitar is about 25yrs old, made in Japan and cost me $200, it's what I still play 90% of the time. The pickups are hot, beefy and responsive. It sounds awesome for most rock.

I've set the guitar up myself and have had no issues with bad frets, wiring or otherwise

The only thing I've replaced in 25yrs are the tuning pegs that crapped out really early on. Other than that, it's lived through lots of gigs, lots of moves and the occasional drop. The body has held up really well, considering I've treated it like a $200 guitar.

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I've been playing for 25yrs and used to gig alot. I'm still amazed at how this cheap guitar sounds so good and plays so well. A friend of mine had a mid-90's Vantage and it was complete garbage, no comparison at all. I think the ealry days of Vantage produced some good instruments for the money but after the 90's quality started to fail.

1980 Vantage VLP-510 "Spirit" Les Paul copy
- Wine Red finish, Cream accents & Chrome hardware
- Arched birchwood top, mahogany back & sides
- Bolt-on mahogany neck w/rosewood fingerboard & 22 frets
- 24 3/4" scale
- 2 alnico magnet humbuckers (possibly supplied by Dimarzio)
- 2 Volume/2 Tone, 3-way pickup selector and coil-tap
- Rotomatic type tuning machines
- Tune-O-Matic bridge & Stop Bar tailpiece

I play a lot of hard rock/heavy metal and this guitar is great for it. Coupled with my 100-watt Marshall MG half-stack this guitar has lots of bottom end when you want it, and a very full sound (even with the coil taps engaged!) You can make this guitar sound pretty much however you want - unless what you want is weak and thin. I've had a Washburn Dime332 Signature and an Epiphone 1958 Goth Explorer and my Vantage walks all over both of them...and pretty much any other guitar you can get in that price range.

When I bought the guitar it was about 16 years old and had a bit of fret buzz. Took it to the local music store and had it set up, and they got rid of all the fret buzz and brought the action down. Plays like a dream now! Being a used guitar it had a few minor dings and some buckle rash - but nothing out of the ordinary. I had to reconnect the coil tap and replace the toggle switch, but other than that - the electronics are excellent.

I don't gig, but if I did, this thing could handle it. Considering it's 27 years old and has all of the original parts (barring the pickguard and toggle switch), I'd say it's pretty durable. This guitar is built twice as solid as anything you could buy today for what one of these is worth.

Vantage (at least pre-Samick Vantage) is no more. Even finding info on the internet about these is tough. The best site I've found is www.matsumoku.org.

I've been playing for about 10 years. Other guitars: Epihone Goth 1958 Explorer, Vibra acoustic, Vantage VW100S acoustic - but this one is my favorite by far. I'm hoping to buy some more Vantages - these guitars are great! If it were stolen, I'd hunt the guy down, beat him with the guitar, then proceed to play it as though nothing had happened. If you have one of these, hang on t it!

Vantage les paul copy. wine red or deep burgundy finish with creme edging (pick plate missing) Date of manufacture unknown. serial number on back 1090407 (hope it's not stolen). 22 frets. Made in Japan. one Humbucker and one seymour duncan bridge pickup. I think rosewood finger board.
Standard two volume and two tone dials. Two way switch to phase between the pickups. Don't know anything about electrickery as I only play so as far as passive or active electronics ???

I don't have any musical style as I'm quite experimental and have played 25 years or so. I like progressive rock and anything experimental. I have played thru a 100 watt valve marshall. I usually use the seymour duncan bridge pickup setting for a heavier sound. I use an old Korg effects box and individual sounds effect boxes added after the Korg settings. I find the treble settings on the humbucker a little twangy but if I tweak the tone down a tad it gets a better sound. It has a varied sound range and I like that depending on what I'm recording or playing. Great sustain due to the actual weight of the guitar. I have played some very expensive guitars in my time but my vantage still comes up trumps.

I had the frets shaved with a simple but revolutionary glass block shaver (which was as long as half the fret board but ensured even shaving of all the frets) and then individually cleaned each fret up. This was done by a guitar technician. The seymour duncan pickup was wired backwards on purchase. It was cutting out it's own sound. This has since been rectified. The original nut was plastic and broken. Replaced with a whale bone nut (not green and should be banned). Bridge needed reconfiguring and lowering to allow the harmonics to work perfectly. Also I play a lot of lead and needed a lower action. No fret buzz or problems with disappearing notes on bending. According to the technician he stated that the neck on my Vantage was in superb condition compared to $2000 Fenders he had getting new neck replacements because they were so bent. I saw one (fender)with my own eyes, I was agog at the bend in the fender neck. (Sorry Fender but true). He went on to say that the wood was the best quality during the 70,s due to japans superb standard and quality control with wood imports during those years. The finish is a little dinged and missing a scratch plate but I don't care about looks. People are mostly drunk at gigs anyway. Grow your hair long if you want to cover your axe. Ageing axe scars give character anyhow. Overall $160 to repair. Good value

I rely on my equipment and this one is a beaut. No probs with any of the hardware although I do need to tune midway after bending the shit out of my strings. I'm a demanding player and take a lot of risks. Nothing has ever given way on this guitar except a volume button fell off once. Strap buttons are solid no problems. As far as having a backup, no, that's the thrill of live work. I only ever play one guitar so I get used to the subtleties of one guitar good and bad. The devil you know.

nil. 2nd hand.

25years I've been playing. The first guitar I owned 20 years ago funny enough was the exact same one as I own now, down to the colour (bizarre) as I've never seen one like mine. Wished I hadn't sold the first one. If it were stolen or lost I would dedicate a webpage to my lost machine. I couldn't afford an equivalent sound for price..impossible. I dislike the weight when gigging as my shoulder takes the load. I wished it was lighter but It would lose the sustain in heavy playing. I can live with that.
If I had to choose between my exwife and my vantage. Hmmm my vantage of course :-)

* Burgundy Wine Woodgrain finish (semi hollow inside?)
* 2 humbuckers with coil tap switch in addition to standard treble/rhythm/both switch
* 22 frets
* 1980
* DiMarzio style humbuckers (passive)

Bought this back in 1980 for about $125. Sold it by 1983 and just acquired back in 2006. How crazy is that?

No it's not a Les Paul (a copy of a Les Paul Jr.) but its great playing guitar with good action,and good tone. A coil tapping switch gives 6 sounds instead of 3 (rhythm/treble/both x 2<coil tap on/off>)

You can get great Beatles Abbey Road style sounds so for that reason alone I love it. The finish if fragile but the guitar itself is very solid.

The guitar was set up well when I bought it and has amazingly held up well 26 years later (I'm getting it reset up)

I think if you are looking for late Beatles/Zeppelin sounds I think this guitar will do you well.

Its a beautiful lookin guitar.

Finish seems a little fragile (it has one very boo boo on front). The hardware for 1980 standards is excellent. I think new machineheads now might be adviseable but again by the standards of the time they were very good.

The humbuckers like alluded to have a bluesy sound. If you're looking for a real heavy metal guitar this is not your cup of tea.

I can depend on it I think but I would have a back up of something!

No opinion. I'm sure Vantage was swallowed up by somone or went belly up.

A bit of nostalgia for me but a great sounding low end guitar.

Made in 1980's, Japan; 22 frets.
Solid mahogany; Wine Red finish with cream trim and pick guard.
Typical Lester Paul layout: 2 volume, 2 tone, 2-way switch, miniature coil-tap switch to switch from humbucker/single coil.
2 exposed humbuckers
Rosewood fingerboard.
Les Paul style bridge.
1/2 the wieght of the real Les Paul's made in this time period.

In 1982 I sat for an entire day playing 5 different Les Paul's and 5 different LP Copies like this one. The Vantage was the only one that came even close to the real LP and was 1/2 the wieght and an 1/8 of the price.
I try to play blues/rock (was a beginner in 1980, still a beginner in 2006). I use an old Tryanor TS-15 plain no frills amp. Can really hear the difference between Humbuck and single coil settings. Nice warm tone on rythm pickup. Clear and clean on the lead pickup.

The action is great, pretty low, the original setup was really good. I am only bringing the unit in now; 2006 (bought new in 1982) for a good once over. There is an intonation problem that shows up but I play very little so I ignore it and on the G string; which seems flat from time to time.
The pickups sound great, the fit and finish are shiny, really nice.
I'd give it a 10 if it weren't for the G string; maybe after its checkup.

I don't play live, but I have two kids... I've had to change the machine heads (they were made of metal/plastic, with a plastic neck that went into the headstock; they broke)(this might fix my G string problem). I have a couple of chips in the finish where the kids banged it into a hard edge. I used my wifes dark red nail polish to seal it. Always works even after sitting in the case for years.

Bought it, played it, never talked to the company.

This was my first new guitar and is now a part of my history; I'd cry if anything ever happend to it.
I'm sure that with anything that is a copy, there's going to be good one's and bad one's.
Play it; if you like the sound buy it (it's cheaper than the real thing.)

I have owned about 30 les pauls from gibsons to ibanez through to hohners,profiles,hondos etc.The best copies of the old gibsons are some of the newer gibsons,then the hohners fron the 70's[if you can find one],the few ibanez setneck models and not to forget:Profiles,profiles,profiles.
The vantage is well built,mahogony body and neck and coilsplitting,why?,because if you want single coilsound you play a telecaster or a nighthawk.

The humbuckers are sweet sounding,but gutless,they are not Dimarzios,only look like it.
I have been experimenting with pickups for 15 years and came to the conclusion:certain pickups only fit certain guitars.
Anyhow I was about to sell the guitar when I put a pair of humbuckers in it which I had ripped of an old Hondo guitar years ago.{hondo made good necks and by now great pickups because of aging on often shitty bodies]
The result blew my mind.Incredible sweet tone with a lot of punch just right for the banging style of blues I am playing.The tonevarity is incredible and the whole guitar has changed
When you love a guitar you play different things suddenly

Well made,typical good japanese copy from the late 80's early 90's.
Lots of room for improvements

Very tough,heavy well built guitar,good looking,good for any gig.

After the alterations it is a fantastic guitar

Made in 1980's, Japan.
22 frets.
Solid mahogany.
Typical Lester Paul layout: 2 volume, 2 tone, 2-way switch, miniature coil-tap switch.
2 humbuckers
Rosewood fingerboard.
Les Paul style bridge.

Used with 5-watt Kalamazoo Model One and Peavey Classic 50.
Boss Compression Sustainer and occasionally Boss Digital Delay.
The pickups are quiet and sensitive-in the "crunch" position, my tube amps can be overdriven (but no feedback) with low volume settings.
Palm-muting sounds are excellent.

This guitar was thrown around quite a bit before it was acquired, but that didn't seem to do any harm. A few sprays with Deoxit in the switches and pots will clear up any scratchy sounds, etc.

Built like a battleship--can't hurt it. And if you did manage to hurt it, no suicide would be likely because you can afford to replace it.

Wouldn't have a clue where to contact the mfr., nor would I have to.

Playing for XXXX years (rather not say).
If stolen, big deal.
Love everything about it: there are the follwoing guitars at the ready at all times=American Standard 1995 Strat, American Standard 1993 Tele, Ibanez RG 570. But guess which one I automatically reach for, no matter what genre I'm into? Yup!
The only weak spot: Wish someone would tell me how to keep the darn thing IN TUNE!!! Have tried Militec lube, etc. Have to tune it after each track.

This is essentially a Les Paul Junior copy. I am guessing it was made in the 80's, not sure where, but probably Japan. Dual DeMarzio pickups, set neck, brass nut, single cut-away, no binding... just a big slab of mahogany. Mahognay/rosewood neck. Standard LP scale. I got it as a project... someone had sprayed "granite" paint all over it...it looked like shit. The original finish was a natural dark brown. I refinished it turquoise with white pearloid pick guard and truss rod cover... sort of retro.

The DiMarzios rock!

This is a very well built guitar... very solid. Good neck action. Feels just like a Les Paul.

The tuners look a little chintzy, but it stays in tune. Everything else is rock solid.

The pawn shop refused to give me a warranty.

I've owned lots of nice guitars, including several Gibsons and 1960's US-made Epiphones. This comes as close to the real thing as any copy out there, including the new Epiphones.

Japanese made LP copy, probably late 70s, early 80s (sounds promising already), burgundy with cream binding, pick-ups and scratchplate. Bound neck with pearloid inlays. Very heavy, so it's clumsy like a LP, although body has a hollow ring to it. Twin humbuckers with coil tap switch (this is a smart feature). The bolt-on neck is slim and more suited to a small hand.

This is not in the same class as most Epiphones or Vester. It is, however, an excellent, Japanese budget guitar. The pick-ups are very clear - sharp and bright when played clean. They really pass the test for me by handling Marshall, Mesa and Hughes & Kettner distortions well. In fact the guitar comes into its own on overdriven sounds, with a nice, tight crunch possible. I also find it a good slide guitar, as a fine tone is not so important. The coil tap lifts this guitar out of the ordinary, permitting six useful sounds.

The guitar is beautifully finished, with good quality bridge and tuners, and a fast neck. At first glance it might be a Gibson, if not for the Vantage headstock. This is a budget guitar, which punches way above its weight.

Built like a Sherman tank, I have used it as slide guitar and back up on stage for years.

Vantage is little known in Australia

Playing semi-professionally for ten years, I remain impressed by the consistent standard of workmanship, finish, playability and tone of this unit. While it was at the cheap end of the market, it compares with much dearer LP copies.

Made in Japan. cherry red transparent woodgrain Les Paul copy. Standard 2-tone 2-vol setup, with a small coil splitter switch under the pickguard. 22 fret rosewood-looking fretboard.

Well, despite the consensus on this page, I would have to say that my guitar sounds like complete crap. After 16 years the intonation is still not right, despite multiple trips to various luthers. The neck pickup sounds muddy and flabby, and the bridge pickup is thin and entirely without character. It *does* really scream if you crank it up, but what doesn't? It sounds best with both coils split to singles on the middle position. It *is* a very noise-free quitar, and the neck is very slick and fast. The frets buzzed a lot on the G string, but a new nut fixed that, and made the action a lot more comfortable even when very low.

I play jazz/blues through a Fender Princeton Chorus, and bought this guitar used around 1987. I was a dumb kid with not much money but a lot of desire to play Led Aeppelin. I bought this thing for maybe $200 Canadian and played it through a tiny Peavey amp and a ridiculous fuzz box that I soldered together out of a Heathkit. It sounded like, well, if a mullet could make a sound, it would be that sound. Assertive and aggressive, but hopelessly cheesy and unoriginal. I installed a DiMarzio in it for a few years, but it made little improvement. The irony is that this hunk of junk has been my principle guitar for 16 years, long enough for me to have worn .25" of steel off the bridge with my (bad-habit, I know) palm jammed agaist it during solos. These days I play mostly jazz, and for that this guitar is simply intolerable. The only reason I was looking it up online -- and so discovered this page -- is because I'm trying to get a sense of its current resale value.

This guitar has a pretty raucous sound that will either sound great to you or awful, depending on how you feel about heavy metal music. (but no amount of distortion can ever get that smooth metal distortion sound).

The hardware seems cheap but semi-decent, and in that sense well-suited to the overall product.

Yes, this guitar is built like an armoured Panzer division backed by Stuka dive-bombers, etc, etc. But really, if durability is all a guitar has to offer, what's it really good for? Maybe you could garden with it, or change a tire. It certainly wouldn't hurt the tone.

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16 Years. I also own a bunch of other unremarkable guitars, most notably a 1968 Framus. If my Vantage were stolen, I would weep for joy. The only thing I like about this guitar is that it has a great fast neck, and for some reason it will do fantastic pinch harmonics. I hate the fact that it has no sustain, the tone is either flat and dull, raspy and rusty, or tinny and shrill, and the intonation bites. It's semi-ok with really fat strings.