Vantage Les Paul Copy

Made in Japan, 22 frets, 2 volume and 2 tone controls, 3-way pickup selector on top, coil switch, very pretty cherry-sunburst finish, tune-o-matic bridge, very fast and comfortable neck

The sound is very full and ballsy, full-on screamin' rock with the bridge humbucker, great for AC/DC type rock; the bridge pickup has a completely different sound, gets a really heavy, Tony Iommi type of sound. With the coil switch on, the rhythm pickup gets a very Fender-ish sort of tone; very versatile. I played it through a Peavy amp for a long time in a lot of bands, and the band members always were trying to get the other guitar players to get a tone somewhwre near as good mine; they were playing Gibsons or Jacksons or Schecters, through Marshall or Fender amps.

The action is great, pretty low, the initial was really good. There is an intonation problem that shows up every now and then on the G string, which makes it get a little flat above the 12th fret, but my local luthier can adjust it out.
The pickups sound great, the fit and finish are shiny, but really nice.

I've gigged extensively with this guitar, it holds up like a Sherman tank. The hardware has some rust, but I got it used about 25 years ago, and I have played it to death, rode it hard and put it up wet many times. The finish is great, except for where I have dropped it and cracked it. The strap buttons I have put longer screws in. I depend on it big time; I have gigged with it extensively without a backup.

N/A

I've been playing about 25 years. These days, I mainly play a Fender Fat Tele through a Fender tube combo. I still break this axe out every now and then because the sound really rocks, and it remonds me of when I first started playing, and I was playing AC/DC, Krokus, Judas Priest, Sex Pistols, Dokken, Def Lepperd, etc, and it really lends itself to a great hard rock sound, although it is very versatile, and gets a lot of different sounds through the different pickup settings and coil switching.
This has been a great guitar, I love it to death and would never part with it.

Les Paul look, but not sound or feel. Guitar was made with a very light wood but I have no idea what kind, poor components were used throughout. It was made as a bent top with space between the top and body as I found out when I eventually cut it open with a band-saw. It has the usual LP configuration; 22 frets, H/H, separate volume/tones for each pickup, also a phase switch.

?To-die-for? sound, meaning I wish I would every time I heard it. Anemic, no character at all. Really bad clean or distorted. Zero sustain, always out of tune, even from fret to fret along the length of an individual string. This guitar would excel for lip-syncing or for those air-guitar occasions where you would rather have a real guitar in your hands. If you actually had to plug it in, forget it.

This guitar actually LOOKED pretty good with a nice cherry red opaque finish. Not flash, but not cheap either. Its appearance was by far the best thing about it, functionally it was a disaster. Couldn?t be set up properly , wouldn?t stay in tune, lots of dead spots and notes would be out of tune halfway up the neck even when it was intonated properly and the truss rod was set correctly.

It was always out of tune, even 5 minutes after having just tuned it. The one thing this guitar would have been great for is burning or otherwise destroying on stage. I?m sorry I never had the opportunity to do so. Eventually I ran it through a band-saw above and below the strings and behind the bridge in a lame attempt to make a travel guitar. Finally what was left went in the rubbish bin.

No experience either positive or negative here.

This was the first electric I owned, bought before I could really play electric at all (I had strummed an acoustic for 2-3 years before that) and before I had any idea what to look or listen for. Essentially I bought it because it was cheap, looked like a Les Paul and the salesperson touted it. With all the frustrations this axe provided I?m surprised I stuck with playing electric as long as I did and developed the deep love for playing I did. In all seriousness I suspect Vantage probably made some really good and really bad guitars, all with the same body type and name. Mine was terrible. On the other hand, when I visited Ed Roman's shop in New York, he had one hanging on the wall which he said played and sounded great (and Ed is hardly known for speaking well about import guitars!), and others in reviews below have obviously had some good experiences. If you see a Vantage you may want to try it out, but consider it as an individual item because the brand name and model give you no clue at all of how it will play or sound.

I mostly play jazz/rock such as Steely Dan, Doobies, etc. I?ve played for just over 25 years, and had the Vantage LP clone for close to 18 of those. Nowadays I play through an Emery Microbaby (1-2 watt amp with interchangeable tubes) amp into a 12? Weber speaker through either a Rode NTK tube mic or Shure SM-57 and add reverb afterwards. Generally I play with no effects except possibly a compressor on the front end. I never ran the Vantage through this rig, but I don?t think it would have helped much anyway. Garbage-in Garbage-out. My current guitars are a Heritage H535 for jazz/blues tones, a Stewart Travel Strat, an Ibanez S540LTD with Duncans and a Moonstone Eclipse neck-through with custom Bartolini single-coils. Like most people, during my many years of semi-serious hobby playing I?ve owned and played lots of other gear as well, but these are the ?keepers?; the Vantage wasn?t and I?m surprised I had it as long as I did.

Made in Japan, would guess at Early eighties, stripped of hardware and kept in an attic for 14 years by a close friend, given to me for nothing when I switched from Bass to Guitar after 15 years of Bass Playing.

22 frets as standard, medium gauge. Mahogany body with a possible Maple cap. Magohany body is split in two with a thin strengthening strip (same as a Gibson Les Paul 70's Deluxe). New hardware fitted by myself. Twin Kent Armstrong P90's housed in a regular humbucking size case. Finish is Tobacco Sunburst - stunning.

Tuners replaced with Tulip-shape replicas.

Glued in the neck for better sustain and tone.

I play Blues and Rock - Great sound for this type of music.
Played thru a Marshall AVT-50 Amp with a V-amp used for delay.

Good crunch sound from the Rhythm pickup, will play dirty or clean. Good lead sound for solo's. - My best Sound is both pickups combined, rhythm control back off a little - really sings!

Noise from the P90's is slightly worse than humbuckers. Sound is not quite so deep as my Gibson Les Paul Studio, and it sustains slightly less. Tone changes dramatically if you add strings that are too light - This guitar likes 10's 11's or even 12's best.

Compares well with my LP Studio, very close in sound but slightly lighter in tone, which makes it a good alternative for lighter tracks.

Did all repairs and set-ups myself, even after 14 years of storage in an attic, the truss rod enabled me to set the neck straight with little effort.

Got the action pretty low, and no choking on string bends, no rattles. Better neck than most Gibsons, better than mine definately, thinner and not as deep a D profile. Guitar was easy to work with and repair !

I have played it live, the hardware has taken a few knocks and it still looks relatively new. - No cracks in the varnish even though it survided 14 years of fluctuating temperatures in a hot/cold attic.

Strap buttons are fine, I can and do depend on this guitar, usually as a backup for the LP Studio, but play it on quieter No's.

Would use it without a backup no problem.

N/A - Made by the same manufacturers as Westbury / Aria / Electar as I understand, but never had to contact them.

Been playing Bass for 15 years on and off before switching to guitar for the last three.

If this was stolen I would hunt for a replacement for sure.

I love it's dependability, it's stunning looks and the fact that I restored it.

Japanese Knock off of the Les Paul. I bought mine used in 1979.
Better fit and sound than most other knock off companies produced back then. Not as heavy as the real deal Les Paul but has nice balance.

Great sound from the twin/dual pickups and second overdrive/blending toggle

great action. Nice fretwork. rosewood neck and inlays very nice.
Shaller type tuners, solid binding work on the body.

I have performed with this guitar for over twenty yrs and it has survived the abuse. I had to replace the tone switch once and am on my second cable jack. These components are certainly not as hefty as the Gibson but they have been fine for me.

I like this guitar because it has a lightning quick action, doesn't weigh a ton and has a great sound. Sustain is not quite the same as
the Gibson but the solid drive these pickups (in my opinion) deliver surpass the Humbucker's. I bought this axe used for 125.00. Having recently seen Hondo and other Les Paul knock offs selling upward of 500.00 as vintage pieces, I think I got a great deal.

Guitar was made in Japan, not sure what year. Most likely late 70s. 22 Frets, H/H pickups, unsure what make. Looks very much like the real deal Les Pauls IMO. I got mine used with a hard case. SUPER high quality feel to it. Very heavy and well made. Nothing extraordinary as far as features go, but what it does have is plenty for me.

KILLER sound. Better than my Jackson Performer which I think is pretty good. I am playing thru an old 80s model Randal Stereo Chorus Amp and a Zoom Fire 7010 multi effects module. This guitar is butter smooth. Very nice sound, full tones.

Don't know how it was set up some 25 or more years ago, but it seems set up nice now. No noticable flaws.

Finish seems to be bullet proof. I haven't had it long enough to gig with it though.

N/A

I have been playing for about 15 years on and off. I also own a Jackson Performer, and an Art & Lutherie Cedar top Acoustic. If this guitar was lost or stolen I would definately seek out another one to replace it. I couldn't IMAGINE a better guitar new or used in this price range, or within a couple of hundred bucks for that matter.

I own a 1983 japanese version of this guitar, and i bought it 4 years ago, when i bought it i really have no idea about the amazing guitar i was buying. the last owner have changed the bridge pickup to a dimarzio paf pro (in that time i was buying this guitar just because de pickup... i was paying R$ 280 in the guitar and this pickup used use to cost R$ 200, i said fuck it, i going to buy a pickup and take a guitar body for free...)
when i got home and pluged into my old amp (some little solid state marshall)i was amazed WHAT A SOUND!!!! ok it has a paf pro... and this pickup is great, but a great pickup in a shitty guitar sounds like shit! the wood is great (too heavy maybe...) and de finish is also very good... i love this guitar and i will never sell it. in this period of 4...5 years i have changed about 12 times my guitar set up (among fenders, jackson, kramers and others... )but this les paul will always be there

Well i play TRUE METAL! (thank you manowar and running wild!) this guitar is amazing, i love the paf's sound and this axe really is a true badass... it looks great (very classic i must say), it sounds amazing, this guitar has a sustain that i never seen in other guitar (maybe in ibanez 540s and musicman axis...). now i am using a gx130 combo (crate) and the sound is better, with this guitar and amp i just need a cable to have the perfect sound...
soon i will change the neck pickup for an evolution or distortion... to make this guitar "complete" but the neck pickup also sounds great!

well 4 years ago i use a very low action... and this guitar as like that... and sounded perfect... nowadays i use a higher action and it sounds better! i don't now any problems in this guitar...

This guitar is a panzer! reaaly well built!!! the chrome hardware is a little bit old... but its totally vintage now, and i like it! the strap buttons needed some reinforcement some time ago (bond glue!!!)
i already done a gig without a backup guitar, and i would do it again! in 4 things i trully believe and trust in this life... my father, my mother, my dogs, AND MY LES PAUL!

there is no information on the net about this guitar! hey folks i work with webdesign , let's make a site about this guitar!! for those who're interested pitao@ig.com.br i wanna do! this guitar deserves a tribute page!

i'm playing this axe about 5 years, and i still in love with her! i own a fender stratocaster 62'reissue , a crate gx 130c amp, a boss gt3 mutieffect processor, some stomp boxes, and a lot of other things (like guitars that have no name laughs!) but the only item i will never sell (even if i'm starving!") is this guitar, i have friends that have gibson les paul guitars, (studio and std) both prefer my guitar then their gibson and so do i!) of course gibson guitars gives to you more than a guitar... give status! who never said look at this guy's gibson guitar!!! it's ficking great... ok i said it a tousend times... but i am totally happy with this guitar!

I bought my 'The Paul' copy in '79-'80. I think I paid about $300-350 back then, brand new with a hard case included. I have replaced the original pick ups with a Dimarzio 'Humbucker From Hell' in the neck position, and a Seymour Duncan 'JB' in the bridge position. I have also added switches in order to split the coils and it gives it a sort of Tele sound. The neck and body are a brown stained Mahagony and the fretboard is a rosewood. I have the original tuners and I have had no problems wit them.

Originally I was into a heavy 80's sound, and the pick up sounded great through my Peavey Backstage amp. As time has past, I am more of a R&B Blues player and the replacement of the pick ups and now playing through a 1965 Silvertone Amp....the sound is creamy. My friend played it and was thoroughly impressed with the sound and overall play, and he has had many guitars through his career. With my switching I can get the full blues sound or the SRV sound if I choose.Originally The sound was alright, but now it's dynamite! The only dislike I have is that it has recently develpoed a buzzing from the frets....off to get the frets milled.

I have not had alot of adjustments done to it over the year, and in fact I had left my guitar for a while in the closet, and after a few year...it did not take much to tune it back up, and it stays in tune.

The guitar has been pushed over and also dropped over the years...through the accidents from my 4 children. The finish on the guitar is rock hard and there are very slight pick or rub marks on it...the marks on it are from being dropped.The strap buttons I tighten very rarley, but that is part of maintenance. I totally depend on it, and have had back ups but never had to use them.

This is the tricky question....what support? I either fix it myself or get my buddy down at the local store to do it.

Overall it has been a great guitar for me, my other choice was a used Gibson 'The Paul' which it is copied after. Both played identical I felt, but the Gibson was used and the Vantage had a case...so I went with the Vantage. The only disapointment or regret I have is that the resale of the Vantage is at best $250, and the Gibson 'The Paul' is $800-850. I can't complain though, the Vantage did stand up to the Gibson and still plays fantastic.

Mine was made about 1982, in Japan. It is a limited edition (LTD on the truss bar cover), with beautiful clear finish on henna-coloured timber. It has the LP-like 3-way pickup selector on the top, 2 vol, 2 tone controls and a 2-way phase switch. The 2 humbuckers are good. The tuners are screw-down types. Came with a Vantage hard case.

Sounds good either straight or through distortion pedals. I use it through Fender tranny amps or my MusicMan 65 tube amp (and what a gem that is!!). It has a full sound, typical of humbucking PUs on a nice heavy guitar. For a while I raised the action and used it for slide guitar. It did this job very well. Much more solid than a strat in the same job (even a genuine strat).

Guitar was set up ok (I think... it was 19 years ago).

Guitar has been going OK for 19 years and looks like doing more. Chrome hardware a little corroded by now (but lasted longer than the hardware on my Gibson Lucille). Hard case fell apart after 10 years (hinge broke), but what the heck.

Don't know. Helpful in the shop where I bought it (Lismore, Australia)

Playing about 20 years. Own several electric and acoustic guitars. It is mid-range (ie can't compete with a Gibson Lucille, but much better than those obnoxious cheap Strat copies). Main dislike is the short-radius kneck, which is good for chord work but not so great for solos. I wouldn't buy another (like it) because I now favour RGZ-style guitars for the type of work that Les Pauls and SGs do.

Bought in 1981; paid $300 (cdn); Lefty, 22 frets; 2 humbuckers, 2 vol, 2 treble, 3-way switch, 1 phase switch. I stop playing around 1987 and restart this year 2002. Tune-o-matic.

style of music: ACDC, Led zep, Pink Floyd etc... I play on a Peavey Rage 158. It can be clean or with distortion it sounds terrific (for my style). It is relatively quiet (no hum).

The action is medium. I needed to readjust the height of the strings to avoid those "frets buzzings",

I Think it is reliable. After 15 years of wardrobe, I took it and plugged it in and it was still ok. I changed the 3 way switch because there was a bad contact and cleaned the pots. Otherwise, nothing has change on this guitar. I shure would use it in a gig without backup, but shit happens... Strap buttons haven't moved since I have it.

I have played from 1977 to 1987 and then "rebegin" to play in 2002. I own an acoustic Epiphone, used to have an ampeg flanger, overdrive, and ibanez sonic-distorsion. I am very glad to have buy this guitar. Back in the early 80's, it was not very common to have a lefty guitar in store. So when I saw it, I jumped on it...No regrets.

This is an old looking LP copy, it has 22 frets, is very heavy, has some pearl-inlay on a Gibson shaped black headstock. The Vantage name is in print letters which "V" upwards. There is no serial or any I.D. on this guitar. It is stained dark red and has an arched top.

Sounds ok, however a previous owner did serious modifications to the pickups therefore I cannot say how it sounded originally

Overall I would say the guitar has been well made, fairly fast, stockier neck then others I have played, stays in tune.

Man I would not want to have this hangin off of me for 2.5 hrs. It is a heavy piece. I would want to drop it either. But it still plays well and I am sure it is a late sixties or early seventies axe.

No Idea, I know that they were bought out by Samick

This is a different guitar for me, I have three Gibsons which are my players, this is a nice copy that was made a long time ago and has been played to death by alot of caring owners. This has given this guitar a vintage look and feel that you often do not find in copys. I would like to find out more about this guitar but searching the net has not produced any results. Can anyone help me to narrow down where this guitar was made, approx.year, etc. Thanxs Ab Gamble