Ventura SG Copy

- Late 70's, made in Japan.
- SG mahogany body, with black/white/black 70's-style, raised small pickguard.
- "Coffee Burst" transparent finish. If you were to take Gibson's transparent Natural Burst finish, and turn it a deep brown with a hint of maroon thrown in, you would get the color that is on this guitar.
- Chrome ABR-1 style bridge with hex key height adjustment screws, and a flat, chrome stop tailpiece.
- Generic, sealed, double ring Keystone-style tuners.
- 3-piece neck (I think it's mahogany), w/rosewood fretboard, block MOP inlays, and white/black/white SG Custom-style binding on the neck, white binding on the headstock, 24 3/4" scale, 22 frets.
- 2-vol. and 2-tone knobs, cool looking reverse taper milled steel 3-way selector switch.
- 2 chrome covered humbuckers which have 3 screws for height and tilt adjustment.

The music I play is classic rock, psycedelic, blues rock, and traditional blues. My choice in equipment demands the ability to produce absolutely authentic vintage tone to the highest level scrutiny. These are the standards that all my equiment is judged by. Anything less is unacceptable. The only reason I bought this guitar is because, one day I was in my favorite guitar shop to buy strings. And my buddy who works there told me about this 70's Japanese SG that had just came in, and how I had to hear it. I was like "What, it's just a cheap 70's Japanese lawsuit guitar!" He kept bugging me to play it, and I kept resisting, until he finally plugged it into his 20W Marshall. As soon as I heard it I was like "What the F*CK?!" This thing had authentic early-70's hard rock drive and grind! Single notes actually had warmth and snap. It even had awesome pick attack! Overall it sounded fairly Gibson-ish, but definitely had its own character. The price was only $175. Sold. I've had this guitar for about 4 years now, and while my evaluation of its basic tone is the same, there are some things that keep this guitar from getting a higher score for tone. First, compared to my all-original '65 SG Standard and '68 SG Standard w/Wolftone Marshall Head PAF style PU's; played through the bridge humbucker, the lower strings don't have that fingers-down-the-throat honk that the best vintage axes are capable of producing. Also, the lower-E and A strings are not the end-all-be-all for definition or clarity. However, when strummed clean, output is very balanced, and when dirty, single notes have warmth and really nice pick attack. Also, the polepiece screws on the humbuckers seem to be quite responsive to adjustment. Surprisingly, the neck PU does the "Woman Tone" fairly well. Played further up the neck, it has nice syrupy tones, and also has good punch and snap. But again, it doesn't have that fat, reedy sounding sizzle that PAF's have, and it lacks a bit of definition and clarity of best guitars out there. This guitar is also a little two dimentional as far as its range of tones. I think the reason why, is because the pickups seem really hot. They must be well over 10k, as my Wolftone Marshall Head pickups are 8.2k and 9k, and these are much hotter than that. That explains some of the loss in detail and compexity that, say, a classic PAF would have. As I said before this guitar has its own take on the classic Gibson tone, and as good as the tones are from each INDIVIDUAL pickup, they don't seem to blend together all that well. It just doesn't have the proper versatility I would need for stage work. Having said that, I don't want to underestimate; when the voume and tone controls are set properly for an individual pickup, it produces really good tone. And for what few tones it does, it does them VERY well. But that two dimentional versatility is one of the reasons is gets a 6 in this catagory.

The construction of this guitar is so typical of the stuff manufacturers were producing back in the 70's. It has a 3-piece neck of what I believe is made of mahogany. I have large hands and the neck contour is thin and flat, which isn't the most comfortable for me, but I make do. The body is also two slabs of mahogany sandwiched together, front and back. And, while the seams are smooth, in the right angle of light you can clearly see there are seams in the wood. And while the the mahogany is decent, don't expect the high quality Honduran mahogany that Gibson used in the 50's to mid-60's. The finish is very nicely applied, and the transparent burst is done well and has a nice look. The finish on my guitar would be mint if not for a couple of fingernail-sized chips on the top edge of the guitar, how someone managed to chip it like that and not have any other scratches on it is beyond me. As with any guitar, and certainly any 30+ year-old guitar, it will need to be adjusted to suit anyone's individual preferences. After adjusting bridge height, intonation, pickup height, etc., this guitar plays as well as most guitars of this quality. String bends are slightly stiffer than my Gibsons but, otherwise it plays the way it should. The tuners should be replaced. They look great but are stiff in action and don't hold tune under string bends. The binding work on the neck and headstock is of typical quality for this era of Japanese guitars, but is solidly done. Fretwork is average. However, there are one or two high frets way up on the neck that completely choke out the note being fretted. Frets are lighter gauge than a typical Gibson, and they're lower than usual (not from playing wear), making string bends a little less friction-free. The bridge and tailpiece castings are average, but are solid, so there shouldn't be any issues. The chrome covers on the humbuckers are of marginal quality. There are casting marks on the face that never got buffed out, and the chrome seems to be on the thin side. The knobs are vintage DOD FX pedal-style knobs. The pots don't have the best tonal sweep to them and are of typical quality for this guitar. The 3-way switch is really nice quality however. It has a 1-piece, reverse tapered, milled steel switch tip, and has a really nice feel to it's operation. With exception to the frets and some of the hardware, nothing causes any real concern. And overall it looks good and generally plays fine.

The neck is thin enough to where it can actually be bent back and forth slightly. I noticed a minor shift pitch one day while really trying to wring out some nasty licks. This may also attribute to some of the tuning issues. I have seen this problem with other lower grade guitars like Danelectros, Tiescos, etc. Reliability-wise I haven't seen this become an issue, as I have a friend that owns many cheap vintage guitars, some with the same issue, and he hasn't had any problems. It's just an issue that I rather not deal with, and it's not necessarily confidance inspiring. It's a minor issue that doesn't rear its head under normal playing, but I deal with it because this guitar does have usable tones. The pots are also a little light duty. The tuners look great, but are low grade and garner replacement, both are easily replaced items.

Some people may read this review and think that I may have been a little harsh on each rating considering my overall review. However, I own other vintage gear to compare this guitar against. I have very high demands regarding tone and construction. As far as its inherant quirks; if it weren't for the usable tones, construction-wise, this is probably not a guitar that I would ever pick up and play at a music shop. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time to find something that had a certain tonal appeal. But don't look for the absolute replication of the mighty PAF or Pat. # humbucker tones, you ain't gonna' get 'em son. With that being said, the tones ARE vintage, and shows that it has it's own voice, even if the range of tones are a litle limited. Overal this is a reasonably serviceable guitar that is sure worth the $175 I paid for it.

Man what a great find an early seventies ventura sg it has great action and a beautiful wine finish.as for the action it is great i don,t know about the lead pickup leaves a little to br desired but all in all a great guitar i guess a 9!

fantastic very Black Sabbath early stuff,sounds like Tony Iommi,s 64 sg

Nicenand clean very good action and vintage finish

A very good neck (steel reinforced) and great wood!

none1!!!!they are out of business!

forever i anm 42 so i know good stuff

Japanese Ventura SG Copy. 1973 is the year I think, and guitars are like fine wine...you know the saying. This is basically a more polished review from what I submitted about a year ago (two reviews down).

22 frets, ash body (?), two tone and two volume knobs, 3 way selector. Stock pickups are still burning in this instrument's body. Stop Tailpiece bridge, plastic tuners (non-locking), thin neck with a wide radius.

This is being lended to me from my father, who hasn't played a gig in over twenty years. It sometimes sits there, while my fender strat gets the attention, but I felt the need to comment on this instrument, finding a new tone for myself.

It's an SG. First word that comes to mind is "mojo". Plenty of dark, warm, murky twang. Quite a difference from my Fender '57 RI Strat. Generally a warmer and thicker tone while the Strat remains a subtle, thin instrument. I usually use the bridge pickup to get a high end sparkle; add some contemporary chorus and you've got INSTANT Andy Summers (The Police) tone. The neck pickup is a little muffled, but not too bad. It's nothing the tone controls can't fix.

Picking this instrument up a few days ago, I've realized that I really do like the Gibson tone. I was such a Fender snob for awhile, still am, but I really do like the sound of this instrument. While the pickups are not the best in the world (on high gain they will squeal and make your ears bleed), they are easily replaceable I'm sure, and the instrument will take them like a gift.

One important issue I always concern with instruments is how they sound when they're NOT plugged in. Take a pick and strum the instrument when it's in your hands...no cords, no amps, nothing. If it's loud and warm, you've got some good tonewood. The tone wood in my opinion is more important than the pickups on most instruments, this guitar being no exception. This is LOUD unplugged, and LOUD plugged in.

Overall? Excellent tone.

Overall, this instrument seems to be holding up quite well. This year would be its 30th anniversary. The pearl inlays on the frets are yellowing, as are the tuners up top. The tone is still there though, and so is the mojo it has always had.

For 30 years and running? Damn fine, I'd say.

seems like it would hold up during a gig. it holds up fine during bedroom playing, and my dad gigged it for 10 years, so why not?

I can't see anything going terribly wrong with this instrument during a gig.

Ventura is finito, gone, kaput. Good luck finding support from these guys...HC is your main support for vintage instruments like this. ;-)

I have been playing for almost two years, and I currently own a Fender Stratocaster, a Ventura SG, a Yamaha FG412-S, an Austin AU341S, and a Goodlin Classical. I play through a Behringer GM110, and in my fx chain I have a Boss SD-1, Boss CE-5, EH Small Stone, Danelectro Corned Beef, DOD Classic Fuzz, Arion SAD-3, and an Arion HU-30.

This instrument holds up well during the most shredalicious licks and in jazzy blues at the neck. If you're lucky to find one of these instruments, I'd suggest giving it a try. It may be your cup of tea, or it may be your worst enemy. Instruments are like women; everybody has their own taste.

Good luck!

I bought my Ventura SG copy in the summer of 1969 for $100. It was the first guitar I owned that was playable.

The neck is a three piece bolt on, with twenty-two frets.

The top is a laminate, as I doscovered when I weent to refinish the guitar about ten years ago.

I completely rewired the guitar with components from Carvin, I also installed one volume and one tone pot, replacing the two volume and two tone pots.

Three way pickup selector switch. There are now two Carvin passive humbuckers in it.

The body wood is very light in weight, and had laminated pieces in the from and back. It appears to be fairly cheap wood.

I had the guitar painted with white high gloss paint with particles in it. the guitar actually turns different colors depending on how light strikes the surface.

Carvin tune-O-Matic bridge.

Carvin tuners that resemble Schallers. Mini tuners. Non-locking.

Thin neck with tiny frets. It's kind of wide from side to side, and sort of thin from front to back.

The case fell apart about twenty years ago. Now it resides in a gig bag.

This guitar was my first "real" electric guitar. the pickups crapped out, so I decided to replace all the electronics with parts from Carvin. It now looks and plays great.

I'll keep it forever.

thanks for bringing back some great memories!

It sounds great!

I redid it all!
It rocks now.

Seeng how I replaced everything on this guitar, I would definitely use it alone on a gig.

N/A

Thirty-four years. I have tons of equipment, a recording studio's worth.

Gibson Ventura SG Copy. Early '70s Japanese model, 21 frets, possibly alder body. Double humbucker configuration. This was passed down to me by my dad, who simply had no use for it anymore, and thought that I deserved his guitar because in his opinion I have surpassed him completely as far as guitar skills go (he might be exaggerating a bit just because I know theory and about 50 chords more than he does). Traditional Gibson setup...vintage PLASTIC tuners, SG cutaway, pearl inlays, the usual. Pretty standard for a cheaper subsidary of Gibson.

I play this Ventura SG through a Kustom 250 Amp Stack (also passed down to me by my dear ol' dad). I use a Zoom 505II MultiFX Pedal with this, and I commonly play it on overdrive or high distortion. I use tons of reverb and sometimes chorus and a bit of flange. This guitar is definately aged, you can tell by the yellowing color on the side of the fretboard (the side that points up with the dots). The humbuckers are chrome-shielded, traditional Gibson style. The cleans for this guitar aren't too bad...they sound pretty good on the mids and highs, but it's horrible on the low ends. This guitar has alot of twang to it, too much twang for me at times, though. On distortion, this guitar sounds sort of flat and lifeless...not enough gain, but I suppose part of that could be from the pedal that I'm using. Open chords on overdrive or distortion sound like crap...powerchords and drop D tuning however are a different story. Using the 3-way toggle switch seems basically useless, because after years of playing and storage, the pickups and settings have gotten weaker. I keep mine at the neck pickup about 90% of the time, because the other two (body and bridge) barely work. I think the electronics have worn out on them, and you can only hear them properly if you have some heavy ass gain with a fuzz box or distortion.

One major gripe I have about this instrument is that the humbuckers tend to feedback ALOT, to the point sometimes where you have to turn down the gain on your amp or pedal so it doesn't create a nuclear explosion...

This guitar is great for chording around with, but in my opinion this baby is absolutely FANTASTIC for leads. The fretboard is probably the easiest to navigate on...bends are unbelievably easy, and you can get a nasty growl out of it with the feedback and your leads combo'd together. Maybe something like the early Gish instrumentals Smashing Pumpkins did back when they were still a hometown band. Feedback-frenzy!!

This guitar seems fairly standard for a Gibson subsidary. Plastic tuning heads, chrome covered hums, rosewood (i think?) fretboard, pearl inlays. Just like the guy two reviews below me said, the filler in between some of the Pearl inlays have fallen out, and there is about a one millimeter gap between the board and the pearl inlay. This is mainly present on the first, third, and fifth frets where my dad used the area most. There is also quite a bit of buzzing around the second and third frets that is very annoying...it buzzes through the whole note and sometimes overlaps some of the other notes I'm playing. It gets really frustrating when trying to work out a solo in Bb or Cmaj and have it buzz on you right when you're getting to the good stuff. The action needs adjusting, but I haven't really bothered taking it in yet. I guess that's something extra on my "To Do" list. :-)

The beautiful cherry red gloss finish on the body still remains a great feature, although my dad has chipped the wood a time or two from gigging and carrying it around.

The body is a little bit heavy, but it's comfortable. I mainly play this sitting down, so I can sit at my desk and write down lyrics and riffs as I play them to refer to them later. However, I've found that when I stand up, this guitar was too heavy for my strap. I bought a cheap strap from a music store, but this thing went out within a week. I think I'm going to have to buy some Dunlop strap locks to save this problem.

Would I gig with this? Probably not. My dad has gigged with this several times, and it has never failed him, so taking that advice I guess it is just personal preference really. He only had one guitar, and that was the one, so it's not like he could carry a backup. If I were to play a gig I would probably take this as a backup, just in case a string broke on another one of my guitars, and I needed a quick switcher-oo so the audience isn't left standing there. Or perhaps if I needed a guitar that was tuned to an odd tuning of my preference to play a song or two and I didn't want to waste time tuning it up in between songs.

I have fear of dropping this guitar...as I have once or twice, because of the poor strap that I use, and the guitar's weight. Haha...Imagine what would happen if I tried to hook a Les Paul to the strap...drop it and have it land face first on cement, bye bye Les Paul!

Never had to deal with them. Ventura really doesn't exist anymore, Gibson bought out Epiphone from Gretsch and basically dropped the Ventura subsidary, and has never been seen since.

I've been playing for about one year and I own three guitars. An Austin AU341S Acoustic (see my review on it), a Yamaha FG412-S Acoustic, and this Ventura SG. If this were stolen or lost, I'm sure my dad would be sad, because this guitar probably gives him nostalgia over the days when he used to gig with his cousins who where his best friends as well. He keeps telling me of all the times they had together running from cops on motor bikes, working on the farm, playing gigs in small clubs and bars, etc. If this was stolen or lost, I doubt I would get another one, because 1)I wouldn't have much luck finding another one, and 2)This guitar would be easily beat out by any Strat or even an Epiphone.

Overall, this guitar is not too shabby. The outside is nice, but you may find the guts of this thing to be a bit raw and underdeveloped. You can get this thing used for about $200-$300 in a used guitar shop or on eBay, which is a nice price for a guitar of this stature and age. My friends often come over and compliment on the sharp looking axe I have sitting in front of my enormous cab, but like the old saying goes, "never judge a book by it's cover."

Not sure of the year made. It looks to me to be another quality Japanese knock-off. Two humbuckers with good biting sound. The fretboard is the best I have currently, and that includes two Gibsons, a Dean and a Fender Tele. The action is very low and extremely easy to play and bend. Great Blues guitar. Tuners hold tune wll but are not the best. This is a great platform guitar to update. Add a trem, change the tuners whatever. the neck has what looks to be pearl fret markers but I am not sure. They look well aged like the tuning pegs for a great vintage look. I have the transparent brown finish which is beautiful. FIND ONE OF THESE IF YOU CAN AND KEEP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not noisy at all. Sounds great with the original humbuckers. Very bright sounding.

Unbeleivable action. Very well built solid guitar. No hint of Gibson SG neck cracks or problems. Solid as a rock.

Holds up well. Perfect gigging guitar. No problem if you knock a mic stand or drop it because it's inexpensive. Find one if you can. they are worth every penny.

Huh?

First off I'll tell you that I got this guitar new as a birthday present in 1974. I was 8 and just learning how to play. I have a strong sentimental attachement to this guitar and would never part with it. Keep this in mind when I say some negative things about it. I'm not just being a snob looking for something to slam.

Features are typical of an SG style guitar. 2 chrome covered humbuckers, 2 tone, 2 volume, and a 3 way switch. The neck is bolted on and has a functioning truss rod.

The hardware is typical of an inexpensive, early 70's Japanese copy of a Gibson model. The stop tail piece isn't brass. It appears to be a grey cast metal that was chromed. The bridge appears to be actual chromed brass though. The pickups feed back like crazy at moderate volumes on the lead channel due to their microphonic nature. By turning the gain way up on your amp, you can talk into the pickups and hear your voice through the amp.

I'm afraid I must disagree with the previous post on the "solid mahogany" body. Mine is made of many pieces of wood that were colored to look like mahogany but the many chips I put in the finish when I was young reveal a very white looking wood. It isn't plywood though. I suspect alder or some other white wood with a subdued grain glued together. The seams are identifiable because of the lines in the finish that have developed over the years toward the edge of the beveled body.

The neck is a 3 piece neck. the seams are visible through the finish at the headstock and at the neck heal. The fretboard appears to be rosewood but with closer inspection and even by denting it a little, you can clearly see that it is plastic. A very believable looking plastic but it is not wood.

With the stock pickups this is not a gigging/rehearsal guitar. It simply feeds back too much. At practice volumes in your bedroom it sounds quite good. A warm Gibson like humbucker sound is easy to get. There is no super round, resonant texture but the sound itself is not offensive.

If someone were to gig with this guitar they would have to change the pickups.

The action and playability of this guitar is great. I can't emphasize how good it is considering what the guitar is. I don't personally care for the ergonomics of the SG design so I can find falt with it based on my personal preference. But putting that aside, there is nothing bad about the playability and action.

It is head heavy when using a strap. This is something I don't like about the SG design in general. I'm sure this is a little more head heavy than the Gibson version but the shape and geometry of the guitar sticks the neck so far out that it's difficult not to have it sink to the floor if you're not holding on to it. Having said this, it doesn't drop like a rock and is still playable. Sitting is a very comfortable playing position.

Another design flaw is inherent with this SG design and bolting on the neck instead of making it a set neck design. There just isn't much support there with the thin body, double cut away and humbucker routed .25" from the neck pocket.

The finish over the white binding of the neck has browned a bit. The filler around the plactic mother of pearl fretboard inlays has fallen out and there is sometimes as much as a millimeter of gap between the fretboard and the inlay. This is not noticeable when you play it though.

I'd say it's pretty good. It's still alive and kicking and almost 30 years old. Still very playable and maintains good playability and feel.

The humbuckers have faded out. The neck pickup faded around 1980. It just barely put out a sound even though the electrical connections were all in place. The bridge humbucker still works but isn't very vital.

I have replaced both pickups so I can use this guitar whenever I feel like it for any application without fear of feedback.

For what it is, the reliability has been fine.

It is a very cheap guitar manufactured in the early 70's when companies were still searching for ways to make good cheap guitars. Sometimes they did well. Sometimes, not so well. This guitar showes signs of both.

It is ideal for a beginner or a child. The good action (if set up properly) and the narrow neck lend themselves to smaller hands.

This is not a guitar for the serious players or collectors unless you're into collecting campy Japanese copies. If I didn't have a sentimental attachment to this guitar I would probably be pretty hard on it as an over all instrument. The newer copy guitars are made much better and on some level are better at pretending they are "real" guitars.

As it is, I am fond of this one and can honestly say I'll have my kids play it if they show an interest in guitar some day. It's a good player, looks pretty good and with the new pickups, doesn't sound too bad either.

I'm not offering a rating for this one because I can't be objective. It's a part of me.

Forgive me for not being accurate, bit I've been playing for about 9 months, and this is my first electric. I've got no clue when and where it's from. It has 22 frets. It is a solid mahogany body with rosewood at the fretboard. It has 4 knobs: Volume and Tone for each of the pickups. It's also got a rhythm/treble switch (which fell off on mine a few weeks ago...). It's got chrome humbuckers. It stays in tune for a long, LONG time. The action is nice and low, perfect for a beginner (i.e., me)

The guitar has excelent tone. I'm using a Peavey Express 112, and it gives off a very nice sound. You can turn the tone up to 10 and get the nice 50's sound. I'm using a Dano T-Bone Distortion and a Rocktek Super Delay (yeah, not a big setup, but I'm happy with it) and you get just what you're looking for in sound quality.

As I said before, the action is NICE and low. Hell, I really couldn't say if the pickups were right. Same for a bookmatched top, and routed bridge. Oh well... The only flaws I've noticed is the pickup selector knob came off. Just the knob, not the whole thing. The cord aso has a tendency to loosen from the guitar.

I wouldn't really know, as I'm in no position to gig with it. But I'd have to say that it would DEFINITELY withstand it. The finish would stay. The strap button is mounted good.It's definitely dependable, and I would definitely play without a backup (one of these days...).

I don't know, I think they went out of business.

It is definitely an ass-kicking guitar. I know, with time, and after I master it, it will always b my favorite. I've got a Samick LF-009-1 acoustic (very first guitar), and the action is WAY UP THERE. This one is perfect for me. It's perfect for anyone. If I lost it, I would definitely have another one before any other guitar. Yes, I compared it, after the fact. I put my guitar up against a Gibson Les Paul Studio, and the dude OFFERED TO TRADE WITH ME (yes, I know I should have, but after about a week I'd have been at his house, wanting mine back). All in all, this, in my opinion, is one of the greatest guitars ever made.

I have no clue were this thing was made but it's a pretty cool piece. Looks almost exactly like an early 70's SG, down to the inlays, tuners, binding etc. Solid Mahagony body and neck with rosewood fretboard. Nice controls: 3-way switch with volume + tone for each of the two humbuckers. It has two chrome humbuckers that look like the vintage Gibsons, and stop-bar tail piece. Tuners are generic-pearloid brand, but they stay in tune. Medium scale neck, 22 frets, not super fast but very comfortable. Feels solid, with a good action very studly guitar.

Sounds really good. Pickups are very in your face, moderate output and fairly tonally versatile. I have to drop the bass on my amp to get extreme bite, but he bridge humbucker sounds very solid and is great for soundgarden, STP. If I back the bridege off a little, put my dirty channel on 2 1/2 and crank the volume on the amp, hello johnnny be-good. I may replace the bidge with a DiMarzio super distortion, just for some insane gain fun, but very versaile tone-wise, mainly due to my Roland 405X (best 200$ I ever spent), No complaints here. A lot of fun to play. With the controls the way they are, I get great versatility. I play punk, blues, indie rock, and tripped out stuff like porno for pyros & radiohead. The only thing I can't do is get tele-tang for some of the 70's rockabilly stuff.

I never saw it from the factory, bought it at a local music store, used and a little beat up. I switched it over to fufill my lefty desires, and tweaked the action a little. Plays real nice.

I just play it at home, no problems yet. Seems very solid, stays in tune. i would definitely gig it.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing this for abot six months. If I saw another I'd buy it. Love the versatility and the "I've already been through hell" look. I love junkshop guitars. I play a univox hi-flyer with a roland 405X, and assorted wierd effects. Picked it because it's almost exactly an SG!. Nice piece.