Vintage V100MRPGM Lemon Drop

Bought in 2007, so I've owned it over two years now.

All the features are listed below. I decided the middle out of phase position wasn't for me so I rewired it so that they're in-phase. Although the OOP was cool, it wasn't a sound that I used very much. I may switch it back at some point.

The guitar stock was good.

I play mostly classic rock sorta stuff, a little newer grungy stuff as well.

My main amp is a Traynor YCS50.

The sound is rich and full. I can get all the classic Les Paul sounds with this guitar.

Only a couple things I didn't like. I wore out the plastic nut pretty quickly and have replaced it with a Tusq nut--this improved the tone a few degrees. Now it is sizzling!

The internal electronics were fine the way they were but I have replaced them with the contents of an RS Guitarworks Premium modern electronics upgrade kit and like the clarity this achieved.

To my ears, my guitar sounds as good as or better than any Les Paul. I'm not sure why exactly but I imagine it's a combination of the Wilkinson hardware (tuners, pickups), the new nut, upgraded electronics, and the type and amount of wood used.

the guitar was setup well.

The nut needed replacing soon but other than that everything was good.

I liked the look of the guitar, but playing it sold me.

The finish was nice... not an exact replica of the Peter Green/Gary Moore guitar but the profile is similar. Also the holes where the pickguard and old tuners are nice touch to the relicing.

Of course it will last. It's made of solid wood and Wilkinson hardware.

Just have to change the nut for a Tusq, bone, or ivory one.

Emailed about the pickups and they responded quickly with schematics and specs.

An excellent value for a Les Paul guitar. All the tone and playability for a small fraction of the cost of the Gibsons.

If it were lost or stolen I would definitely be in a very pissy mood for a few weeks if not more... and I would probably end up buying another. If not the same one something from the Vintage line.

I was turned on to this guitar from a friend in Canada and, after researching it, ordered one from a UK company. I already own another "Vintage" as well as a couple of Gibson LPs and this one is a true gem. Not normally atraced to "road worn" tribute guitars, I made an exception in the case of Peter Green. Check out the features from the Vintage site. I agree their description is accurate. It truly has the vibe of Green's late '50s Paul.

I am essentially a blues player who also likes '60s era psychedelia and rock. I play through a vintage Bassman and silverface super reverb. For recording I use a number of amp modeling devices. Using a slightly driven bassman I was able to dial in Green's Mayall era tone quite easily )Peter Green did have a clean sound). Keep in mind that tone comes primarily from one's hands. The out of phase pickups are a real plus for this instrument. Want that Bluesbreaker sound? No problemo!!

Set up to play out of the box (from the UK to America to boot....the b and d strings were slightly out of tune. (:-). The aged finish is cool (although honestly it does look better from a distance - as do all those artifcially aged instruments).

I would play this instrument anywhere, anytime.

I have corresponded with the seller and the Vintage company (as well as NA distributors - yes, the lemon drop is coming to America) and they were all good to deal with.

I am a lefty and jumped at the chance to purchase a left handed version of the Lemon Drop. Vintage also has a Clapton "Fool" SG/LP replica. NOW: if only they will make THAT ONE as a lefty too!!

I bought this guitar on a whim, simply because I liked the look of the thing. I wasn't expecting anything amazing from it but quite frankly the tone is an absolute revelation. Played through my Cornford Roadhouse 30w Combo it can compete with guitars costing five times the price. My friends were all very impressed also, so it can't be my ears playing tricks on me. I have a Gibson SG Custom which now sadly spends most of its time in its case, as I prefer the sound of the Lemon Drop.

The guitar played fine straight out of the box with no buzzes or intonation problems. Quite honestly, the quality of the finish does rather resemble that found on some dodgy Chinese made furniture you might buy from a mail order catalogue, but from a distance it looks pretty authentic. The electrics seem up to the job and I have no plans to change anything.

I have owned this guitar for nearly two years without any problems at all. It is certainly worthy of being played before an audience and not just confined to the bedroom as a practice tool.

I have had no need to contact the company as I have encountered no problems.

I have been playing for over 40 years and wish instruments of this quality were available when I started out. The guitar feels like an old friend and I would be sad if anything bad happened to it. I would certainly replace it with an another one.

Passive humbucking Les Paul inspired solid bodied electric guitar.

The sound is fairly true to Peters out of phase playing, but the bridge and neck are unresponsive, poorly detailed, dull and woolly, especially when backing off on the volume.
The pots are cheap and the electrics sound and feel as they are built down to a cost!
Therefore, if you are happy with mediocrity, the pups will suit, but you owe it to yourselves to investigate ways of making this potentially good guitar, much better!
After a few outings, I decided to buy Bare Knuckle pickups, which have utterly transformed this guitar.
Now, I get the complete sound I need with either pups and a much better version of the famous out of phase tonal spectrum-amazing!

Apart from the electrics-which are all now sorted, this guitar is wonderful.
Just on the right side of tacky with that worn finish, I love the vibe, playability, sound and that its soooooooooo much better to play and hear than a Gibbo, and at half of the cost including the Bare Knuckle pups installed.

I can't say if this guitar will last as I am pretty demanding and don't spare them a hard life, but I love it and will use it live and in the studio.
I like the fact that it pisses off Gibbo owners because it looks, feels, plays and sounds better than theirs!

The people at JHS are fine and friendly.

I've been playing forever.
I wished I had the choice of receiving the guitar without pups in so I could have the pups I want from the beginning.
Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy with it.
I don't compare guitars-that's dumb.
This guitar is now a bloody good machine and I like playing it-nuff said.

Bought it in 2008, I suppose manufactured in 2007. Made in China. Les Paul Copy, with laminated flamed maple veneer on mahogany body. Mahogany neck (quite slim) with rosewood fretboard. Set neck, 22 frets, 2 Wilkinson humbuckers (Rhythm pup reversed), TOM bridge and tailpiece, Grover imitation tuners, distressed satin finish.

Overall, standard features in a LP copy.

I bought it to leave it permanently at my rehearsal room, so as to not have to carry around my Les Paul twice a week.

I play it with a hard rock/ punk rock band, with a little mixture of ska and a touch of bluesy lead work. This guitar suits the style perfectly.

I use it with a Crybaby Wah and a Peavey Bandit 112 amp. Not the best amp I've owned, but it nails the sound that suits this band.

The sound is a little brighter than my Les Paul, and it is not quite as responsive and expressive, but it does the job very well. In fact it is easier for me to get the dirty, "clangy" sound I use in this band, and I have ended up using it live, with the Les Paul as a backup. Not that it is a better instrument, which it is not, but the Les Paul's burstbuckers cannot be coil tapped, which is a must for my sound.

I modified the wiring to add coil tapping to the neck HB, as I only use the neck pickup in single configuration. The sound is OK, though I could use some more brightness.

The guitar is really noisy at my rehearsal room, but so are my other guitars, so I tend to think there is something wrong with the electrical wiring there. It does hum a little at other places, but no big deal.

The set-up was OK when I received it, though I always set up my guitars to my taste right away. I did not touch the pickup height though.

No flaws on the guitar. The only defect I can see is that the pickup selector switch is a bit flimsy and not very precise in its action, and a quick switch from treble to rhythm position can sometimes leave you in the middle position. The switch needs to be replaced.

The guitar looks well built and solid. The hardware is OK except for the pickup selector switch. The tuners have too smooth an action for my taste, but they hold in tune, so I have not bothered to try to tighten the button screws.

I replaced the strap buttons for straploks right away. I always do.

The finish is distressed, and parts of it have been sanded away on purpose, which is quite cool, though I did not like the satin finish on the top, so I polished it to a glossy shine (which was a pain to do and needed some prior sanding).

This guitar withstands live playing. I have played it live at 10 to 15 gigs this year. I always carry a backup, I don't think it is very sensible not to.

Haven't contacted them

I have been playing for 17 years. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, a '59 Telecaster Reissue, a couple of guitars I built myself, a MIJ Stratocaster, a Wesley Eclipse, a couple more guitars and a bass. My main amp is a Peavey Triumph 120, but I use this guitar with a Peavey Bandit 112. I also own a couple of Crybaby wahs and a bunch of other pedals which I rarely use.

It the guitar was stolen I would probably buy another. It's great not having to worry if it gets banged or nicked at the rehearsal room/ gigs, and the sound suits me.

It is easy to play and comfortable. A bit heavy maybe, but I'm used to heavy guitars. Both my Les Paul and my Telecaster are far superior to it, but then they are four times more expensive.

A very good value for the money.

I have this guitar for more than one week and have played it daily. I am extremely happy about this guitar. I think they are made in Vietnam, but the design is from Trev Wilkinson(UK).

All the features that you find on any standard Les Paul model, except that both pickups on produced the Peter Green tone (also used by Gary Moore on some of his blues songs) - this is the main reason to have this guitar, although I also like the general look and feel of it. Mahogany body (not sure if it is one solid piece or not), maple veneer top (aged), mahogany set neck (thickness between 50 and 60' style). No lacquer finish. I have added some bee-wax to give it a soft shine and some protection.

The Lemon Drop is slighly less heavy in weight that a standard (traditional) LP, which is not a bad thing for your back. It is slighly top heavy compared to a traditional LP with a 60' neck, but it is not a problem when playing (I have had a Brian May type guitar from Burns in the past where this kind of problem really imparted my playing and I had to sell it for that reason).

The shape is almost identical to an LP, but it has a slightly more pointed cutaway, a slighltly different shape of head, and the head has a softer inclination. The body wood may not be one solid piece. I do not notice these small differences when playing in either feel nor sound.

I carefully considered the option of upgrading the electronics by A - B comparison with my 2006 Gibson LP standard (with burstbuckers 2 and 3 but set-up exactly the same), but came to the conclusion that this was not necessary. I used a Marshall Vintage Modern 50 W tube combo and a Line6 Flextone III modelling amp. The Lemon Drop can sound very different that the LP but can also become very close in the neck or bridge positions. While on the LP my tone controls typically set at max and different tones are dialed in by changing the volume knobs, the Vintage Lemon Drop benefits from setting the tone controls anywhere between 2 - 8, and typically lower when I wish to dial in a lower volume tone. This alleviates the problem (also present on many LPS) that dialing in a lower volume produces muddier tones - dialing in lower tone settings avoids this problem and produces the nicest sounds. This may have to do with the different way in whcih the capacitors are wired on my LP versus on the lemon drop. In my opinion the Lemon drop uses the classic 50-era wiring, and although the components used are different, the values are also respecting the classic set-up (500K pots, 22microF caps). The Wilkinson humbuckers have nickel/silver covers which should age nicely.
Unplugged, it has a very open sound and a long sustain. With both amps tested I could get very good results and can play soft and loud (distorted sound) just by playing with the volume and tone knobs. The sustain achievable is at least as long as on my LP. Very convincing Gary Moore blues sounds can be easily achieved from Still Got the Blues, Pretty Woman, or Blues for Greeny. Also incredible value for getting classic 60- and 70\' rock sounds.

Decently set-up in the factory, but had to make some adjustements to make if fit to my way of playing. I use 10-46 strings and increased the action (bridge slighlty higher at low E than at high E), and then adjusted the intonation - almost perfect intonation is achievable all over the fretboard. I then set the neck pickup as close a possible to the strings (a bit closer to the treble strings) and then adjusted the neck pickup to reach the same volume. This is important to be able to have the Peter Green sound immediately available just by switching the selector to the middle position (just need to dial in the same volume levels on both pickups).

All LP style guitars should be treated with respect since neck damage is costly to have repaired. The aged look of the lemon drop guitar of course means that any scracthes added do not matter. The aging at the front is good but still looks a bit new - the only remark is that the aging where the right arm is supposed to have taken away the finish at the top of the guitar body is too much to near the straplock position. The chrome pickup covers, tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece are still very shiny now but should age over time. The tuners may perhaps look less durable than the normal grover type tuners but so far they work well and keep the guitar nicely in tune even after heavy playing and string bending.

No opinion.

It is the perfect guitar to play at home (light, aged, very good acoustic sound). I will use the lemon drop in my next practices and seriously think about using it on stage. I still can\'t believe that for such price you can own a guitar that good.

My second try to review the Lemon Drop but here goes...........
Thick mahogany body (two piece on mine)and maple cap. Two Wilkinson humbuckers with the neck pickup turned so as to be out of phase on the middle switch position. Wilkinson tune-0-matic bridge and stop tail piece. Wilkinson non locking tuners. Beefy set almost Gibson 50's style neck. Has been subjected to fake ageing. Overall feels and plays a bit like a (wisper it...)a Les Paul. The only things that let the guitar down were the control knobs which are not easy to read at a glance on stage, so replaced them with black speed knobs, not a pretty or historically accurate but a big improvement.

If you have not played one of these do yourself a favour and try one out. I went to a music store to try a reverb stomp box and chose this to play as it looked interesting. I couldn't believe how good this guitar sounded and played, not just for ??250 but for any money.
Bought the stomp box, I went back the next day and bought Lemon Drop.
I dont use the famed Peter Green setting much because although it sounds accurate, to me its is a bit thin, just not my sound. The bridge pickup gives a really nice PAF medium output humbucker tone, all musical and aggressive if required. The neck pickup is siblime it really is, all fat and jazzy through bluesy to thick and rocky. I play it though a THD univalve lined out to a Sheldon TT3 for use in the house or from the THD lined out to a PA during gigs.

How do you rate an aged guitar? I quite like it and its been done ok and I won't have to worry about collecting dings and scrapes. Is the ageing carried out as well as a Fender custom shop relic...no, but it doesn't cost ??2500 either. The guitar was set up really well from the factory (well played Mr Wilkinson please advise Gibson on how to do this), I lowered the action a tad and balanced the pickups to my likeing. The real secret about this guitar is its neck it really is one of the best I have ever played, honestly. It is quite a big lump, not unlike a 50's Gibson but fits your hand nicely and benefits from having half the finish removed as part of the ageing process. My guitar had very very slightly rough frets which have played in fine but a point off.

Dropped it from its stand and fell full on its face and wasn't even out of tune.

Who knows, but Mr Wilkinson looks a bit like my uncle Phil in the promo photos, who is a nice man.

I have tried to be objective but this is where I possibly will start to gush. I have been playing for 29 years or so. A bit of gigging early on, followed by house playing for amusement and recently back to gigging after 19 years. We all have played reasonably cheap Chinese/Korean guitars in this price range, the thing is that this feels substantial like a really old Gibson Les Paul. After a short time the weight, feel, neck and ageing really does fool your brain. For my first gig in 19 years, I had a choice of my 2007 Gibson Les Paul Standard, 1971 Gibson SG Pro, Gordon Smith GS2 and a Parker P38, all excellent guitars but chose the Lemon Drop. Why, don't honestly know but I tried them all at rehearsals and hand on heart liked the Lemon Drop the best even although I wanted to take a posher guitar and show off. Its just got a bit of indescribable mojo, which is a bit strange being a fake aged Les Paul copy from China.

Who is it for: well new players taking a punt on a guitar that will do the to semi pro stage, old giggers who want a good back up guitar (until they try it and then won't put it down)and those that want that classic PAF blues/rock sound.
Who is it not for: badge snobs and hi-gain shredders.

Fantastic value for money, highly recommended.

Specs can be found at this site: http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html

The guitar is basically a reliced replica of Peter Green/Gary Moore lemon drop Les Paul.

I think this guitar is one of the big surprises of the year. The neck feels very comfortable, the Wilkinson pick ups are amazing.

Surprise...surprise!

I was not expecting that this guitar to sound this good! I mean really good! You get the usual Les Paul tones from the Neck and Bridge humbies, very fat and warm with lots of sustain to boot.

What dropped my jaw was the middle pup position, you can really hear the guitar "HONK". When I was testing the guitar and heard this, I looked up to the guitar sales guy, and he gave me this big nod as if to say: Good eh?

For the price, i didnt have second thoughts. Im sold!

Although I never really sat down and listen to Peter Green's playing or tone in Fleetwood Mac so I am not aware even if this can emulate it. But I know FM got famous because of their songs...but this guitar is in the league of its own.

Aesthetic wise, I think I wouldve preferred it to be not reliced. The artificial relic job done on the guitar looks very unnatural on some parts. But I have to give credit to the people who made this, they were somewhat meticulous to put in those screw holes in the tuners and where the pickguard was. The no gloss top is ok and the pick scrapes too..
but still, i think it looked unnatural. Besides, I think Les Pauls do not look good reliced compared to strats and teles.

The pickup tone and configuration is nicely done.. The honk is really pronounced. The pickups are quiet even at high gain settings, the harmonics comes out clearly out of the bridge pup and the neck is really full sounding. The pots used though were a bit suspect and cheap looking, its probably the first one to be upgraded including the toggle switch too.

The neck is very comfortable and playing it is quite a treat. Although, I have difficulties fretting the higher frets..but this is common for all set neck guitars.

Its reliced, so no worries if it gets more bumps and scratches.

Overall, its a very solid guitar. So far no issues after almost a year.

Like I said, it is one of the surprisingly VERY GOOD les paul copies out there. I've had an Epi LP Custom and a Gibson LP Standard in the past(5 yrs ago), unfortunately I had to sell them at that time.

I was looking for an LP guitar and this came across. I was ready to pull the trigger on a Gibson LP Studio, but I guess this will do for the meantime.

And definitely, if this got lost, stolen or broken, I will get me another one.

Give it a listen, you'll be surprised as well.

This guitar is a tribute to the Peter Green Les Paul of times past. I really was not aware of this particular guitar until this Lemondrop caught my eye. It features all the standard Les Paul controls, frets, switches, ect. So no need to get in deep with that description. It features a nice line-up of parts that most players have found themselves upgrading to in the past. Wilkinson parts all around. Nice finish on the nickle tuneomatic and stoptail piece. Very responsive machines and clever replacement marks from the "origional" ones. I would have prefered the vintage ones in this spot though but that would have ended the tribute. The Wilkinson Humbuckers are very nice especially with the reverse wiring Green used. They give many options in tone especially when tweaking around in the middle position. The actual pots are a bit of a dissapointment though. They chose to use the dime size ones. I think for a couple more production bucks they could have filled the cavity with some more beefy and true to the origional components including the three way switch. I have already started the upgrade in that area.
They did use mahogany for the body and set neck and it has a real well figured maple top.

I play a mix of jazz and rock and the guitar is able to go wherever I need it to go. I use a stereo chorus through Epiphone Jr. head, matching speaker cabinet and a Traynor Custom Valve 20. The lemondrop does well with the tube sound especially when going for the crunchy stuff. It does well in the clean settings as well. It can get a bit painful in the treble end but worked it out with practice. Once again the middle selection variations are nice when using the two amps and chorus.

As far as factory set up was concerned I missed that part as my dealer set it up before I bought it. I did find a few sharp frets and had to work them out myself. It is much easier to do on a "relic" cause I didn't have to worry bout scratchin it. The relic process is a bit heavy handed in the abrasive department. As the previous writer mentioned it looks great from afar but when you get up close the sanding marks are quite evident and deep. Not as natural as one might expect. I solved that by going over the top with the next grade sandpaper and removed the belt sander marks. I also polished the top a bit to get some sheen back. Looks great! Like I said the nice thing about the aged look is that you can do a bit of tweaking without worry of that first knock. Overall a good looking finish from the factory though.

This guitar is built like a rock. I don't think it will up and quit unless you drop it or do the Who thing on it. The finish hopefully will just get more natural with age. I would be happy to take it on the road (if that is what I did) as it is it will last me forever.

The guitar has not needed any company suppot, it has a 1 year warranty.

I have been playing at the guitar for many years. I play for relaxation and my own enjoyment. I have made collecting guitars a bit of a hobby as well. I also enjoy the repairing and service of instruments as well. There have been no hidden issues yet and I would gladly replace it if it were lost or stolen. Overall the only thing I would have changed or wished for would be better switches and pots and a lighter hand on the "relic" process.
Keep in mind though you get a great sounding and looking guitar for the price.

Body: Mahogany
Top: V100CS Flame Maple
Neck: Mahogany ??? Set Neck
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 24.75"/ 628mm
Frets: 22
Neck Inlays: Pearloid Crown
Tuners: Wilkinson?? Deluxe WJ01 Chrome
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
Pickups: Wilkinson?? Double Coil x 2 (N) MWVC (B)MWVC
Hardware: Chrome
Controls: 2 x Volume/ 2 x Tone/ 3-Way Toggle

With a reverse fitted Humbucker in the neck!

You can check out a video demo of this great guitar here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MsK5pvOonI

Overall very powerful, responsive and unique sounding. Try rolling off the Neck volume just a touch with both pickups active for that Peter green Honk!

Superb out of the box

I have gigged this Axe professionally and would do so again!

You guys are great!

I am a professional session player,guitar teacher and band member. Been playing for 15 years