Vintage VS6 SG Copy

Well you already know what an SG looks like so we'll skip the features. Here's my story - I came across this Cherry finish VintageVS6G hanging on the wall of my local 'cash converters', side by side with a Gould SG copy in Sea Foam green (review already submitted for that one). Both were in a terrible state, grimy all over, tarnished frets, crappy old strings etc, but I knew with a bit of TLC there was a couple of gems here, waiting to be restored. The VS6 was priced at ??79 and the Gould at ??49 . I persuaded the guy in charge to let me have the two for ??100, so call it ??35 for the Gould and ??65 for the VS6 - and that's where I'm starting from. one weekend spent pulling them apart, cleaning everything in sight, polishing the frets (which actually show no wear at all) lemon-oiling the fretboards, etc and I now have two new toys for the summer!

As a full time guitar teacher I play all styles to some extent - jack of all trades ... ! By preference and when gigging it's mostly jazzy stuff (60s hammond grooves, Blue Note/hip -hop jazz etc), with the occasion forays into R&B, blues, pop covers when required. Played clean, the pickups do their job well enough, but are maybe a little lacking in character. The Gould pickups, whilst looking identical, have a really nice open airy quality to them. Having said that the Vintage pups sound much better when cranked - so that's probably the way you would want it. It's worth mentioning that this is an older model, definitely pre Wilkinson - so I guess the pickups are bog standard Korean units - they read about 7.5K (neck) and 8.5K (bridge) so ideal for 'vintage' (ha ha) PAF style tones, rather than full on shred.

Being an older model this has the deep burgundy finish which I really like - the current models are too bright red in my opinion. It has gold hardware, which has worn somewhat but looks quite cool. As others have mentioned it is quite neck heavy - or was till I replaced the full on gold tuners with a new set of Wilkinson deluxes with the plastic keystone buttons - about half the weight of the originals and they look much better. Only real gripe was the top nut - the standard black plastic affair, with string spacing that was too narrow. I've replaced that with a GraphTec 'Tusq' (man made ivory) nut which has better spacing, looks great, and works much better. Aside from that the finish is excellent, the body is two piece, centre joined, close/straight grained mahogany, (unlike the current models which have big swirly grain lines more like alder or ash, though they say it's mahogany). Likewise the neck which is mahogany, and has a nice dark rosewood fretboard which didn't leak black stain when it was cleaned! I would assume it's a poly finish, but it's not over thick like some, and is actually beginning to sink into the grain which looks nice. Looks like it will age gracefully and become a 'vintage' Vintage!

Definitely a giggable guitar, looks feels and sounds the part, good for any blues/rock/punk styles. There's just something about the very design of the SG, the slim body and the very exposed neck joint, that makes me nervous, but what the hell - if you can pick one up as cheaply as I did what's there to worry about? Go give it some stick!

N/A

Somehow I can't help thinking that the usual pattern applies here - the old ones turn out to be the better ones. I haven't compared this side by side with the new 'Wilkinson' models, but I've heard they are smaller? and lighter, maybe to appeal to the young beginner's market. It's not a Gibson, but let's face it we don't all have the money to splash on the real deal. For me it's a lot of fun, and one I'll probably be using for teaching as a nice change from my usual strats and teles.

Basic SG copy, gloss black. No case or gig bag. Bought mine in January '09.
Wilkinson hardware (PUs, tuners, bridge, tailpiece).

http://www.guitarbitz.com/uploads/images_versions_large/419.jpg
http://www.guitarbitz.com/221.htm

http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html

Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany ??? Set Neck
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 24.75"/628mm
Frets: 22
Neck Inlays: Pearloid Crown
Tuners: Wilkinson?? Deluxe WJ44
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic with Stop Bar Tailpiece
Pickups: Wilkinson?? Double Coil x 2 (N)MWVC (B)MWVC
Hardware: Chrome (VS6/ VS6B/ LVS6) Gold (VS6CG)
Controls: 2 x Volume/ 2 x Tone/ 3-Way Toggle

Just plug it in. No fx. Mesa, Peavey, Laney valve amps (15-50 watts).
The sound is as I expect from a H/H miced guitar with thin body. Very much AC/DC and that's the way I want my rock and roll.

I play rock, hard rock and blues. Some songs require single coil sound, obviously that's not available, that's what I need my Fender for.
Go for VS6 if you're in search for Angus Young sound but don't have much money.

C'mon. Take a look at the price tag, Vintage VS6 is a cheap guitar and if you start looking for flaws with a magnifying glass... Sure, some very minor finish flaws but what'd you expect for ???150?

I dunno what James @ Guitarbitz did to my VS6 before shipping (they have a 12 point check prog), I haven't had to adjust much. Changed strings to heavier gauge E.Ball set (original strings sucked though with that set it was stringbenders ball!), did some fine adjusting to action, haven't touched truss rod, set low-E intonation. The usual. No different than my Tokai or Fender guitars.
Just the proper amount fret buzz!

I think it will withstand live playing as well as any of my guitars, just as long as I don't smash the head to the floor - it's a bit neck heavy and I have yet to buy a good strap.
Strap buttons seemed ok, bought me some Dunlop Loks to secure strap. I think I can depend on this guitar when doing shows.

The pots might be the first piece of hardware to replace. But since I don't touch them too much, it'll probably take years of playing before replacement. Tuners seem ok after one month of use.

Never play without backup.

Don't know about John Hornby Skewes' customer support but James @ Guitarbitz ( http://www.guitarbitz.com ) is a kind person who does not get annoyed when I ask him silly questions. Cheers, James!

I don't think Vintage guitars have any more faults requiring warranty repair than any other brand. Considering the price the quality is astonishing. Just the Wilkinson pups and tuners bought separately cost as much as the guitar itself!

I've been playing for over 30 years. Geez, I must be old! ;-)
Things have changed during that time - now you CAN get a decent guitar for a very small amount of money. Not the case when I started.

My Vintage VS6 is a good guitar. There are guitar brands with SG copys three times more expensive but still aren't as good. I bought a Vintage guitar just to check if it's any good (all reviews were so positive) and it was! I'm thinking of getting me a V100 LP copy too...

The perfect guitar is still somewhere out there or it might be that there isn't such a thing as a perfect guitar...

Its an SG clone, so short on features in some eyes. It has all I need.

Suits perfectly. Classic rock, bit of metal, bit of bluesy stuff and punk. Used with many amps over the years and it sounds wonderful through valves. Not too bad through tranny amps either. Amazing range of tones can be pulled from it.
Bit microphonic at times. Mine is old now, pre Wilkinson. I understand the Wilkinson pups are even better.
Makes a lovely sound.

Spot on. Well set up. I raised the action slightly but that is it. Better than my Gibson in terms of set up in fact. The finish is not as good as the Gibbo, but is batter than my Epi. I have a few SG type guitars :-)

Had it 6 years now. It has stood up every kind of abuse and shrugged it off. It is a tough little cookie. I bought the Gibbo after the Vintage and the Epi after that as I'm a sod for snapping strings and always need a backup. It stays in tune, the buttons have stayed on, the switch still works despite years of being thumped and stuttered. The pots could really do with being replaced, but thats it.

Eh?, they have a warranty?. What for?

Been playing for longer than I care to admit. If it were stolen or got broken, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. I love its looks, its solidity, its neck and the sheer damn fun of playing it. Solid 10.

the features are pretty basic

wikinson H/H
wikinson delux tuners
2 volume & tone controls
3 way selecter swich
4 piece scrach plate
22 frets.........

Well.....its a gibson copy what do you exspect.

I will say it is well finished and put together.

i play classic rock and blues this guitar is perfect for.For the price i payed this is a true bargin and could easily compete with the Epiphone version.
The Wikinson humbuckers do the job for me , they are not the best in the world but can do a nice warm fat tone for blues and a raunchy crisp sound for rock.
I use my stagg 20 watt amp as never let me down.
Of course if you are not satisfied with the pickups you can replace them with a couple of seymour duncans, but i am in no rush to do so

The guitar is set up well i got it almost in tune . The guitar is in no way a light weight as it is fairly heavy and also the strap buttons could be stronger ( but who cares about that )
the fretboard is well made , smooth with Albone inlays and no dents or scraches that i can see. The headstock is neatly finished with the vintage logo.

I havent had it long so we will see if it lasts. The only thing i would change is the weight and strap buttons.

I should think you would be able to play a gig with it.

Never needed it , they were friendly and helpful which is all ways nice.

i have been playing for 3 yrs but have studied guitars for 5 yrs. I have various other guitars but it would take to long to talk about them and i dont want to bore you.
This guitar is by far the best SG copy i have ever played and if you find a better one i will eat my shoes!!!.

I hope you have found this review helpful and if you have any questions either go to my you tube page guitarReviews4you or EMAIL ME at jasonwatson44@yahoo.co.uk

It's an SG Copy.
This review is to mainly update the Reliability/Durability. These things are tough. i have owned this since 2006.

Mine has had several replacement pickups and is still on the original switch, Pots are the weak spot when doing mods on these, everything else is fine.

It's my number 2 guitar behind My Gibson, lester.

It currently has a Dimarzio Paf Pro in the neck and a Gibson 498t in the bridge, these pickups were cheaply obtained [forums and swapped out from other guitars]. It sounds great for most forms of music, not the best for Funk/Ultra clean stuff- probably use a Telecaster for that. Gibson Sgs do sound better,in general,but this gets a solid 9. They don't sound bad as standard.

Many modifications and setups, by myself, plays fine.
A lot of work has been done,but the action fit and finish were always good. Frets are holding up admirably well. The main faults were whacking great 'oles below the bridge and stop bar, [ie the holes were too deep] which have been filled with wood and rock hard epoxy. The guitar has been modded to heck. http://uk.youtube.com/user/lemniscate100

I have owned this since 2006. Everything is fine.

Man this thing is tough, I have had 3 "major accidents" with this.

You must bear in mind that the pickup ring holes are pretty shagged before i write the next bit.

This stands propped up on a wall in my back room, contributes to accidents, of that i have no doubt.

Accident 1.

The strap of the VS6 caught on the trem arm of my Pacifica when I pulled the pacifica away from the wall -the VS6 span round in the air and whacked down on it's front. I was sure it was b+ggered.

Damage= the pickup rings screws pulled out [worn holes,remember] from the neck and bridge pickups, and the tuner ferrules[the bushings that go in the front of the headstock] on 2 tuners popped out,under the strings. It was also out of tune [of course] I was amazed - this was the sum total of the damage, i found the screws and put them back in using wood shavings.

Accident 2. Strap came off front button [yes, it now has a strap retainer.]Vs6 faceplanted right onto the bloody headstock, on shortpile carpet though. I bet that made some people wince! I was sure the thing was toast,NO! Damage= shook up the tuner ferrules, and was out of tune.Fcuk-ing amazing!

Accident 3. Slid down wall and flipped on it's front
Damage =,was out of tune.

I am amazed and still shiver a little when i think of the punishment the first 2 accidenst inflicted.

There is no tougher guitar, I have owned.

I would not even expect most Fender type guitars to survive what this has,do they make them out of Vietnamese cockroaches?. I think the Polyurethane finish does help with the toughness of this guitar.

No Idea,do i need any?

When the frets are shot and I'm old and feeble in 20 years i will use the damn thing as walking stick!

I am 42, have been playing for 30 years on and off,I own a few guitars now and have owned lots in the past. These days I mostly Play for fun and mess about on Youtube.

It's a very good SG copy in every respect and tough as a rock!

see here for more. http://uk.youtube.com/user/lemniscate100

features are as follows -

Mahogany Body
Mahogany Set Neck
Mahogany Body
22 Fret Mahogany Set Neck
Rosewood Fingerboard
Pearloid Crown Neck Inlays
Wilkinson humbuckers

i bought mine from a local store so i had to buy everything else seperate.

year made ?

the neck is smoother than a gibsons
the wilkinson humbuckers are not the best in the world but they are pretty good for the price.

i play mainly classic rock and blues , this guitar is NOT a SG wanabe but a guitar that out classes gibsons , dont get me wrong everyone wants a gibson including me! but this guitar in my opinion ands lots of other peoples as well sounds better than the gibson sg epiphone and it is far cheaper. this guitar plays what ever you want , but i wouldnt use it for heavy metal ( a real gibson sg shouldnt be used for this ethier)

i have not occured any buzzing or unwanted noise.
i use my stagg 20 watt amp.

im scoring it 9 nothing is perfect.

i have nothing much to say ..... except more care could or been takin on the fret board .. nothing bad but not the best craftmanship in the world..

this guitar could be played on stage i havent yet but i think it would turn some heads.

the hardware is all decent , the weight could hold you back slightly it isnt heavy as such but is heavier than the gibson version.

thr finish is just beautiful , amazing , to be honest i would rather just stare at it than play it..... i got mine in wine red ... the wood shows up so nicely and the scrach plate has 3 layers to it black,white then black . 10 for looks!!!

the strap buttons could be a little tighter and firmer to hold the guitars weight but the get by.

a tip for you if you do wish to play a gig with all ways bring a back-up i remember i once played a gig at my high school and the strap buttons on my strat broke crashing my guitar to the ground .....it broke if i didnt have a back-up the gig would of been canceled.

never had to call them but they were nice guys they helped me with picking the colour.

i have been playing for 4 years now so i kinda know what im talking about, i own a behringer HELL BABE wah wah pedal which works well with this guitar, a yamaha "something" classical guitar ( sorry i cant remenber the name ) a fender stratocaster ( black and gold custom design) a lindo electro - acoustic not much to say about it as it is rubbish. a stagg and epiphone 20 and 50 watt amps. and a yamaha magic step.

if someone stole it i would break my heart OR COURSE I WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE

the shere power of it is my favourite thing my least favourite thing would probaly be the weight of it wich isnt really an issue.

i wish it had different tuners the ones on it are just awful looking but that is easy delt with

i would just like to say thank you harmony central for putting together a great website.

The sound that comers out of this is not bad i play a lot of metal,bluses and jazz and it can do all of this

You get nice tone and you can get a nice solid sound

really not bad for the price

Amzing i love the finish it is really nice. The action is good but i think that has somthing to do with the shop i got it from.
but you can get some fret buzz.

Not that good really because the g string all ways goes out of tune which is so bad. the jack input is not that good so if you are playing a gig and you jump all over the place it is not that good for it.

plus a really bad thing i had it for 6 mouths and loads of frets went all of the high e string and some on the b string and that is really bad for me.

not that great but me on hold all of the time that was for the dead frets

Put it this way if you pratice a lot say 5 hours like me do not get it because it will not last that long
but i must say i love the tone that i can get out of this so for sound great.

5

5

5

5

5

You people must remember nothing sounds like a real Gibson, and even more important nothing sounds like a real vintage gibson, They don't use the same mahogany, rosewood, electronics, wire, pots, tuners everything overseas. But the tonal quality of asian mahogany or asian rosewood if thats even what its called has a totally different sound, im not saying its a bad one. Things i never realized in the past were that Gibson actually uses one piece mahogany necks, and 1 piece mahogany bodies on their high end stuff, so even if you get the same electronics its still not the same tone, im writing this in light of all gibson copy guitars not just this one, the look feel and soung of a gibson is unparrelleled so spend the money and buy a real one, people don't complain about spending thousands on a car thats assembly line built by robots and thousands on many things with hbuge mark up and huge profit margins like computers that cost about 50bucks to make and sell for 1000, but people gripe about a guitar thats hand built in the U.S.A by your neighbors in Nashville and Montana that only make about 1/3 profit margin and they don't sell a huge number of guitars a year, 1300$ guitar like a LP classic sells for 2000$ the thing is a hand built work of art, the chinese make every brand in there factories with slave labor from squier to epiphone to ibanez, turser everthing, built by children putting together toys, and the profit margin is way higher on all that stuff, just like it is at wallmart, BUY AMERICAN AND SUPPORT AMERICAN MANUFACURING the Industry that made this COUNTRY what it is, BUY USA GEAR AND THE PRICE WILL DROP<<<<< written MG from the inside (i don't work for gibson or fender im just a tone freak)

I hope I do not have to go into what the guitar has and doesn't. Many have done that all ready so no nead for me to do so.

Well this guitar fits in where I need it to be. I play all kinds of styles and it holds its own very nicely. I play through a Marshall Super 100 JH. I have only 2 pedals, a holy grail and a H2O and the guitar works well with what I have. Its not noisey at all and has great tone. I live in an apartment at the moment and can not open it up the way I would like to but in time I will. We played it loud at the music store and I liked what I heard.Very nice articulate sound. The selector switch for the p/u's works well and you can dial in what you want. It has great unlying tone that I find a real SG does not have. It does not copy the sound of a real SG but comes close enough but has a sound of its own. Great guitar

Well I bought this guitar from my small music store in town. When it arrived he did nothing to it and it only needs a minor intonation set up. Not bad for a guitar that came half way around the world. The fit and finish is perfect. Every thing works properly and needs no adjusting.For the money its a real deal of a puchase. I spent many years being a snob at what my guitar had to be made by... what a hudge big mistage that was.

I have only had the guitar a month and its seems like its the real dael. Its my second Vintage, I also own the Les Paul Junior model with a P-90 in the bridge and that is a great guitar also. Over time I bet this guitar will preform just as good as any big brand name guitar would. I have ordered the Gold Top with P-90's in it and can hardly wait till that gets here.

I have never had to even call these guys as I am a new customer and have had no problems at all.

I have been playing on and off most of my life and I am 55. I have owned many a great instrument. You can tell that by the amp I play through. No these guitars are not Gibson or Fender or what have you. These are the Vinatge brand. For what you pay for this brand name guitar its well worth taking a good look. My SG I just bought playes better than the real Gibson SG. The neck is faster and more comfortable to play on. The sound is top notch and if you want a change take the pups and and go the way you want to. This guitar costs a fraction of what the real one goes for but since it so much cheaper you can rebuild the whole guitar and still come way under what a real one will cost if thats what you think you need to do. I think the Vintage brand is one of the little secrets in the industry. I have a Fender Custom Shop 1966 Strat NOS and would put my Vinatge SG right beside it for what it does and quality of sound and build.

Standard SG/Les Paul fare... you've read it before.
Set neck, which is great at this price level.
Mine is one of the pre-Wilkinson SGs, and the neck is a bit slimmer with thinner frets than in the newer models. I prefer bigger frets, but these are perfectly adecuate.

As usual for an SG, due to teh slightly thinner lighter body, the guitar is a bit unbalanced and the neck tends to pull towards the ground. This feature of SG guitars used to annoy me until I realised that a leather strap offers just enough friction to offset the imbalance.

I play mostly rock/heavy stuff, but also funk or with a funk flavour. This guitar is great for all these styles. The pickups are not fantastic, but they're decent and I am not in a hurry to replace them.

I bought mine used. The set up was fine, with low action. This guitar was pretty well made and the finish has lasted quite a few years already without any major problems. Considering the cost of this guitar, this is really very good. the neck feels smooth and the fret ends are very well finished. Lovely to play.

When I bought it this guitar had a couple of pots loose and the output socket too... it took me all of 5 minutes to fix this plus spray contact cleaner into the pots... and the guitar works flawlessly now. Whilst it may not be made from top quality components, I can't see much to complain about here.
I'd say the weakest part are the tuners. This guitar must be 6 years old or so, and I can feel the tuners aren't veyr good, but they still work and the guitar stays in tune just fine.
The pickup switch tends to fail on these guitars, but mine is still going strong.

I have been playing guitar for over 15 years, and bass for about 1. I have owned/played many guitars and after my initial "I must have a big name on the headstock" I'm cured, and I just want instruments that work well.
If you want an SG style guitar, Vintage makes great ones for not much money at all. Mine is one of the ones before Trevor Wilkinson started working with JHS. The newer pickups are better, more "organic", but these are fine... I haven't tried them yet in a rehearsal situation (I play bass with a couple of bands, not guitar) so I am no sure how they will respond at high volumes... I suspect they'll probably be prone to squealing.. but it's just a suspicion (but it happens with most budget pickups), so I might end up replacing them if I gigged with this, but it would be fine for most people.
This SG represents great value for money, it's so smooth and sounds great. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if this one got stolen. I mean... you can get them second hand for ??60-80... how can you go wrong?

Cherry finish, chrome hardware, the greenish tuners that are meant to say 'vintage' but actually say 'halloween'. still love 'em though.

22 frets, 2 volume and 2 tone, 3 way selector switch. it's an SG copy. what you expecting?

one thing that is very nice is the fret inlays are pretty good mother of pearl copy stuff. they look far better than any Westfield or anything in it's price-range.

i play rock and roll ('50s through to '80s, mainly early stuff though) and this guitar suits it perfectly. i play it through vox valvetronix amps (30w and 50w) on the Ac30 setting, and the strange thing is i was playing along with the Beatles Anthology 1 and the tone was perfect.
Being a George Harrison freak anyway this was quite fun for me, but seriously, the sparkling upper tones were bordering on Gretsch territory but still with the kind of compressed tight SG body tone.

being a guitar more often known for metal, it obviously stands up well through a big muff or whatever, but the pickups are good enough that you can play it clean and be proud of it.

hmm... likes and dislikes...

i love SGs, (this is my 4th through the years) and this is the best i've played yet. it's kinda heavy, but gibson style guitars always are, right?

ok, the reason i started this review -

the setup from the factory, out of the box, was PERFECT. seriously. it was even almost in tune. the action was excellent, the pickups were balanced, the finish had no flaws, the frets were smooth, the tuners still had the whiff of grease. great stuff. SOOOOO pretty...

i play live and can't wait 'til the next gig so i can use this. i'm installing a Vibrola tailpiece so i'll probably destroy the tuning stability, but at least i know it'll be my fault and not the factory. everything seems solid and durable, but if you gig without a backup you're just BEGGING for trouble.

i have a 1 year warranty, which i'll almost certainly invalidate when i install the vibrola. Oh well - he who dares, ruins!

i have been playing for 14 years, and own a fair few guitars. my 'thing' at the moment is to collect a version (not the real things, i'm not rich) of every guitar George Harrison played, so i've got the tennessean copy (a shine, very nice) and a rickenbacker copy (an Indie, if you can find one then buy it immediately - they're worth their weight in gold), and a sonic blue strat, and blah blah. you get the idea.

i decided to get this guitar to adapt into the SG seen in the 'rain' and 'paperback writer' promo films, as the epiphone sg maestro is discontinued and costs about ??300 now if you can find one. this guitar cost me ??119, the vibrola cost me ??75. easy maths!

i owned an epiphone SG400 a few years ago which cost me over ??200 but it played HORRIBLY - no tuning stability, the neck felt loose, it was foul. so i sold it, had some quality time with my hollow-bodies, and decided last week it was time to get back into SGworld. And i'm so happy i picked the Vintage.

Typical copy of the famous SG with slighty uneven horns in a gorgeous red and highly varnished with the wood grain visable, realy lovely to look at. I was pleased to notice it's not too thin nice and chunky and a good weight.The pickups are covered chrome pick-ups H/H in staggered housings with the standard layout of volume and tone for each pick-up with a three-way pick-up selector. Also unlike some originals, you can bleed the volume and tone of a selected pickup while switch is centred. The bridge is a tuno-matic copy with stop tail, all in shiny chrome. It has a black pick guard and the controls are all of good quality.Jack is at the front of the guitar, with no back plate.

The head stock is of a standard paddle shape with a green pearloid inlay and standard black T/R cover. In my opinion this is a much superior headstock to any other copys ive seen, including Epiphone.
The tuners are Covered but unsealed Wilkinson Deluxe tuners with vintage-vibe green plastic knobs. At first glance the colour of the tuners is off putting. The neck is nice and chunky lacquered in the same cherry finish that covers the rest of the guitar. Comfortable and easy to play. The finish on the set joint of the neck is top class and the neck just feels sturdy and well finished. The frets feel good and the markers are the traditional trapezoid shape.


I rate this a 10 because it has everything you need and it does it well.

I have been playing in and outa bands for nearly 20 years and i play mainly metal/rock from AC/DC to Pantera, also play the blues and some country. This guitar packs the goods and boy does it wana rock! I am playing this through a Berhinger Gmx212 and i sometimes also use a v-amp. In both clean and dirty there is no unexpected noises and it copes well with volume. It has a real bite, it dont want to play ballads! I realy would advise that unless you play with atleast a little gain, you wont like this guitar..go buy a tele!! You can go from a nice muddy blues to a real crisp Angus sound no problem. Play a couple of open chords with a little gain and reverb then anybody could be fooled its Ac/dc!! But then when you hit the gain and drop the mids..oh boy thats when it happens!! Anything from Metallica to Mastodon is available. People have been talking here of replacing the pups, but i aint going to coz i think it would be a crying shame. They are realy nice and responsive.

There is a slight fret noise around the 3rd to6th fret on the 4th string, but its quite minor and cant be heard when plugged in.

9 rating due to slight fret noise.

The factory set up was ok, just ok. When i first recieved the guitar the bridge pickup didnt work. So i opened it up to have a look and it was cross wired at the pot!! sorted in 2 minutes, but i have to say that the wiring was rubbish..like my 3 year old could do better!!Realy poor solder joints and bad continuity, sorted now and sounding good!!:)

There is a slight flaw in the scratch plate in that it had a slight nick in it, but hardly visable.

The action was a little low for me but a few turns and it was perfect in no time.

The finish of this guitar is breathtaking!! I have found myself not playing it but staring at it lovinly!! It realy is the most beutifull guitar that i have seen in a while. Before i bought this i checked out a Tokai SG in the same style and i have to say that the Vintage is 10 times the guitar in both looks and playablity!! realy!! And as for epiphone...forget it!! And i am not just saying that because of the price, i sincerely mean it!!!

9 rating due to having to fix the guitar outa the box!!

Havnt played this live yet, but will do soon. But i would have no doubts that this guitar could cut the mustard. It is of a great quality, hardware and finish. It feels good and sturdy and it holds a tune well once set up with the intonation. Strap pegs are good, just give them a slight tightning. Only problem with an SG is the generic urge to self destruct by throwing itself head first at the ground! But with a good strap this can be over come, just keep one hand on the neck!!

10 rating coz i cant fault it!!

NO comment. Althought i do know that JHS are good to deal with and are very customer focused.

Been playing for nearly 20 year..(OMG) and i have to say that i was suprised with the quality of this guitar. I got this guitar realy because it was cheap and i wished to add to my arsenal. I told myself thats its a cheap guitar and warned myself not to expect anything great, so as to not be disapointed i had prepared myself for a cheapo crappy sg copy. Oh how wrong i was! This is a wonderfull guitar, well made and well finished. I had an issue with the electrics, but that was sorted quickly. I also had an issue with the tuners, but i got used to them and infact they add a little character. But thats it...no more issues!! I love this guitar dearly and find myself treating it better than my Dean or Gibson!! I just cant getover how good it looks! I do wonder what other people are on about because i really cant fault this guitar.

If this guitar was lost or stolen, i would cry..!! Then i would sort myself out and get another one and one spare for the loft!! I am going to buy another on of these but in black!!!

I hate it when reviews state "Good for beginners" and "good for the price"

I would say this guitar is top notch for any level of player and as for the price, i think its way better that any other Sg i ever played at 5 to 10 time the price!!

If your looking for a SG in either a copy or other and your funds are low or your just not into names and you aint a snob, then i urge you to try this baby out.

You will love it!!

Black Gloss finish,2 volume 2tone wilkinson pickups and tuners,2006 model,mahogany body with set neck.Sg looks.

GREAT sound played through little epiphone amp.Played it through a fender bass amp still sounds good.No unwanted noise.

Well setup well finished everything works as should.

Have an older model pre Wilkinson despite near fatal drop still plays well,looks good.

never had to use.

I hate reviews that state for the price its this or that.These are exceptionally well built guitars,i own 2 of these sg`s and will buy more suspect the Les Pauls are just as good next on my list to try.

OK a review the ALLNEW H.C. Way

Click the question marks to see what the questions are.

Poly Finish and Cherry Red >It has some grain or grain filler lines which are nice looking.
It's an SG Copy.
Bridge was standard abr1 copy changed to nashville copy [more solid]
Tuners slightly weak Kluson copies [Wilkinson Deluxe chrome.]
Neck fat-ish but nice SG-ish neck. Low med-jumbo frets rosewood board.
I think it came with leaflets,allen keys and a cable.
Made in early 2006 and inspected by MR TS KOAK, who needs to get his eyesight checked and his prescription upgraded a tad. It's probably Chinese at this price.
Standard Sg fare . The Wilkinson hardware is ok but not a major upgrade from the previous model which i owned in 2003-4.
I've had the thing apart for all kind of mods and i can tell you that
1.) It???s the whitest "mahogany" I've seen, but, I aint a woodfettler.
2.) The pickups are not originally alnico and are filled with half a pound of wax. They are Alnico magneted now I???ve changed the magnets.

Getting some wax out and ridding it of the ceramics is a good move.

It's a heavily modified project and the thing is now equipped with push pull coil taps and other strange wiring.

As standard it's very good for the price and very playable.

I'm a home recorder and play at semi-pro level, I used to occasionally play with good/pro players when I played out. I play most kinds of music from Pop, Chic through James Brown, Howling Wolf, Led Zep and even Sabbath,Metallica type sounds. Usually settling on late mid 60s type guitar sounds.
I mostly use this though either 1 or both of my Behringer Compressor pedals into a Korg Ax processor to four track to PC sound card. The fx unit and recording programme have enough Patch/VST jiggery and pokery to make a ??70 Telecaster copy sound [virtually (ha!)] like an old Lester.

Even with the mods it needs extra compression to get a little nearer to the area of Gibson sound quality, if you could bung in some 490s, well it still wouldn't be quite a Gibson, but I???d take that over an epi.
That said with the coil taps, replacement pots and caps I can get a very versatile range out of it.

As standard it was ok and would score a solid 7 straight though my little Vox. 9 is how it is now.

Setup was fine, intonation was bearable, nut needed cutting a fair bit action needed to be raised, if anything. Apart from dry frets that needed playing/wearing in it was the most playable guitar I???ve seen come out of a box.

A few flaws.
The right hand side tuners bushings are glued/pushed/bodged/wedged in at an angle, which is just mostly visually annoying and doesn't interfere with anything.
The woodwork on the back of the neck is dodgy looking.
The bridge stud on the bass side was slack to the post.
That's about it. not much different than my 2003 one. I think the 2006 seemed to sound a little better as stock though.
I keep it around as I love the neck profile and general utility of the thing.

Seems OK. I've had it since April [ 7 months] and it's been voraciously modified and been soldered on/in a lot. SO the finish is tough ,taken a few tap and dings without really marking it,it is a guitar and not a drill press so if you don't go industrial on it it should last.

The stock pups,pots,nut and bridge could go for reasonably priced improvements. It's a nice cheap guitar. Going by this AND the last one I'll say it's tough enough.

Cant help, never used them.Their website is getting a little better though

Been playing around [argh!] 28 years. Own Gibson,Yamaha,Epiphone and Cheapo AXL and VOX gear. I have only played one or two Vintage V100s,perhaps i'd have liked them more,but, on the whole I've got a great versatile beater guitar for me,for under ??170,including all the parts I've used on this little project. I'd like to have a look at a cheap semi (TA50 or HB30) but i'm not sure i could justify the budget for that after my mods and not having much money to spare.

You can get these for ??140 in a shop and ??120 online. It almost seems a shame not to , watch out for those wee flaws though.

Considering what it costs,and looking what the competition offers, a high 9 here.

I bought this guitar in black about a year ago. i bought it mainly at the time because it was nicer to play and looked far better than any of the other guitars in my price range. Its got 2 Wilkinson humbuckers and seperate tone and volume knobs. mine has 22 frets withe the classic gibson shape trapezoid inlays. Im not entirely sure about the wood its made of because ive never looked into it but im guessing its mahogany. it has the same short scale as a real gibson which i like as the strings feel a bit tighter and more solid to play. the only bad thing i can say is that when i was transpoting it in a guitar bag it hit something and the pickup selector switch snapped in half. its still usable its just shorter.

I love the sound of this thing. with the correct volumes and tones of the pickups u can really sound like Tony Iommi. that is with both pickups selected, both at full volume, the bridge pickup with 0 tone and the neck pickup wth full tone. Alot of people are moaning about the fact that the sound it puts out is too bassy but i prefer it that way. I love the really bassy distorted sound u get on the overdrive channel of my marshall MG30DFX. The ound is just so poweful yet still so easy to make out the notes.

The finish is beautiful. it is a really glossy black which i really like. the only problem with this is that it constantly seems as though it has fingerprints and dust all over it because the finissh is just so shiny that if you dont clean it it is relaly easy to see the grime on there. When i bought it from the shop, i got it home and the action was very good and very easy to play. But still i managed to get the action even lower for even easier faster playing without any noticable buzz. It plays better than an epiphone i have played that cost twice the price. infact its played better than Deans ive played. it plays about as good as a Fender Telecaster i played. really nice guitar

This guitar will easily withstand live playing. this guitar just loves to be played really loud. the strap buttons have never let me down and feel very solid, not rattling or wobbling at all. i could easily depend on it for playing live but would still take a backup because knowing my luck id probably break a string. One of the only downsides i can thik of with live playing is taht the guitar is VERY neck heavy. Theve got the strap button in the same place as a gibson SG because it is a copy but i think they should have improved on the design rather than copying it and maybe put the strap button at the end of the top horn rather than behind the heel joint.

Never used it. never needed 2

Overall this is an amazingly goood quality guitar for the money and i would recommend it to anyone. for my next guitar i am considering another vintage but a les paul one.

I think they're korean, probably.

Please bear in mind the price is quite low,no guitar is perfect and objects in your rear view mirror...

A Cherry Red SG copy- This is a 2005 Wilkinson [revised model] version. came with a setup sheet, and some other papers about caring for your guitar.Tune-o-matic bridge, two Wilkinson Alnico [and you CAN tell] humbuckers with separate tone and volume controls and a three-way toggle switch.


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A point i feel i should mention : I got this PARTIALLY due to the fact that it's bridge pickup is the correct space away from the bridge according to an anal article i read in uk guitar magazine about LP Juniors, pre 57 vs 57 on.

<<Comic Book Guy>: Okay, here we are, alt dot nerd dot obsessive. Need know spacing bridge to pickup polls Gibson, specs.

The bridge pickups polls are the exact distance from the bridge that my Gibsons are, unlike my Epiphone. that helps the bridge pickups tone along a bit.


Yeah ok,ok, P90 VS Humbucker/seth lover/Jumpers for goalposts.
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Neck is Very Gibson to play, Wilkinson deluxe tuners which are good and stable.

It's got what an SG should have ... it's featured. featured similarly to some Italia guitars too. the new hummers are V.Good and will worry an epiphone. Body and neck are mahogany. Resonates well.

Minor niggle; frets are very LOW, this makes for easy playing,but, will they be gone in a year or two??. At this price you can flog it and get another unit. Setup is adequate out of the box.

Worryingly there was sawdust on mine as i extracted it from the mailorder packaging, this seems to have come from where the bridge humbucker rubbed on the wood as there was sawdust on the plastic on the pickup. This unit is okay I bought mail order as it was cheap and i had one before. if you're buying one first time, get it from a shop, you should get minor niggles taken care of there and then.<</Comic Book Guy>.

It's cheaper and better than the "pre" Wilkinson ones i have seen played and owned. I bought this to mod,but, this review will be done over the week or so before i modify it.

Yes,they're generic alnico5 PAF copies,but,are more than adequate - especially though small amps and REMS effect units which is where i use it. It won't beat Duane or Erics SG through a big valve amp..don't try it. Replacement magnets/coils or entire pickups are the order of the day if you want ,er "harmonic complexity" like a Gibson or more expensive guitar has.It gets near to Angus/Chuck Berry tones.

Will ROCK or even RAWWK,er,dude.

Paint nice, Except for the back of the neck where you can see the headstock,neatly, join to the neck and the fillet where the truss rod was put in -it looks a dogs breakfast -so don't look at it, and finish is too good to niggle over.
Colour is BRIGHT cherry Red,as it is described.

Neck profiles is very Gibson in feel.

Action acceptable. Top 3 strings [unwound] were even intonated ok!
Standard setup is a bit "tight" so it loses a point.


As on my earlier vintage the tunomatic post doesn't fit the bass side hole, loses another point. frets are medium jumbo in width,but are also very low as mentioned. A good alround setup here.

Cant rate it,but it feels tough. I had the older one for around a year and that fell over once or twice and was ok. These have a very "gibson junior" "vibe"/feel, Ie a cheap, good sounding, quite tough, basic, unit. Isn't that what juniors were supposed to embody?

No experience of them except a ho-hum website with small pictures of their guitars at www.jhs.co.uk .

I've been playing too long to bother with too much shite, 20+yrs since i switched to electric. It's a very fine Gibson copy for the money. Very much try one before you buy it.

I own,Gibson,Yamaha,Epiphone,Harley Benton [passable,cheap] and AXL[good+cheap] guitars. Small Vox amp Korg modeller.


Not sure I love the low frets everything else can or may be changed. As it is it is a perfectly fine little unit. I still don't see much need to spend #230 plus on the Epiphone equivalent...although I do hear that Westfield make some nice guitars :) .

The price VS what it does VS Compared to my Gibson means it is still a good bargain.

These things are pure value,all round.

i dont know what year it was made but it has a mahogany body rosewood fret board basic 22 frets tuno matic bridge nothing special at all !

the pickups in this are wilkinson own they are good but not great they are missing the wow factor the rythm pick up is so bassy it makes my amp vibrate and go really distorted and i have a marshall 65 valvestate unless thats my guitar not everyones but i dont think it is.
At the moment it is having an emg 85 put in it but because the wiring in it is so weird and cheaply done the wiring instructions to the emg dont work with it which is really annoying. oh well no big problem:)

nothing special it looks like a gibson without the name on the headstock the neck felt fine no blemeshes of scratchs it has a nice coating of laquor to stop scratchs gettin in pick ups were set fine but like i say rythm pick up is bassy action was luckly perfect! you can get right up to the 22nd fret easily no problems for them ripping solos!!

this guitar feels unbrakable i fell like i can trust my life on it and when i have done gigs i have not felt the need for a backup guitar.i put somestrap locks on it but i wouldnt say that i needs them. only problem was that i needed to change a tuning peg as it started to rattle they are klusion and as you no are known for going out of tune and braking!i think it broke inside once again no big deal could still use it jst annoyed me wen playin without an amp,it has recently started to do it again on a different tuning peg but oh well !!!!

never needed to ring them or talk to them took it to a guitar shop and got its tuning pegs done!!the warranty i think was 1 year i think!

its a brilliant guitar with an emg it will be even better!!!its a beautiful trusty guitar! its a good beginner guitar or if you like the gibson sg but cant efford it go for one of these just as good as the epiphone but not as expencive!!!now in the business of saving up for a gibson les paul classic its going well

This is a follow up to a previous review.

Still sounds great after a few years, I switched to heavier strings and reversed the neck pickup so it's less muddy. The wiring could do with changing, as could the pickups, but that's really not worthwhile on an instrument this cheap. I'm rating it a 9, but this is a 9 FOR THE MONEY. At lower volume through cheap amps it sounds as good as anything. But when you start playing through all valve amps the pickups start to show their *RELATIVE* inadequacy(still good for the money). If you put Seymour Duncans or something in this guitar, they'd improve it vastly...BUT, there are better pickups out there, and dropping any more than #60 per pickup into it would be quite silly I feel.

Finish has withstood some unfortunate incidents in places, but not in others. I have bare wood on an area along the side of the headstock about an inch long spanning the full width, and some bare wood down by the strap rear button, also a pot came loose at one point and is secured in place by none other than Mr Blutac. If you don't know what that is....it's like this....thing. It's similar to play-dough in some ways, it's used as a non permenant adhesive. I've re-set the intonation since I got it but it's still good if a little buzzy. Tuners still work just fine, strings stick in nut, but only because I was too lazy to file it when I switched string guages.

I must say this guitar has taken one or two knocks. The damage to the headstock and just near the "butt" of the guitar would have occured whatever model the guitar was considering how they occured, but one thing that does piss me off is the neck. Over the two and a half years...well a little longer than that really, it has warped. Not enough to make it unplayable, but enough to make it so any good set up is out of the question. You're either going to have the thinner strings too high or the thicker ones too low. It's a shame that this guitar has to be relegated to the role of "Guinea pig" but it *IS* a cheapy when all is said and done, and as a stater instrument, it has been worthwhile. I plan to practice wiring, pickup changing, tuner changing, nut changing, in fact all those wonderful aspects of guitar hotrodding so I don't fuck up a good instrument.

Not to say that when you buy it it won't be a good instrument, but I don't think this guitar really has had the longevity it should have. But then I can't expect more considering it cost #170. Maybe I'm unlucky, but THIS vs6 has a warped neck and 2 sizeable chips and a pot that had to be reattatched in a bizarre manner.

No idea, I've not had need to get in touch with them. The warranty is out of date by now so with regards to the warped neck etc I just have to live with it. I'm sure had I an issue, the shop I went to would be glad to help since Pete's Music Emporium is a small buisiness and when I went there he was very helpful. He even made sure I tried this before I decided to buy an epiphone which though a worse guitar in several aspects would have set me back as much as #200 more at least. I can not however speak for Vintage.

Well for my overall rating, it's gone down to a 6. I've got more years of experience playing under my belt since I got it, and I am a much better player.

There's nothing I wish I had asked before playing it, but knowing how it's neck turned out might have detered me somewhat. Although from what I can gather my guitar is a unique screwup in this department.

If it were stolen or lost, I would not bother getting another one since at this point another entry level guitar would be just stupid. I really like Gretsches and if I had a gap I'd probably get another one of those, or a Gibson SG with soapbar pickups.

I like that it's withstood some measure of abuse, I hate that the neck bloody warped on me. It's not a giggable instrument, it'll do in the bedroom but it's inexpensiveness has gradually manifested over the years (both of them) that I've had it. I don't know if my standards have just got higher or the guitar has got worse(well it has, the neck warped.), but as a starter guitar it's fine, but I wouldn't reccomend one to a preofessional musician. Great SG clones ARE available however, if you see a Tokai play one, they rock as hard as a Gibson SG for less money.

Is there anything I wish it had? Yeah....a straight fucking neck so I could give it a could set up. I can't stress how irritated I was when I realised. I was sat there adjusting pickup height, and as I looked down the guitar it just...didn't look straight. So I got down and looked along the neck...and lo n' behold it was bent. Bah...it's not like I paid lots for this so I won't complain too much.

I don't want to discourage people from buying this because for #170 it really is the best entry level SG style guitar you will find, but be aware that after 2 or 3 years you'd be well advised to look elsewhere.

this is a really good sg copy, much better in my opinion than an epiphone copy, and much better value. 22 frets, double cutaway body gives great access to the top frets, and the thin body is comfortable. hardware is what you would expect from a far-east manufacturer, and the machineheads are hard to replace as no one sell them, I had to replace them with different ones. but the bridge layout is great, and keeps the strings in tune for ages.
the neck is thin and fast, and is as good as any epiphone.

the pickups, are potted with wax, which means that you cant remove the covers. this may have been done, because the pickups are cheap, but they dont squeal at high volume, and give a lot of beef.
the tone is good, considdering the materials used. but the neck may move a bit when playing, which makes it sound like a tremelo, but its not recomended you try it.
the volume controls are not very responsive, so you dont have much scope for tweaking the sound. but the range of sounds you can get from it are varied, but I only really like to use it for Metal playing, which it does well thanks t othe fast neck and humbuckers.
Fantastic for its price!

the action is pretty good when I bought it. you can lower it without too much problem, thanks to the fully adjustable bridge, but you do get some string buzzing, but when you are using a high gain setting on the amp, you dont even hear it.
all of the hardware is well fitted, and only the output jack needed adjusting. but there are no parts that have caused problems. I was surprised as well at the quality of the finish, it looks great and looks better than an epiphone sg.

providing you make sure that you tighten up the strap buttons, and output jack, then this sg will withstand relentless playing. and the electronics arr not a problem. the only possible problem may be the neck joint, as it is not a bolt on neck it may come loose, or break. but a guitar like this is versatile and reliable.

I have had reason to have it repaired, but a good music shop could help no problem!. and if any hardware needs replacing, you may as well invest in better parts.

at first I was a bit dissapointed with the guitar, as the materials looked a bit cheap, them I remebered that the guitar IS cheap. but I would rather have a Vintage Sg anyday rather than shelling out for a slightly better Epiphone.
the thing I love about this guitar, is that despite the cheap materials, it still feels and plays better than something 3 times the price. this guitar would make a perfect 1st guitar, and once you compare it to anything else in this price range you wont find anything better.

basic but well put together and plays simply better than epiphones and gibsons i have tried and owned for many years

i play punk inspired fiddle rock and i thought it sounded great until i put seymour duncans in...then it really came alive....previously i did not realise the muddy sound it had by comparison to seymour seth's. so that must be testamant to how good it is in its basic no frills format. only problem now is it hums too much....i think its the cheap pots and circuitary which i can change.

cant fault it ...except the fret wire is rubbish and it will be replaced when it wears out...which after 12 months it is already in the bottom 5 frets.

i have giiged and giiged and rehearsed with it...no bother except like i said the fret wire sucks

not needed it

buy one and dont waste your money on epiphones

It's an SG, it doesn't have features. A new kitchen has features, but this doesn't ;)

It's just a really well made, quite basic guitar. Two pickups, volume and tone for each, 3-way selector and other important things like machine heads and a bridge.

Now we're talking !! I was drafted into a funk band last year, and it didn't sound out of place. I've played and recorded a lot of different styles since then, and it's cut the mustard each time. I've recently put a set of 12's on it and detuned it to C for my own stuff (stoner rock type-stuff), and yet again, it's come up trumps. The only thing it wont do, is give you that Hendrix front pickup sound, but I fiddled about with my effects and got pretty near.

My setup goes like this:

A/B switch > Zoom 505 & Digitech RP7 > Marshall 100 watt Super Lead head > angle top 4x12 fitted with Celestion Sidewinders.

I've also played it through Fender twins, Messy Bogies and DI'd it straight into a desk. I've also got a lot of old effects I like to use from time to time, and an E-bow. No problems.

The factory set-up was a bit spongey for my tastes, but it didn't take me long to set it up how i wanted it. The neck radius is really shallow, which gives you the opportunity to have a really low action without it choking anywhere. I had to give the saddles a bit of attention with very fine wet and dry paper, 'cos the strings it came with were snapping very quickly indeed. I put a new set of Dean Markleys on after this, and I haven't had any breakages since. I can't remember having to adjust the pickups, and there's been no unwanted noises either.

Neck and body are both great. 'Solid' is a word that springs to mind. Paint job is mirror-like, a bit of wax polish every time you change strings and it keeps it's looks. Let's face it, I'm talking about a black SG, they look cool !! The only real change I made was to move the strap button from the back of the neck to the top horn. I use one of those screwed in straps with the release catches like you find on a rucksack, so it's never come undone.

This guitar definately withstands playing live. It's a very solid guitar. It's had a couple of knocks, but there's no chips and very few scratches. I've gigged it a few times and NEVER felt that I've needed a backup. As with all SG's, it's neck heavy.

Dunno.

I've gone on a bit about this guitar, but I truly think it deserves it. I've been playing for 15 years, and I own quite a few guitars including strats, headless and 24 fret metal monsters. I tried the Epiphone SG when I went to buy this, it was more than double the price, but half the guitar. I would recommend the Vintage to anyone willing to try something without the 'badge'. The only thing I wish it had, is tappable humbuckers, 'cos I do miss the single coil sound from time to time, but it wouldn't be too much hassle to fit some myself. It's great value, well made and it looks cool. What more do you want ??

Its an SG copy, so no 'features' as such, just a set neck, 2 humbuckers, 2v2t and a toggle.
The body is mahogany, the neck is constructed from 5 beautifully made sections and the fretboard is similar to rosewood. The pups are no-name far eastern. The bridge and stop bar are from a company called SamShin, whose products seem to dominate far eastern guitars.
22 medium frets, stock Gibson scale. Good sealed tuners that are smooth in use and do hold it in tune. Only accessiries were a laughable song sheet and an allen key for the neck.

Bit silly ratng it for features.

Sounds utterly wonderful!. No kidding either. Some microphony from the pups. Rich, full, detailed all the way through bright to wiry and harsh depending on which pup is selected and the position of the tone control. I play punk/garage mostly with some dibblings with classic rock. It suits like no other in this price range and to my cloth ears fits right in. Fails to get a 10 because no guitar gets a 10.

Set up good. I have raised the action a tad. Intonation fine. Pups adjusted perfectly. No issues with the fret edges. No string choking, so you can play the whole neck and the sound remains consistent. Nut not perfect, but close enough for me not to bother doing anything to it. Some spotting in the lacquer, but you have to look -really- hard to see it. For its price, it gets a 10. In the real world, price not included, it gets a solid 9

Will it stand live playing?. Yes.
Doe sthe hardware seem like it will last?. NO. the frets are already showing signs of wear. I play very, very hard. I attack the instrument and fret hard. there are some signs of wear on most of the lower 12 frets now including some dishing of the lower three. Still, who gives a damn if it only lasts 3 years. It is a dirt cheap, nice sounding, lovely to play guitar!
The finish will last. It is a good lacquer that is impervious to buckle rash and pick scratches.
I use a locking strap, and the positioning of the neck end strap button is a pain. Like all SGs, it is ferociously neck heavy. I loves SGs, so I put up with it. Fit a Fender Precision Bass string tree on the top of the upper horn and forget about it.
I do depend on this guitar, and I'd never gig without another as a backup. Strings break, especially if you play like I do.

Que?

Been playing for a fair few years. Own a Vintage LP, but prefer this.
If, when the frets are utterly beyond redemption, I have a few shillings, I would like to get it refretted with harder wire, I -may- put some EMG or SD pups in. It sounds like Angus, I play like East Bay, it works for me. Now take price in to consideration. I have owned this guitar for 9 months and play it every day. Some days I practice most of the waking day. This cheap SG clone inspires me to play it far more than any other guitar I've owned over the past couple of decades. Bought for its looks, its sound, and the way it plays. The rock bottom price and the fact that it isn't firewood are a real bonus. I wish it had stainless steel frets and a graphtec nut.
Overall, it has to get a 10

Twin humbucker '62 Gibson copy. Separate tone and volume on each pickup, like the Les Paul series.
Quite a tall guitar, the fretboard is very accessible.
Solid bridge, stays in tune well. Solid wood body in cherry red with a bonded neck. The body is quite thin, good comfort.

The fretboard is quite wide - very easy to play, and great for outrageous string bending! It really is a solid guitar that does the basic 'guitar thing' with great competency, except the neck-strap balance is neck-heavy.

The sound is very flexible. My real Gibson (which I took back) would only make a clangy sound no matter what I did to it.
This one can do anything - an amazing range. From chunky damped heavy metal bass to searing high notes, even without changing the controls it can do all styles.
The sound is generally very smooth but with a significant bite if you ask for it.

Setup was excellent, smooth fretboard, lovely varnish - a revelation.

I use this guitar for any serious stuff - it is very dependable.

This guitar is essential, I would get another one straight away if it was lost. It knocks the spots of the Gibson I had in build quality and sound, and of course was much much cheaper!!

This is an update to my review below. Pickguard is 4 ply, not three. Quite how I missed that...

OK, my MG100DFX died, and I'm back on a borrowed Marshall valve stack of unknown origin, borrowed from a -very- trusting friend :)

Just how much difference does using a valve amp compared to a tranny make with this guitar?. It is an order of magnitude my dears. This thing sings through a valve amp. The pups push the preamp into lovely creamy overdrive. It sings. Clean and fuzzy at the same time. Balanced and powerful. I borrowed said mates Epiphone SG for backup purposes and needed it when I snapped the E. At full throttle, this guitar has -more- projection than the Epi. Sorry to all you folk who bought an Epi, this is better sounding at earbleed live levels. Walking backwards toward the amp, the Vintage pulls lovely feedback from the amp, the Epi sounds harsh even though the output from the pups seems the same.
Without taking price into account, or finish or fit or anything, just balls out sound when playing like a nutter, this thing warrants a 10. Listen to the Live At Leeds album. Now you know how this things sounds when cranked to the edge and abused. Just ordered another :)

See previous review. My string snapped on the final chord of a song. It didn't snap at the nut or bridge, but snapped right where I strummed, so I cannot blame the guitar.
The flimsy feeling selector stood up to being used to 'stutter' the guitar as well as being plain old fashioned thumped into position.

I went to take the rear plate off to look at shielding it. One screw had been overtightened at the factory and pulled the hole too big. From the outside, it looks superb. Some corners have been cut inside though.

Nothing 10 mins with some shielding spray, a bit of tin foil and a soldering iron doesn't cure though.

Does it stand being hammered by a thug live?, yeah, and it grins at you and asks for more.
The hardware will last as its chrome not the gold finish. It has not oxidised. The strap buttons haven't pulled out, but I do use a locking strap now.
Can I depend on it?, whaddya think!. Never gig without a backup though. String snappage happens to us all sometimes.

Not applicable

Love it to bits and am buying another. Does that tell you enough?
They do need shielding though. At full tilt, they hum slightly as they pick up whatever stray EMF is kicking about. The pots really could do with replacing with ones that act over more of their range, and fit speed knobs in place of the ones fitted as stock s the stock ones do not make violining easy.
I play this beast for at least two hours a day, and it rewards me every time.
Better than an Epi?, well, for my money yes. You can resell an epi though and I would bet that Vintage guitars have no resale value. Still, at these prices, WGASA?

Details as outlined by others below. Made in the far east somewhere.
This may be bullshit, it may be true, I'll relay it anyways.
Waiting to be served by the pleasant but harrassed assistant in a guitar shop in deepest West Yorkshire ( ee baa gum and all that ), the current customer was adamant he wanted a Squier Affinity Tele because its a Fender apparently. The assistant stood his ground and said 'No, you want either a Squier or a Vintage. They are made on the same far eastern production line as Squier and some Epiphone, its the same price as the affinity and it is much better'. The customer was not convinced, so the shop assistant demonstrated both guitars. The customer bought the Affinity. I bought the Vintage, then two years later, I bought this one. My tele now lives with another, and it has been gigged with recently. He loves it and it sounded great live.

The quality of that one, and the generably favourable reviews on here are prompted me.

As for the features score, well, it has everything you'd expect. Mahogony body and set neck, 6 no name tuners which do hold it in tune, plastic nut, 22 fat frets on what looks to be a rose wood-a-like fret board, two no name humbuckers, three way switch, 2v+2t pots and an excellent jack. The neck is thin but fairly wide, the action a tad high. The bridge is a tune-O-matic type. Mine is cherry red. The knobs on the pots will have to be replaced as they look like cheap shyte when you're playing it. Oddly, they don't look too bad from a distance. Pay no heed to the rating.

I bought it to play heavy rock ( UFO, Black Sabbath ) and punk ( Clash, Sex Pistols ) mainly, but also to dibble about with Kyuss/QOTSA type stuff. It suits perfectly.
I'm using a Marshall MG15DFX combo with a Danelectro CoolCat chorus and a home built wah. The guitar is silent. No extraneous buzzez or crackles and the pickups don't seem to be at all microphonic, which is amazing at the price. The tonal variations available from this guitar are vast. It goes from bright, cutting treble on the bridge pickup with the bass wound fully off ( it really can cut glass ) to shit faced on smack on the neck pickup with the bass fully up and all tones in between. I can be Schenker, Page or Young ( in my dreams maybe ) or at least a reasonable approximation :). Only minor gripe, and a tweak of the contour filter lessened it, is a bit of a honk ( yup, think goose ) in the mid range when on both pups. Think the chord sequence to Death Or Glory. The two chords just before the chorus. I play them as full, not power chords. My guitar made like a goose. Most off putting. 'Honk Honk - Death or glory'.
Still, makes a better mash of it than my Dano does.

From the factory, the set up was quite good. The fret edges are flush and smooth, the pickups line up under the strings, which is nice to see. The pups must have been adjusted well as there is no real change in volume when going from neck to bridge. The neck is set perfectly.
I don't think the switch will last though. It feels a bit flimsy and loose.
The volume control knobs only seem to have a limited range. It goes from silent to full over about 'three'. After that, no change. Similar with the tone controls. They only seem to operate over a range of 'six' on the knobes. After that, no change.
The varnish is thick, and seems to quite resistant to scratching. There are a few minor dimples in the coating, but you can't see them from more than three feet away.

The 3 ply scratch guard is scratched to buggery already, but from a distance still looks like new. Odd. No oxidation of the chrome, and it has not pock marked where I palm mute. The strings fitted at the factory are shyte. Set of slinkys is only a few quid. Go on, you owe it to the guitar.

It looks beautiful. Truly.

Will it stand live playing?, yup, it sure does. Stays in tune too. Looks like it will last the course, and at this price, who cares?. The strap buttons are solidly fitted, but they are still strap buttons. Bread closures over the strap end stops those 'bugger, my guitar is on my foot ' moments. Gig without a backup?, never do as I'm a ham fisted sod who breaks strings. Other than that, sure, I'd trust it.

Not dealt with them. In the UK, the distributor is JHS, who looked after my Dano well enough.

Been playing for a few years. Own a Dano 59 DC and a Yamaha acoustic thingy. It plays chunk much better than the Dano. If it were damaged, lost or stolen, I'd buy another without hesitation. I love its look, fit, finish, sound, weight and feel, but most of all, and this may sound weird, I love the grain of the wood.
Chosen for price, reviews and looks plus the ace fun I had with the Vintage tele. I'm actually tempted to buy the black and gold one as well.