Product: Vox Phantom VI
Price Paid: US $820
Submitted
07/04/2000
at
08:07am
by
Rich B.
Email: richb at telerama<dot>com
Features
:
10
1999 Vox Phantom VI made by Korg USA. Check out www.voxamps.co.uk for the specs, wich are basically three Kent Armstrong single coils, roller bridge, a Bigsby trem, oversized pickguard with a 5-sided body. Includes a really nice zipper-close, cloth-covered hardshell case contoured to the guitar's five-sided body. I was first interested in the white 2-pickup Brian Jones model, but I'm really glad I got one with a Bigsby. My impression is that the Phantom is the top of the Vox guitar line, and although mine is black, it also comes in red. 12-string versions are also available.
Sound
:
9
Vox guitars are played by Tony Hicks of the Hollies, Dave Clark Five, the late Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and Greg Kihn. With the three single coils, it sounds like a stract but with a "thicker" quack which is very nice.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Flawless setup, some pickup hum with the amp gain turned up high, but you're going to have that with all single coils. Butter-bean style tuners with Kluson-type enclosures are fine. Glad they used the roller bridge, which isn't on some of the vintage models -- you need that for the Bigsby to work properly. The roller bridge isn't like that of a Gretsch. The rollers are smaller and sort of cradle the string instead of the string just laying over the top...very nice!
Reliability/Durability
:
9
Built as well as any stratocaster. The 5-sided body, rounded headstock and bigsby give the guitar a lot of character. Very solid. I've seen some vintage Phantoms on Ebay recently that, except for some pickguard cracks, have survived ~35 years quite nicely. Solid strap buttons, they're metal not plastic like on my Dano 12-sting. Thsi guitar is a nice addition to any collection, but I'd never gig without a backup.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
No experience with dealing with Vox direct, so sorry but I can't comment. Nice website though.
Overall Rating
:
10
Phantom Guitar Works, founded by the guy who used to play guitar for Quarterflash, are making les expensive copies of the original Vox designs, and I've heard they even now own the word "teardrop" and Vox has to use the word "droplet." The Vox is the original, and is a great complement to my Gretsch Double Anniversary, Rickenbacker 330, SG Standard and 52 Vintage reissue copper Fender Telecaster. This April, I looked all around in England on my vacation to find a nice Vox, but I found this guitar a few miles from home!
