OGD (Old Guitar Day)

[Smacky the Frog]

I've been meaning to pull this out from under the bed and was happy I did.

Still plays really well. It holds tune though I haven't played it in about ten years. The bridge and tailpiece need cleaning but they're in good shape. I'm going to bring it into 48th street to have Matt work on it in some point in the near future.

Used to have a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge and it was a fantastic sounding guitar. Neck is still one of the fastest necks I've ever owned.

I think the brand name "Vantage" was a division of Aria Pro. I think this cost about $300 in the early 80's. Anyone that has any knowledge of this brand, please post as I've never known anything about it (other than a badass bridge plus the PAF equaled Maiden, Sabbath and Priest heaven).

 

[catpeople]

Vantage made very cheap entry level guitars back in the 80s. They were acceptable when starting out, but not much more than that. They were a step below Samick back when Samick started branding their instruments in addition to just making them for others.

 

[Hawking]

Vantage made very cheap entry level guitars back in the 80s. They were acceptable when starting out, but not much more than that. They were a step below Samick back when Samick started branding their instruments in addition to just making them for others.

Really? Because adjusted for inflation it would cost $760 today

 

[Polyester]

Samick made some pretty nice instruments though - particularly their Artist Series, which are really underappreciated. But with most of these brands, you're going to find some absolute stinkers and some gems, and it's hard to tell which is which without playing them first.

If this is one of the good ones count yourself lucky and enjoy it.

 

[Smacky the Frog]

Vantage made very cheap entry level guitars back in the 80s. They were acceptable when starting out, but not much more than that. They were a step below Samick back when Samick started branding their instruments in addition to just making them for others.

Thanks. Were they a subdivision of Aria Pro? That's what my brother (the original owner) said, though he can't recall that now, thirty years later.

I'll have to look at it closer, but the tuners hold tune really well and the neck is fantastic...extremely smooth and fast, though currently buzzing all over the place.

 

[catpeople]

Samick made some pretty nice instruments though - particularly their Artist Series, which are really underappreciated. But with most of these brands, you're going to find some absolute stinkers and some gems, and it's hard to tell which is which without playing them first.

If this is one of the good ones count yourself lucky and enjoy it.

That is correct. Lots of perfectly fine Samick/Aria/Hohner/Vantage instruments, and lots of crap as well. Vantage wasn't the bottom of the barrel like the $99 guitar kits you find on eBay and Musician's Friend. In my limited experience with entry-level guitars these days, I find overall quality is a lot more uniform today than it was 25 years ago. Probably because of improved CNC technology, and 25 years of learning from the manufacturers.

Ultimately, if it plays well and it sounds good, who cares who made it, really. Enjoy it

 

[catpeople]

Thanks. Were they a subdivision of Aria Pro?

I think it's more like Aria Pro and Vantage were manufactured by the same people.

http://www.matsumoku.org/arai_matsumoku.html

Enter the "New" Aria Pro II - A New Identity
Arai, like other Japanese manufacturers had begun bringing in skilled engineers and popular players to influence the design of their guitars. The "new" Aria Pro II line was designed by H. Noble (Nobuaki Hayashi), and produced by Matsumoku. [...] Matsumoku not only produced the Aria Pro II guitars but a number of other well known brands such as Vantage, Westone, Electra, some of the Japanese Epiphones, and the Japanese Washburns. The most notable of the Vantage line were the VP and VS series incorporating many of the same electronics features as the Aira Pro IIs

 

[sideburns]

Yea man you need to rock out on it more often-cool gtrs

 

[fossilfuel]

Vantage are MIJ, at least they were when they started out.
My first electric was a Vantage Avenger, I believe.

Entry level, but certainly not bottom of the barrel, as had been stated.

Scroll down on this page, there are plenty of links...
http://www.jedistar.com/jedistar_vintage_guitar_dating_v.htm

A couple of links on another forum...
http://www.guitarscanada.com/showthread.php?t=1937&highlight=vantage
http://www.guitarscanada.com/showthread.php?t=25144&highlight=vantage
That GD K9 seems to be an authority on these guitars, you could try to get a hold of him, somehow.

 

[Smacky the Frog]

Cool, just saw the posts from last night. Thanks a ton!


- Smacky