# Vantage Guitars



## PaulS

Has anybody heard of a brand called Quest, made by Vantage in Japan. A friend gave me this guitar to fool around with called a quest mini guitar. Yes mini guitar, almost a tenor. The guitar is about 3/4 scale and actually quite amazing. One HB with coil split, volume & tone. Bolt on maple neck RW fretboard. A small guitar with a large attitude. I'll take a pic and post this weekend if I can get a chance. I've seen some older Vantage guitars (mij) that were quite nice in the early eighties.


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## Xanadu

My friend has a vantage. It's the bigest piece of shit I've ever seen.


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## PaulS

We've seen that in just about any brand of guitar, sometimes you find a good one here or there, looking at this quest I can not find any build flaws, the neck after 20 some years is still straight and no buzzes. The intonation is right on and it doesn't feel to bad even at a short scale. I have yet to plug it in but that I'll do today.... A bass player I played with several years back had an old vantage Bass and again it felt good and he made it sound good... This is something that may get my daughters attention as I noticed a bit of air guitar going on a while ago.


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## Milkman

I've always thought of Vantage as cheapo guitars, but on reflection some of the models I've seen had characteristics that you see on high end brands, like neck through, multi wood laminate bodies et cetera.


I'd like to have a look at some of those with a more open mind. Sure you'd probably have to gut them and put good electronics in them but maybe they're not as bad as I remember.


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## PaulS

I actually found this guitar on a google search. I have included the link if your interested but I will try and take a few better shots and with one of my others so the size is seen....This is not a vintage thing, just something different.

http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/quest/mini/pics.html


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## Zeegler

Early Vantage guitars were made in the Matsumoku factory and were most certainly NOT crap. In fact, the quality easily rivaled that of USA made guitars. They are probably better than 99% of the imported crap on the shelves currently. (BC Rich, LTD, etc, etc.)


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## Xanadu

plus i'm fairly certain, just by weight, that it's made out of concrete. The things weighs more than my 6-string bass.


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## Mahogany Martin

I had an older Vantage bass. It looked pretty much like the VP model from this site http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/vp/vp.html (VP820B). I thought that it looked pretty nice with the maple centre pieces on the body. And Xanadu, I don't remember it being real heavy (it may have been but it's not something that I noticed really).

The only problem I had with it was the bridge. I had it replaced and it was fine. And like you said PaulS, this bass was old but the neck was straight, no buzz and things like that and the intonation was pretty decent.


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## Accept2

After Uncle Matt, Vantages were made by Kasuga until 1990. I dont think many Kasuga Vantage guitars left Japan though. The brand was later sold I believe and production was moved to Korea. Its interesting to note that the Ricos were initially involved with the Korean Vantages and were planning something with the brand. A few models did get released that were designed by them............


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## PaulS

This model was MIJ by Matsumoku. I agree that the build of this would rival a lot of North American guitars. The frets are excellent, no burrs, no edges and nicely crowned. The fretboard needs a litlle cleaning but the rest is in near mint shape. Also has fairly decent hardware as in tuners, bridge and pots. Still to check out HB. The interesting thing is going to be what I tune it to.


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## Xanadu

I played a vantage guitar in long & mcquade. And this was alright. Used, but it played alright, and it had a good sound. Looked solidly built.


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## Ripper

A guitarist in another band out here plays two vantages, early 80's vintage, neck through and excellent instruments, well made, great sounding. A buddy of mine had a Quest a few years back, it was kinda of shaped like an Ibanez x-series. It was a pretty decent guitar too.


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## GuitarsCanada

This is interesting, I come across these Vantage guitars all the time in the pawn shops. i never give them any consideration. I guess I should check them out a little closer. Might find a good deal. They are normally very cheap.


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## Ripper

Paul you're right about the prices, I know this fellow only paid $150 for one and $125 for the other guitar. Pretty good deals for neck throughs that are very well made.


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## david henman

...i have a made in japan vantage acoustic that i bought new for $90 at the music box in montreal (in ndg) at a closing out sale in '85. the guitar sounded great when i bought it, and has improved with age. if it was a piece of crap, it would have fallen apart long ago, as it has seen over twenty years of serious abuse.

i played a made in japan vantage electric for may years, but stupidly sold it.

-dh


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## chimo

this is all interesting, I've not seen a Jap Vantae or a Vantage that I'd want to touch, nevermind play.... 

I'm going to have to pay more attention, I always thought that they'd be nice to bring on stage to smash...


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## Accept2

Thats because most guitars by most companies are trash. Most companies produce 100 budget guitars for every quality guitar they produce. Vantage made some great quality guitars, but only during a certain time period. That time period pretty well came to an end 20 years ago...........


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## PaulS

Here is a couple pics of the mighty mite... sounds awesome thru an amp. lovely single coil sound and a hot HB.


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## SCREEM

very cool guitar Paul :rockon2:


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## JerryPhilPigpenBob

What about the VE series??? - anyone play a vantage or more specifically a VE 565 or 470 or 545 model? They look awesome, but that is secondary to sound of course...

http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/ve/ve.html


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## Xanadu

JerryPhilPigpenBob said:


> What about the VE series??? - anyone play a vantage or more specifically a VE 565 or 470 or 545 model? They look awesome, but that is secondary to sound of course...
> 
> http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/ve/ve.html


nope, but Welcome to the forums.:wave:


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## PaulS

I accomplished what I had hoped for with this guitar. I have introduced it to my daughter along with a danelectro Honeytone and she seems to have taken an interest, The next generation......:rockon:


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## JerryPhilPigpenBob

PaulS - are you referring to a VE series? If so, how is it?


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## PaulS

Actually it is a Quest by Vantage mini guitar. I don't know the series but I had included a link earlier in the post that takes you to an info page about them.


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## Guest

Hi, northern neighbors-- this is my first post on this forum. So far this is the only place I've found where anybody knows anything about Quest guitars and I have some questions I hope to get answers for. 
I have a guitar called a Quest Madura-NT. It is a hollow body electric acoustic, thin body, shaped like a Les Paul only wider across the top. It has 6 inline tuners, gold hardware, 1 tone & 1 volume knob. The unplugged acoustic sound is not very loud but it plays like an electric and sounds good amplified. I've searched for info on this guitar and all I've found is Quest was made by Vantage in Canada, however another site said Vantage was made in Japan in the 70s. I doubt this guitar is that old. There are no stickers on the guitar stating where it was made nor is there a serial #. My guitar has Quest in abalone on the headstock and Madura-NT on a small sticker visible in the soundhole. The tuners have Quest stamped on them, too.
Can anybody help me out here?


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## PaulS

Got to have some pics....


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## Guest

I just got my first digital camera last night and this is the 1st picture I took with it, so I hope it came out OK. I also don't know if I used the right link for it. I'll update as I as get better at this.








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## GuitarsCanada

The Vantage brand was never Canadian as far as I know. It originated in Japan in the 70's and then moved to Korean production after that. The Quest brand was produced out of Japan in the 80's as well. 

If your's is not that old then there may be another Quest out there that we are not aware of.


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## Guest

Cool, thanks for the info. There's a link earlier in this thread that I checked out and it seems to have some info on Quest. Thanks!


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## Robert1950

Yeah, Matsumoku is high quality Japanese guitar manufacture. Made many lawsuit Gibbys and Fenders.


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## PaulS

The little quest I have has Matsumoku Japan on the neck plate.


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## greeninc

I own a Vantage Avenger from the Matsumoku factory and it is the best guitar i own or have ever used.
I have been playing over 20 years and my Vantage has been my guitar of choice to have on the road with me and in the 
studio and just for jamming.Over the years i have reshaped the body to round off the body and in 2007 i put in a Seymour/Duncan Dimebucker hb.
Just so i could get something that is better suited to my sound and the custom wiring i have done. I have never needed to get it refretted and the hb i took out of it is still in use and sounds like new. Do an ebay search for the stock pick up MMK 45 hb.It is one of the hottest hb i have ever used.And going up in value as more people try them.
And the model i have is a hb only and a string through body bridge.And the tone is unreal.
I been watching them and buying ones i see in pawnshops and they are starting to climb in price.
Here is the wiki page about them and what else came from that factory... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantage_Guitars
And here is a site to all the guitars and basses that came from that factory http://www.matsumoku.org/models/models.html


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## cheezyridr

i just perused that 2nd link and saw a guitar i distinctly remember playing. i don't think it was one of mine though, maybe a buddy's.


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## Maxer

I have a Vantage VS 695 from 1981.... terrific little guitar, really. Superb player. Mine's Matsumoku issue - the laminate and natural finish give it away. Built like a tank. Kind of plain in the looks department but it really delivers.


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## greeninc

I think the vantages that where made in the 80's where and are some great guitars. They have fast necks and there tone is great. I love the MMK 45 hb pickups are just as good as any on the market today. And they are a great project guitars. And they are still a pawn shop special.(what i call a cheep item at the pawn shops) But with more people buying them and finding that they are a great guitar they are slowly gaining in price. Here is a pic of my vantage. It is covered in stickers.It was my first guitar over 20 years ago..lol
And it has the nick name "The Sticker Beast"
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.170663546327915.42811.170085193052417&type=3


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## Maxer

Nice guitar. I'd take the stickers off if it were mine - nice wood underneath there. Looks like an Avenger series. Had a chance to buy one of those last year but it was an opaque blue finish and it just wasn't as nice as a natural finish. Great guitars though.


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## rcacs

I picked up a used Vantage 832 GDT (korean) in the spring that looked in very nice shape, but needed some TLC. I completely tore it apart, cleaned it all up (shined up the badly tarnished Floyd Rose locking tremelo set-up), a new 5 way switch, cleaned up the pots, new strings, adjusted the neck, etc. It has SSH with a coil splitter for the Humb (almost sounds like a banjo with it split). I would say that its only real downfall is the tuners, but they will suffice for now.

I did have some problem getting the intonation correct on the G string, and had to end up going with a wound string to cure it. I am going to try it with a 20 or 22 wire yet and see if that works.

This thing actually sounds great (at least I think so....). It has some real heft to it as well. Funny, I can't seem to find any info at all about this particular model on the net.

Cheers!​


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## Yanni Metaxas

Has anyone ever seen one of theses basses? everything is stock, (spider web pickgaurd and everything) except for the paint, while being white originally, it turned yellow over the years. I've been trying to do research on this bass to see others, but cant find anything about them. Serial number I500738, Made In Japan. Email me at [email protected], and I'll send you the pictures, since i can't upload here.


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## Budda

Thread is 5 and a half years old


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## jcon

Budda said:


> Thread is 5 and a half years old


Ha! It's actually closer to 10 years old if you look at the first post! It's been resurrected twice.


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## fretzel

My first guitar was a Vantage acoustic. Put a lot of blood, sweat and tears on it. Sold it a couple of years ago for $100. Nostalgia makes me wish I still had it but I'm happy to know some kid is putting his miles in on it.


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## weldaar

I believe that Vantage came after Westbury guitars. Made in the same plant but not to the same standards as the Westbury. Westbury's are still a pretty good guitar if you can find them. I had a Standard back in the 90's.


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## Maxer

Vantages go back to the late 70s and early 80s. I've owned four, all of them either from '81 or '80. Matsumoku factory guitars, at least in that era. Same plant as Aria Pro II and Westone guitars from that era - not sure about Westbury guitars. Pretty decent pedigree anyhow. They made tons of them and Canadian dealers must have imported a lot of them - seeing as how common they still are, thirty-odd years later. Matsumoku Vantages still pop up on Craigslist and Kijiji pretty regularly. I think back then they were simply overlooked by most folks.... hell, they still are. But back in the day, Japanese-made guitars didn't carry quite the same weight as they tend to now.


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## bronco_remi

I used to own a Vantage VS-696 that was formerly owned by the band "No Explanation", which is Maritime first punk band that that featured Mark Gaudet from Eric's Trip / Elevator fame. I still regret selling that guitar because it was one damn good sounding axe.


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## WhiteFalcon

I own a Vantage VS600, mij from 1980, it's a great player.


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## High/Deaf

Vantage VE-450 with recently-installed DiMarzio PAF Classics. Very happy with the (recent) pickup upgrade from the OEM MMK45s.

I'm guessing this is a late 80s / early 90s (I bought it used in the mid 90s) {edited 1984}. Would that proceed Gibson's ES-336? The student becomes the teacher?


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## cheezyridr

good looking guitar, similar headstock to westbury. i wonder if they could be some relation?


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## Maxer

Vantage used that same headstock shape throughout the late 70s/early 80s, as fas as I know. And they came from the Matsumoku plant. Don't know the story behind Westbury, but Westone is another brand that came from the same plant at that time.


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## Maxer

Looks like Westone was Matumoku's own in-house brand name. And the same plant did indeed make Westbury brand guitars. Check out this link.


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## cheezyridr

well there you have it then. very cool!


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## Jamdog

I am currently looking at perhaps acquiring one of those old-time matsumoku guitars. There's two interesting ones on kijiji in my area now, a westone thunder and a vantage vs600. Similar model with similar prices. I tried to get information online but anything about those years is scarse. Is there anything I should know about those two Matumoku made guitars from 81-82?
Any pointers greatly welcomed.


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## Maxer

No personal experience with Westone guitars here, but I've owned a Vantage VS600, two VS0695s and a VP 795 - good guitars, all (still have one VS695 and the VP 795). The 600 was probably the lowest-ranking in terms of features offered but all of these guitars date back to the 81-82' era, featuring the same general body & scale eprofile and sharing many of the same specs. Solid build quality and a high degree of playability. Not as many electronics options on the VS600 but a perfectly respectable instrument all the same.

The Westone Thunder and that Vantage came from the same factory and in my experience their quality control and consistency was admirably high. If possible, you ought to try 'em both out before you pull the trigger. Let us know how it goes!


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## Jamdog

I am trying to contact the seller of the westone, mainly because I prefer the finish of that one. I think he's out of town for the weekend as I get no answer. 

The VS600 is actually a VS600-R rainbow and I even saw less documentation about it online, but it has a third knob that, to my understanding, isn't present on the VS600 (non-R)... Regardless, they both seem to be similar models of different brands, from the same factory. 
The VS600-R is on the other side of town, so if the thunder is great to play, I'll likely just take it and skip trying the other (and avoid wanting to buy both lol) 

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with the vantage, and the information. It's greatly welcomed and much appreciated. 

I'll post when I manage to try any of them.


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## LanceT

A pile o' info for you.

The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku • Index page

Westone Guitars Forum

The Guitar Gallery


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## Jamdog

I knew of two of those sites, but not the third (first? The Matsumoku forums.) oddly enough, one of the rare VS600r mentionned online is on these forums, and the one in the ad! 

The Westone was no longer available, so I payed a visit to Frenchie and left with the Vantage guitare. I tought my Jackson played well, this Vantage plays super ultra well. I understand the expression "plays like butter" - it's like the strings offer no resistance. The action is low, and the sound is good. I had to resolder one contact on the pickup selection switch, and it's backplate (just the small) is missing, but everything else is awesome. I'll post pics later. 

Thanks for the info guys!


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## Jamdog




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## sambonee

Weston's is the extension of Electra. There re a few neck thru bodies in their lineup. The Electra has he MPC circuit with onboard electronics. Lots of them to be
Had. I probably have 13 or more mij guitar. 4 neck thru. All amazing in their own right. Then next vintage craze I predict is MIJ guitars. Pickup swap is 95% Of the time necessary. All overwound blah imo.


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## Jamdog

sambonee said:


> Weston's is the extension of Electra. There re a few neck thru bodies in their lineup. The Electra has he MPC circuit with onboard electronics. Lots of them to be
> Had. I probably have 13 or more mij guitar. 4 neck thru. All amazing in their own right. Then next vintage craze I predict is MIJ guitars. Pickup swap is 95% Of the time necessary. All overwound blah imo.


How do you know if a pickup change would do good? (now that I have a new vintage guitar with a pair of 35 yrs old humbuckers, I am curious)


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## sambonee

Typically japanese guitars came with minimal attention to the art of winding pickups and that was when all the rage was overwound ceramic mediocrity IMO . I know there are metal and hard music lovers on here. No offense. It's just that ever since I Learned that the majority of the guitar's tone comes from the pickup (aside from fingers) my plight is to find comfort and looks in a guitar, and then get the best hand made pickups in there. Oh and pots and caps are super important too!!!

My three Favorite winders are
Motor city
Onamac
And
My Russian discovery (secret to be announced soon!!!!)




__
https://soundcloud.com/https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fthe-hurley-jam%2Fbubash-3-ichy-brr-vantage-guitar


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## Jamdog

I heard Lauzon Pickups on the south shore of Montreal are pretty good


But that doesn't quite address the question... Do you just systematically change the pickups, or you notice something that let you know a change is welcomed?

The MMK45 open pickups on my rainbow sounds decent to my ears, and the single/humbuckers selector switch is interesting.


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## sambonee

I systematically change them. I also have been cork sniffing pickups since 2009. I only wish I knew back in the 90's whet I know now. 

Machine would pickups are built too quickly and without enough regard to the winding pattern and wire angles at particular times. 

A killer guitar won't make average pickups sound amazing. 

But

Amazing pickups will make an average guitar sound amazing.


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## Jamdog

Fair enough. 


How does one choose a pickup for a 35 yrs old MIJ guitar?


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## sambonee

I just go hand wound. Bet value I've found is onamac out of Washington state. HB set is like $200 usd. MJS in Mississauga is world class. His are $170 +tax. Totally amazing. This is just my experience. 


Lots of good us out there. Good thing is that you can keep them for yourself when / if the guitar is sold. Keep the original mij pickups as some do like them.


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## mhammer

I was in the basement of a late friend of mine yesterday, and among the "project" guitars sitting in his basement was the body and neck of a guitar identical to this one. I need to get a neck plate and the electronics together for it, and wire up some switches as well. Could be a great guitar, though.



Jamdog said:


>


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## Jamdog

mhammer said:


> I was in the basement of a late friend of mine yesterday, and among the "project" guitars sitting in his basement was the body and neck of a guitar identical to this one. I need to get a neck plate and the electronics together for it, and wire up some switches as well. Could be a great guitar, though.


Those are great guitars. Particularly if you can get a hold of a set of mmk45 pickups.


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## VHTO

My first bass was a Vantage -- it had led a hard life before I got it but still seemed to be well put together. As I recall, they were a respected brand back in the day and shouldn't be any worse than a Norlin-era Gibson....


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## Maxer

Quirky styling but solid guitars. Never owned one that wasn't silly-easy to play. i love them.... I love all the Matsumoku-era guitars from the early 80s. Westone, Aria Pro II, Vantage - they're all very similar in terms of body shape, construction, choice of woods and electronics.


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## Frenchy99

Yep... Love my Mat made instruments !


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## mhammer

I don't know if mention has been made in this thread already, but one of the things you just have to respect about the Vantage (and similar) guitars is the brass inserts in the neck tenon, that allow for the necks to be attached way up the fretboard, without obliging the neck pickup to be moved bridge-ward to compensate. The neck tenon goes under the neck pickup and can be nicely tightened against the body using bolts rather than screws.


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## Guest

Came across this '81 VP820 in Ottawa for $350 on kijiji.


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## Maxer

Good deal I'd say. That's a pretty high-end mode too. I bet it's neck-through and it probably has the brass nut like many of their top-shelf models do.


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## Frenchy99

Maxer said:


> Good deal I'd say. That's a pretty high-end mode too. I bet it's neck-through and it probably has the brass nut like many of their top-shelf models do.


Its a set neck, the VP series have set necks. The VA series are neck through....


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## dodgechargerfan

You can see the neckplate and screws in the mirror.


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## leftysg

So if my Avenger says Made in Japan on the backplate does that mean it's a Matsumoku?


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## Frenchy99

dodgechargerfan said:


> You can see the neckplate and screws in the mirror.


Not a mirror, that's another guitar. The VP 820 is a set neck. Great guitar.


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## Frenchy99

leftysg said:


> So if my Avenger says Made in Japan on the backplate does that mean it's a Matsumoku?


If made before 1985, yes. Matsumoku closed and some instruments were made somewhere else in Japan for 2 more years. Some say Chushin made them in 86 to 88...


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## leftysg

Thanks for the help. The serial number begins with a 2 so I'm thinking it's an '82 model year. I also love my VS-695. With smaller hands, it's the most comfortable feeling neck I've played. I bought the Avenger unplayed, hoping for the same profile, but it's noticeably thicker. The split coil switches offer up a variety of tones as well.


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## Guest

Frenchy99 said:


> Its a set neck, the VP series have set necks. The VA series are neck through....





Frenchy99 said:


> Not a mirror, that's another guitar. The VP 820 is a set neck. Great guitar.


Correct. Set neck. And it's still there.


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## Frenchy99

leftysg said:


> The serial number begins with a 2 so I'm thinking it's an '82 model year


Yep, an 82 model you have there which means a Mat made instrument . The avenger line is a nice line. My red Avenger guitar is one of my favorites go to guitars that I have. its beat up but has great appeal for me.


My Avengers....


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## dodgechargerfan

Frenchy99 said:


> Not a mirror, that's another guitar. The VP 820 is a set neck. Great guitar.


%h(*&
I was looking for a Doh! Smilie, but this will do.


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## dodgechargerfan

Frenchy99 said:


> Yep... Love my Mat made instruments !


I had one like that one on the left. I can't remember the model number though.
I regret selling it and I'm kind of on the hunt to replace it. Kind of....


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## LanceT

laristotle said:


> Correct. Set neck. And it's still there.


That is a reasonable deal. Often wonder why there is so few cases that show up with these.


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## Frenchy99

dodgechargerfan said:


> I had one like that one on the left. I can't remember the model number though.
> I regret selling it and I'm kind of on the hunt to replace it. Kind of....


The 2 on the left are VP-825 `s . set neck with carved tops. Hope you find a replacement...


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## dodgechargerfan

Frenchy99 said:


> The 2 on the left are VP-825 `s . set neck with carved tops. Hope you find a replacement...


Good info.
Mine was not a carved top. It was just flat. The edges were very rounded as seems to be with most of those in this line.
I vaguely recall a 7 in the model number but mind might just be conjuring that up.

There was a Vantage listed on Kijiji in Stouffville (I think) for $250 in the last month or two. I really should have jumped on that.


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## High/Deaf

VHTO said:


> My first bass was a Vantage -- it had led a hard life before I got it but still seemed to be well put together. As I recall, they were a respected brand back in the day and *shouldn't be any worse than a Norlin-era Gibson....*


Meh. I've sold dozens of both, played multi times more than that, and own one of each right now. That has not been my experience.

Norlin's aren't as bad as the internet/TGP crowd has made them out to be. Much of the music we all listen to from the 70's and 80's was created using them. And this was before people mod'd the crap out of guitars, in search of Uranus. Stock guitars that rocked right out of the box. So many good guitars compared to the few bad ones that were released (and lets not forget any partial hand-made product had a certain percentage of products with minor flaws - including Gibson and Fender products from the 50's and 60's). 

The Matsu guitars were great at their price point. But the hardware, electronics and even some of the fit and finish was not always great. Most required machine head replacements, pup/switch/pot upgrades, etc. 

There's something about that '30 years back lens' that makes us believe things like those old Kawasaki two stroke triples were fast by today's standards, or one of my favorites - that they don't make cars like they used to (which I am very thankful for).


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## Guest

High/Deaf said:


> .. that they don't make cars like they used to (which I am very thankful for).


Except for the cool looks.


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## High/Deaf

laristotle said:


> Except for the cool looks.


?


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## Maxer

High/Deaf said:


> The Matsu guitars were great at their price point. But the hardware, electronics and even some of the fit and finish was not always great. Most required machine head replacements, pup/switch/pot upgrades, etc.
> 
> There's something about that '30 years back lens' that makes us believe things like those old Kawasaki two stroke triples were fast by today's standards, or one of my favorites - that they don't make cars like they used to (which I am very thankful for).


You know, I don't disagree with you. I still love those old Vantages. To me they have a slightly home-made, homely look. They remind me of 70s basement rec-rooms and cheap panelling. Definitely a product of another era. I do love their size and playability though. I've never had trouble with their stock tuners but the pickups are another story.


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## Guest

High/Deaf said:


> ?


fishbowl on wheels. lol


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## LanceT

High/Deaf said:


> ?


That looks suspiciously like it's in your driveway and not delivering pizza.


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## Guest

Deliver it with class.


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## Frenchy99

High/Deaf said:


> The Matsu guitars were great at their price point. But the hardware, electronics and even some of the fit and finish was not always great. Most required machine head replacements, pup/switch/pot upgrades, etc.


Oufff... I disagree entirely... If you take the entry level instruments... sure !!! I`ll give you that but as you went up the food chain... Pure quality on the instruments, hardware and all... You want quality, you buy top models period... so for Vantage, those were the VA Artist series...

Like these....


VA-900, VA-912 and VA-900B


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## High/Deaf

Frenchy99 said:


> Oufff... I disagree entirely... If you take the entry level instruments... sure !!! I`ll give you that but as you went up the food chain... Pure quality on the instruments, hardware and all... You want quality, you buy top models period... so for Vantage, those were the VA Artist series...


I've seen, played and sold them all. Many of them. I've replaced a lot of those early Vantage-branded Gotoh machine heads from the 80's, although Gotoh is now my fave machine head supplier. Switches were the cheaper sealed units on most of the guitars I dealt with as well. Smaller pots, too. None of their pickups are considered collectable or extremely desirable, that I'm aware of.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a big Vantage fan. Probably one of my two or three favorite Japanese brands. I have a beautiful VE-450 thinline (post #46 of this string, if you're interested) that ain't goin' no where, ever. But they aren't Gibsons (IMO), not even those vilified Norlin Gibbys. And at the difference in price, they shouldn't be. I regret a couple of Vantages I shoulda acquired and/or kept (including a beautiful double cut LP copy in cherry burst, I don't think I've played a better Japanese LP copy). But we can't keep everything.

As always, play what you like and like what you play.


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## Jamdog

The Vantage I have got good quality pots but crappy switch. The pickups are good. Not top of the line, but good. No issues at all with hardware. 


Mmk45 pickups have some sort of following, too.


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## High/Deaf

Jamdog said:


> The Vantage I have got good quality pots but crappy switch. The pickups are good. Not top of the line, but good. No issues at all with hardware.
> 
> 
> Mmk45 pickups have some sort of following, too.


Does yours have the original Vantage branded heads? They tended to get loose and sloppy - but it's an easy fix. And throwing $50 (or $250, even) at a guitar that has such good roots is a no-brainer, IMO.

I should go look at what pups I ripped out of mine. Maybe someone would have a use for them, as I probably never will.


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## Jamdog

High/Deaf said:


> Does yours have the original Vantage branded heads? They tended to get loose and sloppy - but it's an easy fix. And throwing $50 (or $250, even) at a guitar that has such good roots is a no-brainer, IMO.
> 
> I should go look at what pups I ripped out of mine. Maybe someone would have a use for them, as I probably never will.


Mine still has the Vantage logo. They work good, I have no issues.


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## High/Deaf

Well, whattaya know, look what I found. 










Perhaps I will have to give these another chance, but in a solid body. They were a little aggressive for the thinline (measured 10.8 and 11.5 k), and although I used them for a decade, I always wanted something lower gain. 

Big thanks to you, @Jamdog , for bringing this to my attention. As you can see, I also have a couple of those machine heads that weren't too lashy. Ya know, in case you know anyone that may need some ...... nudge nudge, wink wink.


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## Frenchy99

Jamdog said:


> Mmk45 pickups have some sort of following, too.


I really like the MMK-45, MMK-53 and MMK-61... the guitar , the wood also make lots of difference in sound.

I`m always looking at getting more of these pups....


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## Frenchy99

High/Deaf said:


> Don't get me wrong - I'm a big Vantage fan. Probably one of my two or three favorite Japanese brands. I have a beautiful VE-450 thinline (post #46 of this string, if you're interested) that ain't goin' no where, ever.


You might like these then...

Entertainer VE-545
Entertainer VE-570
Entertainer VE-550


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## High/Deaf

Very nice. What model of Entertainer (thin line) is that. I've never seen one with the same bodystyle as mine before, only full ES-335 tyles. That guitar may have preceded the ES-336.


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## LanceT

High/Deaf said:


> Well, whattaya know, look what I found.
> 
> View attachment 62241
> 
> 
> Perhaps I will have to give these another chance, but in a solid body. They were a little aggressive for the thinline (measured 10.8 and 11.5 k), and although I used them for a decade, I always wanted something lower gain.
> 
> Big thanks to you, @Jamdog , for bringing this to my attention. As you can see, I also have a couple of those machine heads that weren't too lashy. Ya know, in case you know anyone that may need some ...... nudge nudge, wink wink.


If by chance you're looking to get those MMKs off your hands, I'd be keen.


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## LanceT

Frenchy99 said:


> You might like these then...


You have seriously nice collection. Congrats.


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## Frenchy99

High/Deaf said:


> Very nice. What model of Entertainer (thin line) is that. I've never seen one with the same bodystyle as mine before, only full ES-335 tyles. That guitar may have preceded the ES-336.


Entertainer VE-545


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## Frenchy99

LanceT said:


> You have seriously nice collection. Congrats.


Thank`s !!!

I love my Vantage`s


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## High/Deaf

Frenchy99 said:


> Entertainer VE-545


Very nice. That's a full 95 better than my VE-450. LOL

Seriously though, they are very similar. Mine has the more traditional Gibby control layout. And it's more of a tobacco burst. As I said, yours is the second one I've ever seen.


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## High/Deaf

LanceT said:


> If by chance you're looking to get those MMKs off your hands, I'd be keen.


Sorry Lance. I'm going to try them in something I think may be more appropriate (I don't think they were well suited to a semi-acoustic). And if they don't work out, someone else has spoken for them already. If anything changes, I'll keep you in mind.


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## Jamdog

High/Deaf said:


> Sorry Lance. I'm going to try them in something I think may be more appropriate (I don't think they were well suited to a semi-acoustic). And if they don't work out, someone else has spoken for them already. If anything changes, I'll keep you in mind.


I like my mmk45 in my solid body, let us know what you find out.


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## Frenchy99

High/Deaf said:


> Very nice. That's a full 95 better than my VE-450. LOL


As far as we know at the moment, there have been 4 variants of entertainers:

- solid "entertainAr", bolt on neck, two versions
- solid VE550 (chrome hardware), VE570 (golden hardware)
- semi solid VE 545 (chrome hardware), VE 565 (golden hardware), both with "normal" F-holes
- semi hollow VE 450 (chrome hardware), VE 470 (golden hardware), both with "tribal" F-holes


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## Frenchy99

Jamdog said:


> I like my mmk45 in my solid body, let us know what you find out.



Real happy that you are enjoying the rainbow Jamdog !


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## Jamdog

For those who missed it (and I don't remember where mine is within this thread) mine is a vs-600r

Its a rare model that they somehow produced for about 6 months. It's not super well documented and may very well be the only surviving example... 










Theres a lot of vs-600, but the vs-600r rainbow is a bit different. Seems like a mix between models. Lol. 

It's a 81 serial number


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## Jamdog

Frenchy99 said:


> Real happy that you are enjoying the rainbow Jamdog !


Yes, it's an awesome guitar!


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## LanceT

Jamdog said:


> I like my mmk45 in my solid body, let us know what you find out.


I have them in my VS-696 too which doesn't get played as much as my Westone Concord S with the infamous UBC pickups.
I'd thought of swapping them but haven't found any real reason to do so.


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## Guest

I recently traded this away.


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## Frenchy99

laristotle said:


> I recently traded this away.


Nice one !

Hope you got something good in the trade, great basses to play on, most people dont play on un^freeted basses...

I have the same model.

and I got this one also that I upgraded with active pickups. I like it better since its an open grain oil finish on the instrument with ebony board.


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## doblander

I bo't a used Vantage VST 25SCE for 80 dollars Cdn.i think its 1993 build, in Korea. It is a mint cond'n acoustic electric, full size but 3 inches deep. Double binding, a body that just won't quit. The setup was really bad, likely right out of the box. I have the string action lowered to Zig Zag. (Which is a brand of roll your own tobacco paper). This Vantage is light as a feather, playability is like an electric and is as handsome as you were when you were young. I do not accept as truth any comments that Vantage is krap. I do however accept that individual items from their lineup may have been weak. Same like Gibson and Fender who mass produce some magnificent guitars.


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## sambonee

How does it sound? Looks cool.


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## Frenchy99

doblander said:


> I bo't a used Vantage VST 25SCE for 80 dollars Cdn.i think its 1993 build, in Korea. It is a mint cond'n acoustic electric, full size but 3 inches deep. Double binding, a body that just won't quit. The setup was really bad, likely right out of the box. I have the string action lowered to Zig Zag. (Which is a brand of roll your own tobacco paper). This Vantage is light as a feather, playability is like an electric and is as handsome as you were when you were young. I do not accept as truth any comments that Vantage is krap. I do however accept that individual items from their lineup may have been weak. Same like Gibson and Fender who mass produce some magnificent guitars.



Nice !

Those are Samik built, very good instruments. Great quality.


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## High/Deaf

doblander said:


> I bo't a used Vantage VST 25SCE for 80 dollars Cdn.i think its 1993 build, in Korea. It is a mint cond'n acoustic electric, full size but 3 inches deep. Double binding, a body that just won't quit. The setup was really bad, likely right out of the box. I have the string action lowered to Zig Zag. (Which is a brand of roll your own tobacco paper). This Vantage is light as a feather, playability is like an electric and is as handsome as you were when you were young. I do not accept as truth any comments that Vantage is krap. I do however accept that individual items from their lineup may have been weak. Same like Gibson and Fender who mass produce some magnificent guitars.


Nice. If my acoustic is gonna have a cutaway, I prefer it to be Florentine. But quite rare to find one.


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## doblander

Frenchy99 said:


> Nice !
> 
> Those are Samik built, very good instruments. Great quality.


Thanks for the info about Samik built! Despite a heckuva lot of searching I have been unable to find so much as a picture never mind any words about the VST 25CE Vantage in the ethernet. I had formed the opinion that Vantage was an alternative spelling for "low end" base upon comments in forums. But this one is nothing but quality. And that leads to being able to set it up like a dream. It's no heck as a straight up acoustic with only 3 inch depth but I have no interest in acoustic sound. Plugged into my Boss MK2 50 watt amp set on clean with delay and reverb, the Vantage produced a pleasing tone that no solid body can copy no matter what pedal is tried. I love it.


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## Geoffc64

I've got a Vantage VA-20 acoustic I bought new in about 1986. Turns out to be one of the last of the Japanese models brought into Australia. Still plays great and sounds amazing.
I put a Dimarzio pick up in the sound-hole and it works well.


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## SWLABR

My first "good" acoustic was a Vantage. I got it in 1990 or 91. I have no idea the actual model, but I think it was a VA 35 CE. (it was basically a Tak knock-off) Looking at the pics on line it's the only full dread cutaway I could find without the sharp horn. I don't recall the sound hole being oval though. I don't think a picture of it exists, and I had it close to 20yrs. It's one of the few I've ever owned that I still don't. (I tend to gather, rather than move in and out) The kids were young, money was tight, but I wanted a better feeling acoustic. I traded it in at Songbird in TO for a Samick Greg Bennett OM-7. No regrets, the neck on the Vantage was too narrow. It was hard to play in my early 30's pre-arthritis, never mind now I'm pushing 50.


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