So I picked up an "as new" Vintage VS6 SG copy from eBay for the miserly sum of £130. It's a replacement for a USA Tele' that I hadn't played for 2 years. Bonkers you might think...maybe.
The first thing you notice about this is the fact that it really does feel quite solid. The neck joint looks good (it's a proper mahogony body with set mahogony neck) and the paint job is neat bad save for a couple of runs on the back that you'd never ever notice unless you were looking for them. The colour is maybe a little "green" under some lights but it's supposed to be classic white and it really depends what kind of light you're in. I think white SG's look great and are a nice departure from the normal cherry red.
There are a couple of things you notice close up that make you realise it's a cheaper instrument though. The fret markers look pretty good and are set in nicely so you can't feel any kind of edge or gap, but a couple look just a little bit untidy if that makes sense, not quite straight. The pickguard hasnt been sanded particularly well and has that weird blending effect between plys that happends when you use a disc sander and it gets too hot. Nothing a bit of sandpaper won't fix though ;)
The Wilkinson designed machineheads do look a little bit flimsy compared to the Grovers I had on my Tele' but I'll just see how they work and replace if necessary.
Strumming an open E acoustically, there is a really warm, satisfying vibe to the guitar. It resonates much better than any guitar I've owned. Don't know if this is because I've not owned a set-neck guitar before but it's great! It's full and rounded; maybe could be a touch brighter but I've only used it so far with the strings that came on it and I haven't set it up or altered it in any way yet. Once I get the Rotosound Pure Nickels on it I reckon it'll be awesome! There's a slight buzz on the low E and A strings but I've never known a guitar that doesnt do this, especially strung with 9's or 10's. The action is as low as I'd like it as I like to bend and use a fair bit of vibrato and the intonation, whilst not perfect is actually better than I remember my Tele' being out of the box! On the whole it's an easy, smooth player and I prefer the slightly wider profile than the Tele'.
Now, I've plugged this into my Blackheart Little Giant combo. This is where the guitar kind of lets you know it could sound better. I've got the Mid and Bass on about 4 and the treble set to 7 and it still sounds just a bit wooly. I
know there is great tone just dying to burst it's way out of the 12" Eminence speaker, but not until I install the BKP Stormy Monday and Riff Raff I've bought for it! Don't get me wrong, it's not bad,especially for the money, but you just get the impression the pickups are only giving you half the story.
The amp however is just brilliant, IMO. The sound is beautifully warm, and I love how the lack of master volume means you just have to drive the valves harder to get more volume, and you're rewarded with even more tone. For such a small amp it's thick and juicy and delivers vintage break in spades. Even in 3 watt mode it's fecking loud as well!
I've got the BKP's to install with an SG wiring kit from Axesrus, which consists of CTS pots, Sprague Orange Drops (0.022uF), Switchcraft switch and jack and I've ordered some PIO caps to see see what the difference is. Gonna try the vintage 50's wiring configuration that I've read about as I've heard this works particularly well on SG's. Some may think it's a bit daft installing £300 worth of electrics into a guitar that cost £130, but it's a good player with a great acoustic vibe and sustain. I think I'm gonna love this guitar!
