This well-appointed single-cut from Vintage might just give the big boys a run for their money
1. Not too many single-cuts in this price range show off a Bigsby vibrato. The setup here with the roller saddle tune-o-matic means return-to-pitch is very good for light shimmers or even some more vigorous Neil Young-style mangling
2.The neck shape has quite a late-50s, full and rounded vibe. The nut width is 42.9mm; the neck is 21.5mm deep at the 1st fret, 25mm by the 12th
Many players turn their noses up at cheapo lookalikes and, to be honest, we might be accused of that, too. Vintage’s long-running V100 rips off Gibson style in unashamed fashion, but in a hugely competitive and over-stocked market it shows no signs of being retired. In 2022, for example, Vintage released not only this Bigsby-equipped, flame-topped version in a trio of colours but also the V100M – what we would call a ‘Deluxe’ – with rather fashionable mini-humbuckers and a threesome in the colour department.
Yet what the V100 lacks in originality is compensated by some really rather good-for-the-money craft. It’s certainly a long way from a boat anchor-weighted guitar-shaped object: it weighs in at 3.88kg (8.54lb) and appears to be fully solid, not weight relieved. A quick strum reveals not only a sample that’s been well set up but, more importantly, a lively, vibrant response. It’s a good start.
As with any inspired-by design, boutique or budget, the necessary changes to the outline can be surprisingly practical and stylish, and the way that upper shoulder slightly leans into the neck and flows into the more pointed treble horn, with its offset heel joint, is just that. The headstock tip does always look a bit square to us, and the silk-screed Vintage logo isn’t quite as classy as it could be, but aside from some rather over-chunky straplocks, we’re struggling to find things we don’t like.
For example, the mahogany viewed in the neck pickup cavity looks like it’s a reasonable quality, and the tongue of the neck extends into the pickup rout, nearly to full width, too. The top is clearly maple with that figured veneer on top – just as PRS, for examp
