Hey guys! This is my first ever post! I own the Vintage VS6VW which is white with gold hardware and it is beautiful which I've had for many years now! I was looking recently on the vintage website and I noticed that one of the points of the cut away on all of their SG shape guitars has been extended where as mine is just like the standard normal SG shape we all know and love! I was just wondering why this would be? I don't see how it would be an issue with Gibson as such as they haven't changed shape of their les Paul's and to be honest it makes them look ugly! Has anyone else had an opportunity to play these? If not I highly recommend you go into your local music shop and try one out!
I've always thought those were nice looking SG copies. I like the headstock much better than Epiphone's. Never got the chance to play one though. Looks like they've offset the body. Not bad though, still retains the SG shape pretty well. Their LP already had a sharp horn, apparently differentiating it enough. Seems Gibson decided the SG was too close. This Pelham Blue one looks really nice: In fact, the more I look at it, the more I like it. I always hated the ESP Viper because it's just ridiculously offset. This is a nice subtle offset. And the beveling is actually better than the Gibson SG Standard, never mind the G400. It seems these aren't sold in the US though? Might explain why I haven't seen one.
I have to admit that I don't like the looks of the new VS6. As noted above, not quite as extreme as the ESP viper but offset enough to make it no longer look like an SG. I guess Gibson got a bit miffed at the competition with the VS6 and the epi g400, I did read somewhere online about a lawsuit in 2014-15. I think other makers of SG copies have had to follow the offset body route as well. One of the reasons I jumped on this used old style VS6. I can foresee a time when they will be hard to get hold of at such rock bottom secondhand prices.
People claim Gibson has sued almost every brand in existence. Don't believe anything you read online without evidence. In reality, Gibson may have sent an intimidating letter their way. Gibson has only sued two manufacturers, Ibanez in 1977 and PRS around 1998. However, if Gibson were to actually sue them, they may not win. They lost to PRS over the singlecut shape. Ibanez was over the open book headstock. They lost to PRS because they couldn't reasonably prove that anyone would buy a PRS thinking it's a Gibson. So, a direct copy of the LP or SG body, with a different headstock and brand logo... the case could be made. Of course, Gibson could tie up any smaller company in court fees until they gave in, regardless of the outcome of the case. It's a shame because IMO Gibson has no right to such a generic shape as the Les Paul's. The SG, maybe.
I'll try and find the link, from memory it looked like fairly official documentation, but memory is a great trickster. I'm too old and cranky to believe everything I read online, though I admit I may have been fooled in this instance.
I've found the links, CARA a search tool for casetexts. There are several documents regarding Gibson inc Vs JHS. I'm not totally sure what the outcome and judgement was, but mostly it looks to be in Gibson's favour. However, it may be that it isn't over yet. Here's the links to the docs ... Gibson inc Vs JHS
I like the juniors. If GAS gets the better of me I'll be looking soon. In fairness I bet the new VS6 is a fine guitar, maybe not upto top quality standards, but for a playable lowish budget guitar it will fit the bill. Far better than the budget guitars I cut my teeth on, well hands and fingers really, but as the saying goes. I do like the tweaked version of the Les Paul, with it's sharper lower horn, and diagonal neck body joint, which gives a reverse S shape look at the neck/body. I think that looks rather good. Thomann's budget single cuts have a similar look, in fact so similar they could almost be mistaken as the same guitar.
I had the Peter Green Les Paul for a while but just couldn't bond with it. My local store had the junior used and I really liked it. Went back to get it the next day and it was gone. Keeping my eyes peeled for another. They're pretty rare even here in Ireland.
Whoop! Just managed to bag an ex demo junior. Loving it so far. The pickup is excellent as is most of the hardware. Only down side is the controls. Very little interaction till near the end of their travel.
Enjoy your new guitar. I bet it can really growl. I like the stripped down simplicity of single pickup guitars, and the SG junior looks like a rowdy example of one, full of energy and bite. Have fun...
I have the same guitar. It was my first sg and now i also own a Gibson SG with crescent moon inlays. The vintage vs6 are absolutely superb. They wipe the floor with the equivalent epi. Readily and affordably available here on the UK,i think that they are more of a rarity across the pond but i would strongly recommend that you take a chance on one
My brother has one of the Gibson shaped "reissue" VS6s in Cherry Red, bought just a couple of months efore they had to change the design to the current offset style. It's a decent guitar. Looks like it has a one piece neck, or a very-very well hidden scarf joint, and a three piece body. The sculpting of the body is a bit shallow, the Gibson bevels are present, but all of them less pronounced than on the real thing, so the whole sculpt feels softer than the real thing. It would bother me personally, but others may not mind. The body is most likely not mahogany, looks like basswood, and the sound is a little unfocused and muddy, but the pickups are dynamic enough, and can bark when pushed. And thanks to the choice of wood, it's a fairly light axe too. The finish is decent, but a little too thickly applied. It's a nice enough instrument for the money, not special, but reliable, good as a backup, or for a different flavour. Were they be made of mahogany (and who knows, perhaps the new models are made of some sort of mahog) I'd probably get one just for modding. I quite like the pelham blue one with the Vibrola too.
Mine is fairly old, 2001-ish I think. I don't think it's Basswood, looks nothing like the indonesian squier standard I have which almost certainly is basswood, very indistinct grain and very soft, but oddly enough the heaviest guitar I have. Maybe just odd variation, maybe it isn't basswood. The VS6 has quite marked grain, is a 2 piece body, 5 piece neck, quite well matched so the 5 pieces are hard to see, but does have an obvious scarf joint, I think variation in these models is quite high, Looking at the grain my first gut feeling was that it was Ash of some type. But I'm not sure, I'll try ans get some good photos later today or tomorrow.
My brother's should be from around 2010-2013 iirc. so it was probably built elsewhere. I'm not a 100% on the basswood, but it is lightweight and light in color. His came with the Wilkinson hardware.
