NUT CASE...? Definitely!

I need another guitar like I need a hole in my head!

Last week, I was closing a deal over a Vantage VLP-510, needing only the guy's bank info, as I have always wanted an LP style axe (had a Gib*on loaner back in the middle 60's) but wasn't comfortable with the "originals".  Long story short, the seller sold it the morning after I called him (without having the courtesy of informing me) .  Turns out I was lucky, as that particular 510 was in pretty sorry shape, having been rather poorly "repainted" (already peeling!), The coil-tap switch was broken/missing and the neck finish was worn thru, but the original case was included.

Last night, a "new" VLP-550 (cherry sunburst) popped up on the Ebay "Kleinanzeige" page at a halfway interesting price plus the "make offer" suffix, and looked to be in EXCELLENT shape.  Dashed off a message with an offer and went to bed.  This morning, came the reply which was over my offer and also a tel. number.  I called (not even taking time for COFFEE !) and tried to haggle him down a bit - no luck   - so I'm going out on a limb and agreed to his price where he also includes freight .

A beauty!
Gotta love a Vantage!

Showed the pics to my son and !he nearly his pants !  Then he was cheeky enough to suggest that since I now have an LP, I can give him my Westone !

The axe will be freighted tomorrow morning

Can't wait to see pics!! Surely, you'll let me borrow it for a bit. . . 

jorg wrote:Can't wait to see pics!! Surely, you'll let me borrow it for a bit. . . 

However, if/when you're able to make a trip over here, you're welcome to stop by and help raise the roof and blow out the windows!

This darned virus is seriously affecting the postal service here in Germany,  The guitar went into the system early Thursday afternoon, which would have given a probable delivery Saturday.  It didn't even start to move til Friday, so now the projected arrival is Tuesday !

What do I do?  Looked up current listings (just for "fun") for Les Paul guitars on fleabay and came upon an ORIGINAL 1959, in super condition, for a real steal!  Sit down and hold onto your socks and maybe have a good drink nearby!


The current "owner" (commercial dealer) only wants a paltry 169,000 EUROS !  At least he is open for "offers".  If anyone doesn't quite believe me, here is the transaction number: 164151587453.

Looks nice. Almost untouched in places.

It is interesting that the 59 Les Paul is the best surviving guitar ever made - of the 650-ish made, only about 2000+ are left in existence!

:-)

Adey wrote:Looks nice. Almost untouched in places.

It is interesting that the 59 Les Paul is the best surviving guitar ever made - of the 650-ish made, only about 2000+ are left in existence!

:-)

That corresponds to what I have been able to find out about it.  The LP that I had as a loaner in the 60's was, IIRC, a '62 model - also worth a small fortune today.  Still, asking 160 grand for it is, IMHO even with room for bargaining, WAY overdone!  Plus the fact that it is restored (apparently only the "new" paint removed and re-polished) should actually lower the value.  I'm still kicking myself in the arse for selling my 57 Strat back in 1984.

The VLP will be delivered today !  I looked closely at the sellers photos of it and there ARE a few chips in the clear coating along the bottom edges, but are hardly noticeable.

Another day of frustration!  3:15 PM came the message that my 'package could not be delivered as planned.  Possible reasons: driver became ill, had an accident , or exceeded the allowed time at the wheel'.

I seriously doubt that the driving time was exceeded as I have had packages delivered p till 7 PM.

I'm chafing at the bit, but, 1: I hope the driver is OK;  2: I hope the guitar is still in one piece - 5 days in transit for a 300 mile "journey".

I feel your pain...waiting sux!

  After much too long and an odd failure to deliver an article already on the final 3 Kilometers, my VLP arrived at 16:00.  I asked the driver what happened and it was a rather innocuous thing - relatively new driver for the particular route (regular one was on his day off) and at 15:00 had only accomplished two thirds of the route with only about another hour left.

Anyhoo, the Jackson (?) box fell into my grubby paws and I rushed indoors to unpack.  Inside the Jackson rectangular box, surrounded by styrofoam, was another standard guitar box, with more packing stuff.  I was thinking 'somewhere in there must be a guitar'!  It was like the unboxing videos.

The axe is everthing it is made out to be.  It's in fabulous condition with only the already mentioned dings and even the buckle damage is negligible.  The seller put on brand new Ernie Ball 9 - 42s that aren't even stretched - took an hour to get things stabilized - but I feel that they are too light for the much shorter neck than my other guitars.  Other than that, the setup is pretty close to "good", but I was not able to turn up the amp as all the neighbors were home and the baby downstairs was napping.  Needs a bit of intonation work and maybe a set of 10s - that's it!

A Bolt on Neck...?

Least it got there...

Yeah, the VLP's were all bolt on.  When a Mats Westone LP becomes available for a decent price...

I'm having a severe GAS attack

ExFender wrote:...I'm having a severe GAS attack

Poor bugger. As if a virus attack wasn't bad enough!
There is no known cure for GAS either. 

Congrats. Now get some 10's on that thing, keep it away from your son, and and rock it!

Barry wrote:

ExFender wrote:...I'm having a severe GAS attack

Poor bugger. As if a virus attack wasn't bad enough!
There is no known cure for GAS either. 

Congrats. Now get some 10's on that thing, keep it away from your son, and and rock it!

10's aplenty, but I'll wait a bit till my son tries it and I play a bit more with it.  I liked 9's on my Strat back in the dark ages...

As for my son... he's planning on dropping by Friday - ostensibly to have me change pickups in his Ibanez - so I'll kinda HAVE to let him play with it

9's on an F scale makes sense. On a G scale they tend to be a bit sloppy particularly if you're a heavy rhythm player.

I posted a link to this on theX-350 thread a few days ago and today was able to determine exactly what model it is - the TOP model in the VA series!

Unfortunately, the axe has been totally messed up with (condition itself is near mint) with totally revised electrics - EMG's   (have asked which ones), boost circuit removed including switches (claims to still have the switches - somewhere).  He wants WAY too much for it (I'm sure he wants to recover the conversion costs...but...).  With original case.

I wrote him again as he asked if I was interested (who, ME ?), giving him a bit of history and the results of modifying but then asking collector prices and what I paid for my near mint Thunder.  I wanit, but not for  a grand!

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/vantage-vintage-e-gitarre-mit-emg-set-und-koffer/1316630315-74-3147

I just noticthat the guy sent a reply!  Stay tuned.

Reply was what I would offer and the EMG's are the Kerry King set.  Active 81 and 85.

I repeat (for the umpteenth time  ) - "I need another guitar like I need a hole in my head!"...

I recently helped my Son to purchase a new (used) half-stack, and last week bought him a new axe that was more suited to the music he is currently playing - in the hope that I would get my ARIA MA-30 back.

The other day, I encountered a MA-40, the big brother to the 30 in extremely good shape and the same finish - possibly the same year (ca. 1992, so again, not a Mats) but MiJ.  Price was a bit over what I would have liked to give out, but it had a "or best offer" suffix plus the chance of a case.

Long story short, I messaged the seller expressing my interest and his reply was his asking price INCLUDING case and shipping!  The axe is HSS with coil-split plus boost circuit (two mini-switches), otherwise nearly identical to my MA-30.

Should have it by the end of the coming week and will post photos and impressions (I REALLY like the MA-30, and so does my Son ).
 

According to the "Guitar-List", the MA-40 was only produced in 1991 and there seems to be quite a bit of info about many post Mats ARIA's.  The pickups are "active" (TWO 9V batteries in the rear pocket) and the middle PU is a "slave".  Sounds really nice (to me) thru my Peavey "Backstage Plus" with the stock 10" speaker (not a Scorpion).  Setup was pretty much spot on, but needs new strings.

Waiting for my son to pop over for his opinion, then it'll get driven thru my BUGERA 6262.

Nice Pete.
Are the pups truly "active" in the MA40 (i.e., nothing unless powered) or is it an active boost circuit like in our beloved Thunders which offers an additional kick like a mule when turned on?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Pretty sure that the PU's are active.  When I first tried it on the amp, nothing came out - one of the batteries was stone dead and the other was partially disconnected.  New batt and fully connected, it blew the windows shut (forgot to turn the amp down ) !  Twiddled the knobs and flipped the switches produced a plethora of sounds, but I haven't yet figured out exactly which does what.

Sorry for the late reply - American football

Interesting. I don't think any of the Westone line had a purely active circuit at anytime in their development.

Do you think these are proprietary pups with Aria,
or are they the dreaded EMG's in disguise?

I've "played" around with it a bit more over the last couple of days, Barry.  On the bridge PU withe both switches "on" and the tone pots fully clockwise, the sound is a very brassy/trebly - not bad, but I'll need my Son's ears to get a definite opinion.  Middle and neck switch is also noticeably trebly.  With the "tone" controls in the center detent appears to be more like a "bypass" and going counter-clock on the knobs graduates toward the bass.

It needs new strings badly, and I want to go with 9's or even 8's, so when that occurs I'll pull the PU's to see what they are - but I think they are proprietary.