vantage vp 700 what is it?

[supermic69]

hi i was recently given an electric guitar by a family friend. apparently its been sitting in storage for about 20 years so they gave it to me. the guitar is a Vantage VP 700. just wondering if it is any good or what it might be worth as i can not seem to find any info on this guitar on the net. all i know is it is made in japan, has 2 humbuckers with coil splitter, 3 way switch, brass nut, set neck and that it seems to be a really great quality guitar. serial number is 72372 any help would be greatly appreciated thanks michael

[Spud1950]

Here's some info. Made by Matsumoku. Here's the catalog page. VP-700 "Mystic" at the bottom of the page.



Here's info on dating the guitar by the serial number.



Don't know what the value might be.

[supermic69]

cool thats way more than ive been able to find. im guessing the fact that you dont see this brand very often and the fact it has alot of features that only higher end modern guitars have means this guitar should be worth something. maybe not alot but even if its worth nothing, ive scored myself a sweet feeling and sounding guitar for free ive thought about maybe upgrading the wiring and pickups. would this decrease the value of the guitar as its taking away from its originality or is is it not worth enough to be concerned with?

[Bassassin]

There's a Vantage-specific message board here:

http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/index.php

Jon.

[mrblanche]

Just curious. Is that actually a neck-through, or is it one of those that are just done with a finish to make it look like it?

Matsomoku made some great guitars, some of which became Ibanez (Ibanez is a brand name, not a manufacturer). I would say your guitar was made at the same time as some very valuable Ibanez guitars, but that's just a shot in the dark. It sure looks good, though.

By the way, if you start researching Japanese-made guitars and the factories that made them, you will soon be very confused. I have seen authorities assert unequivocally that Matumoku never made an Ibanez guitar, and I've seen the opposite just as forcefully stated by just as reputable an authority.

[Bassassin]

Most Ibanez - branded guitars undoubtedly came from Fujigen Gakki - but there are huge grey areas in Japanese guitar manufacture (particularly in the early years), and there's every likelihood that some came from Matsumoku, as well as Kawai & other factories. It seems likely that bodies & necks were sometimes sourced from separate factories, with hardware & electronics from somewhere else again.

Such is the lack of solid information & records, that we will never know the full history. But that's half the fun!

Jon.