Vintage VSA500 (£400) Vs Gibson Figured Series 335 (£3000) 

I own a Vintage V6 Icon and it's the best Strat I ever owned in 30 years as a musician. Especially for home recording studios this brand is absolutely phenomenal.

I think when a guitar's price tag is $3000, then we are allowed to look at it with scrutiny.

Gibson have been making the ES335 for 60 years now, if they haven't ironed out the flaws by now then they never will.

I got here after I accidentally bumped into VSA500, fell in love and bought it, without checking online what I'm buying. I guess I started to read about this model just in order not to feel a sucker for getting really excited by a "cheap" guitar. My sunburst vintage is so inspiring that I'm spending all my spare time with it. I think that, at the end of the day, it is what matters - does the guitar make you a better player or even more precise, does it help you to express yourself? In my case, Vintage VSA500 does the work in the most perfect way I could wish. Thank you for your honest video!

I was choosing between a Sire H7 ($650) and Vintage VSA500 ($450), both ES335s. You didn't just helped me decide but you saved me a couple hundred $. And your passion is oozing and contagious Cheers mate!

Here in Thailand Vintage guitars are widely used on the live circuit and also in the studio. My go to strat is a Vintage V6 HMRSB. Fantastic instrument live and in the studio. Price is not an issue for me.

I think a £3,000 guitar should be flawless. And yes, the Gibson sounds a little sweeter. Blindfolded, I would struggle to tell the difference.

It was in 1972 or 73 I was 14 or 15. I’ve been playing sense 65 or 66 maybe before but not quite a decade. I went into Watkins Music on Jefferson Ave in Dallas, TX ready to step up my game. That day I learned what I suppose was one of the most invaluable lessons I’d ever learn. Even after going on to get a degree in music. It’s something I rely to musicians new & seasoned. On that day I went in and I was going to buy a Les Paul. Yes it was ridiculously heavy. But the details, the finishes on this very expensive guitar. made this brand new guitar almost seem used. The knobs, the surrounds around the pick ups. Where the neck attached to the body. The tuning pegs bridge all pretty disappointing at that price point. So first the salesman thought it was out of my budget and showed me a SG. It look like it had been put together by A carpenter who built fences or wooden decks. Though I did like it better because it was lighter. By then we had been talking for a bit. And he understood correctly that I really wanted Gibson. Then he said something that change the way I Purchased every instrument ever sense. Close your eyes. How does it feel in your hands? How does it sound when you play it? He had handed me an Aria model 1932A I think it is. This was their SG copy. Heavier than a Gibson SG but lighter than a Les Paul a little bit. It felt great in my hands. And sounded amazing. And when I open my eyes and saw a clear finish opposed to a poorly stained SG or painted Les Paul. She was beautiful as well. By the time the 70s rolled around American Guitar manufactures we’re both having a hard time keeping up with demand. And worse trying to squeeze every nickel a profit they could out of the guitar. Japan took advantage. They had been trying to flood the market with better built better sounding better playing guitars for a lot less money. I no longer have that exact same guitar because someone stole it. But I have one just like it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I know a lot of folks watch Richards' uploads. This comment has NOTHING to do with this guitar. I just wanted to comment on Richard himself. I currently have two orders being processed by Richard and a query arose for me. I sent him a rather terse message and received a very honest, even-tempered and honest response. What had happened was that on the day I sent that message I had received the 12 week message on my mobile and that temporarily affected my state of mind. I naturally contacted him to apologise. I had ignored the fact that he and his team were also operating under difficult conditions. I can only say that Richard is just as he appears on these uploads - an honest, open-minded, dedicated and approachable man. All praise and thanks to him for not going off his rocker as he had every right to do. Top chap.

VSA500 chery red received this week ! set up is perfectly done and the guitar amazing for this price! thanks guys! i will recomend richards guitars! better customer service and quality control than the big names! now i can do my marty mcfly !

How does the D’Angelico in the background fair up with the Gibson?

I'd love, if Vintage could offer more bass options with more vintage colors, together with the old vintage finish lacquer - to truly represent their brand name.

You helped me a lot with this review! I bought my vsa500HB last year. I love It!

Its one thing to play in a room on a sofa. The question is (at least for me) how the guitars behave in a band, on stage, with a bass player and a drummer behind you.

Love this vid mate, and love your passion and honesty for the instrument,I have 5 vintage guitars and can't fault them.

Gibson has been riding their reputation for a while now. I want to see & support these up & coming usurpers. More competition means we the consumers are the ones who WIN.

A fair video , no need to worry ! Personally I love my Gibson Les Paul and now I have GAS for that succulent 335 ! Wow 😍

Gibson sounds ever so slightly sweeter. Vintage sound like it had a little more sustain which really surprised me!.both incredibly versatile. I'd love to see the difference at a higher volume. See if the vintage feeds back more. Great video though and really interesting. I'd love to see an epiphone pro 335 v the vintage.

i have a lovely 78 les paul standard , a cracker . however , i had a vintage lemon drop (now with my nephew) which is really lovely . the standard wins , but no disrespect to the vintage. i have a vintage mick abrahams signature sg which is fantastic. vintage make some great stuff at very good prices. my gibson is one of the best i have ever played ( bought in 86) , and i mean that as a compliment to vintage. i have two fret king guitars , esprit 3 and 5 blue label which are also trevor wilkinson jobs. both are beautiful. lesson for younger folk than i , use your ears , your touch , and do not be a snob. good video.

This comparison is great!! I just recently heard about Vintage Guitars. I'm not sure why I had never heard of them. The woody echo of the Gibson for single notes is slightly better. But, the differences are so small that I cannot go buy a 2 or 3 thousand dollar Gibson if I can get that sound from the Vintage for 4 or 500 dollars. I'm gonna search for someplace to buy a Vintage. This is from Illinois, USA.

Love the passion and honesty. Just been on to your website, I’m going for a black vintage with gold pickups! Thank you!

Richard, I have an Epiphone Sherston that was £395 a few years ago and it plays and sounds better than the more expensive brands I've had. Reminds me of that Vintage. If you have/get one in stock maybe compare the Vintage to the Sheraton, be very interesting.

I bought a VSA500 from yourselves last year and was very pleased with it- as good as a Gibson for sure (having owned a few) and yes Gibson aren't perfect by any means, not always well finished. It's true there is something very subtle in the sound of a Gibson

If you search for the vintage lemon drop - ten times the tone? There’s a great comparison with a Vintage Lemon Drop and a custom shop blues master. Majority of viewers prefer the vintage. Once I found out which one was the lemon drop, I went out and got one, great guitar!

I’m a total Gibson nerd. Got a bunch of em. Mostly Les Pauls. I DONT have a 335 but picked up the Vintage version years ago when I had like 500 to spend and I wasn’t leaving without a guitar. I mean I really like it. Put it this way every time I’ve bought an epiphony all it did was piss me off I didn’t have the Gibson version. With the Vintage I don’t feel that way. It’s a .... lemme see... huh. No model number I can see but it’s a 335 with gold hardware. Wilkinson everything Perfect intonation. I really like it. I blasphemed it a bit by putting a bunch of Halloween and exploitation horror stickers on it and I call it my “ Psycobilly Machine” for all you people gasping if I get a better hollow body I’ll restore the Vintage

You could buy the Vintage and just stick the same pickups in that the Gibson has. You've spent under £600 quid and you've got a fantastic quality guitar that sounds like the Gibson. Then you've got a great sounding guitar and £2,400 still in your sky rocket! Obviously the Gibson is beautiful and iconic...but is it worth another nearly £2 1/2k? I think not!

I don't know how they're doing right now quality control wise but I had 4 Vintage in my possession. The first one was a 2014 V100, I was impressed with the quality overall, very nice guitar, stayed in tune quite well, pickups were a bit muddy but nothing that couldn't be changed, I loved it and played it for hundreds of hours. Then I bought another V100, in 2016, the guitar was terrible, didn't stay in tune, the jack was broken after a month, pots were crackling, ... I sold it, got a V6 in 2017, same thing, all the electronics were failing me, nothing worked as it should after 6 months! I tried to get it repaired then I finally sold it and got another V6, same story there... I have no idea if I just didn't have any luck or if the quality control went downhill by vintage in the recent years. Anyway, I saved some money and I got my first "high end guitar": an Eastman SB59 2018, which I'm deeply in love with, the sound is astonishing and the quality of the instrument is something I didn't experience before, I don't think I could go back ! :) But in 2014, vintage gave me a good time, I played hours on this workhorse guitar and it certainly helped me get better!

I was fortunate enough to buy a Vintage Wilkinson ES335 cherry red second hand from a gentlemen that pretty much never touched it. The only thing he knew about it was that he bought it at the time Gibson was taking Vintage to court and thought it might increase in value! Well all I can say is this guitar is absolutely amazing I’m not only craftsmanship but tone and feel I could not believe he sold it to me for $200 AUD. I thought at the very least it would look nice on the wall if it didn’t play or sound nice but I always pick it up and don’t put it down.

I like your honest appraisal of the equipment man, it's productive and refreshing. It appears that Vintage are playing a blinder. 👍🔥🎸🎼🙏

I recently collected my Eastman T486B black beauty from Richards shop. I had the privilege of meeting both Richard and Jon, nothing was too much trouble and Richard is just like he is on the videos - open, honest, approachable and obviously passionate about his guitars! I have NEVER had service like he provides, NOTHING is too much trouble with the result that I’m going back for an acoustic to noodle on when I can’t be bothered to get out amp, peddles etc. I can’t go and try because of the current situation but will trust them to advise me on which is best for me. Keep up the fantastic work Richard, keep you and your family safe and well. I remember you did a ‘ meet my family’ a few months ago, how about an event once the crisis is over, meet you and your team, try guitars and a burger and a drink. I’d be more than happy to come and help as I only live 3/4 hour from you. God bless

I paid £1800 for my ES335 ... I love it ...I’ve had a Vintage ... nice enough looking, but undoubtedly a cheap guitar, most notably in the electrics, the pickups were fine but sort of lifeless.. and the neck needed a lot of work on it to get it buzz free along the entire fretboard. You’re comparing a BMW and a KIA.

I went down the rabbit hole with the vintage vsa500. Picked one up used and I agree the husk of the guitar is punching above its price point. Is the epiphone 335 husk better than the vsa500? Not that I've seen and it cost much more as well. The electronics and hardware is where the cheap creeps in on the factory build. Updated the cheap variables out of the guitar. luthier setup. It really is a players guitar for much less cost than a 335. My guitar will never approach 335 market values and I knew that going into this project. It shines when I plug it into the princeton reverb. Thanks for the video and the encouragement that this project would be a winner.

Great video. Thank you. I have only just discovered the Vintage brand and quality. Looking at the V100 GreenyMoore relic. Totally understood your view point. Again thanks for the insight. Cheers

Definitely worth the wait for this one! I thought the Gibson was tonally a little richer than the Vintage, but not by as much as I would have expected given the price difference. Really considered video too. Just got to decide between the VSA500 in Cherry Red or Walnut now... Just out of interest, what amp did you use for this one?

Money no object the Gibbo every time. As it is in my impoverished state I will stick to my Samick artist series bought for £90 S/H :). I do have a Vintage V100 Black (£100 S/H) which is amazing. Affordable guitars - like the LAG the other day - are amazing these days compared to what was available in the 1970's when I first started playing.

Very honest and interesting comparison. Both sounded great, I think the Gibson had a smoother creamy bluesy tone especially on the lead sections however you'd expect that. A guitar is about the feeling you get when you look at it want to pick it up and play it. To be inspired and enjoyed, Gibson do that for me personally.

Excellent video. Many guitar aficionados wrestle with finding the perfect sound, and justifying the money we spend. It’s so elusive, but it’s the search for perfection that keeps us hungry and interested... and in trouble with our significant others who , justifiably, can’t understand our obsession. Loved the video and honesty!

There's something that I hardly ever hear anyone talk about when it comes to budget guitars and that's wages and working conditions. Being on a small budget myself I feel a great attraction to guitars from Vintage, Revelation or Harley Benton etc. I just wonder if it's ethically okay to buy them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking or complaining. It's just something I as a customer would like to know about.

Gibson is my choice. I have an Epi Dot and gotta say a bit lifeless and when compare my Gibo SG and LP to my previous Epi versions then more satisfaction in playing the Gibson. Price becomes redundant at some point so in my opinion better to wait and save for that extra feel of 'oh yes, love it'

I've got a Vintage VS6 (Gibson SG copy), made in 2003 while it was still a 1:1 copy when it comes to the bodyshape and it has blown away any Epiphone SG I've played before. Strangely, it actually sounds closer to Gibson than the newer "Inspired by Gibson" Epiphones. It has Wilkinson PAF-like pickups, a very comfortable and smooth neck, and is all in all a remarkable instrument, especially considering that I paid it around 300e. Actually, I find myself playing it more often than some of my much more expensive guitars. It just sounds great and is very fun to play.

hello Richard. truly ,honestly a justified review.thanks, best wishes

Interesting discussion. My 2c worth is that it’s nothing to do with quality, or even value for money. I used to have an Aria ProII Les Paul copy I bought in about 1980, which was, I think, a really good guitar. Subsequently, when I was older, more affluent, but not necessarily wiser, I bought a Gibson Les Paul. The Aria was at least as good, finishing probably better. However, that’s what happens in life. You get a bigger budget and look at a different part of the market. If a person is willing to spend a lot of money on a car, regardless of anything else I think the badge is probably most important. Arguments about the quality or otherwise of the competition, there’s probably < 10 brands that such a buyer would consider. Are they right or wrong? Who knows? I’ve owned 3 Fender Strats in my life, and 2 of them (including the most expensive) were average. But it didn’t stop me buying them. I seem to have an ability not to learn from mistakes😊 Last comment. I have played acoustic for some years and a got rid of all my solid body electrics. Still have a Taylor T5 which I thinks is excellent. However I recently needed a wheat solid body, and went to my local shop, eXpecting to come away with a Vintage or similar, and ended up buying a Revelation, sort of a 2xP90 telecaster shape guitar for about £250, which I think is a really good guitar for the money.

Really enjoyed the video. Vintage seems a no brainer to me, especially on a budget.

I'm sat here with my VSA500 Walnut that I bought from John/Richard a month ago. It's absolutely stunning and plays like a champ. As someone starting out in their guitar journey (I've been playing since September 2019) I feel very fortunate to have a guitar that was both affordable and of such high quality. Many thanks to Chris as well for setting it up a treat.

I bought a Vintage brand SG copy and was amazed at how great the neck felt. Although the pick ups were too muddy for me. I put better electrics in and some tonerider pick ups...what a difference! I thought it was amazing...until I bought a 2017 Gibson SG standard with 57 classic pick ups in, now this is beautiful quality and a sound to die for. I've since put the same Gibson pick ups in the Vintage to see how close they could get, but still a fair difference in sound, the Vintage doesn't have the bottom end and the Gibson just seems to sound a little more articulate, just like the two guitars in this video. But for the money, the Vintage is bloody awesome.

I can’t help but wonder what a good set of low output PAF style pickups would do to the Vintage

I think alot would depend on whether you are looking for an investment or a workhorse.

I bought a used strat-style Vintage on Ebay for £60 with two damaged frets, which I soon repaired and set up. Humbucker at bridge and two singles neck and centre, and, even though I have a Brian May Special which I adore the sound of, the Vintage is my go-to guitar. I feel that the John Hornby Skewes' Vintage range are an underrated line of guitars that deserve more recognition.

Absolutely mind blowing! I've got one in cherry burst! Fantastic! Beautiful sweet guitar is the Vintage 500! Now I'll say this! The Gibson 335 actually has a very slight, better tone

I see a desperate man, it comes with the love for the both brands ;-). I know the feelings that tear you apart. I think it is fair to say to potential buyers of the Vintage that they should include a budget for upgrading or improvements. Vintage is what I consider a savings account. You start cheap with the intention to spend money on it, possibly over some years. I'm a big fan of Vintage, in 2004 I bought a new cherry red VS6 for €230,- . That was dirt cheap, I actually felt a bit embarraced for paying so little on such a great guitar. After only a few months I had the pots, switch and jack replaced because they were falling apart. Last year I replaced the pickups (should have done that much earlier) and recently chose for new stainless steel frets. Now, over the years I have spent the amount of money equalling a cheap Gibson in value, but in the past 15 years I had so much fun with it. So, if you educate customers to be willing to spend a bit more to lift the guitar to your shop quality standard, it still will be relatively cheap.

Good video - the Gibson sounds great - and better. But not by much - but it has something sweet about the overtones. But the Vintage is really good. You are right - its about the budget. I bought a Les Paul many years ago - it sounds sweet acoustically, but it needed a good setup - never regretted the cost of it. I have a Gibson now - and I wanted one and got a good one (chosen from about 10 or 12 in 3 different shops). But people slag them off of course. But I bought into the brand. The Vintage is really good in this comparison. Is the Gibson worth the extra £2600? Yes - it looks and sounds beautiful and will retain it's value or even increase. And you will have to justify the cost by playing it a lot! But its also no - the Vintage looks and sounds great - but it will lose value, and something is missing from the sound in comparison. The moral is, if you can't afford the Gibson, don't try it in a comparison as it will gnaw away at you. Buy the Vintage and enjoy it for what it is.

A very balanced review. As an owner of both makes, Gibson sound to be mispositioning their nuts for height and distance from fret 1. My Vintage ‘Fool' SG and Fret King Country Squire have the best intonation near the nut, so tuning and playing is much simplified. The Gibson 335 you demo’d sounds like the pickups were put in the wrong position to be equal in volume, but what a beauty! I hope Gibson can employ more luthiers than carpenters in future, because they are so revered.

The Gibson without a doubt sounds the best between the two but look at the price difference, what would the Vintage sound like if you changed the pickups to Gibson spec units, very similar I bet. But for anyone buying Vintage guitars which I think are amazing value for money go look on the Thomann web site at their Harley Benton brand guitars, they are the same guitars that Vintage are selling but for about £100 to £150 cheaper , stunning guitars for very little money

If more dealers were critical, suppliers and manufacturers might send out their products as they should.

Having directly compared Gibson guitars with these Vintage guitars I have found that the Vintage is not inferior , not even 5% inferior to the Gibson . There's a post on RU-vid called 10 Times the Tone where you can find this out for yourself with a blind test . I listened to it myself and had to admit I could hear the better sound of the Gibson until I found out it was actually the Vintage .

I thought the Gibson was tonally a little richer than the Vintage, but not by as much as I would have expected given the price difference.I got an old Sheraton 2 from 2004,i got it for 250 bugs and it sound great;fantastiq;exactly what i want and what i be able to do!!!!btw;at least,after looking the whole video,i want to say thank you!!For your work,thoughts and so!

Have just discovered Richard through his online Blues lessons, which promote an approach to improvisation I really identify with. I am looking forward to making a visit to your shop in Stratford, when the epidemic is over. Great review, keep up the good work.

Been waiting on this video. The Vintage sounds a touch thinner, but what would stop you replacing the pickups with Seymour Duncan or DiMarzios. Personally it sounds good enough to me.

If I become a solvent entity when this ChiCom Disease abates, you have a variety of guitars I'd like to have. I went through all the stages of Grief regarding Gibson, but not a Gordon Smith, a Vintage LP, and that lovely offset D'angelico I would take home to Greece with me.. Now if I could kick my devotion to Apple then I'd be complete.

Was really looking forward to this video when you posted about it the other day and then it didn't show up. I think it was worth the wait though, very good video :)

after this i really want a Vintage VSA500 :) thanks for uploading

I just bought a Vintage LP Jr copy and it has quickly become may favorite guitar to play. I did swap out the pickup and wiring, but it was $300 and then another $150 for the upgrades...so $450. I have owned about three Gibsons so far and it competes with any of them in terms of playability and sound (not saying it’s better, but in the ballpark...and at like

Yup! Same sorts of issues with a Gibson purchased back in the late 1980s. Fortunately, the store's in-house luthier fixed it all.

The Gibson does sound that little bit more sweeter, but would that be worth the extra £2600 🤔. I did find it interesting that the Gibson body seems to be a little bit thinner. Both very nice though. The figured finish of the Gibson is 😍, again but worth the price difference?

In today's world of CNC machines it isn't hard to produce great guitars at relatively budget prices. Gibson has always had a sound from their electronics, love it or hate. Take any playable guitar and add suitable pickups and you have an equal to whatever your chosen dream guitar may be. The tone comes from the fingers. Moral of the tale is the price doesnt matter, cheap isnt bad and expensive isnt gonna be bettter

Bottom Line, when MONEY is the motivating factor in anything human made, you get the best, the worst and all in between. You get predatory competition, more, better , faster, and on time. You get garbage. With competing markets this is entirely understandable. We cannot as a species, realize our true potential until we take money out of the equation. Then you will see us blossom. I know this is idealistic, but we must be his way if we really want to shine.The efforts going into inexpensive guitars appear to be increasing and in some cases stellar. I bought a Wolf Les Paul copy for 350.00 new and was blown off my chair. The setup was incredible. The playability better than all my 30 guitars. Why? My Gibson Les Paul Deluxe 2018 is nice, and has all this wonderful paperwork of authenticity but I'd rather have the time and money put into the certificates put into the guitar. Gibson need not convince anyone of their product. Its so well known they don't need authenticating. The US is responsible for the inequality in pricing. Gibson and other companies are pawns in a game that is driving everyone out of business. It's sad.

How would the vintage compare to the epiphone es 335? Would it be a similar conclusion? Is the vintage better than the epiphone? Both are worth almost the same, I believe the epiphone is only a bit more expensive

I have found that the Vintage 335 style guitar has much better upper fret access than the Gibson or Epiphone versions.

Good review..I paid 150 for my vintage and it sounds great.

Nice video. I understand you, I feel the same as the years go bye. The big brands just have a great resale value- and that is an issue to look into- but as tools all we need is something that sounds great, feels nice, handles the road and withstand some abuse. And that, in the end, is all that matters in the real life. Also if it got stolen its less bad right.? I use an 80's old Maison 335 copy with some mods and I love it. (Now you got me curious about that vintage) . Cheers and great job.

Love the video and comparison. I did find myself wishing you had strummed that Vintage just one time without it being plugged in or at least the volume turned off on the guitar. I’m left wondering how resonant it is by itself. If I missed that, my apologies.

Friend of mine busks jazz with a Vintage very like this one. Peachy tones he gets. I have just ordered one to take busking. Just occurred to me, did you use the same brand of string in this comparison ?

Great comparison , appreciate the delicacy in your approach ! As for the guitars : the Gibson even sounds mellow from its bridge pick-up , nothing compares it , but price-quality wise ... well , it's a no-brainer, isn't it ?

I've been looking at this style of guitar for a while now, checking out many reviews for a number of brands. I keep coming back to the Vintage VSA500 for less than most other brands are secondhand. I need to clear some space before I decide on which finish I want and then place my order😁

When I was young we did not get so fine guitars for that little money - but millions of jobs went to china, vietnam... A good guitar gets much better getting older. The tone opens up. And old nitro finish looks and feel fantastic - compard to old polyester-. And when you play many hours a day - you hear all those little differences in every tone. Especially when you make a (small) living out of it, you have more fun. And fun is the best thing to keep you inspired in this rough business. IMHO

The Vintage’s ceramic magnet pickups stick out, like a sore thumb. Gibson uses the calibrated T-type pickups with Alnico 2 magnets. It’s a world of difference.

My ear is usually not good enough to detect subtle differences in sound in online comparisons, even with my studio monitors. But in this case, I did hear subtle differences with the Gibson -I hasten to emphasize subtle. Back in the Sixties, I owned a cherry-red Gibson 335, and I could kick myself in the arse (if I could lift my leg that high) for not holding onto it. Because of my stupidity and short-shortsightedness in that regard and many others, these days I am in no position to pay $3,000 for a new Gibson. That said, I can afford the Vintage, and I'd be quite happy to have one. One other thing a musician needs to consider regarding instruments - playing gigs in the real world (noisy bars and restaurants), subtle differences will not likely be heard by anyone. What's more, I would be VERY reluctant to take a $3,000 guitar to a bar gig.

Would upgrading the pickups in the Vintage make it sound as sweet as the Gibson ??? It'd still be way less expensive 😊

Hi Richard great videos by the way. I have 2 Vintage V6 guitars. One is the relic V6 with the humbucker in the neck and the other is 3 single coils with a gloss finish. The single coil guitar plays brilliantly but the other one didn't. Needed fret level and had to shield it because of the interference. It's much better now but I think it shows that sometimes with the affordable guitars, you may need to do some work on them. (I quite like doing guitar work, so it's ok for me.) But at a fraction of the cost of a Fender, the Vintage is still an excellent buy.

There will undoubtedly be a difference...... but not £2600 worth of difference. I witnessed this years ago when shopping for a Fender Stratocaster. I tried a few Mexican models in the £400 mark, all of which were perfectly decent, however the American standard was just slightly better in every department. I ended up buying a 2008 American model for around £850 (back then). It may have cost twice as much as the Mexican model but I openly admit that it wasn’t two times better. I don’t regret my decision though, as I love the guitar and it’s still my main electric today. The experience made me want to promote the quality of lower priced modern guitars and debunk the myth that more expensive is ‘better value’, so I wrote a letter on the subject to a guitar gear magazine (who happened to be very big on the vintage brand). They published my article in one of the issues.

The Vintage sounds great but looks awful. JHS introduced the offsets and extended lower bouts to their Vintage line to head off legal action and cease and desist letters. The design changes were introduced fundamentally to avoid legal challenges not to improve access to frets etc. Be assured JHS Vintage would still be producing straight copies (which they produced during the period 2006-13) of the Gibson 335 if they thought they could still get away with it!

I have a Washburn HB32, and it is a great guitar. Feel and playability is very similar to a Gibson, but yes, the Gibson does have the edge. Sound wise, clean tones also very similar but again Gibson has the edge. Add some drive on the amp and the Washburn makes ground. Add a distortion pedal and gain. The Gibson falls way back to second place. OK, semi-acoustic's are not meant for distortion, I get that. If you have the money for a Gibson then get one, if you don't there are plenty of other brands that are almost as good and under certain conditions even better.

Good review Richard. I have the same sharp nut thing on my 2019 Gibson Les Paul classic LH. So much for them upping their game under new ownership. Apart from that it is fine however I won't buy another Gibson as I didn't expect to have to get it "fixed" given the price of it.

I just got a vsa500 honeyburst, best £320 (new) I ever spent... great guitar, who cares about the offset body...

Well I had a fantastic 97R9 but had to sell during the money crunch of 08 So replaced it w a Vintage Lemon Drop that I did a total electronics upgrade So 4400 vs 500 plus upgrade I'm very happy with the PGLP

Thanks , I'm sold....getting one m8. Hello from the Philippines

This is a many faceted debate. However, I think at the core of it is pride of ownership. In spite of the well-known issues with Gibson's quality control we still carry on buying them. It's not until we decide we don't want to risk our pride and joy in transit or on a stage that we start to look at more 'cost effective' options. Often, that will still be a lesser Gibson like a Junior or Studio model that is felt to be a stripped down version of the grail, but nevertheless still 'the grail'. I have a Japanese made Strat that is the most brilliant guitar that I would not part with for anything, but I still want an American one. Go figure!

The real big difference that we ear is about the pickup, the vintage is mostly crap. I changed the neck p90 and still the original at the bridge, there is actually a sound ocean between the two.

I own a Vintage VSA 555 from 2008 and was hoping to find praise in this video. First, the VSA500 you're featuring is a completely different body style / thickness to the Gibson ES335 -- at least somewhat. VSA500=Gibson ES330, VSA535or555 = Gibson ES335 shapes. The VSA series is obviously a decent option and excellent value of a plywood top, but cannot compare to a carved top. The hardware on mine is quite impressive but set-up is questionable.

Owning both, JHS Vintage and Gibson guitars (among other brands as well), I have a very personal opinion on this topic. When I was a child, big brands were far out of reach, so I've learned playling on budget guitars. And these guitars were junk. But things have changed in two ways. Production quality of affordable brands has increased. And the price tag of big brands has decreased. So there is a space where both product lines kind of meet. And so it's hard to distinguish between unique selling points (USP). If you look at the youTube Gibson factory tour you will see, that production technology is by no means above the general production standard (the PLEK machine may be to only exception). So it'll be naive to expect a higher production quality by the way they do it at Gibson. At the end it all comes down to the amount of labour hours spent on each individual instrument. And labour hours are much cheaper in China, and they have improved their quality control as well. That is why everyone is completely overwhelmed by the value-add you'll get with chinese guitar. BUT ... Gibson spends a reasonable amount of effort on the heat treatment of the used wood. So in my ears Gibson guitars are acousticly more resonant than i.e. vintage guitars. --- To me, this primarily leads to a different response. High end guitars tend to respond a little bit more to my playing because I can feel it through my stomach and hands, whilst import guitars often feel rather dead. SOUNDWISE ? ... the sound effect which is obvious in this video can easily be adjusted by using vintage output pickups (i.e. AlNiCo II instead of ceramics). I've changed pickups on all of my budget guitars, so they sound equivalent to major brands. And still they cost only a fracture of major brands. BUT ... I always much enjoy the response of my high end guitars and therefore I kind of play differently on these. Is it woth 10 times the price ... it all comes down to your budget I guess :)

The Gibson's color/figuring on the Vintage and I'd be sold. Vintage doesn't have a color/figure in their VSA500 that really screams "BUY ME" to me. I just ordered one of the Aquamarine Epiphone Dot Deluxes instead of the Vintage for that very reason. I know the Vintage is far beyond the Epiphone in terms of, well pretty much everything, but if I look at the guitar and don't feel inspired to pick it up, it might as well sound and play horribly. Also, I'd really like to see a comparison between the Vintage VSA and the Epiphone Sheraton II Pro.

Great video again Richard 👍 One thing I've often wondered is if it's even possible how much it cost to make a Gibson/Fender/Martin etc guitar in the Far East ? Is it all about materials and craftsmanship that can only be found in the USA ?

Love to see a similar video with the Vintage V130CRS with an honest assessment.

Hard to hear that through yt but I get what you mean. Its a huge difference for a trained ear, but its only apparent irl

I like Vintage. I have a VSA-500, a V52 (both from Richard's Guitars) , a V100 and a VRS130 (both secondhand). OK, i prefer my Gordon Smith GS2 but I record the Vintages alongside it and they play well and sound great. They don't feel massively outclassed. I had a couple of Harley Bentons. Now I don't.

The vintage, smaller lower cutaway and angled neck join, is due to a , Gibson cease and desist order. The older vintage535s, are more of an es335 copy.

If I was a gigging musician today I would take Vintage guitars on the road.... In a live setting your really not going to notice the difference. If I was a recording musician That 3% might make a difference.... And that slight (let's call it the 3% difference) clarity and richness of tone might..... and I really mean might make a difference... But when you consider you can have this guitar, the Vintage Strat, Vintage Tele, Vintage Les Paul, Vintage SG, and Vintage PRS copies for around the same price as this one Gibson.... Maybe my studio would be filled with Vintage models.... To show the reality of that statement I personally sold my Gibson 335 and bought all three of the Vintage 25th Anniversary Silverburst models and had money for a Fret King Elise.... So essentially swapping out a Gibson for four Wilkinson Guitars.... No regrets whatsoever! Vintage have just added 3 more 25th Anniversary Silverburst models a JB Bass an SG and a maple neck Strat and I have ordered all three.... I am so impressed with Vintage Guitars I truly believe that these are going to be collectable in the future as people start to realise just how good they truly are....

I have a few guitars. A Gibson SG standard, Gibson LP Jr, classic vibe squires and most recently a used Vintage vr130. All set up and I've modded the cheaper ones. My favourite by far is the vintage v130. It's an unbelievable guitar. It cost me £100 used and £80 in modded parts. Couldn't recommend them highly enough. I feel pity for guitar snobs. They miss out.

I’ve got a Vintage Gordon Giltrap 12 String - cedar topped, lightly built and excellent. I’ve done a detailed setup and the action is lower and silky, better than that achieved on any of my other guitars, including electrics... My Vintage ‘Peter Green’ (gloss) LP has great build and finish, great pickups and hardware, decent action... but the pots (cheap minis), wiring quality and soldering are crap,

They both sound good and with a bit of tweaking of the amplifier could probably produce virtually identical tonal characteristics so it really comes down to, do you want to pay £3000 or £400 to produce those tonal characteristics?