Re: Is this another JB copy

Joe Bonamassa wrote:

I dont have a actual launch date for the Epi- JBLP.  I would guess in the next 3 to 4 months.  Gibson moves pretty fast when the Prototypes are done.  I am stoked about it.  I really think they sound good.  I even A- B'd the epi with the real thing.  It gets the Joe Brand seal of approval.  Price I dont know, but will come with a certificate that I will sign and I will be in the ball park of similar models
Thanks
Joe B.


Joe, any truth to the rumors that Gibson will be releasing more of the Gibson models?

2009 Gibson Les Paul 1958 VOS (with black plastic)
2008 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Goldtop (with the cream plastic from the 58RI)
> Marshall Bluesbreaker 2 pedal >Boss sd-1> DD3 > Vox Ac15cc1

Re: Is this another JB copy

I watched Peter Green last night and he had the V100PG Lemon Drop in his line up!! he didnt play it from what I saw (was quite far back) but it was hooked up to one of his amps at the end of the night.... I guess that must speak for the quality.

21 (edited by StewartW 2010-05-18 22:19:59)

Re: Is this another JB copy

JohnTB wrote:

I watched Peter Green last night and he had the V100PG Lemon Drop in his line up!! he didnt play it from what I saw (was quite far back) but it was hooked up to one of his amps at the end of the night.... I guess that must speak for the quality.

I've just ordered one of the JB's from Vintage, due in about 7 days, i'll let you know what it plays like, bargain price from DV247 only £249.00 with free delivery cool  cool  cool

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile

22 (edited by StewartW 2010-05-17 13:28:05)

Re: Is this another JB copy

Joe Bonamassa wrote:

Yeah.... Im flattered that they think enough of me to do that but I would suggest saving your money for the Epiphone JB model due out this year.  I have the prototype on the bus and its ace.  Burst buckers, good hardware and this one is pretty light.  Not to butter my own bread but get one thats sanctioned.  I want to try the "imposter" and see if it plays ok.  Again, they are all like my children.
Joe B

Well, it's just arrived, the infamous Vintage MRJBM 100 icon series, overall quality looks good, intonation bang on, relicing a tad on the heavy side but not too over the top, the neck is definately on the thin side, fret board feels real nice. Wilkinson hardware so no problems with the quality of the basic stuff, sound wise, very surprising!! a fat deep tone, you can feel every note resonating through the neck, solid mahogany nexk and body, weighing in at approx 10lbs, not a lightweight by any stretch of the imagination. My first impression is that they have made a very good job cosmetically, the playability (if you can get around the thin neck) is fast, fairly light and the action is nice, could do with coming up a tad as its on the very low side but still no buzzes or rattles, will have the Gibson GT in the office tomorrow so will A/B them against identical amp set ups and report back.

Marks out of 10, a definate 9, will also post some pictures tomorrow, the main thing with this is that it looks the Mutts Nutts and for £249.00 delivered I don't think you could buy better, I will be interested in putting this up against the Epi JB when it comes out but certainly against the Epi Les Paul Custom in the office the Vintage wins, surprised, you will be!!!! cool  cool  cool

I've just posted a few pictures of the MRJBM here:

http://www.myspace.com/stewartw

I stress that this is not a Gibson or an Epi but an unsanctioned, non endorsed version of the aged JBLP, for the bedroom guitarist or the person that cannot afford £3-4K for a Gibbo (even if they could get one) this is a nice gigable guitar that if it got broken, stolen or lost would not break your heart or your bank, try one out, you may just be surprised!!! big_smile  big_smile

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile

Re: Is this another JB copy

nice!

I was expecting the relic to be more actually. the vintage ones I saw on the web looked pretty heavy in relicing... that's one dimension where it goes really overboard. Unless you beat the crap out of your guitar and never put it near a case, a guitar still rarely ever looks as reliced as some replicas.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool

Re: Is this another JB copy

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

nice!

I was expecting the relic to be more actually. the vintage ones I saw on the web looked pretty heavy in relicing... that's one dimension where it goes really overboard. Unless you beat the crap out of your guitar and never put it near a case, a guitar still rarely ever looks as reliced as some replicas.


Yeah, it's really quite an nice guitar, played the crap out of it yesterday, no skin left on my finger tips but I can't stress high enough how good this cheapo is, very warm fat tones, easier to dial in treble than take it away i think, it beats the **## out of the Epi Les Paul Custom that shares office space with it. I jammed along with Django through a DSL401 yesterday and although Django was coming out through the computer (not the best HI-Fi) it pretty much nailed the sound, i'm not suggesting the skill and talent in the playing matched, i think I need to practice for maybe another 40 years before I can nail that one, but for about half the cost of an Epi Custom you can't go wrong with this. I will definately use this for gigging, if it gets lost, broken or stolen I will replace it with the same immediately. Stringing it with DM 11-52's overwrapped today and I will see if that makes any difference to the feel, but if it doesn't I won't be dissapointed, it's nice as it is. I would recommend these guitars, in fact any of the Vintage Les pauls, also worth a look is the Peter Green Lemon Drop (Peter Green even has one in his line up) so they can't be that bad!!!!

Pictures of the Vintage V100 icon MRJBM

http://www.myspace.com/stewartw

I once again stress that this guitar is a non sanctioned or endorsed by JB copy, but considering that it comes in at a street price of £249.00 and that the Epi JBLP is not yet available, worth a play! cool  cool  cool

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile

Re: Is this another JB copy

they really are great, stewart. glad your liking yours. i've become inseparable from my icon relic. it's that good for that price. i'm gonna sell my strat and get the goldtop version.  smile

Fender 60's Strat>Fulltone OCD V4>>TC Electronics Polytune>Orange Dual Terror>Torres 2x10 Cab(with a vintage 30 and a greenback)

Re: Is this another JB copy

Halesie wrote:

they really are great, stewart. glad your liking yours. i've become inseparable from my icon relic. it's that good for that price. i'm gonna sell my strat and get the goldtop version.  smile

Love it, are you going for the Gold Top with P90's or the JB Relic model?

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile

Re: Is this another JB copy

Personaly I think those 'Vintage' guitars look revolting. Paticularly the 'worn' Strat types.
Perhaps it's just the adverts in Guitarist that put me off...

Guitars: 95 Les Paul Standard, Relic Strat,
Amps: 1973 Marshall JMP 50 head and Vintage Modern Cab. I use no effects other than a Cry Baby on occasions.

Re: Is this another JB copy

StewartW wrote:
Halesie wrote:

they really are great, stewart. glad your liking yours. i've become inseparable from my icon relic. it's that good for that price. i'm gonna sell my strat and get the goldtop version.  smile

Love it, are you going for the Gold Top with P90's or the JB Relic model?


JB relic i think. i'm getting excited, it my birthday soon and my partner has told me to keep the 31st free. i know a certain mr b is playing on the 31st smile

Fender 60's Strat>Fulltone OCD V4>>TC Electronics Polytune>Orange Dual Terror>Torres 2x10 Cab(with a vintage 30 and a greenback)

Re: Is this another JB copy

chooseyourblues wrote:

Personaly I think those 'Vintage' guitars look revolting. Paticularly the 'worn' Strat types.
Perhaps it's just the adverts in Guitarist that put me off...

i wasn't too sure, they can look a little crappy. though IRL they seem better. the lemon drop is probably most convincing.

Fender 60's Strat>Fulltone OCD V4>>TC Electronics Polytune>Orange Dual Terror>Torres 2x10 Cab(with a vintage 30 and a greenback)

Re: Is this another JB copy

I am happy that you like your guitar.. I am unsettled by the Wilkenson copy..  I have never played one.. nor will they send me one for inspection..  I dont want a free guitar.. I have plenty..  I just want to make sure they are good.   Again I am happy that you like the guitar.. I am not happy with that company though.  These are the same people that tape you secretly without your notice then you tube it..  not my idea of straight up..  The Epiphones will be better..  I will see to it myself.. 
Joe B

Re: Is this another JB copy

Joe Bonamassa wrote:

I am happy that you like your guitar.. I am unsettled by the Wilkenson copy..  I have never played one.. nor will they send me one for inspection..  I dont want a free guitar.. I have plenty..  I just want to make sure they are good.   Again I am happy that you like the guitar.. I am not happy with that company though.  These are the same people that tape you secretly without your notice then you tube it..  not my idea of straight up..  The Epiphones will be better..  I will see to it myself.. 
Joe B

Hey Joe,

You can play my one on the 28th at Hammersmith if you want, I would welcome an appraisal from the man himself, if they are not good, it's worth letting people know, I am only a bedroom guitarist so what I see as good may not be the case, more than happy to bring it along to the sound check for example, let me know?

Stewart

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile

Re: Is this another JB copy

May I request a youtube video of the Vintage JB replica?

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool

Re: Is this another JB copy

Well, had this Vintage JB for a week now and time I think for a quick update on my views of it.

Out of the box it played very well, good fat tone, low action and all in all a rather nice feel to it. Have noticed not much sound difference between both Pups on and Neck only, really nice mids and top end wail on the Bridge pick up. Cleans up resonably well when you back of the volume on the guitar and comes back with a vengence when the guitar is cranked up all the way.

Build quality (with the exception of the scratch plate and top knob on the pickup selector) seems more than adequate, tail stop anchored deep within the body, nut cut is good, not too deep so appears to give a good defined resting point. The best thing about this guitar for me is definately the neck, feels slightly slimmer than a 60's LP and not to dissimilar to my PRS, sort of wideish and thin.

Tried top wrapping with Dean Markley 11-52's, not for me, i was stuggling to bend a full tone on the G and the tone sound went sooooo dark, to the point that I had my DSL treble full out and the mids and bass backed well off and it still sounded muffled and mushy, changed back to 10-48's standard thro stringing and the whole thing changed again back to a bright Bridge tone and a deep but smooth and clear mid tone, still not getting too much difference between mid and neck position, that may be down to the Wilkinson PUPS more that anything else.

Blues tone with volume at 5-7 sounds nice, push the volume to full with no amp change and your'e almost in Heavy Rock land, tweak the gain on the DSL up to half way with very little reverb and you get a real nice AC/DC sound.

So overall rating:

Build Quality - 8/9
Hardware - 8
PUP's - 7/8
Neck - 9
Fretboard - 9
Relicing - 8
Overall JB look - 9
Value for money - 9

For a guitarist that does not have a great deal of money to spend, I think it's good value. I have played for a while and would happily use this as a gigging guitar, reasons are that it will cope with most of the sounds that you would need for a pup type environment, but mainly because of the cost, I would have no fear of taking this thing out to a spit and sawdust boozer, knocking seven bells out of it, dropping it a few times, or some numbnut spilling a beer over it, could almost view it as a guitarist consumable, use it, drop it, break it, replace it. And interestingly when people have asked what model is that and you reply with it's a copy of a Joe Bonamassa guitar, it either starts a coversation about Joe or gets the response "So is he good then" and before you know it there could be another JB fan in the making.

Now to the serious bit: neutral

This is not a guitar that has been sanctioned or endorsed or in fact even looked at by JB, he has asked but a guitar to review has not been forthcoming from Vintage, they do not use the name Joe Bonamassa in any of their advertising and simply advertise it as the Icon "inspired by" range, as they also do with the V100MRPGM (Peter Green inspired out of phase les paul copy) it is a copy, don't think it's anything else, I'm sure that the Epiphone JBLP will be a completley different beast to this, but at this present time the Epi JB is not available (at least not in the UK) and as I am a huge JB fan without the budget for a £3500-4000 Gibson JBLP, this enables me to throw it over my shoulder and for a few minutes (untill I bum a note) let my imagination run riot with my own humble JBLP lookalike. As before there are some pictures posted here

http://www.myspace.com/stewartw

I am not recommending / advertising or pushing anything for Vinatge, I only have bought one of their guitars and this is just my opinion of it, when the Epi comes out I will definately try one and if it's as good as Joe says it is I will sell the Vinatage and put the money towards an Epi JBLP cool  cool

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile

Re: Is this another JB copy

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

May I request a youtube video of the Vintage JB replica?

This popped up today in my subscriptions and I posted it in the other JBLP copy thread, so why not here as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arjJW_XAmT0

Please, call me Austin.
My Gear List

Re: Is this another JB copy

THAT's what JB stands for!!!! Jazz/Blues!!!!  lol  Man, all this time I thought it stood for something else!  cool

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool

Re: Is this another JB copy

I guess the PG in V100mrpgm stands for "Plays Great" must be that, it couldn't possibly stand for Peter Green, could it!!! lol

Have Fun and laugh like it's your first time! You never know you might get to like it! big_smile