Vintage V100 Lemon Drop "Greeny" Vs. Epiphone Kirk Hammett Greeny

[@GabrielNardinMusic]

Good to see an old musical youtube colleague back uploading after some rest time. Nice to have you back here. Greetings!

[@SayonaraSixString]

Gabriel!!! Always great to hear from you! Yes, I was busy playing in a cover band a few years but now back in the basement! You will see me around more often bud!

[@GabrielNardinMusic]

@@SayonaraSixString Great. And frankly it´s also good knowing that the time you were off was due actually to making music somewhere else and not just quitting playing. Best of luck!

[@RichardSheehan]

I'm in the UK and got a second-hand Vintage Greeny last year for £399 and I love it. The pickups are great too. Definitely a bit of an undiscovered gem.

[@Сунђербобан]

Vintage lemon drop distressed and regular are around 450 bucks in europe. Great deal

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yeah crazy deal for our friends across the pond! I’m always amazed at some of the used prices for Vintage products in Europe. You get lots of guitar for very little money!

[@chrisdoust5464]

I was a big Epiphone man, I still have three of them, but Vintage are my new go to make when buying new, the V100PGM just blew me away, sincerely recommend the V58JD telecaster (Jerry Donahue) which in my humble opinion is fantastic value for money, so many different sounds available. (y)

[@SayonaraSixString]

I still have yet to try their Teles but I hear wonderful things. They are incredibly priced!

[@chrisdoust5464]

I have tried all the Fender equivalents, US, MX and Indonesian and Vintage beats them all, not only on sound but quality and value for money buddy :) @@SayonaraSixString

[@SayonaraSixString]

@@chrisdoust5464 I used to have the V6M24. It was a nice little shredder. I need to get that distressed burst strat with the humbucker in the bridge!

[@ejmachuca9355]

I bought my V100MR-PGM a year after they came out. I saw a video of Trevor explaining the mindset behind the design and I was hooked. Beautiful guitar. I paid $650 for it 5 or 6 years ago. Mine has Wilkinson's signature on the back of the head stock.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Wow that’s cool! I’ve seen many Vintage brand guitars but have not seen one with Trev’s signature!

[@philfrank9226]

Mine costs new 444 Euro.

[@pauljohnson3686]

I bought my Vintage PG lemon drop in 2011.. Trevor Wilkinson designed it for Vintage back in 2006...The earlier models had the regular style les paul neck heel and no funky in curve on the top side of the body going into the neck..

[@danielg9810]

Got the Vintage Lemon Drop put locking tuners, Bare Knuckle PG Blues and had it set up. It Rocks! 🤟😎

[@BudgetRC_Channel]

I had an older non relic V100PGM and those Wilkinsons are still my absolute favorite humbuckers. I absolutely loved that guitar, but couldn't deal with the thin neck. When the Epiphone Lazarus came out I bought one and turned it into a Greeny tribute. I couldn't pull the burstbuckers out fast enough! I bought a set of the Wilkinson WVCs, and as you noticed, there's not a set available with the magnet flipped. The V100PGM gets the out of phase sound by flipping the wiring on the neck pickup, but when I got the set for the Lazarus, I flipped the magnet. Once I got them installed and got the pickup heights dialed perfectly, the two guitars sounded exactly the same. The build quality of the Vintage was much better than the Epi, but I had to keep the Lazarus because of the great neck. You absolutely can't go wrong with the Vintage as long as you're OK with the thin neck. Personally, I'm probably going to spring for the Gibson Greeny (the regular model, not the $20k model!), but in all liklihood, the Wilkinsons from my Lazarus will probably wind up going in.

[@SayonaraSixString]

The Wilkinsons are indeed wonderful pickups. But I’m still confused about the pickups in the Lemon Drop. As far as I can tell the magnet is actually reversed in the neck. I thought it had to be reverse wired but it is wired normally with hot on the lug and ground on the top of the pot. And clearly the dials in the middle position reveal that it is indeed out-of-phase. So it seems that they have proprietary reverse polarity pickups for the Lemon Drop that are not available in the aftermarket (although reversing the magnets really isn’t that hard). Vintage has been very coy about the Lemon Drop pickups. Knowing the production weirdness of Vintage though, there are probably two types of Lemon Drops out there: those that are wired out-of-phase and those that have reverse polarity pickups.

[@futurekarlos5256]

I bought my Vintage Lemon Drop in around 2007 for £349 brand new. That was the RRP back then. It's still the best guitar I own. Plays like a £6K Gibson R9 I tried recently. It's current price in the UK is £549 RRP. Considering you get a real rosewood fretboard, a real flamed maple cap (the Epiphone is a veneer) and pickups that were designed by a guy who was shown the original method for making PAF's by Seth Lover himself, £549 is an absolute steal! You can actually get them for as little as £350 new if you shop around too. Bargain of the century as far as I'm concerned.

[@SayonaraSixString]

I’m always jealous of the prices of the Vintage brand in the UK!

[@futurekarlos5256]

@@SayonaraSixString I want my next one to be the V100MP. Essentially a copy of Mick Ronson's 68' Les Paul Custom. Looks bloody gorgeous!

[@tomguitar1963]

The vintage tops are a veneer.

[@futurekarlos5256]

@@tomguitar1963 They might be now. They weren't back then.

[@1066wastrel]

My Vintage AFD model (identical to this) had a maple top & a flame veneer over it!@@tomguitar1963

[@azuredivina]

these last two videos might not be covers, but I'm glad to see you're back, still rocking!

[@SayonaraSixString]

Thanks friend! I hope to get the covers back up soon!

[@Trial212]

Nice video. I have the V-100 PGM and am very pleased with it. Especially at almost 1/2 the price of the Epiphone Greeny here in the US. I love my Epiphones, but in this case the Vintage wins hands down!!

[@SayonaraSixString]

The V100PGM is truly one of those hidden gem guitars! They don’t hang around long when they’re on the used market.

[@nicolasbeaudry6158]

I had a vintage Les Paul special tv yellow p90 . I sold it a few years back . I regret selling it ever since. The built quality are tremendously almost perfect, and they nailed the yellow tint too. I love that brand and their parts and pick ups are killer. I think I’ll get one this new year . I’m a new subscriber btw. Keep the good work 🤘🏻🔥

[@SayonaraSixString]

I really like the stripped down versions of those Vintage guitars. They used to have cool SG Jr model too but got discontinued. Thanks for the sub! 🔥

[@thestrum71]

Bought my Vintage PGM for 400 Euros. New. Over here in Belgium. And to anyone wondering: great guitar. Plays and sounds awesome. Stays in tune as well imagine that. A true rocker.

[@juke699]

SayonaraSixString - Came across your channel recently, OIutstanding playing and great camera work that gives viewers a great view of what and how you're playing. Like your song selection also, not the usual fare that 100 other guitar players have posted. Look forward to future videos...

[@SayonaraSixString]

Much appreciated juke699!!

[@tito.tarantula]

I owned a couple of Vintage models over the years and recommend them to anyone looking for an "inspired by" guitar. A buddy of mine was looking to buy a guitar parts kit to tinker around with so I suggested he buy a Strat inspired Vintage instead. It was way cheaper than a parts kit (a Fender neck costs more than a whole guitar) and he's taken it apart/tricked it out/repainted it multiple times... he's having a ton of fun with it, loves the feel & tone, and that's what matters. Even cooler, it's "his guitar" now.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yeah they are great mod platforms. I had my VS6 all modded out for a few years but recently reverted it to all Wilkinson stock just to hear how it originally sounded. It’s too fun!

[@hexadb]

I bought a used one of the earlier non-reliced Vintage PGMs (closer to the real LP shape) during the pandemic for £249 delivered (about $316 usd) and it’s a really nice guitar. Every time I play it I’m amazed by how good the pickups sound. The only thing I don’t like is the weight but I guess that’s a LP thing 😄

[@SayonaraSixString]

That's a great deal! I find that the Vintage V100s lean a bit on the heavy side compared to other LPs. It's a nice chunk of wood!

[@kingstumble]

I too have the non relic'd Vintage which I bought for £199. Totally mint condition and I love it. Mine weighs only 8.2lbs which is pretty good for this type of guitar. What's the weight of yours?

[@hexadb]

@@kingstumble I had to check again because I couldn’t remember, but according to my not-very-accurate method of balancing it on kitchen scales it came up at 9 lbs 15.5 oz! ⚓️

[@pauljohnson3686]

I have a 2013 version of the Vintage V100 Lemon drop.. Its is even better because it has the traditional neck heel and the correct body curve around the pickup switch area... before they changed to the funky shape heel and body curve... Having tried the Epiphone version I actually prefer the older V100 lemon drop because the pickups are so well voiced the general build of the guitar is great with a rosewood fretboard... The Epiphone is definitely over priced for a guitar with a glued on veneer top and a laurel fretboard...

[@SayonaraSixString]

The old version is definitely the one to have.

[@kingstumble]

I have the Vintage Lemon Drop(non relic'd version). I bought it second hand from a dealer's on line shop but they have a big physical store too. I paid £199 for it(sorry!) It is a 2011 model in 100% mint condition. The only slight negative for me is the thin neck--but I can live with it. But I am seriously considering the Epi Greeny. I saw your demo of the Epi Greeny and your out of phase sound on that is the best I have heard. The Vintage is a distant second to my ears.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Thank you on the out-phase-sound comment on my other video! Appreciated! The Greeny has really grown on me since I made that video. There is something special about it - the tones on it can be mesmerizing.

[@brokenchains]

The Vintage is nice, the price you grabbed it for is outstanding!!

[@SayonaraSixString]

Thanks JM! Guitar Center used section is my addiction! 😆

[@brokenchains]

@@SayonaraSixString Same, I was eyeing so many axes and added them to my wishlist and they go fast, still waiting for a super deal from GC used

[@ChrisJones-ht9zn]

I bought my vintage v100 for £200 3 years ago. With a decent setup it's just a great guitar.

[@gearoftones8585]

The vintage are better. You get rosewood board for a start. The pickups are better and it's an overall better build imo

[@mikeapmusic940]

I’ve had a Vintage Lemon Drop for years and it cost me £120. It’s really great!

[@SayonaraSixString]

Wow that’s a steal!! 😮

[@southhams]

Vintage all the way for me, fantastic value for your £ or $

[@andrewbrookes2485]

Earlier models had the same neck heel as the gibbos

[@jhberg17]

I had the Vintage greenie, years ago.. it was an excellent guitar.. not a fan of distressed guitars, so I sold it.. bought it for $450 Canadian, sold it for $600.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yeah I’m not a huge relic guy either. But I do like the satin feel.

[@sheldonkepley4585]

yeah i grabbed a 13' model "greeny". the distress job looks and feels natural, not cheesy looking. sounds amazing. plays any style music i want, so much versatility in those pups. also has Trevs signature on headstock. I don't wanna put it down, love this guitar. Its def got some mojo! thinking of upgrading the Wilkinsons tuners to locking ones?? Any suggestions on tuners for this one? A big Thanks to Vintage guitars for their craftsmanship!

[@SayonaraSixString]

Locking tuners would be an excellent upgrade! Grovers maybe?

[@forest7874]

Bought a Vintage SG a week ago for 300E, awesome guitar.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Everyone talks about their V100 Les Pauls but their VS6 SGs are very underrated.

[@forest7874]

@@SayonaraSixString Yes for sure, I have the three PU version and I love it.

[@5150show]

The epi is 2.6 k here in New Zealand . The vintage is 900 dollars .

[@SayonaraSixString]

That’s a massive difference!

[@5150show]

@@SayonaraSixStringyep

[@donthewatcher]

Was considering a Epi greeny and a V100 But i figured why not get a set of greenybuckers and Turn my 2011 Epi Bonomassa goldtop darkback into a Goldtop greeny. it already has grovers ,mis matched nobs, CTS pots, switchcraft, orange drop caps, so i switched the Burstbuckers's 2/3 for greenybuckers and it weighs 9.5 pounds ,and it now sounds fat and wooley with the out of phase tone, hard to put it down ,it might just replace my Epi Lazarus 59 thanks SSS 4 your review.

[@mike1967sam]

Here in Portugal it costs 568 euros, pretty cheap and always sold out so I bought another Vintage model which seems to be great from the vids I saw but it only arrives next week. My Gibson Les Paul sounds great because of the S.D. pups I put in it, before the stock pups were the burstbucker 61R and 61T which are identical and sounded like a nightmare and I paid 2099 euros for a Les Paul standard and then had to spend 290 euros for good quality pups.

[@SayonaraSixString]

That’s a good deal! Enjoy!

[@iangoldie6396]

I believe that 'PGM' is a tribute to both Peter Green and Gary Moore

[@Edward1312]

In the UK 2nd hand market you can pick the Vintage Lemondrop up for as low £150 if you look around.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yeah I’m always jealous of the used Vintage brand prices in the UK!

[@deanbibb3680]

I love my Vintage Lemon Drop!

[@canyonproductions7683]

I think the epi Greeny looks nice. I don’t grasp the price. Its all subjective. Some wont mind. The Vintage looks nice

[@jeffreycurtisjr9195]

I have the earlier vintage lemon drop

[@SayonaraSixString]

I think the earlier version has a slightly more "realistic" relic job.

[@jeffreycurtisjr9195]

I had it reliced and sprayed it with compressed air .. to crack the finish .. I’m not sure if the early ones have long neck tenon

[@jeffreycurtisjr9195]

I’m on instagram

[@donkeevney]

I thought the M stood for Moore. I have one, love it.

[@jeffreycurtisjr9195]

My vintage I had nitro finished and Pio caps and audio taper pots .. Faber hardware and Grover’s

[@SayonaraSixString]

Very nice! The nitro finish must be awesome!

[@mrmetal1276]

Thanks nice review, how is the neck.on the epiphone in comparison to lazarus? Is it a fatter neck?

[@SayonaraSixString]

I also have the Lazarus. The Greeny has the exact same 1959 neck. They call it "Custom Greeny Profile" but it's the same.

[@mrmetal1276]

@@SayonaraSixString how is the playing and sound comparison with the vintage v100?

[@SayonaraSixString]

@@mrmetal1276 The Greeny is a nice player for classic rock. The Vintage has a thinner neck and is a bit more "shred". Both have great pickups but the Epiphone has more distinctness in the out-of-phase position. But I feel like the Epiphone Greeny sound is a bit "synthetic" like it was manufactured in a lab, while the Vintage has a more genuine raw sound.

[@mrmetal1276]

@SayonaraSixString thanks! Its just the veneer top on the epiphone greeny looks too uniform and perfect too. Is it a Lazarus with greenybuker pu in it. I have a 2012 epiphone bonamassa gold top and that is a really good quality guitar i got for $550 used.

[@slashtrio]

I’m not someone who is really into chasing the greeny thing but I love les Paul’s though and I own four Gibson standards (one is a “dirty lemon” that looks like a cross between this and slash’s original AFD LP copy - not the orange one they make now). And I have a “vintage paradise” that I got new off of reverb in 2018 for 400 dollars. The vintage plays very well for such an inexpensive guitar and better than many epiphones that I have played. I would say the flame veneer on mine looks kind of cheesy and not so realistic, but a solid guitar nonetheless. I let my kids bang around on it ha.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yeah the tiger flame on the AFD is a bit much. But it’s such a shockingly great player. Every review marvels at its playability. I got mine on Amazon thinking I would just check it out and return it, but it’s a keeper!

[@QXZJX]

Love Vintage brand guitars❤

[@ferramirez4570]

Where I can purchase a Vintage in the USA?

[@Oscarhobbit]

I live in the UK, I have three v100s. I live in the UK and paid £250 for a Gold top with P90s and £250 for a standard tobacco burst. I paid £350 for my lemon drop. I'm not a fan of relic guitars and all my guitars are no-relic. I have a 35 year old Strat and Gibson these guitars have aged naturally and don't look as if they were pulled out of a dumpster.

[@cigdamagelungs]

Had the vintage hated the neck seemed thin,but they did a nice job on the top

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yes the neck can be on the thin side for sure! Not for everyone.

[@MoeVanprick]

Well look at this....More About the Epiphone Company This Gibson-owned factory was, when it first opened, led by Gibson luthier Mike Voltz, overseeing the production of Epiphone’s core line of guitars.

[@jetteroheller]

I seem to be the only person on Earth who is wholly immune to the charm of "distressed" guitars. Just wished they offered it without that silliness.

[@SayonaraSixString]

They do. They sell a non-distressed version as well.

[@derekclacton]

You are not alone! 😄

[@chrisdoust5464]

Same here, they make a beautiful normal version called the Reissued Series, and are actually cheaper!

[@gerry6075]

I agree, I was commenting yesterday at a Guitar Center about how stupid that they reproduce wear & damage on brand new guitars. It's so stupid like those brand new ripped up jeans they sell. Would they go as far as putting out a Hendrix Strat that they burn with lighter fluid? 😂.

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@gerry6075 Don’t give Jimi’s sister any ideas or she’ll see the dollars signs and we’ll have a Fender Custom Shop Master Builder recreation of the guitar he set on fire. It will be a limited edition priced at least $20,000 and they will all be pre sold before they’ve even been built. Then as soon as the lucky few actually have them some of those people will be flipping them on Reverb for two or three times the original price.

[@bobdillon1138]

The v100 sounds and plays pretty good but the frets are that soft you will be in for a refret a lot sooner than the Epi.

[@SayonaraSixString]

That’s not a big concern. That’s part of owning a guitar.

[@Edward1312]

Vintage were producing better guitars before 2014 IMHO (your MCMR SG is one of these early models) as at that time they were producing straight copies of Gibsons in terms of the body shapes. After 2014 the JHS company expanded into the USA and had to change a lot of their body shapes to avoid Gibson litigation so for example the lower bout was extended and the lower horn offset was introduced which destroyed the symmetry of a lot of the guitars they manufacture.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yup I used to have the newer Gunhill Blue VS6 with the offset body shape but I sold it and kept the older model one. What’s odd is Gibson sued Vintage and actually lost in court, but Vintage “played nice” with Gibson and agreed to make changes as they entered the US market.

[@peterm3964]

I have a 77 les paul which has had the shot played out of it It looks brand new compared to some custom lab reliced guitars . Long Nitro cellulose

[@davew8542]

PGM - Not Pete Green Model, it's an amalgamation of Peter Green Gary Moore. The 1st incarnation was a closer to the LP shape

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yes an earlier comment said the same. Thanks for the clarification.

[@skylineXpert]

the painted player offers a sort of custom remade epiphone with greeny specs for 1099£

[@SayonaraSixString]

I looked it up. Very interesting how they take a Epi or Gibson and relic it for resale. I wish they had some photos of the Epi version.

[@elmarg7966]

How is Vintage build quality? Is it as good as Epiphone?

[@SayonaraSixString]

About the same. I’ve seen bad Greenys and good Greenys as well as bad Vintage V100 and good V100. Both are made in overseas factories with inconsistent quality control. You just hope you get a good one!

[@mrtelechi]

PGM stands for Peter Green/Gary Moore. Getting both the names of the famous users in.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Interesting. Even better!

[@c.h.fieldsports9876]

Anyone near Manchester uk after a lemon dropv100 there’s one on marketplace for 180 quid ( not mine, just saying 😂) it’s looks good for that money , if I had time to get up there I’d have it myself 👍👍🤠🎸

[@projectmoon13]

$340.00!!! Best money ever spent!!!

[@SayonaraSixString]

That’s a great deal!

[@neilmartin7564]

$2999 for the Epiphone in Australia

[@alexscott7226]

Made in Vietnam... truly excellent guitars - and if you didn't notice they have a one piece neck

[@SayonaraSixString]

Ah yes! Indeed!!

[@eduardosci1909]

Weight?

[@SayonaraSixString]

Heavy!

[@jeffreycurtisjr9195]

And wolfetome VMag PAFs with flipped magnet and our Of phase

[@jon_e96]

I want the vintage “mick Ronson” lp copy.

[@SayonaraSixString]

Those are very cool indeed!!

[@jassieblue]

I don't understand hype about the Vintage PGM. I owned one and it sounded good, but the build quality was really not good and it was too heavy. It played nothing like a good Gibson.

[@darthsensei3838]

I can’t believe a guitar that epi puts out is 1500 😂😂😂

[@SayonaraSixString]

It’s just the beginning. I think we’ll see $2k in a year or two!

[@darthsensei3838]

@@SayonaraSixString absolutely. They are their own thing now. I haven’t looked at them as a more affordable brand in a long time.

[@charlesbolton8471]

⁠​⁠@@SayonaraSixString $2,000 Epiphones are already here. I saw one at The Gibson Garage in October. It was a J-200 Parlor Custom acoustic, and yes it was made in China.

[@SdMbL1]

The epiphone looks too much like an epiphone. Looks like the wish version, cheap and basic. Not impressed. Might sound good… but ugly compared to Gibson.

[@monmixer]

I just don't like that pointy horn on the Vintage Les Pauls

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yeah that’s the one visual spot that takes some getting used to.

[@leonardkrasner5811]

Stop calling it the Kirk Hammet Greeny, it’s Peter Green’s Greeny!

[@SayonaraSixString]

I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. 😄

[@jmata4237]

Peter Green, Gary Moore=PGM

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yes! Thanks!

PGM = Peter Green/Gary Moore

[@SayonaraSixString]

Yes thank you!

[@glenlapwing8468]

The Vintage brand uses real rosewood, not that indian laurel crap

[@SayonaraSixString]

It seems they now use Lignum Rosa instead of rosewood according to their specs. I’m not sure what that is.

[@andrewtate8303]

If you can afford 1500 you buy a second hand Standard

[@SayonaraSixString]

That would be a very good deal in 2024.

[@andrewtate8303]

​@@SayonaraSixStringseen em for maybe few hundred more no more I know wich ied buy not some Chinese shit

[@SayonaraSixString]

eh, I’m typing on my Chinese shit right now. Enjoying my coffee made by my Chinese coffee maker too.

[@andrewtate8303]

​@@SayonaraSixStringok we agree some of there tech stuff is ok ( not sure of there smart phones) and yes the Vintage lemen drop Les poul is great but not 1500 notes for a Greeny copey not for me anyways

[@scottdunn2178]

Epiphone still has the chonky horn 😅

[@ArnulfVonMetz1]

*OVERPRIZED!*

[@ozflyer1]

Wilkinson pickups are crap and the relic job looks like a drunk kids first attempt.

[@obiem9319]

Over priced. BK 13

[@SoloSi2024]

Never liked The Vintage guitars. Necks are too thin and uncomfortable. Clearly they were skimping on wood costs.

[@jasonodell79er]

Gibson is rippinng the 💩 outta people. Shameful. Im interested in Vintage guitars. Cool video.