The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

The bass is Japan made of the same 85 offering from the invader5 series.....
The bass might be an exception since it a neckthrue?

I will be keeping a eye out for the Avenger series ... In time, we will get several more examples ...

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MAA Member since June 29th 2009, taking one baby step at a time..... and failing miserably!

Vantage seems to have tradition in "special serial number series"!
Think of the 5 digit VPs and VAs! (71xxx, 72xxx, 81xxx, 82xxx)

The original intention was to make things more complicated for weird people, who spend their time with thinking over 30 year old number systems!

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All vantage-branded guitars were lower-priced instruments aimed at the beginner-to-intermediate market. It has no interest to collectors and very little demand among players! (www.allexperts.com)

Who are you calling People.. ...

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MAA Member since June 29th 2009, taking one baby step at a time..... and failing miserably!

Here is a summary of what I've got at the moment:

VANTAGE serial numbers
(electric guitars/basses)
.......1978?/79 V-100 model: "V-100"-sticker, no serial
.......1979 models: VLP Spirit: six digit ser.nos. 05xxxx
........................Vantage Standard (VS): five digit ser.nos. 6xxxx
........................Vantage Performer (VP): five digit ser.nos. 7xxxx
........................Vantage Artist (VA): five digit ser.nos. 8xxxx
........................Ghost (VP 750): no or hard to read (ink stamped) serial
.......1980 (Jan - April): 6 digit serial numbers: 0xxxxx
.......1980 (April) - 1984(June): 7 digit serial numbers, first digit = year of production
........................(1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984)
........................digits 2 + 3 = month of production
.......1980/81: VA900 series: 6 digits: 00xxxx (probably 1980), 01xxxx (probably 1981)
.......1981/82: "Special" series of VP and VA models: five digit ser.nos: 71xxx or 72xxx(VP), 81xxx or 82xxx(VA) (following the number system of
..........................their '79/ '80 predecessors)
.......1984 -1988: letter prefix serial numbers: (A-L)xxxxxx: letter=month, first digit=year of production (unconfirmed!)
.......1990 -1998 (Samick models): no information available (I'm working on it)

What is new?
THE MONTH!
Please check your (7 digit serial number) 1980 - 1984 VANTAGE guitars: digits 2 + 3 is most likely the month of production!
If you've got a (7digit) number stepping out the (01 - 12) line : please let me know!

I strongly believe that Matsumoku stopped building Vantage guitars in 1984.
To look at 1984 serial numbers in terms of "months" will probably tell us if Matsumoku and Chushin were working at the same time for Erikson music, or if there has been a dividing line and a clear transition from uncle Mat to Chushin (or another japanese facility)!

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All vantage-branded guitars were lower-priced instruments aimed at the beginner-to-intermediate market. It has no interest to collectors and very little demand among players! (www.allexperts.com)

1020088 = February?
2050423 = May Baby?
2010801 = January?
1020453 = February?
1110146 = November?
3070097 = July?
0090101 = September?
2040604 = April?

My 1995 Samick-made Vantage VST 33 CE TBK acoustic has the first two digits as the year, second two digits might be month:

95030005

je

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...doing bad things to good Vantages since 1985...

1981 AV-320
1981 AV-320
1981 AV-325
1982 AV-320
1982 VS-695-12
1982 VSH-445
1983 AV-330
1995 VST 33 CE TBK

YES
I've checked more than 100 seven digit serial # ALWAYS 01 - 12 for digits 2+3
Waiting for Frenchy now to come with some oddballs (I still could ban him )

(Korean numbers are difficult to read because of several changes in the numbering system.....but I keep learning....stay tuned )

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All vantage-branded guitars were lower-priced instruments aimed at the beginner-to-intermediate market. It has no interest to collectors and very little demand among players! (www.allexperts.com)

Lost my database some time ago, but I'll try to find time to inspect mine hands-on soon.

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http://www.GuitarDir.com has been hacked by some mindless fool, destroying years
of gathering info on guitars by non-commercial guitar lovers. Why?

I'm missing GuitarDir.com too! Has been a great site full of usefull information, especially for my Vantage studies!

Are all the Korean Vantage catalogs gone with the site, Kees? Or have you filed them elsewhere?
Having a closer look at Samick catalogs might shed more light on the transition years!
(All we've got on this board is a 1996 cat in the post-Matsumoku section)

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All vantage-branded guitars were lower-priced instruments aimed at the beginner-to-intermediate market. It has no interest to collectors and very little demand among players! (www.allexperts.com)

Next step: Dating of VA900 guitars and basses:

Regarding all the VA900 serial # I've collected over the past years I come to the conclusion that VA900 # follow the system of the 7digit (4/80 - 6/84) neckplates:
1st digit=year, 2+3 digits= month of production!

The oldest VA900 guitars I've seen are from May 1980 (serial: 005xxx). Matches the 5/80 "guitar player" advertisment with the "new" VA900 pic.
The youngest number I've found so far is from May 1981 (serial: 105xxx)

Examples:
my VA900: 007106 = guitar 106 from july 1980
my VA912: 011006 = guitar 6 from november 1980
Corsair's "Melbourne 900" is from october 1980 (010xxx)

My database shows almost every month within this time frame, but it seems that most of the 900s were made in 1980!

J.

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All vantage-branded guitars were lower-priced instruments aimed at the beginner-to-intermediate market. It has no interest to collectors and very little demand among players! (www.allexperts.com)

Here we go with my little family
900, 006128
900, 1100797 (yes 7 numbers)
912, 009025
900 Bass, 101043

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You can never have too many guitars