The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Well done Trevor and others! The serial numbers and the first digit idea always did bother me as the primary reference of year when the differences in design and logo seemed to better represent a progression rather than going back and forth at the expense of retooling an entire assembly set up. It's easier to believe that there might have been discrepancies in assigning serial numbers consistently or in an entirely transparent manner than in swapping logo from a big V to horizontal then back to big V in one year.
Have you been able to find any reliable dates on when production actually started under the name Vantage? Could it be that 1976 or 1977 is the start date?

"VANTAGE" registered in Japan: 1977

http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4801&start=0

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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)

According to the following thread, Canadian "Jam Industries" filed for the VANTAGE-trademark on 1978-04-20 !

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=392&start=0

US-Distributor "Music Technology" owned the VANTAGE-trademark from 1979 - 1989

So the first northamerican Vantage guitars probably came up in Canada 1978 !!!
That's another hint for me to assume that all VP700s (serial Nr.7.....) CANNOT BE from 1977 !!!!!!!!

There might exist some Vantage guitars from 1977, but from my point of view, the Vantage thing outside of Japan started in 1978.

(1977),1978, 1979: old horizontal logo, models: see "early 1980" = 1978/79!!! catalog
since 1980: production changes listed by Trevor , V-logo, models: see other catalogs
(to push the new line, they started with ads in magazines 1980/81)

that's simple and logical for me!

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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)

With the new line in 1980, Vantage came out with a new catalog ("Corsair's 1980 catalog from NZ").
This one has probably been valid until 1982, according to the following German "Pocket catalog '82", I've found at the www. !!!
[img][IMG]http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3043/vantagepocketkatalog198.jpg[/img][/img]

In 1982 the next line changes took place:
New products, new catalog ("Born to Rock"):
[img][http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/catalogs/1982/pg1.html/img]

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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 catalog we know is the "late Mat-Vantage catalog", GD K9 has sent in! Probably 1984/85

So if you're asking me, we've already got a clear Vantage-chronology:

First catalog (guitars with horizontal logo): 1978 - 1980
Second catalog (Corsair's): 1980 - 1982
Third catalog (Born to rock): 1982 - 1984
Fourth catalog (GD K9s late V-cat.) 1984 - 1986

For me that's some "time-frames" which can help to date our guitars far better than the lame "first digit theory".

For example: VLPs: produced from 1978 until 1982 (catalogs 1 & 2)
VA-900: produced only 1980, 1981 (catalog 2)
Avengers: produced from 1980 until 1986 (catalogs 2, 3 & 4)
....

I've managed to date my Bösendorfer grand from 1923. I'm sure we'll find the key for dating some instruments, not as half as old.... mozart

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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)

Great work again Mozart! Lets see what we get if we puzzle Trevor's list of numbers onto your time frame ...
And then, step-by-step, the evolution of each line, each model

Kees.

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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?

Next puzzle piece:

http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5506&start=0

frenchy's adds: old logo and new logo together on one guit.player magazine side - from May 1980 !
Must be the period of transition from catalog 1 models to catalog 2 models.
The pictured VA 900 probably a first prototype of the new models with new logo !?

Therefore: time-frame for catalog 1 models: (1977) 1978, 1979, first half of 1980

feedback welcome

_________________
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)

http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5261&start=0&hilit=denny+laine

GD K9's adds from 1980/81
All guitars with the new V-logo ! VA-900 with the new moon-bridge.

Do you have the possibility to date these adds more exactly, Kees ?

_________________
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)

I can pinpoint the issues of the British magazine they were in, yes. Gimme half an hour, I'll dig 'em up

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

Issues, months and years added to original posting here: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5261&p=30447#p30447
Note: the ads from the February and May 1980 issues feature models with the 'old' logo, Denny Laine holds a prototype(?) VA-900 with the 'new' logo in August of that same year.

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