I’ve had a lot of classic American guitars from the Golden Era pass through my hands, but this comparatively modest Vantage VW-180 still is a fine old instrument and deserves its place here. Not a wealthy collector item but a super fun model to chase nonetheless!
The VW-180 was produced in Japan in 1979 according the old catalogs. It is a dreadnought shaped all (high quality) laminate acoustic guitar, not trying to copy any particular classic model, but rather having its own unique vibe. The body shape is sort of in between Martin and Gibson, as the shoulders are more rounded than a Martin, but more squarish than a Gibson Jumbo. It is also Vantage highest grade acoustic model, and thus shows off some very sweet bling. Overall, I would rank this guitar in the same ballbark as the equivalent Yamaha FG series, but more blingy and without the wild neck angle problem lots of Yammies have.
The laminated spruce top is tinted in a pretty honey color and sports a tasty abalone line on the rosette and around the body edge, à la Martin D-41. The rosewood fretboard is bound and features 2 dots at the 7th fret (Martin-like). The wood selection is surprisingly good overall. The laminate stock is consistent with the fine japanese stuff they were using at the time, i.e., thin, resonant and stable. Great for musical instruments, despite what the “all solid nerds” will yell over the internet!
The pickguard is not black plastic as 99% of import guitars, but a superb dark celluloid. The shape, again, is unique to Vantage and is part of this guitar’s mojo.
The bridge is a high quality rosewood job, copied from the Martin design. The original plastic saddle was certainly not on par with the rest of the guitar and was replaced with a bone saddle. The good news is that the neck angle is spot on on this particular example, leaving a good bit of saddle protruding and an excellent string break angle. This is always one of the most important thing to look out for when chasing guitars, just because doing a neck reset is no fun at all for your wallet!
The back and sides are laminated mahogany, clean, nicely made with a dark wood center strip. The sound of this guitar is absolutely classic dreadnought. Dry, loud, fundamental and boomy. The treble is present, but not harsh in any way, and gives a nice balance to the powerful low end. I’ve heard and played 1970s Martin D-18s that wished they’d sound as good as this Vantage (seriously). This thing resonates and lets the sound bloom out of the sound hole.
Cute little rosewood strip between the two parts of the back. This Vantage has nice details throughout. No doubt it was a top of the line instrument at the time.
Headstock shape is unique to Vantage. Rosewood overlay rops it off nicely.
Tuners are top-grade Rotomatic copies, most likely made by Gotoh. They work flawlessly, even after 40+ years of playing. The headstock tapers into the neck with a volute. The neck shape is slightly on the fatter side of the spectrum, which I L-O-V-E. Very reminiscent of a Gibson very rounded profile. 1.11/16th+ at the nut, well dressed clean frets make for a super comfy feeling guitar overall, and very rewarding tonewise.
Last but not least, the label. Those Japs knew how to draw them elegant and pretty. Feel free to give a holler if you have one. They are RARE instruments and very cool workhorses with a bit more mojo than the average Yammie or Suzuki.
The Vintage Guitar Blog 