Post by gtgeorge on Aug 27, 2018 13:30:18 GMT
So here it is...the verdict in a nutshell.I pulled the trigger last week cause I couldn't live with that doubt..."Is the Ltd a better guitar?".Bang! NO! Out of the box the VW is almost perfect and with the very minimal interventions I mentioned previously ,it's a cracker of a guitar.
The good things about the Ltd? Price,colour and pickups.Let me elaborate....
The Ltd has 41mm nut and no tremolo.The paintjob was not flawless with paint missing(barely) on the border of the headstock but more evidently in the truss rod adjustment recess.Fixed with a little dab of red felt pen.Paint irregularities on the back(darker bigger bits of red paint)and to a lesser degree on the front but only noticeable from very close up.The racing stripes(inserts)were not smooth or flush towards the back of the guitar...running your finger over them you can feel them stick out slightly.
The frets all need to have their ends filed.My top E string actually got stuck on a spur whilst playing!But no buzzing,at least that!The pickguard is badly cut,nowhere near the quality of the VW.It bulges slightly behind the bridge pu.
The pu's seem brighter but I don't understand if it's because there is more adjustment permitted with the Ltd?I can screw the pu's closer to the strings on the Ltd than the VW.I've noticed differences in the geometry of the neck angle and pocket.
But does it play well? Now that I've put on the Lestrem II,yes.I prefer the wider nut width of the VW but I've got other guitars with 41mm nutwidths so I adapt.The Ltd seems to be just slightly "brighter" or "twangier" but for my instrumental music both sound good.
99€ for the Ltd against 120 or actually 119€ for the VW.If you then have to pay for fretwork and tremolo arm then the VW wins but the Ltd is so 60's looking I couldn't resist.I must admit though that with all the flaws I found in the Ltd I wonder if Thomann flogged me off a "B" grade instrument as an "A" grade one? Hmmm anyone else found as many flaws in their Ltd's as I did?
I hope this review has been of some assistence to anyone trying to decide on which one to buy.
Have a nice day everyone.Video review when I get things organised.
The good things about the Ltd? Price,colour and pickups.Let me elaborate....
The Ltd has 41mm nut and no tremolo.The paintjob was not flawless with paint missing(barely) on the border of the headstock but more evidently in the truss rod adjustment recess.Fixed with a little dab of red felt pen.Paint irregularities on the back(darker bigger bits of red paint)and to a lesser degree on the front but only noticeable from very close up.The racing stripes(inserts)were not smooth or flush towards the back of the guitar...running your finger over them you can feel them stick out slightly.
The frets all need to have their ends filed.My top E string actually got stuck on a spur whilst playing!But no buzzing,at least that!The pickguard is badly cut,nowhere near the quality of the VW.It bulges slightly behind the bridge pu.
The pu's seem brighter but I don't understand if it's because there is more adjustment permitted with the Ltd?I can screw the pu's closer to the strings on the Ltd than the VW.I've noticed differences in the geometry of the neck angle and pocket.
But does it play well? Now that I've put on the Lestrem II,yes.I prefer the wider nut width of the VW but I've got other guitars with 41mm nutwidths so I adapt.The Ltd seems to be just slightly "brighter" or "twangier" but for my instrumental music both sound good.
99€ for the Ltd against 120 or actually 119€ for the VW.If you then have to pay for fretwork and tremolo arm then the VW wins but the Ltd is so 60's looking I couldn't resist.I must admit though that with all the flaws I found in the Ltd I wonder if Thomann flogged me off a "B" grade instrument as an "A" grade one? Hmmm anyone else found as many flaws in their Ltd's as I did?
I hope this review has been of some assistence to anyone trying to decide on which one to buy.
Have a nice day everyone.Video review when I get things organised.