The Vintage Icon V65V promises an affordable take on a well-worn offset
Fans of Jazzmaster-inspired builds will find much to like in the V65’s pre-worn aesthetics
UK-based builder Vintage has debuted a new addition to its Icon series in the form of the V65V – a mid-'60s-inspired take on the Fender Jazzmaster.
The new model is based around the classic combination of an alder body and maple neck (a bolt-on, of course). Here the neck is one-piece construction, with a soft-C profile and 22-fret rosewood fretboard offering 25.5” scale-length.
Pickup duties are handled by a pair of Wilkinson Soapbar single-coils. Eschewing the classic dual-circuit design of its inspiration, these are selected via a three-way toggleswitch.
Tuning stability is often the Achilles heel of classic offsets, but Vintage says a combination of its vibrato unit and Wilkinson WJ55 machine heads offer an excellent performance in this respect.
Although we’re only judging from the pictures at this point, the finish (available in Distressed Black or Distressed Sunburst) is pretty striking, particularly given the wallet-friendly price point.
The Vintage V65V Icon has a price of £429 (approx. $580). There’s no sign of it on the Vintage Guitars US site (yet), so head to Vintage Guitars UK for more information.
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Matt is Features Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
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