Quality Korean Neck-Thru Mahogany w/ Quilt Maple Top, USA Pickups and OFR for $181

[lepard]

As has been discussed in other threads, Korea really got it right around 2005-2012 with very high end guitars from World Guitars Korea and UnSung Korea. Back when Korean guitars were first showing up on the market in the late 80's/early 90's, they were made out of cheap wood with cheap electronics and cheap trems and mediocre fretwork. By 2005, Korea was spitting out some great guitars that were solid mahogany, had flame or quilt maple tops, good pickups including EMGs, Korean OFR 1000 trems and fretwork to rival USA shops. I look at those guitars kind of like I look at the 86-93 Japanese Charvels and Jacksons. By 2012, those guitars had reached the $700-$1000 range so most of the manufacturers have already moved them to Indonesia or China.

Well, here you go. A 2010 UnSung Korea Dean Vendetta 4.0. Neck-Thru, Solid mahogany, quilt arched maple top and back, USA Dean pickups, Original Floyd Rose and a finish to die for. I just got this in and the pictures suck(I'll do better later). This is fresh out of the box, too busy here at work to wipe the fingerprints off but it is freakin' nice and mint as can be. It really feels like and plays like my 87-88 Charvel Model 5's and 6's. $181 on eBay last week:








The seemingly unknown thing about these guitars is that they are quality Korean builds. Vendetta 1.0's, 2.0's and 3.0's are pieces of crap made in China. This Vendetta 4.0 is basically the exact same Korean guitar as the high dollar neck-thru Schecter.

[xenophobe]

Nice! I'll be getting my Korean BC Rich on Friday!

[Maiden89]

Which bc riches are made in korea? Is it the NJ series? I've been looking at a nj warlock

[toejam]

Nice! Last year, I had a 2010 BC Rich Gunslinger that was Korean, and it was very nice, had a great feeling bolt-on neck, and I'm regretting letting that one go a little. The newer ones are made in China.

Back in 2004, I got a set-neck LTD EC300-P (Eclipse with P90s) that was Korean and pretty good, too. I'll be getting a new neck-thru Korean LTD Alex Wade (Whitechapel) signature model very soon and am really looking forward to it. The Korean guitars have definitely come a long way.

[tomanyjacksons]

I have a couple Squier Stagemaster neck throughs that were made in Korea and I like them. They're not a high line custom shop guitar, but they get the job done. Nice guitar, Dean's aren't all that bad. The few I've played have been pretty good guitars.

[lepard]

I have a couple Squier Stagemaster neck throughs that were made in Korea and I like them. They're not a high line custom shop guitar, but they get the job done. Nice guitar, Dean's aren't all that bad. The few I've played have been pretty good guitars.

Dean's are all over the place. There used to be a lot of good Deans because most were made by World Guitar and UnSung in Korea. Now almost all Deans are made in China and Indonesia. They still have few made by UnSung but they are quickly disappearing. I have some other UnSung Korea Dean's with OFR's from the factory that are amazing. The only new Deans I would look at now are their DCR's(Dean Custom Run) that are limited and right at $1000. Those are still UnSung Korea. I'll buy them used in a couple years for $300

[Shawn Lutz]

http://www.shawnlutz.com/nov_07%20152.jpg

are both MIK Mocks. Pots and pickups are cheapies so I replaced them but everything else is rock solid then

[xenophobe]

Which bc riches are made in korea? Is it the NJ series? I've been looking at a nj warlock

Apparently both signature Stealths are. I bought the 7-string Marc Rizzo, but apparently the Chuck Schuldiner Stealth is made in Korea as well.

[lepard]

Got a little time today to do a complete setup and wipe it down. The setup was amazingly good right out of the box. I'm really picky and usually take hours to completely setup a guitar. I usually have to adjust everything including sanding down the nut shelf to get the first fret string height to low perfection. I didn't have to do anything on this guitar other than lower the action a hair and make a tiny trussrod adjustment. The pickups in this guitar are USA-made Dean Time Capsules. The Time Capsule is their copy of a vintage DiMarzio Super Distortion, nice and hot and super ballsy.

I have a pretty large collection of Korean UnSung and World Guitars models. Back in the late 90's/early 00's, World Guitars was building higher quality instruments than UnSung. However, by the time we get to the late 00's, UnSung quality had caught up to World Guitars and they have mastered fretwork. I now have 5 2008-2010 Korean UnSung guitars that came with Original Floyd Rose trems, Seymour Duncan or USA-Dean pickups and all are neck-thru solid mahogany guitars. I have taken some of these things to a local luthier who builds his own line, even has a few famous customers, and after playing them he asked me if I had the necks Plek'd. The fretwork is that good.

This Vendetta 4.0 looks like brand new, plays amazing and I can't find a production fault anywhere on it. I hate to say it but it's up to USA Jackson Soloist quality in construction and fretwork. This thing plays and sounds amazing. Here's a few more pics. I had to take them at strange angles to get my flash to kick on and catch the quilt top and back. Notice they did the quilt top like a DK-1 with the natural wood binding look.

[lepard]

Check out the finish on this one that sold on eBay recently:

[Predator1]

I had a 2003 ESP/LTD Lynch GL600mt Tiger that I regret letting go. It was one of the best playing guitars I have had and it was made in Korea.

[slayer]

Check out the finish on this one that sold on eBay recently:

Wow, these guitars are sweet!! Are they 24.75 scale or?? Are they all sub-$200 guitars or are the auction style with bidding? Thanks.

[straycat]

World Guitars makes great stuff.
Never cared for the inlays on those but a fine well made guitar.
I have an 09 PRS/SE soap bar single cut and its a fantastic guitar.
Paid around $160 bucks for it.

[xenophobe]

I never really played one of these World Guitars until today. I'm amazed. I paid $670 brand new for my BC Rich 7-string Stealth. Overall quality reminds me almost exactly of old Model 6/650XL quality. The binding work is flawless, no detectable seams. The inlays have no visible filler. The paint line coming up to the binding on the neck even reminds me of a Model 6. The action, well not as good, but I attribute some of that to the fact it's a 7 and needs a little looser tolerance. It still plays well and I think if I loosen the truss about 1/8 of a turn or less, it should be perfect. I did adjust it a little earlier, so let it settle for a day or two and I'll go back and try to set it up better. The guitar didn't blow my mind away, but I'm certainly surprised how much guitar I got compared to my DX1 for example.

This BC Rich is definitely late 80's/early 90's MIJ Jackson quality and the work and feel of the guitar is actually very similar.

I thanked you in the other thread, I'll thank you again... good job helping to unknowingly talk me into getting this guitar. If they would have had one of these at Guitar Center, I probably would have paid full retail for it.

[horns666]

Wow..WTF? Congrats!!

I love the inlays and everything, but I'd be worried of catching my scrotOm in the headstock. A very likely scenario!

Shawn..yeesh. Those look great. I trust your wisdoms.

Oh, if Xenolla likes these . I know they're good. He's hmmmmm ..a bit "picky"..in a good way.