New (to me) Seymour Duncan DS-100

[Seymourized]

Soundcreation, I'm sorry, but...

Who told you your guitar was a Vintage Pro?

The photo below clearly reveals the grain of the wood, which indicates a flat-sawn cut ... and therefore a Vintage Standard DS-185.

The finish, also, is more unified than the matt-looking which could be seen on the headstock of any 250.

And the string tee should also be a butterfly one... not a rounded one (stock on DS-185, again).

I have some nice Duncans here, and... even if it's a very nice guitar, with a killer tone... it definitely doesn't look like a pro.

Have a look at this 185 "Villager" is selling...

 

[villager]

i have to agree with the above on what i see in the pics, after learning lots more about these recently, 185/200 round string tree, 250 pro rectangular and the 250 has this wierd finish, glossy neck back and matt headstock and neck heel, is there anything at all written anywhere inside?

 

[soundcreation]

Soundcreation, I'm sorry, but...

Who told you your guitar was a Vintage Pro?

The photo below clearly reveals the grain of the wood, which indicates a flat-sawn cut ... and therefore a Vintage Standard DS-185.



The finish, also, is more unified than the matt-looking which could be seen on the headstock of any 250.

And the string tee should also be a butterfly one... not a rounded one (stock on DS-185, again).

I have some nice Duncans here, and... even if it's a very nice guitar, with a killer tone... it definitely doesn't look like a pro.

Have a look at this 185 "Villager" is selling...

The original owner off yahoo japan.

Some things that make me pretty sure it's a pro is that it says "pro" inside the body in the middle pickup cavity.

Second is I have the original ESP Seymour Duncan "check card" which contains the specs

Serial number on the neck plate matches that of the check card but further to that is the stamp on the but end of the neck also exactly matches the final inspection date.

I think you are making an assumption that the necks on the pro series should be quarter sawn. I have a copy of the catalog specs from the "280 pro" era, (It's online somewhere...I can't remember where though) and all it says is one piece maple neck. No distinction between it and the lower models.

And also in that same catalog the photo of the DS280pro I'm about 95% positive it has a round string tree. It's a little blurry but looks to wide to be a standard tree.

I would also consider the finish on the headstock to be matte as it's not glossy at all. Could be the photo.

I suppose the dude in japan could fake all these things but some how I doubt it.

 

[soundcreation]

Ahh...here is the catalog..

I found the page

http://web.archive.org/web/20010822150119/http:/www.espguitars.net/duncan/vintagepro/index.html

 

[villager]

very interesting, so we learn more and more every time, cool..

looks like the rosewood are rectangular, and the maple is round

 

[soundcreation]

very interesting, so we learn more and more every time, cool..

looks like the rosewood are rectangular, and the maple is round

Hmm...I just deleted the end part that took me to the catalog I posted and went back to the main page here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20030206015819/www.espguitars.net/duncan/

If you click on the links on the right it looks like someone has changed the format a little. Pictures are a little better, but some stuff doesn't seem to load as well.

The catalog I linked too first had all the series listed like that.

 

[Japanesevintage]

VERY interesting stuff indeed... especially the neck stamp / card match.

All my 250 - like all the pros I saw for real - do have a quarter-sawn neck (rosewood necks lightly flamed), with two types of finish ; matt on the rear of the headstock, more glossy eveywhere the hand meets the neck, and again matt on the heel.

I've only seen two 250 M with a flat sawn neck, and one was a swap neck guitar for sure...

I guess my collection miss another one like yours!

 

[soundcreation]

VERY interesting stuff indeed... especially the neck stamp / card match.

All my 250 - like all the pros I saw for real - do have a quarter-sawn neck (rosewood necks lightly flamed), with two types of finish ; matt on the rear of the headstock, more glossy eveywhere the hand meets the neck, and again matt on the heel.

I've only seen two 250 M with a flat sawn neck, and one was a swap neck guitar for sure...

I guess my collection miss another one like yours!

I don't know when ESP started the Seymour Duncan line but I'm guessing that mine might be one of the very first. I can't imagine there being many much older. Anyone have a stamp older than 92?

I do know there was one line that said just "Duncan" on the headstock which were even older from what I've read online.

I'd say it's just typical MIJ that you would see a lot of variation even among guitars of the same model number as they progress throughout the years.

In that link I posted to the catalogs the pictures that do come up show the string tree thing to be totally random throughout the different levels and models. And that's just for one year.

 

[youami]

My DS-185 has a quartersawn neck, so I wouldn't read anything into that.

 

[Japanesevintage]

My earliest DS-250 is from February 1992...

To me is the finish the only way to differentiate one model from another yet.

Here's for example the last DS I've purchased:

My DS-185 has a quartersawn neck, so I wouldn't read anything into that.

Of course...

As the others I saw before, the last DS-280R I saw at TC Gakki - with nearly the same serial as my ESP Ron Wood Signature -, had a flat-sawn neck.

And, BTW... don't forget the specs are also not the same between 1992 and 2003 Vintage Pros...

Between quarter and flat-sawn cut, it's anyway more a matter of tone - and taste...

 

[youami]

Hey Japanesevintage, I for one would love to see some more photos of your Duncans, and your Ron Wood. I love the Duncan line of guitars, so it's always good to find someone else that is into them.

 

[Japanesevintage]

I got no pics of my RW, except on stage... But I can take some details if you tell me what you need - as soon as I have time. The serial (on the rear of the headstock) is K+7 digits...

The pics above were taken for another forum, in France.

Here are two others of the finish of my "weatherchecked" 250 I took the same day:

 

[Japanesevintage]

After a while. :wink:

From the left : Vintage Pro DT-250 M (1994) ; Vintage Pro DS-250 R (1993) ; Vintage Pro DS-250 M (1992).

 

[marcusnieman]

The perfect trifecta. Very nice

 

[Japanesevintage]

Thanks... :wink:

IMO, it is - indeed.

Again - with her "sisters" from the CS of Sado:

 

[youami]

After a while. :wink:

From the left : Vintage Pro DT-250 M (1994) ; Vintage Pro DS-250 R (1993) ; Vintage Pro DS-250 M (1992).

Killer! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Japanesevintage]

Recently found in Paris for a friend...

 

[soundcreation]

Nice. It's funny that the traditionals are considered the "low" end model yet the specs on them are fantastic. Right up there with your average custom shop fender.

 

[Japanesevintage]

Nice. It's funny that the traditionals are considered the "low" end model yet the specs on them are fantastic. Right up there with your average custom shop fender.

This one is specially lightweight and balanced ; I've been pleasantly surprised. ^^

I've also found another Vintage Pro recently.

Seems that whatever their range is, they are often one of the best options. :wink:

 

[sneakyjapan]

I`ve seen a lot of them over the years in Japan...there are a couple in a local used gear place right now...and I`ve never seen a bad one. Love mine.