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Vorg (By Pearl) Les Paul Guitars?

  • 14-06-2010 11:46pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 176 ✭✭


    Hi, I'm wondereing if anyone has any information or experience with Vorg electric guitars.

    Heres a pic of an identical one
    http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk122/georgiakate_10/DSCF0729.jpg

    Its beautiful les paul copy weighs a ton and is ancient and plays beautifully.

    No one else has ever even heard of them.
    They are from the 70s, I got mine 2nd or 3rd hand about 15 yrs ago.

    Just wondereing has anyone ever had one?


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭darrenw5094


    Thats a new one on me. Where were they built?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 176 ✭✭buzzwell


    Thats a new one on me. Where were they built?

    Japanese by any information I could glean from the web!! But no stickers/labels/serial nos etc on it.
    Came across one on ebay once australian ithink.
    I had the frets dressed and new grover tuners put on along with seymour duncan pick ups (not original now anymore, I suppose!)


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭rcaz


    There were Vorg amps too. I saw one on adverts a while ago, looks pretty nice.

    Oh, it's been re-listed, http://adverts.ie/179359


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,148 ✭✭✭damonjewel


    I haven't heard of Vorg but a friend of mine has a Pearl Les Paul which was made late 70's/early 80's. And it too weighs a ton and plays beautifully. Its a sweet guitar. If your Vorg is the same as the Pearl then I think you might have a real gem of a guitar on\in your hands.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,355 ✭✭✭punchdrunk


    they made 8 track space echo type thingys too ;)

    4671626221_ce3673d360.jpg


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    damonjewel wrote: »
    I haven't heard of Vorg but a friend of mine has a Pearl Les Paul which was made late 70's/early 80's. And it too weighs a ton and plays beautifully. Its a sweet guitar. If your Vorg is the same as the Pearl then I think you might have a real gem of a guitar on\in your hands.


    Never heard of Vorg, except as mentioned in the text below, but I'll second the opinion on the Pearl. I've had one for years, bought second-hand in 1989. It has DiMarzios in it, but I don't know if they're the original.

    A few years ago, I tried to find out some info and a guy emailed me this. Can't vouch for its accuracy, though:

    Pearl Les Paul Replica Guitar

    The range of guitars sold under the brand-name ‘Pearl’ were first introduced in January 1997 [obviously a mistake: probably supposed to be 77, but see below...]. They were apparently made in the Pearl factories in Japan and one of the advertising features discusses the fact that “…whilst almost every manufacturing process is automatic, the mighty Pearl Corporation of Japan insists on maintaining standards of hand-building and hand-assembling most of their musical instruments.” Clearly, this would explain why these guitars have stood the test of time – 27 years.

    Interestingly, the Norlin Company who also distributed Gibson at the time distributed the guitars – and indeed all of Pearl’s musical instruments.

    Pearl produced an eight-page supplement distributed via a magazine called ‘International Musician and Recording World’ which as the centre
    piece contained an article ’27 New Pearl Guitars Launched’.

    There were 12 “Pearl Vorg 8” professional guitars (Acoustic) and 14 Electric. The pictures illustrate the range of electric guitars – Stratocaster shape, SG-shape, Telecaster and Les Paul shape.

    The stratocasters, model numbers G-110, G-111, G-120, G-121 and G-130 are all variations based on single-piece ash bodies and maple and/or rosewood necks and natural or sunburst finishes. Interestingly, the initial photos show the guitars had a ‘stop’ type tailpiece suggesting the strings did not pass through the body and a variation of the then standard large headstock together with a slightly altered scratchplate shape. These may well have been prototypes as later photos show a standard bridge unit and much more standard shape scratchplate.

    The Les Paul types were G-211maple/mahogany body, maple neck and cherry sunburst or gold-top finish, G-221 as above but with cherry sunburst and black finish and G-231 with a body built of a single piece of Natowood, a maple neck and finished in either sunburst or Walnut veneer.

    Very little information is given on the hardware used. Pickups are stated as ‘2 pro-humbucking’ and machine heads are chrome rotomatic, On the G-231 pickups are designated as ‘2 deluxe humbucking’ so I’d imagine this was the ‘top-of-the-range’ model.

    In fact, it seems the Les Paul models were based on the original ’58 standard, ’74 custom and perhaps one of the ‘70’s signature guitars.(I know that there were some variations on Gibson Les Pauls - Recording, De-luxe and custom models - including a walnut-bodied guitar if I remember correctly).

    There was also an SG type of guitar produced, S-111 which is stated as maple body, maple built-in neck, 2 pro-humbucking pickups and sunburst or veneered walnut finish.

    Sadly, I have no information of how much these instruments cost at the time. Although there are various references to the line over several issues they never appeared in the price listings for guitars, amps, drums p.a. etc that appeared at the back of all of the issues of International Musician.

    What is interesting is that, rather than have mahogany necks, all the L.P. types had maple. I noticed that some of the comments on the guitar forum commented on the bodies being made from three pieces of alder. This would certainly explain why these guitars not only have such fantastic natural sustain but are much, much brighter in tone than Gibson Les Pauls and other instruments made from solid mahogany.

    I’ve owned my guitar since 1981, bought for £75.00 from a shop in south-east London. I knew immediately it was a gorgeous guitar but really didn’t realise just how good it was until I had the opportunity of playing other ‘quality’ guitars. I’ve used it consistently since this time and only last month took it to a guitar service engineer. I’ve had all of my guitars (including a very nice ’62 re-issue Fender Stratocaster) serviced and set-up. I figured I’d get the Pearl done as well as it had last been set-up by me in October 1984 and all it needed was a fret-dress on the lower frets and a bit of contact lube in the pots. It never goes out of tune, always feels ‘right’ to play and sings like a bird. It’s black, a-la 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom, with single cream-binding on the front of the body. I’d love to find another or try some of the other models but I’ve never seen one since. It was great to see that others, like, yourself, have been lucky enough to find these instruments.

    Obviously, I don’t have a great deal of information but hopefully this gives you another piece of the jigsaw.


    Another guy sent me this:

    Thanks a million for the attachment! Very interesting! I don't know if I
    remembered to attach a pic of mine, so I will this time.
    I know one thing in the doc is wrong. It says they were introduced in 1977.
    I have a PDF of a 1973 Pearl Drum catalog that features the guitars. Its in
    Japanese (I got it from a Pearl Drum rep), but its a cool reference. I'll
    attach it as well.


    I'll see if I can upload the attachments mentioned. Someone also sent me a 4 page PDF brochure from the '70s featuring the full range of guitars, but I seem to have lost it...


  • Registered Users Posts: 625 ✭✭✭wild turkey


    I had a pearl les paul as well back in the 80s
    Rock solid japanese guitar
    fitted with dimarzios as standard
    they were built by matsumoku who made aria pro, westone etc
    Pure class!

    I traded it in for some crappy superstrat
    I knew i was making a mistake but was young & foolish



    If your ever thinking of selling her ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭aziz


    A friend of mine has a Vorg rickenbacker copy bass in dayglo green which he bought over 25 years ago(thats not him in the picture)It was a very unique bass in its day.
    I also played a pearl les paul copy and a pearl jazz bass,both very nice instruments


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional Midlands Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators, Regional North Mods, Regional West Moderators, Regional South East Moderators, Regional North East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 8,002 CMod ✭✭✭✭Gaspode


    Matsumoko made some fantastic guitars over the years. I love my Westbury, and if your Vorg is even half as nice you're doing well!! Dont be tempted to sell unless you get big money..


  • Registered Users Posts: 469 ✭✭universe777


    aziz wrote: »
    A friend of mine has a Vorg rickenbacker copy bass in dayglo green which he bought over 25 years ago(thats not him in the picture)It was a very unique bass in its day.
    I also played a pearl les paul copy and a pearl jazz bass,both very nice instruments

    Are you sure it was 25 years ago?

    I seen that exact bass, Vorg Rickenbacker bass in green in that little crappy junk shop opposite the jervis street door of jervis shopping centre, Dublin.
    That was maybe 10 years ago.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭aziz


    Are you sure it was 25 years ago?

    I seen that exact bass, Vorg Rickenbacker bass in green in that little crappy junk shop opposite the jervis street door of jervis shopping centre, Dublin.
    That was maybe 10 years ago.

    Well it must have been about that cos he,s been living in England going on 20 years now and as far as i know he still has the vorg with him.Although i vaguely rememember him telling me that after a gig one night a guy came up to him and told him he has the same bass.He was a bit gutted because he hoped it was the only one of its kind in Ireland.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 176 ✭✭buzzwell


    Hi all thanks for all the comments, and apologies for not acknowledging sooner,
    my notification system didnt seem to work!

    Have just started using Fast Fret on this guitar and its better than ever!!


This discussion has been closed.
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