Vintage has debuted its 13-strong lineup of Revo Series instruments at NAMM 2024, and there’s plenty that catches the eye. Made up of 11 electric guitars and two bass guitars, the range puts a distinct spin on some very familiar body shapes.
Designed by British luthier and hardware specialist Alan Entwistle, the new Revo guitars feature various permutations of Entwistle’s low-noise single-coil, mini- and full-size double-coils, and soap bar pickups.
The builds are further complemented by Wilkinson hardware and Entwistle’s ATN pickup switching system, which helps dish out a veritable feast of sonic possibilities.
In Vintage’s own words, the Revo series is defined by “retro lines and hybrid designs” dreamt up by Entwistle, who first started building guitars in his parent's garage in 1962.
Standing out from the pack are a host of wild offset designs, which offer a unique spin on Fender's enduring Mustang and Jazzmaster templates à la the Squier Paranormal series.
But more on those later. First up is the Trio – a Tele-shaped build that benefits from Entwistle’s wiring wizardry. It gets its name from the trio of proprietary P-90-inspired pickups. Teaming up with a pair of three-way pickup selector blades, there are seven different permutations to play with.
That wiring is fitted onto a double-bound okoume body and maple neck, whose adjoined fingerboard features 22 frets. The sonic versatility that the suite of pickups delivers, then, should make it suitable for a generous range of tones.
There’s a sensitive retro-style and offset vibrato for “shimmers, dips and scoops” – which sound like mascots for a kid-friendly cereal brand. Wilkinson EZ-Lok tuners, a precision-cut GraphTech nut and roller bridge are fitted to help keep the tuning in check.
Available finishes include Honeyburst, Green/Yellowburst and Arctic White finishes, which each feature chrome hardware and white pearl pickguards. It comes at a reasonable RRP of £449 (approx $635).
Now, about those offsets we mentioned. The Integra and Surfmaster models are designed to channel offset-bodied goodness with their individualized electronics.
The Integra evokes a ‘70s vibe with a satin-finished seven-piece body, which comprises ash, mahogany and maple. There's also a 22 fret jatoba fingerboard. The guitar is iced with a black pickguard to match its black block inlays. Interestingly, too, it offers a set neck-through build.
Its two Entwistle coil-tapped humbuckers again benefit from the ATN system. There are two top hat-styled knobs for volume and tone and a dial that looks like it was prized from a Vox Satchurator distortion for switching between pickup configurations.
Its features are rounded off with a reversed headstock and precision-cut GraphTech nut, Wilkinson tuners and bridge. Color-wise, it is available in Natural, Green/Yellowburst and Amberburst finishes, and RRPs at £599 (approx $765).
There are three Surfmasters in the Revo series, made up of the 12, Quad and Twin. The Quad and Twin models share a similar spec of maple necks and 22-fret bound fingerboards with pearl block inlays.
Like the Trio, they offer an offset vibrato with an accurate return-to-pitch intonation set-up, which sees the Wilkinson EZ-Lok tuners, precision cut Graphtech nut and roller bridge come into their own.
The Quad features – shock, horror – four Entwistle RTS3 Astrosonic pickups. These can be individually turned on and off via switches for 15 pickup combinations.
When teamed up with the ATN system, this number rises to a staggering 75, which is both a tone snob’s dream and an indecisive guitar player’s nightmare. Available in black, metallic white and Firenza red finishes, it RRPs at £549 (approx $600).
On the Twin, things are a little less crazy, as it sports a pair of Entwistle low-noise humbuckers. Its color options include Trans Orange, Greenburst and Arctic White finishes. Also, the Twin weighs in a little cheaper than the Quad at £499 (approx $635).
The 12, meanwhile (because Vintage has pushed the boat out with the names with this series), is a 12-string model. It features a bound, chambered body and maple neck with 21 fret bound jatoba fingerboard.
Lurking with intent beneath the strings are Entwistle ETS3 Astrosonic pickups, which are controlled by a three-way selector. With a straight string-pull from the six-aside Wilkinson tuners and precision-cut GraphTech nut, 12-string bridge and tail-piece, tuning for this sans-whammy guitar should remain reliably stable.
Choose between Candy Apple Red, Revoglo and the ominous-sounding Boulevard Black for its finish. Adding one to your collection will cost £529 (approx $674).
Vintage’s Colt model comes with three different Entwistle Artec and Astrosonic pickup configurations via SS, HS and HS models. These Mustang-bodied, 22 fret jatoba fingerboard guitars are specifically designed to be viable for players of all styles.
Whilst they all offer retro-style vibratos with the same nuts and machine heads combination, the SS and HH comprise maple necks, dotted inlays and buttons to engage/disengage each pickup individually. The HS differentiates itself with a three-way selector and pearl block inlays.
The SS Twin comes in Venture Green, Bayview Blue and Vintage White, costing £399 (approx $430). You'll need £449 (approx $570) for the HH Hardtail, which you can get in Black with a jatoba fingerboard, and Green or Blue with a maple fingerboard.
Finally, the HS Duo offers a Black finish with maple fingerboard. If you'd prefer a rosewood fingerboard, there are Blue Burst and Boulevard Black finishes. It costs £419 (approx $535).
If you fancy a Strat-shaped Vintage, peep the Deluxe. In terms of specs, it offers a solid okoume body, maple neck and, as is the common theme here, a jatoba fingerboard with 22 frets, in this case, emblazoned with block inlays.
There are on/off pickup switches and Entwistle circuitry that dishes out a variable bass and treble bleed system, operated via its two tone controls.
It's completed with the same GraphTech precision-cut nut and EZ Lok machine heads, and a WVS vibrator for all your whammy needs. Costing £579 (approx $737), finishes on offer include Arctic White, Greenburst and Cappuccino.
The new Revo range is exhaustive, as the JHS-owned brand sets out to deliver a multifaceted range of guitars that look old school, but perform with enough aplomb to challenge modern competitors.
To learn more about the range, including the models not mentioned here, visit Vintage.
To stay in the loop with all gear releases ahead of NAMM 2024, head over to our guide to the latest NAMM 2024 news.
