Vigier Guitars

[non english speaker, beware of mistakes!!, sorry for that]Hi y'all.I'll try to be concise, I'm in the Vigier/Suhr/Fender triangle looking for a 3 single coil guitar, and that leads me to this forum. I know most of you are biased towards Vigier, but I can't think of any other place to get some advice, with a true knowledge of Vigier guitars.My future guitar specs:- 25.5 scale- Maple fingerboard- .11 or .12 high E, flat strings- 3 Single coil- Strat like tone- Strat like shape- Vintage tremolo or Bigsby I'll be using a Victoria Amp, with volumes when valves are begining to break, you know, some bluesy stuff, sometimes surf tones, so I should be headed for a Fender CS, but I'm trying not to fall in there, so my main choices are Suhr / Vigier.Suhr:Pros: Suhr is the name, and everyone wants one, It's like a fender as it should be. Cons: Only custom models have Buzz Feiten, stainless steel frets, etc ... and that's way over 3000 euro. I feel I'm paying not only for a guitar, but also for a name.Vigier Expert:Pros: Are we on a Fender mirror? no, this is not a fender as it should be, this is a Vigier, and Vigier's evolution has it's own path, as it's been demosntrated year after year. I won't write here all Vigier Pros, since you sure know that better than me.Cons/Doubts:Gauge: I'm gonna use a .12 gauge. Is the new teflon nut going to allow that?Zero Fret: It might wear till it makes the string buzz in 10 years, but I'd like to have the replacementes now, so, where can I buy another hardened zero fret?Zero Fret material: why isn't every vigier guitar using a Stainless Steel Zero fret? yeah, the sound would be different on open strings, but that's the case with bone/brass/graphite nuts, isn't it?Middle pickup: ain't noone missing the middle pickup by itself?Wich model to my specs? It seems that the only difference is the pu's configuration. If I want to go from crystal cleanliness to overdriven ala Scot Henderson, Michael Landau ... retro 54 is my choiceReally apreciate your comments, and whatever doubts you can solve.Greetings!Pablo.

Hi Pablo,
            Let me give you some help from my own personal experience.

  I have three Excaliburs, a G.V.Wood and an Expert Retro '54.

  String gauge will be absolutely fine, it would be best to specify the nut to be cut for these gauges at the time of ordering.

  The zero fret is a readily available spare - it depends n the amount
of play how quickly this will wear - I have a 2005 Indus that I am only
just considering changing the zero fret where as one of my Ultra's
(2006) I have already changed the zero fret. You can order these through
your dealer with no problem at all - they are really easy to fit
(anyone can do this and takes a seconds to change).

  Zero fret material - we use hardened stainless steel for all our zero frets.

  If you really want the middle p/up you can re-wire (or ask for this to
be wired like this at the time of ordering) - I like the wiring how it
is, works perfectly and the volume is well balanced between the different
selections.

  For what model you want that is personal - it is just the p/ups that
are different - the '54 is my favourite, I love the clean, just dreamy
and when I want t drive it the '54 handles really well, clear articulate
notes that are well balanced.

  I hope this helps with your choice - good luck. 

While I understand how a guitar manufacturer must show restraint and use tact in dealing with questions concerning another manufacturer, as a Vigier buyer, I do not have to use that type of restraint.
I have played Fenders, Suhrs, Andersons, and other bolt-on neck guitars, but upon just finding out about Vigier last year (why so late!?), I would not think of buying another over-priced american made guitar, and I live in america.
Why?  All of the manufacturers except Fender, which has their own hardware, use Japanese hardware.  While it is o.k. stuff, why have these builders not come up with their own hardware?  Why are they all building guitars so close in nature that it blurs the line?   Because in american, if something sells, everyone else jumps on the bandwagon to copy the idea and sell as many widgets as they can.  Yes, they might have better quality then a standard industrial guitar such as a stock Fender, but for that price?!  No way I would spend that money anymore for it.  Been there, done that, and to be honest, the Fender custom shop does as fine work as any of the competition in american companies, but the price, again is outrageous, and you pay dearly for the name on the peghead face.  
The reason I would only buy a Vigier anymore include, but are not limitied too the following reasons. The woods used are naturally air dried for years and every guitar Patrice builds gets the same high quality wood, regardless of the model.
The hardware is designed by Patrice and is exclusive to Vigier, especially the bridges, and locking Floyd type trems.  I would much rather have the non-locking Vigier type trem bridge then the same old-fashioned Fender-style bridge everyone else uses.  Each string has a roller after the string passes the bridge saddle and goes into the body of the guitar, so there is no sharp metal to cut against the string when it is pulled by your finger or the trem is used.  And, no knife edged studs are used for the bridge, but instead, ball bearings, which do not wear out or dull over time, which cause tuning problems due to the trem not returning to it's original position. 
The 10/90 neck system eliminates the need to consistantly worry about minor neck tweaking, period, even when changing string gauges.  While I do my own set up work, this is still a great way to help insure further stability for the guitar staying in tune. 
Every small point of the build has a thought-out reason, such as the brass reinforced strap buttons, the angle that the input jack is placed, the zero fret, the oversized locking tuners, the body design with the cutaway space, the shape of the neck, the pickup balancing the company does prior to installing all pickups, the electronic shielding they do, etc.
For the same or less money then a Suhr, custom shop Fender, Grosh, anderson, or some of the other available guitars, none of which do what Vigier does, I would rather have a Vigier then anything else with a bolt-on neck design.  Believe me when I tell you that the american guitars "ain't all that" like they were in the 1950's-60's.  Yes, if you have not played them all, the mystery is still there, but after playing american guitars for 55 years, I can tell you that there are far better built, feeling, playing, and sounding guitars out there.  The world has changed, and the playing field is level now. Much of what people believe about american guitars is simply hype, marketing and plain BS, based on how it was 50 years ago, not currently.
I believe that Vigier is at the pinnacle of how to build great guitars.  They have put more thought into their guitars for practical reasons then any of the other similar guitar builders   This is a case where the grass IS greener in someone else's back yard. And that yard is in Grigny, France.   
 
Vive Vigier, vive la France.

Thanks you two for your information/advices. I already asked to a local dealer (200km away, 125 miles) for a retro 54, retro blue or retro white color, and modified nut to host .12 - 50 / .12 - 52 gauges. I'm not going to ask for any pickups configuration modification, I used to use the middle pickup in a Humb/Single/Humb guitar I had, not sure if I'm gonna miss that tone, let's check how it comes from stock.Cheers!Pablo

marzamonte wrote:Thanks you two for your information/advices. I already asked to a local dealer (200km away, 125 miles) for a retro 54, retro blue or retro white color, and modified nut to host .12 - 50 / .12 - 52 gauges. I'm not going to ask for any pickups configuration modification, I used to use the middle pickup in a Humb/Single/Humb guitar I had, not sure if I'm gonna miss that tone, let's check how it comes from stock.Cheers!Pablo

 
If you do not desire the Vigier pickup set up after trying it out, it is easily fixed, or altered to suit your tastes.
Enjoy your new Vigier Retro '54/