EXPERTEXPERT®® RetroRetro 5454 -- StandardStandard 6363 -- TexasTexas BluesBlues Vigier has designed the Expert model as an alternative to industrial made guitars for avid single-coil users. We have not turned to the past just to make another pseudo vintage guitar. The Expert is a modern guitar that drew from the sound of the past but has been enchanced with Vigier's modern construction methods. Expert - a single-coil sound like you've never heard before ! NECK •Comfort This is the master element of the guitars sound and comfort. It always receives particular attention every time we develop new concepts to improve its performance. Because the neck is not mass produced, each one can be verified individually by our luthiers. With their hands and their eyes they will make sure nothing was overlooked. And with your hands you’ll feel it ! •Wood We use the same maple wood selected by great classical instrument makers to manufacture the neck. It is selected in France's forests and dried naturally for years before it will be cut and used. Its humidity level is strictly controlled while it is stored. •Fingerboard and Frets You can choose from rosewood or maple wood for the fingerboard. Each fingerboard is rectified to the one hundredth of a millimeter to ensure it's exceptionally straight. 22 medium/high gauge frets will then be fitted, also rectified and polished meticulously by hand. •10/90 Neck System™ This exclusive advanced concept of 10% carbon and 90% wood replaces the traditional metal truss rod with a dense carbon strip to reinforce the neck. Employed for 15 years on all Vigier guitars and basses, this concept makes the neck strong and stable during climate change. We never believed it was logical to drill a hole through a neck and then insert a rod of metal inside. Because wood necks vibrate, they can absorb the energy of the string and shorten sustain. The 10/90 neck is solid, notes ring longer and your sound is precise and powerful. •Zero Fret A zero fret has always been fitted on all of our instruments. This slightly higher fret’s role is to even open or fretted string notes, ensure perfect string height, minimize string friction and help avoid detuning, especially when using the tremolo. Now, thanks to new technology, we’ve been able to harden it so it lasts longer and make it removable so it’s easier to replace if needed. •Finish In order to completely protect the neck as well as enhance its feel and play, a mat varnish was sprayed on it. BODY •Comfort We designed the shape of the body with the thought of improving the harmony between you the player, and the guitar. The perfect balance of the guitar is achieved by aligning the neck with the axis of the human body. The Expert weighs approximately 3,1Kg and is undoubtedly one of the lightest guitars in its category. However, this does not mean that the guitar does not have sustain, its got plenty. When you try it you'll understand that the old myth that a heavy body is synonymous with sustain doesn't apply to the Expert. •Wood We use alder wood for the body. Also selected in France’s forests it is dried naturally for years in our factory before it will be cut and used . The body is made up of only 2 center-joined pieces not 4, or sometimes even 7 pieces like other makers. •Finish The summit of quality is denoted in our finishes. Our master finisher sprays over 10 coats of varnish between numerous sanding procedures and then waits a minimum of one month before polishing to obtain a shine and protection on the body that will last throughout years and earn you some envious glances. Please refer to the technical specifications at the end of our catalog for each models standard color. TREMOLO •VIGIER 2000 A non-locking tremolo has been set for occasional tremolo users that are looking for a rich, crunchy sound. Its excellent tuning stability is ensured through the locking machine heads that are precisely aligned with the strings and our traditional zero fret that eliminates friction at the level of the nut. Another important detail, is the short distance between the bridge saddle and the place where the string is anchored. Each saddle can be locked into position once intonation is set and a small roller is located at the string break point to minimize friction. PICKUPS We chose single-coil, DiMarzio Virtual Vintage pickups for the Expert line because they have the best vintage sound without the noise that's usually associated with single-coil pickups. •Sound Like described in the Expert model names, but with today's improvements. ELECTRONICS We sprayed a shielder inside the electronic cavity as well as on the pickguard to reduce hum when playing at high volumes. The wiring is meticulously done and our brand choices for electronic parts are DiMarzio and Switchcraft. The controls are comprised of volume, tone, and a five-way switch that allows you to select or combine the pickups as follows: 1 Neck position - 2 Neck and middle position - 3 Neck and bridge position - 4 Bridge and middle position - 5 Bridge position GIG BAG A Gig Bag is delivered with all of our instruments. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS •NECK DEPTH OF NECK AT •COLORS Bolt-on featuring the 10/90 System, 10% carbon with 90% naturally first fret .787 in / 20.5 mm Retro Blue, Retro Red, Retro White, Natural Glossy, dried and aged wood, finished with a mat varnish 12th fret .91 in / 23,5 mm Black FRETS 22 by Dunlop STRING SPACING AT •LOCKING MACHINE HEADS by Schaller SCALE LENGTH 25.6 in / 650 mm nut 1.38 in / 35 mm •TREMOLO Non-locking, pivots on knives, removable tremolo arm FINGERBOARD maple or rosewood bridge 2.08 in / 53 mm •ELECTRONIC CONTROLS ACTION AS SUPPLIED AT RADIUS OF THE FINGEBOARD 11.81 in / 300 mm 1 volume, 1 tone, 1 five way pickup switch (when in the middle 12th fret treble .0059 in / 1.5 mm •STRINGS Vigier, Stainless Steel, 9-46 Custom Lite position it connects the neck and bridge pickup together) 12th fret bass .0078 in / 2.0 mm •BODY WIDTH OF NECK AT 1.65 in / 42 mm thick •PICKUPS DiMarzio nut 1.65 in / 42 mm WEIGHT Approx. 6.83 lbs / 3,1 Kg Expert Retro 54: 3 single-coils, Virtual Vintage 54 12th fret 2.05 in / 52 mm OUTPUT Recessed Switchcraft jack Expert Standard 63: 3 single-coils, Virtual Vintage 63 Expert Texas BLues: 3 single-coils, Virtual Vintage Alnico 2 Vigier Guitars, 10-12 rue de l’abbé Grégoire, Z.A.C. des radars, 91350 Grigny, France - Tél. : (33) 01.69.02.02.58 - Fax : (33) 01.69.02.02.68 - E-Mail: [email protected] - Web: www.VigierGuitars.com.