NAMM 2023: Known for its legendary collection of guitar amps, Vox has been seriously upping its electric guitar game in recent years, reviving some of its classic retro models and debuting sleek new designs.
Chief among the company’s catalog include new-look “Teardrop” Mark III Mini and Bobat models, which arrived last November, as well as the futuristic Starstream bass guitars.
Another notable addition to Vox’s lineup is the classy Giulietta hollowbody, which has now been taken to new luxurious heights and rejuvenated in the form of the updated VGA-5TPS.
A loose successor to the VGA-3PS, the latest Giulietta takes the guitar’s compact blueprint and makes it even more accessible, featuring a slimmer design that has been crafted for “enhanced comfort”.
Indeed, a side-by-side appraisal of the two iterations reveals the extent to which Vox has truly doubled down on its desire for greater comfort and ergonomic playability, with the VGA-5TPS going one step further by offering an ornate range of finishes.
These include Natural Metallic Green, Pearl Rose and Pearl White, which are complemented by souped-up five-ply top and back binding, which replaces the VGA-3PS’s single-ply binding, and fretboard binding, which is absent on the previous Giulietta.
Some changes have also been made to the build schematic, with the new-look, newly shaped Giulietta featuring maple plywood top, back and sides, as opposed to the laminated spruce top and mahogany back and sides of the previous iteration.
The neck – a set mahogany piece with a C-shape profile – is the same, though, as is the 310mm-radius, 22-fret baked Jatoba fingerboard, which is adorned with newly applied block inlays.
Other build specs include Gotoh SD381 tuners, a Hybrid System bridge with a wood/aluminum construction and a 24.75” scale length. As was the case with the VGA-3PS, the VGA-5TPS is fitted with a Piezo pickup under-bridge saddle and Super Capacitor preamp, which promises 10 hours of playing from 15 minutes’ worth of charge.
The tones from said electronics system can be sculpted by master volume and tone parameter controls, an active/passive switch to turn off the preamp and a low cut trim pot, all of which can be found underneath the pickguard.
Price-wise, the VGA-5TPS is currently listed at £799, with US prices hovering around the $950 mark. Vox anticipates it will be a few weeks until the stylishly streamlined Giulietta becomes available to prospective buyers.
To find out more, visit Vox.
