It's been almost a month since I bought this. The newness has worn off. It's now another guitar that hangs on my wall with the others. So, after the initial "high" of NGD, how do I feel? Is the Vela a "long lasting" guitar? Does it have legs? A different thread inspired me to add this update.....
Guys, I can't put this thing down. Over the last month I don't think I've played any other guitar for more than 10 minutes. I'll pick up a different instrument (and I have some REALLY nice ones) and then go, "Ummm, I think I'll just keep playing the Vela." This guitar is really different and I just enjoy the heck out of playing it.
The plugged in tones are Tele-esque, but this guitar absolutely has it's own voice. I've found that it's VERY responsive to the tone pot. The tone knob has a useful and musical impact on the tone all through its range. I actually keep it at around a 6 or 7 when I play it, and I've found really useful tones from almost 0 to all the way up. On my Tele I roll off the tone a little on the bridge pickup, but the useful range on my Tele (American Deluxe) is about 1/4 of a turn; that's it. The Vela has a wonderfully useful tone pot.
Acoustically, this guitar has a lot of snap and zing in its voice. I absolutely love the acoustic sound of this guitar, and I think that's why the plugged-in tone is so good.
This is a lot more guitar than I thought when I bought it. This is a damn fine instrument. If you're thinking, "Do I need a Vela? Do I want a Vela?" I can definitively say, "Yes you do."