Late '70s 1970s Early '80s 1980s Vantage Spirit 540. Made in Japan. Matsumoku Factory.

Here we have a Vantage VLP Spirit 540, one of the most respected of the Japanese Les Paul copies that appeared in droves in the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Today, these guitars are highly sought after for their relative value, build quality and sound. Of course, these Vantage models are well known for being built in the famed Matsumoku factory in Japan. According to a Vantage historical site, "The Vantage VLP Series of solid body guitars represents the very latest step of an ongoing evolution based on the classic electric solid body design which revolutionized modern guitar playing. A number of structural improvements and electronic modifications offer the electric guitarist the potential for achieving limitless tonal combinations when the guitar is played either 'clean' or 'dirty.' Two custom-engineered Vantage #450PF humbucking pickups work together to produce a rich, full sustaining sound in both bass and treble positions. A separate coil tap switch circuit affords the player the ability to instantly shift from a fat, warm sound to a single coil configuration for a more hard-edged, metallic tone."

This model came on the scene in 1979. More info can be found here: http://www.vantage-guitars.com/vlp-540/. Based on this site, this particular guitar was a 1979 or 1980 model.

I bought this from a friend in the mid-1990s. It was my first electric guitar. Someone already had changed out the knobs and pick guard, and it has some surface scratches and rough spots around the edges, as you would expect from a nearly 40-year-old, well-played guitar. The case has seen better days, with home-made latch repairs holding it together. But it has protected the guitar for 20-plus years and will continue to do its job for decades to come.