Vox Virage

The Virage appeared around 2007–2008 and was unlike anything else Vox had produced. Semi-hollow, single- and double-cut, carved from solid wood — mahogany, ash, or a combined ash-top/mahogany-back depending on finish — exceptionally light, and equipped with proprietary pickups Vox developed specifically for the series. At list prices of $2,799–$3,499+, these were unambiguously professional instruments.

The Virage I and II were built at the Fujigen factory in Japan. (Some reports place the Butterfly and Virage II at a different facility; this remains unconfirmed.) Prototypes and customs — identifiable by dot inlays, non-standard tuners, and the absence of serial numbers or "Made in Japan" stamps — may have originated at G-Rok in California, the R&D arm of Vox/Korg. G-Rok, for the record, is Korg spelled backwards.

The wood-to-finish mapping is worth knowing: Deep Cherry uses an all-mahogany body; Ash Blonde is ash throughout; Vintage Sunburst combines a mahogany back with an ash top. Jet Black is available in any of the three configurations. Each combination produces a distinct tonal character — mahogany running warmer and thicker, ash brighter and more open — though in practice the pickup mode differences are the more pronounced variable. The Three-90 and CoAxe pickups both offer three modes per pickup; in use, the "Full 1" and "Full 2" settings are nearly indistinguishable, with the most audible differences emerging on the bridge pickup.

Virage I (list: ~$2,799)

The first production Virage. Equipped with Vox's DiMarzio Three-90 triple-coil pickups — identifiable by their wood-grain plastic covers and three metal rails. Inlays are block-style with a curved insert. Available in single- and double-cut configurations.

Virage II (list: ~$2,999)

An evolution of the Virage I with upgraded CoAxe triple-coil pickups — black covers, two metal rails, six slugs. The inlays drop the block element of the Virage I and retain only the curve. Slightly higher list price reflected the pickup upgrade.

Virage Butterfly (list: ~$3,499+)

A limited-edition variant distinguished by butterfly-shaped Paua shell inlays. Two versions exist: a 2011 model with CoAxe pickups and a butterfly inlay on the headstock, and a 2013 version (possibly Japan-only) with Three-90 pickups and a large vertical Vox headstock inlay.

Customs & Prototypes

A small number of non-production Virages exist, including an instrument belonging to Tommy Shaw and at least two displayed at NAMM 2011, which were presented as a potential USA custom shop offering that never reached production. These typically lack serial numbers and "Made in Japan" stamps, and may have been produced at G-Rok.