jh45gun,
I traded a strat I had for a Tacoma Chief a couple of months ago and as I sit here trying to finish some writing I'm doing for work... it and my larrivee Pete Anderson are right next to me...
I love the chief man. Super, super light... plays like an electric... tough little sucker... it has the weird soundhole (which I now totally dig) and when you are just playing alone the sound just floats into your ear rather than bouncing off the far wall...
I have the little papoose too (the min travel guitar) and it is righteous too....
I'd imagine that if anyone were to complain about them it might be that they don't have a bunch of bottom... but, to me they are super resonant and for the money (used especially) I just think they are a really really good guitar...
plugged in... they sound very very good stock... I've played a couple of other ones and they seem very consistent... this is basically the animal of which I speak...