From amazon in Canada, $182.40 with tax. Free shipping.Mustang for the most part, but a JM/Jaguar-style vibrato. Switches like a Mustang, but only two-position, so on/off but no phase.
Part 1: First impressions
Reasonably well packaged considering the price. I don’t think two packs of silica gel the size of the tip of my pinky finger were doing any good, but it’s the thought that counts.
Lifting it out of the box, nothing feels sub-$200. The controls are smooth (tuners inconsistently so, but we’ll see how they are in use), the vibrato handle falls readily to hand, and does subtle very well. The body is 1 7/8” thick, guitar weight 7.6 pounds. Neck is satin finish (yay) and not as thin as I feared, this being a smallish guitar. 1 5/8” nut width. Again, not as wide as I prefer, but reasonable considering the proportions of the guitar.
There is a noticeable lack of cheapness about it. The neck fits tightly into the pocket, with laser-straight lines, no gaps. The pickguard is nice. Pearl/black/white, with smooth, well-beveled edges. Knurled chrome knobs, not plastic. I don’t like the look of the logo, but instead of a cheap decal overlay, it’s actually under a clear coat on the face of the headstock. Oh well, I can cover it up later. Or live with it.
Eyeballing the neck makes me think there might be too little relief, but will measure later. The nut slot looks to be a bit big for the nut, but as long as everything works, who cares? Strings (according to my caliper) are maybe .009-.043 ish. Seems a bit scanty for a 24” scale. TOM type bridge; whether that will work well with the vibrato remains to be seen.
Vintage White is not something that would have topped my Colour Choice List if I had my druthers, but it certainly suits this guitar. No flaws that I can find, it appears to be a typical thick poly finish.
Next, I plug it in...
