Custom 9 String Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Sound: The sound is absolutely great, I like metal and this is great for that.and it's great in any pickup settings, it goes from mild to wild with the flip of the toggle, has two styles of sustain, feedback, and a slower buildup for a different sustain, battery life is good when you turn the toggles off and disconnect the instrument cable, or it powers the EMG, Features: This for its cost has a set neck, materials are some of the best mahogany body, and if I remember the neck. Tuners work well, pickups are incredible.rosewood with bat inlays. It just looks good, and sounds better everything on this is great quality,I have always liked guitars that don't inlay the first fret, just me, but I know where the first fret is, it really throws me off. Ease of Use: This is a very easy to play guitar, even not using the big neck magnet it sounds great, the only learning curve was leaving it plugged in, when I would leave it in the stand, the floating tremolo had givin me a few problems but watching a few YouTube videos I got it down pretty fast, I listened to 1 gentlemen and he says cut all of the strings bad information there, but I got past that, bought a bunch of high E strings I would go for the tuners up top and broke a few, but, it's just remembering the fine tuners. Quality: I would have to say it's built better than guitars I own that don't have the set neck, mahogany is durable and imagine it being a collectors, item, that's 30 years, I don't see any problems with it lasting me forever, I won't sell trade. I will just play it and enjoy doing it… Value: Oh yes, I had seen one being played online, was made by another Co. And it was over 3,000.00, Schecter was giving them away. I jumped right on that once I saw it, I would never had the chance, except for you fine people at zZounds. A value yep!! Manufacturer Support: Haven't had to contact them for there problems The Wow Factor: Just looking at it makes my day, anyone that sees it admires it's mean look, the bats are very neat, looks better than grape vines, or other goofy inlays. I wouldn't pass it up because I did get to hear one that cost way more, and it didn't have the look. I love people's reaction when I activate the Sustainiac they can't put their finger on the big change in the sound.. Lots of fun Overall: I own 3 Schecter's and I have had some minor problems, that said I am partial to them, the Damien is always my first choice, it's got sound as long as that toggle is on no more getting up close to a 300 watt amp for my sustain, it works on a 20-watt practice amp. It's well made, solid, a little heavy, but so what it's a set neck,got an EMG pickup that's excellent in it's position,holds tuning well for me.The inlays are cool, it's art to me I hang it so I can admire the flat black, with the silver awesome. My only problem no paperwork there website was lacking anything, but once you figure out the tremolo good to go, I personally took of the top string locks still stays in tune, and I change tuning so much,it's better for me. Seems to be a lot of different turnings. I am about 1 1/2 hours good traffic, and have been thinking of checking out what they do there. Have to say a huge thanks to zZounds they are really good with helping a guy like me has bad credit, never a problem, I will never shop anywhere else..not that I could..Thanks to everyone that works there!!!Dean

This guitar is very awesome looking with the bat inlays , on top of it feeling great in your hands. For the price you truly Couldn't ask for a better guitar. This thing is loaded with custom pickups and Grover hardware and the emg pick ups sound awesome. It is my favorite guitar to play out of my collection. I am no professional but this thing makes me sound like one and is very easy to play. The Floyd rose is a super plus because it holds tune well and you can whammy out. All in all I would recommend this guitar to everybody but a part of me wishes I had the only one. If you don't have one your not living right, so do your self a favor. You will thank me later.Eric

As a Schecter user since 2002, I've been able to see their products improve from year to year. With this Hybrid Hellraiser, the build of this guitar is borderline flawless. A great combination of the SLS body style but the audio girth of their Hellraiser models. For a 7 string, it is about as light and fast as possible. Even though it's meant to handle the heaviest of metal, the neck is smooth enough to deal with a variety of styles. The stock locking tuners are solid as is my favorite EMG combination the 66/57 which provides all the goods. Headroom but gain, bite but warmth. To top it off, the looks of the guitar is as classy as possible. From whatever light is shining on it, the trans black is either a slight green, or a dark grey. So the personality of the guitar varies as much as what you choose to play on it. I've yet to own a bad Schecter. And this is the best one yet. It leaves all LTD's and Ibanez's in this price range in the dust.Druzovich

You do not have to spend $5,000 to achieve big boy vibe. The features on this guitar well exceed the price. I am pretty blown away with the impression it’s made and I just got it. After a good set up this guitar will gladly catch anything you thrown at it. You will definitely feel like a rock star with a Blackjack in your hands. The tone capability seems to be endless, I can’t really find an end to them. If you buy one of these, I promise you will be very happy that you did. Guitar dealers should be a little intimidated by this one because once you’ve got this one, you’re guitar buying fever will be quenched for quite awhile.Kevin

Overall: Ok lets start of with , I own PRS, Gibson, Fender, Epiphone… Never crossed my mind to ever try a Schecter . But i was interested in the Sustainiac pickup, so i took a chance and bought this model because i did not want the active EMG pick up , wanted active . Now this guitar is not cheap as you can see. So here it is open the box amazed at what i saw, stunning guitar, Came set up perfect slight tuning adjustment that was it , the intonation was right on..Lets talk neck ..thin 'C' with a 12”-16” Compound Radius ..Are you kidding ? Wow. Its probably the best i ever played compound radius along with a thin 'c' neck is like surf & turf…..Ebony fretboard ..super smooth tight grain , body and neck finish is flawless binding is perfect ,the pickups are real nice i am loving sustain and its real nice how they made it very adjustable . Only have a few days and i cannot put it down .sounds awesome , i play blues mostly and some rock and Santana, the sound is very clear and clean, i play through a Marshall dsl all tube, fender tube, and a Vox …On boost or other distortion it real kicks. .A…. I am very happy and would recommend this guitar to anyone regardless of the type of music you play , seems to cover a lot.. also its pretty light i would say around 7lb few oz's…it also has a set neck not a bolt on… Very impressed with this, only regret is i never bought one earlier..John

I already own an Am Std Strat and Tele and a G&L Tele all single coil. I wanted to try a humbucker sound and being loyal to Fender, I purchased this guitar. The high quality feel, looks and sound of this guitar were immediately apparent. The sound has a distinct "bite" which is perfect for certain uses with the typical humbucker "growl". The Pearly Gates can get dirty, clean and somewhere in between depending on my settings. Though not made in America, this guitar is not "cheap", corners were not cut. Rock, blues, jazz all sound great. I use to be an "American Made", single coils only snob, but this purchase changed my opinions.GM

Overall: This guitar is a real surprise. It looks absolutely gorgeous. The pictures do not do it justice. It's comfortable to play and the weight is fine even for long gigs. The neck is very comfortable to play and easy to get to the high notes. You can do most any style of music with it. I use it with Fender, Marshall and Boss Katana Amps and it complements them all like they were made for each other. I definitely recommend this guitar to anyone wanting to have a Tele sound and Les Paul style sound all in one great guitar. You get the best of both worlds without paying a fortune for it. Absolutely worth every penny spent!Bill

I have a Peavey (Steve)Cropper Classic guitar as my daily driver, now sadly discontinued. This Fender HHFMT is perfect as a replacement. It is very light. It looks great. The pickups are powerful and very smooth. It sounds like a tele, it punches shred like my 1960 model, LP Classic. I always wanted the Fender Robben Ford guitar to get that “Talk To Your Daughter” tone which this guitar delivers on brilliantly. It covers the Stevie Ray Vaughn sound and feel, I also think it could handle a set of 12 gauge strings without dropping tuning as the action and play-ability is excellent right out of the box. You-tube it, research it and buy one before the price goes silly. Chris xReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought my Schecter Demon 6FR 2 months ago. Great craftsmanship on the structure, finish and a wonderful design. The hot pickups are super clean but can be dialed down for the warm meaty feeling for playing things like the blues. A very versatile axe. I am enjoying playing it as when I got it right out of the box it played decently. I only needed to make a slight tweak to the trus and bridge for the action I like and I have it now where it is smooth and fast. I like the feel and although a bit body heavy the balance is still decent. This guitar is built tough and I can see someone using this to tour with as I believe it will hold up well to the abuse of travel and still function as expected. Thank you AMS for offering this product to me with the Rock Star Status financing which made my decision to purchase the Schecter Demon 6FR very easy. I would recommend AMS and Schecter to anyone who asks.Laurence W.

This is the best playing guitar of my collections. I have all major brands and this beats them all. It is so easy to play even bar chords. The tones are very unique and sound great. The only disappointment is the weight, it weighs 8.1 pounds and the body is supposed to be basswood a very light wood. Still, I play it more than any of my other guitars. Setup was perfect out of the box…JR Fitzgerald

AMS had the guitar shipped extremely quick! Schecter USA did an great job setting up the guitar as well as the guitar was already completely set up to play. As a whole this guitar really delivers in every aspect! My favorite feature is the ultra-thin C neck. The sustainiac gives you pretty much endless options when playing any A7X riffs or your own. 5-stars because I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone as well buying from AMS!!!Vocantem

This guitar is absolutely awesome! Great look, great feel,and great price! Schecter has made this an awesome guitar! This thing rocks! I would recommend this guitar to anyone out touring with a band or just jamming out with friends at home. AMS has always delivered the best gear at the best prices. Ams can't be beat when it comes to customer service and the gear is always delivered quickly and in perfect condition. Absolutely recommend this schecter guitar and any equipment/gear you need from AMS.C.

AMS had the guitar shipped extremely quick! Schecter USA did an great job setting up the guitar as well as the guitar was already completely set up to play. As a whole this guitar really delivers in every aspect! My favorite feature is the ultra-thin C neck. The sustainiac gives you pretty much endless options when playing any A7X riffs or your own. 5-stars because I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone as well buying from AMS!!!Vocantem

This guitar is absolutely awesome! Great look, great feel,and great price! Schecter has made this an awesome guitar! This thing rocks! I would recommend this guitar to anyone out touring with a band or just jamming out with friends at home. AMS has always delivered the best gear at the best prices. Ams can't be beat when it comes to customer service and the gear is always delivered quickly and in perfect condition. Absolutely recommend this schecter guitar and any equipment/gear you need from AMS.C.

AMS had the guitar shipped extremely quick! Schecter USA did an great job setting up the guitar as well as the guitar was already completely set up to play. As a whole this guitar really delivers in every aspect! My favorite feature is the ultra-thin C neck. The sustainiac gives you pretty much endless options when playing any A7X riffs or your own. 5-stars because I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone as well buying from AMS!!!Vocantem

This guitar is absolutely awesome! Great look, great feel,and great price! Schecter has made this an awesome guitar! This thing rocks! I would recommend this guitar to anyone out touring with a band or just jamming out with friends at home. AMS has always delivered the best gear at the best prices. Ams can't be beat when it comes to customer service and the gear is always delivered quickly and in perfect condition. Absolutely recommend this schecter guitar and any equipment/gear you need from AMS.C.

What a brilliant guitar. Where to start? Ill just keep this brief and roll off compliments like a fanboybut Im not, this is my first Schecter. Pasadena pickups are stellar. Hotter than PAFs but tonally still capable of vintage-type sounds. Sound great when split, as well. Set up was perfect right out of the box. Stainless steel frets are excellent. Fit and finish are top shelf. Satin body makes for a slick neck. Hardware is qualitylocking tuners, solid switch, the best factory knobs Ive ever encountered, Tone Pros bridge, etc. Very playable low action, great fret work, slick compound radius neck, carved heel for access to upper frets, nut is upgraded to an Ernie Ball Compensated Nut and it shows in how well the guitar stays in tune. Aestheticsthe binding is aged to beautiful effect, hardware is gold (and lovely), knobs are black with rubber that is felt more than seen, fretboard is gorgeous ebony, mother of pearl block inlaysthis guitar would not be out of place in the hands of metal thrashers and at the same time would look great in the hands of a black tie jazz guitarist. I dont know how they get such good stuff into that price point, but Im glad they do.christophedenni8

I am so impressed with this Schecter Solo II Custom. So many high end appointments from the beefy locking tuners, the Ernie Ball articulated nut to the ebony fingerboard on the 12/16 compound radius neck, REAL mother of pearl block inlays, Pasadena Customer Shop pickups to…..well you get the point. Schecter spared no expense in this single cut Les Paul model. You cannot get a Gibson with these features for less that 3,000.00 and this model comes in at just under a grand. Plus the fit and finish of this made in Korea guitar are absolutely flawless. This guitar is simply a BEAST. If you are looking for a high value, high quality alternative to Gibson….you absolutely will not be disappointed with the Solo II Custom.Jon

Sound: So many tonal options! I love the coil splits in middle position with the bridge turned down really low and the tone at about 4-5 for some killer blues riffs. Features: The locking tuners and coil splitting capabilities. Ease of Use: All the sounds are great and it’s the easiest guitar I own to play and it’s still Day one! I’d say there’s zero learning curve coming from a Wolfgang standard. Quality: It’s made very well. I assume it’s a lifelong instrument. I’m sure the gold will tarnish and the matte paint will polish in spots, but the reason I got gold hardware and matte finish is so I can watch it relic over the years. Value: If comparing to Gibson, it’s at least $500 under priced! Incredible value. Manufacturer Support: N/A The Wow Factor: For me, the looks of matte black and gold is flat out sexy Overall: This was delivered while I was at work and stopped and put it inside on my rounds since I was in the neighborhood. I did a quick unboxing and was pretty disappointed at first, it just felt off. It’s a cold day so I’m assuming the wood just need to warm up, because when I got home it was like a different instrument. Perfect action and almost perfect intonation and the fret work was custom shop worthy once the wood settled. I absolutely love the pickups and the tonal options seem to be never ending. It really is of superb quality, you would have to pay $5,000+ to get a Gibson that plays as nice with similar specs. Schecter and Ibanez are in their own league when it comes to quality and price. If you’re looking at a Gibson LP tribute, buy this instead. It’s not even comparable. I do feel like $950 warrants a soft case, I’d be happy paying $1,000 knowing it wouldn’t be shipped in box by itself. That’s my only gripe though.Scarecrow

This is my first Gibson guitar purchase. I waited over 5 months for this guitar to arrive. I've had it for a few days now and I'm trying to process how this guitar passed Gibson Quality Assurance. The guitar for the most part sounds amazing, plays pretty good, despite action being higher than I expected. However, the reason for the low rating is craftsmanship is poor, the finish on the back of the guitar is different than what's advertised, and I didn't get the case it was supposed to come with. The fretboard has glue stains all over it, which I know is something that can be cleaned up. But what's most disturbing are the dents on the fretboard and these two hole punches on the 11th fret. I don't even think Epiphones are this bad. The top looks amazing otherwise and the guitar sounds great. I've made inquiries to Musicians Friend, twice. I was promised to receive a call from someone in the Private Reserve department or a supervisor. No one has called back. So I took matters into my own hands and called Gibson. They told me to email photos and they would make an exception to cover shipping costs back to them(thank you, Gibson!). However after I emailed Gibson, I never heard anything back and I'm not sure how they're going to fix the holes on the fretboard. This doesn't seem like something that's fixable. For spending this kind of money, I expected so much better from both parties. If I wanted a used Gibson with a mismatched case, I would've bought one for much less. It's very disturbing nobody from Musicians Friend is taking this matter seriously given the amount of money I've spent on this guitar. Anyone considering purchasing any instrument from Musicians Friend, especially one that is high end, I strongly suggest shopping elsewhere. They don't stand by the products they sell. I'm still holding out hope Gibson is gonna take care of this issue and make this right. Thank you, Musicians Friend for being my "friend" and advocating for me. (sarcasm)gofarkid

Overall: In a word: ******* amazing. No matter the price, you would think a guitar sitting in a warehouse for any length of time would need a setup. Not with this Wine Red Les Paul Custom! The only caveat is it was completely out of tune (to be expected); a little "nut sauce" and it was good as gold. And that lacquer smell still haunts my house! Well worth it…Mere words are not enough to describe the sound and the power with this guitar. It blows away my 2014 Traditional (a nice guitar in its own right); it is not even a comparison. The neck is so much easier to play. Fit and finish are flawless. In closing: save your money, eat Ramen noodles for a year if you must, wear your hole-in-the-crotch jeans for as long as necessary and BUY THIS GUITAR!Jeff

Love this guitar reminds me of playing in the 80s. So much looks and sounds great. You will not be disappointed. Got it set up so it is dialed in perfectlyChris

I would like to update my previous review, still love this guitar but I noticed when using the Tremelo the springs squeaked like crazy very loud. So I replaced them with some noiseless springs and replaced the cheap Trem block with a 42 mm solid brass block No squeak and the brass block made a huge difference. Cheap upgrade you wont regret. I used the heavy duty springs and installed 2 instead of the 3 that it came with. Works great…JuJu

Pro – Great sounding pickups, wouldn't change a thing. It is really easy to get all of vintage Strat sounds you want out of this. Pro – Really well made. Pro – The neck profile is a lot closer feeling to that era Strat then Fenders previous reissues of this guitar. Pro – It has the 5 way pickup switch as opposed to the three way that was on the original. Much better option. Pro/Con – (Con) Having to pull the neck off to adjust it is a drag. (Pro) To be fair it is like that on the originals and as such needs to be like that to be an accurate reproduction. Con – The setup out of the box was pretty bad. Not a problem, but if you don't do your own setups factor it in as an additional cost. Con – I could not get the stock tuners that came on it to stay in tune for long. I kept having to retune it. I replaced them with some vintage replica locking tuners (like the ones that come stock on the Vintera 50's modified) and it is now perfect. To be fair the tuners are meant to be replicas of the vintage ones so if you are used to guitars with higher end tuners this will through you off. Again just consider it an additional cost if it bugs you. With the locking tuners and a set up this guitar plays and sounds great. I would recommend it if you are looking for class Strat tones.Included pics of stock -vs- locking tuners, it does not really take much away from the look and makes the tuning much more stable. I would buy it again without hesitation.phez10

I’m no stranger to custom shop strats. No, it doesn’t have the nitro smell or the perfectly rolled edges, but this is one spectacular guitar. First impressions out of the box, it felt really nice in my hands, kind of similar to the deluxe Lone Star Strat I used to own, but the neck on this one is a lot more comfortable to me. I couldn’t find any flaws in the finish or the fretboard and frets. And best of all is how this guitar resonates, it’s deep and soulful when unplugged. Plugged in it sounds just like a strat should. I see no reason to change the pickups. The setup was a little off. A minor truss rod tweak and trem spring adjustment were all it really needed. I always put .10’a on anyway. The fret ends were nice and smooth and the fingerboard edges, while not “rolled,” felt rounded and smooth regardless. It really does feel like a high end USA made instrument. I was worried about the lighter brown colored Pau Ferro, but it really looks fantastic on this guitar. Also, the mint green pickguard is much greener than the photos and matches really well. Also the tint on the headstock and neck is perfect. It’s nice and dark but not too dark. It’s just right to make it look old and classy. The fretboard was very dry, though and a bit of oiling really brought out the grain and made it look a bit darker and much nicer. The ice blue is a nice color but it’s kind of weird. Almost looks green in certain lighting. The vintage frets are not for everyone but I absolutely love them. Also the radius is just fine, no fret-outs anywhere like everyone tries to tell you. I can see why most people would want the modified version if you’re a speed demon, but if you like a luxurious and smooth feel, you can’t go wrong with this one.Michael R.

I've played a lot of Stratocasters and this is the best vintage feeling guitar I have ever played. For being vintage I have no fretting out and the neck plays smooth and fast for me. I don't understand the complaints about this guitar, if your into a modern thin uncomfortable c shape and hum buckets or noiseless pick ups with jumbo frets that go out of intonation with hardly any wear than this isn't for you. If your looking for the absolute best bang for your buck that fender has ever produced than this guitar is for you. I've played American strats and deluxe and I don't like where my creative mind goes. You really get the authentic feel of what a Stratocaster is. Only recommendations I have as far as upgrading would be electronics. 65's would fit this guitar perfectly. But if your playing clean tones alot then the clean tones on this guitar are beautiful. Fender hit a deer spot here. I have 17 years of experience playing stratsEd

Plays like Butter! Excellent finish, Excellent Tone! Very versatile with pick up splitting feature. Nothing not to like about this guitar.Paul Suits

My husband had wanted one of these for a long time and I surprised him with this one. He loves everything about it and couldn’t be happier. I don’t play guitar but he said it plays like a dream. I can say that it probably has the best sound of all the guitars he has.B.Farley903

Overall: OK folks, so I've owned this guitar for about 6 weeks now and wanted to wait that long before I reviewed it, for you people that are on the fence on this one, here ya go. Now is this a perfect guitar..no, However I think there is a direct comparison to a LP Studio, ….Is it better that a LP Studio?…Answer… YES it is, it nudges out the studio on pickups and locking tuners..everyone knows that 490 series pickups like on the LP Studio are just bad feed back monsters, while the pickups on the S2 Custom are OK..they are best suited for clean tones, the highs become harsh with boost or gain, I had a set of Seymour duncan JB and 59s installed on my S2 and WOW guys and gals..that's the way to go, sounds amazing now, I also replaced the saddles on the S2..the factory saddles were not bad but the graphtechs I installed also made a huge difference in tonality for the better. Now the fit and finish of my S2 was flawless, I couldn't find a single flaw anywhere on the guitar, the neck and fret work where outstanding, I was able to lower the action to .30 on the 1st string and .40 on the 6th under the 12th fret with no fret buzz after I set the guitar up properly, on that note,… the setup from the factory was horrible, really embarrassing that PRS let this go out of the factory this way, if I didn't know how to set the guitar up properly I probably would have sent it back…it was that bad, really no one should have to do a trust rod adjustment right out of the box…but I was able to get it set up and it plays like butter now, so if you order a S2 and the setup is not good, don't worry ..it can be done with a little patience, now my biggest complaint on this guitar and I knew this before I ordered one and it didn't sway my decision on ordering but still is BS..A GIG BAG…Really!! come on PRS …for $1600 dollars it should have come with a hard shell case…cheap, cheap cheap, there cost for a HSC is probably 30 dollars.. Anyway folks this is a really nice guitar and is quickly becoming one of my favorites after I gave it the ole personal touch with pickups, saddles, and a proper setupRick

This Guitars sound is one of the best I've had so far, and the feel and easy playability of the neck is outstanding for me. I had more trouble setting up the double locking tremolo than I have had in the past with Floyd Rose bridges, but once I got it, it worked great and stays in tune well. My only issue is that it did not come with a gig bag or the Whammy Bar, I'm not sure if this is normal, but this is my first Ibanez and for the price I believe that should be included.Nolan

My experiece with acoustic guitar making was none. The Martin Kit I bought in 1984 gave all the fine parts as advertised. Study all available information on guitar building and use procedures you believe are best. I built my D-28 Sitka top with Rosewood sides and back using very few specialty tools and made do quite well. The result in sound prompted me to sell my factory built Martin and keep my home made instrument.The secrets are, read all you can about construction then go with confidence. You will be amazed at the simple things you can do to make your instrument fit the sound you desire. All the study you do will be more than rewarded when you have accomplished your goal. Do not hurry ! The kit I bought has given me twenty five years of musical pleasure.Grandpa Don

Never built a guitar before and this was great. It wasn't easy but there are many MANAGABLE steps. Some on here claim to be experienced luthiers and then complain about this kit…. Well guess what? It's a kit!!! Don't waste your money if you've built from scratch. You don't have as much flexibility with a kit as you would building scratch. Others complain its too hard. Well as a guy with no wood working experience, it's really not that hard. Can you finish this in a weekend, you ask? NO! This could take a couple months, especially if you're like me and want everything to be perfect, plus no woodworking experience. If you would like to get into wood working and guitar building, do this! Well worth the money! Just take your time and you'll have semi-custom built guitar. Ps. I made lots of mistakes!Dl

Good to exellent value – not for those who give up easily. THere used to be many more choices from the Martin Factory. My first build was a custom 000-18 with a big 1 7/8" nut 14 fret neck (dovetail joint) and I was able to carve the neck to fit my own hand. THis was back in 1995. The Sitka top was unbelievably nice – I haven't seen wood like that since. I was able to carve the braces etc as well. Still my favorite 000 size guitar. I was able to buy heringbone purfling for it as well. Nowadays Martin does just a few standard models. I have also done a D-18 (with the bolt-on style neck) which had an interesting bearclaw i the top wood. That one sounds great (1998 and my daughter still plays it. The neck came pre-carved which was a bit of a disappointment to me. Later did a DMX model when they were still selling laminate back and sides kits. Gave that to my dad and got it back last year after he passed. A bit of tweaking ( he never played) and that one sounds and plays great – and is played by my stepson. I began assembling these things with no experience at all. Read a lot, measured twice before I cut, made a few mistakes and learned from them and always ended up with great sounding and playing guitars. This would be a great way to begin a hobby and a way to build skills if you want to build more than one, but not really the easiest way to get a decent sounding guitar. Decent guitars are o inexpensive these days that the kit would not be a way to save money on a guitar but a way to begin a hobby that can get you a lot of really good guitars in the long run. Not their best wood anymore – at least not cosmetically – but good enough to make the guita sound great. Why would they let someone just ruin a great piece of wood anyway? Any experienced builder could figure out how to get to quality wood once they know what they are doing. The wood is good enough, though. A bit pricey if you are learning and aren't all that patient, but not as pricey as what you'd pay for something from the Stew-Mac catalogueDr Dave-Lfuef