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> > (had guests from out of town with us, so I didn't get a chance to put
> > it through the ringer yet...take this review with a grain of salt).

> > Picked up the guitar last Thursday:

> >http://store.guitarfetish.com/xvsoashtrrof.html

> > I know, how can I get a tele-style guitar without a maple
> > fingerboard...truth is, I can't stand maple fingerboards. Don't like
> > how they look or feel. I've always been a rosewood/ebony guy.

> > Real quickly:

> > Grade: B
> > The guitar looks and feels very nice. Mine came a little darker, more
> > "woody" than "honey", and the grain on mine is definitely more
> > pronounced. I like that. It makes it look gritter, for what it's
> > worth.

> > Pros:
> > -The neck (my main concern on any guitar), is very nice. The
> > fingerboard is smooth, and all the frets checked out for evenness with
> > my fret checker. The frets could use a polishing/buffing, but are
> > playable as is. No fret ends sticking out. Able to do nice deep
> > bends very easily.
> > -Nice graphite nut, smooth nut slots (see Cons)
> > -Very good fit/finish/construction, doesn't look/feel *noticeably*
> > inferior to a Fender Strat. Purists may differ. I'm not a purist.
> > -Bridge pickup: I'm guessing they plunked in their standard GFS Tele
> > pup set (alnicos), but the bridge pup was a revelation to me; it does
> > SC tele pops & quacks nicely, but it overdrives and distorts as well
> > when pushed without getting muddy. Very articulate but ballsy.

> > Cons:
> > -G string buzzes up & down the entire fretboard when you dig in; when
> > you look at the nut, the G slot is visibly cut too deep. The nut will
> > have to be replaced.
> > -The tone control is a little on the useless side; highs roll off only
> > at the very end. Basically, either on or off. But neither the volume
> > or tone pots are scratchy.
> > -The neck could use a little tilt backwards; while the nut is cut nice
> > & low (the way I like it, G-slot notwithstanding), action around the
> > upper frets is a little too high for my taste. Not by much.

> > Sound:
> > Can't really comment too much yet because I haven't really spent too
> > much time with it. Like I mentioned above, the bridge pup can do
> > country to metal (yup...) without breaking a sweat. I haven't noticed
> > a lot of noise (out of the ordinary) or microphonics yet. The neck
> > pup's output is noticeably lower than the bridge pup. The sound
> > is...what you'd expect from a tele lipstick neck pup.

> > Overall, mine's well worth the $170, from what I can tell. After I
> > replace the nut & shim the neck, I suspect it'll be a gem.

> > -d