Originally Posted by: LordathestringsClose your eyes, open your ears, and let your hands tell you what they can. The name on the headstock means nothing. The country of origin only affects the shipping cost. To each their own...

Wise and true. I remember when I won the bid on on the Ibanez RG on ebay for $100, I went to a Guitar Center and did a blind test on every Ibanez in the store. I kept coming back to a guitar that was around $350; I found out later the Steve Vai model I tried that went for around $1200 I hated the most. I actually settled on a fixed tail RG that went for around $200, lol. The salesman must have hated me after spending over an hour with me. He must have hated me more when I returned it- frets needed work, and it wasn't worth the money to have a pro file them down. I'm surfing craigslist now for a Strat- I just get fixated on things. Since I have my Standard Strat tuned a 1/4 tone down, I want another for standard tuning.