I've been doing sessions for a few years now. If I really don't know what I'm doing for the day, I bring my Ibanez AWD82 LTD and my Jackson Rhoads V and all my bases are covered. There's not much ground that isn't Very Well covered by this guitar. I doubt I'll ever sell this. If it was stolen, I would be inconsolable. This is a great guitar for kids (since it wont break the bank) or senior players. Comparable to just about anything. In my opinion, this is the best of all the Artcore guitars.

Sound
The sound is dynamite. I've owned this guitar for years, and it stacks up well to all my others. Depending on how you EQ it, you can get a good amount of open punch for some serious Hard Rock tones. Straight out of the box it's super responsive. This is pretty clearly not a metal guitar, but it has a good amount of range in that direction, and KILLS the bluesy tones. I currently have a set of 12-52's on it and it blasts SRV tone no problem. It has always been very accepting of modulation and effects, sounds good live and recorded and is generally pretty awesome.

Features
Pretty straight-forward. Volume, Tone, 3-way switch. This is probably the easiest guitar to play I've ever encountered. The neck is a tad wider than a lot of others, but thin and super fast. I'm giving this an 8 just because it doesn't have a coil tap. That would be nice, but it's realy not that big a deal. Less features means there's less possibility to… read more sound bad. Also, it's super comfortable sitting down or standing. I will say, The top strap button is behind the neck joint. It's not in the way by any means, but it hangs head-heavy like crazy. I just moved the button to the top of the low-E side horn and all was well.

Ease of Use
Easiest guitar to play. It eats up pedals, effects, different amps, and different string types. If in doubt: it will work.

Quality
I've put at least 1000 hours into mine. There's a reason I call it "First Wife". Had it for about 6 years. Never had ANYTHING wrong with it ever. The input jack hasn't even come loose. Holds a tuning for a very long time, and only now am i starting to notice a bit of fret wear on some frets. Cosmetically, it's gorgeous. I practically bring this with me wherever I go. It's my go-to when I'm not sure what I'll need.

Value
Seriously? This guitar is inexpensive. Read the rest of this review. It's a Fantastic value.

Manufacturer Support
I really don't know. Never had anything wrong with this.

The Wow Factor
It's Pretty. It attracts a good amount of attention as eye candy. The real attraction comes when you start playing. The short scale is NOT as much of a big deal as people make it out to be. The finished neck (unlike many others) Never gets greasy or gummy inexplicably. I bought this shortly after buying a Les Paul for a couple hundred % more. I sold the Les Paul and kept this.

Musical Background:
Active Session Musician

Musical Style:
Country, Metal, Prog, Rock, Blues, Jazz read less