Applause AE128 Super-Shallow Bowl Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Feature:
as listed in the specs. Came with a allen wrench for the truss rod. For $200 delivered, I'm not expecting too many freebies.

Quality:
Made in china...but no problems. Better QC than a Korean guitar I just got for a similar price. No finish flaws or anything else. Comes with a tag/checklist the QC inspector signs...maybe that makes a difference.

Value:
Well - there is a lot of chinese made stuff out there in this price category. And when you consider the 'bowl' is made of some sort of plastic... Having said that, I think given the level of quality, it's a good value. I wouldn't call it a steal, as I've seen no-name similar guitars for 25% less.

Desirability:
Im glad I bought it, it's a good quality guitar - nothing super special though. I wanted an acoutstic - elec for the collection...

Sound:
Sounds great and projects well. Although I bought it to play through an amp, it's plenty loud unplugged. Cam with good quality strings. Action was perfect for me - low, no fret buzz. For action, you can adjust bridge height with shims if desired, or of course adjust the truss rod.

Ease of Use:
out of the box, this was the most playable guitar I've bought. I would say the frets are 'medium' size. the neck has a basic finish, which makes it very easy to slide your hand on - no sticky laquer. came with a very brief manual describing adjutment methods.

Support:
applause doesn't have much of a web site, just a 2 page pdf which is out of date on the Kaman web site - which in today's age I'd say is pretty lame. haven't had a need to contact them though.

Overall:
for an inexpensive acoustic electric, I think it's a great product. Good sound, great playability.

Feature:
The guitar comes with a truss rod wrench, and that's it.

Quality:
My guitar was made in Indonesia. The finish is very nice, no nicks or scratches. It does appear to be thick on the top, and is very shiney. The neck is a satin finish as said earlier. Frets are "medium", and are nicely done. The tuners are Ovation, and seem to be an imitation of Gotohs. They work quite well and I haven't had any problems with staying in tune. The electronics work well, and are very basic - bass,midrange, and treble, along with a volume knob. There's a "low battery" indicator LED. The battery compartment is also on the top, and allows very easy battery changes. (I haven't had the guitar long enough to have any indication of what the battery usage will be.)

Value:
I'd say the price is right on this guitar, if not a "bargain"! I've had numerous "name brand" guitars in the past, and I was surprised and happy to find that the quality of this guitar was top notch. I'd say the only real "compromises" I could find were the two-piece top and the rather thick finish on the top. (I don't really know how this affects the tone yet.)

Desirability:
This is the perfect guitar for my present usage. I plan on getting a solid-body later this year, but the neck and setup is great for me to re-build my finger strength and practice without setting up the amp. (I frequently practice scales while watching TV!)

Sound:
Due to the "shallow" bowl on this guitar, it tends to sound more "trebly" than many acoustic-electrics. When plugged into an amp, you can make it sound like a solid-body if you want!(Having had previous experience with Ovation guitars, I expected this type of sound.) I'm using mine with a Hughes + Kettner Edition Blue 15DFX, which gives me a huge range of tones from a very clean to a really raunchy overdrive.

Ease of Use:
The neck is very similar to a solid body guitar. It's nicely finished with a satin - type finish, so your thumb moves very easily. Mine was set up with a low - to medium string height out of the box, with a set of acceptable medium-gauge strings. Intonation was okay, with no string "buzz". I bought this guitar to re-learn how to play - I played for 12-15 years when I was younger, including 4 years as a pro, then stopped completely. I recently decided to "get back into it" and teach myself some acoustic blues. This guitar does well for playing slide the way it's presently set! The pickup can give you a deeper sound, or a steely "Elmore James" tone when running through an amp. It's a very comfortable guitar to play when using a strap. That's one of the advantages of Applause/Ovation guitars with the rounded back.

Support:
Haven't needed any.

Overall:
This guitar will last me a long time in its present role of practice/jamming acoustic. This is a good acoustic for people who are used to playing electric guitar, as the neck is very similar is an electric. That is one of the reasons I bought it, having played Ovations in the past and liking them. If it was ever stolen, I'd probably buy another one. I'd like to get the action lowered a little, but if I continue to play around with slide, it's at a nice height where it is now!