Popping the control cavity cover reveals spaghetti-like wiring, but at least the inside is free from sawdust and debris. The pickup selector toggle is crap and will probably need to be replaced sooner than later. The tone pots are full-size while the volume controls get mini push-pull pots. The cavity has shielding paint applied, but it’s not done very thoroughly. There is shielding foil on the cavity cover which also has a rendition of the famous Guild “ghost” label. The label info is typewritten whereas the label info on the Korean NS models is handwritten.
The controls are typical of many low budget guitars. There is almost no taper so they are either on or off. The volume control is useable down to 7, but below that, the sound is effectively turned off. The tone controls have no effect from 9 down to 3 on the dial. All the magic happens between 1 and 3 which is a little frustrating. The volume pots are push-pull units that allow each pickup to be coil-split.
The neck profile is very comfortable and feels about the same as the Jetstar and a little bigger than my other Newark Street guitars. The heel is completely squared off and not rounded as on most guitars. It looks like it would feel awkward when venturing above the 12th fret, but it’s actually quite comfortable.
The guitar is resonant and has good acoustic volume. I’ll even throw in that the Guild harp tail, besides looking cool, has a small effect on the overall tone of the guitar. Plugged in, the guitar sounds pretty good, if not a bit generic. The tone leans on the brighter side of the humbucker spectrum, although there is plenty of humbucker midrange on tap. The push-pull volume pots are used to split the coils, but the single coil sound is anemic and, for me, useless. I’d call it “pocket transistor radio tone”. Nevertheless, this guitar is versatile and can cover a lot of musical ground. The only nit to pick is I find that the Korean HB-2s are not quite as clear as the Korean HB-1s.
I’m really impressed with the bang for the buck for this guitar. If I didn’t have it in hand to see for myself, I would have likely ignored it for all eternity. I think this bodes well for aspiring young players or those who are on a tight budget. Thankfully, the days of crappy cheap guitars are mostly gone. The quality of the guitar will allow folks to concentrate on playing rather than wishing they had something better to play. Be aware it doesn’t come with a case, but it’s an easy fit for any gig bag and fits perfectly in the Newark Street Aristocrat HSC.