CST-24T Emerald Flame : Far better than it has any right to be at this price.

This guitar looks gorgeous, plays well, sounds beautiful, and is punching outside its weight class.

PROS:

Finish - Competes well against Schecters and ESP LTD axes of similar styles.

Hardware - Tuners are stable, tremolo block has a lot of mass, bridge is sturdy, intonation adjustments are simple and effective

Playability - Pretty level frets, medium action, smooth fret edges for the most part

Sound - Nice clean tones, pickups not too hot, bridge has a lot of treble to bite through the mix, coil-split offers nice single-coil tones

CONS:

Fretboard - "Roseacer" fretboard is very dry, and will require oiling. Fret edges at 15th fret and higher are less smooth

Electronics - Tone circuit sweet-spot is pretty small - it doesn't take much to get really muddy.

Neck - A satin or oiled-finish neck would be nicer (personally)

Sound - Coil-split volume drop is pretty big. Needs the EQ to get a great tone.

Overall, for the money, I expected far less - especially with the early reviews on Harley Benton guitars. This, however, feels like a steal. If you want double-cut in the PRS or Schecter style, this guitar is a great deal for a lot less.