TE-70 Black Paisley : Excellent base for a project guitar

After having mine for over 1 year and a half, and owning a bunch of more expensive instruments, I still pick it up when I want a simple, no nonsense guitar that can go from mellow, jazzy tones, to crunchy rock rhythm at the flick of a switch. It looks really good if you like the paisley detailing, and apart from a few flaws (expected at this incredible prince point), it punches way above its weight.

My TE-70 still came with Wilkinson pickups, which were incredibly microphonic (hence the 3 stars for sound). Because I like to use high gain amps and pedals, I've replaced the more offending bridge pickup almost immediately - an easy enough job (if you know what you're doing) because of the easy access to the controls. I still kept the Wilkinson neck pickup, which I'll probably end up replacing at some point.

I've also replaced the original tuners with new Klusons. The originals did the job, but could be a bit sticky and jumpy - the Klusons are buttery smooth and look the part.

The fret edges also needed some filing, as some of them were uncomfortably sharp - not enough to hurt, just enough to feel cheap.

In all, if you're looking for a really inexpensive TE model guitar, enjoy the exquisite paisley finish, and won't shy away from doing some mods, this might be perfect for you.