R-458BK Fanfret : A great 8 string for beginners.

The overall build quality is solid with the only annoyance that the strings would not fit through the holes of the bridge. The string in question however would go through the hole where High E would be at the bottom of the guitar. Swapping out the Metal pieces resting on the bridge did the trick and allowed me to complete stringing the guitar. The only issue I have with the guitar is the low gain it provides and through some amps it will sound far too distorted. Amp sims and production tricks will take care of it with ease. I would suggest Swapping out the pickups with better ones if one has the budget for it. The last issue the guitar has is the High E string is barely audible at times. Once more, Pickup change is needed. Overall, a great body, finish, rigid, solid and perfect for beginners looking to dive into 8 strings.