R-458MN WH Progressive Series : Definitely a good first 8-string for those interested in the deep end of extended range guitars

TL;DR: Good guitar considering the price and what you get, but don't expect to have your mind blown.

First off, considering the price, it's definitely a good guitar, well worth the money. The only problems I've really noticed are entirely visual and don't affect the playability at all, while pretty much only being seen when up close and personal with the guitar.

Pickups and tuners are definitely fair for the price. Although they're not exactly good, I wouldn't dare say they're the absolute worst either. Tuners hold the tuning enough to get through a few songs.

Fretwork is otherwise nice, the edges are well rounded off, so sliding up and down the neck definitely can't cut my hands, however something feels off when bending the higher strings, which I suspect could be the fretboard itself.

I'm definitely happy with what I have and would recommend it to other people looking to get into 8-string guitars without busting the bank.