R-458 BK Progressiv Series : Perfect first 8 string

Bought this expecting mediocre playability, poor intonation etc. and a weak scratchy tone like other ultra-cheap guitars I've owned, but it has exceeded all expectations and is exactly the extended range instrument I've been wishing for, despite having little money to spend.

Condition and initial impression:

Arrived extremely well-packaged, with the hex keys and even a free jack lead included. Upon opening, noted that there's not a single scuff, scratch, bump or crack on the instrument, and it was strung with strings that were heavy enough on the bottom end not to be too wobbly. It is also surprisingly light, the body weighs almost nothing and I'm sure most of the mass comes from the neck. This helps it balance really well on a strap.

Sound:

The humbuckers sound surprisingly rich when playing lead parts, only moderately worse than something like an Ibanez quantum pickup, but enjoyable to play and listen to nonetheless. I'd heard that these pickups give a somewhat muddy sounds on the lower strings, and this is true to some extent when distortion is applied, but EQ can largely sort this out. Clean sounds are pleasant and sparkly, the lower 2 strings buzz a little in chords sometimes but it's not much of an issue.

Setup:

Straight out of the box the action and intonation were fine, though I adjusted the action of the higher strings to preference. It was only somewhat out of tune, not enough to make the neck and strings temporarily unstable. It has held tune really well, despite the poor reputation for these tuners.

If you'd like an introductory 8 string without committing £400+, go for this one, it'll take you a long time to want to upgrade it.