HB JA-60 OW : Solid Guitar

I rate this 5 stars based on the Cost vs Quality scale.

The body and matching headstock are perfectly finished and blemish free. The neck fits snugly in the pocket and the satin finish and flatter fingerboard profile is great for chording. Out of the box the action was low, just as I like it, free from buzz or dead spots and the intonation was nearly spot on, requiring just minor adjustment on the A and D strings. Switches all have a solid feel.

At this price some cost savings have to be made, but are manageable, hardware can be replaced at your own discretion (i.e. Tuners, nut, bridge, pots etc). The pickguard is pretty hideous, so I've used a vinyl skin to cover it (note, body shape is smaller than a JM, so JM pickguards will not fit based on my measurements). I'll also replace the strap holders as they seem to small to be reliable.

The only cons: A couple of tuner ferrules aren't sitting flat on the neck, tuners however are performing fine, the screwpoints on the pickguard are extremely close to the pickguard edge in some spots which detracts from the visual appeal a little.

The Roswell JM pickups are fine, but can be replaced to suit your own flavour and budget.

It's hard guitar to beat at this price point for a solid JM style copy. I purchased this and the DC-Custom White at the same time and find this guitar Superior to the other in finish and construction.