ST-57DG Black Tribute : Great guitar for the price

A bit of background first; I'm a working drummer who has always played a bit of guitar, but never seriously. Recently I decided to get into the guitar seriously. I've owned a Gibson Sonex since 1983, but I've always wanted a strat. A guitar player friend suggested HB.

Overall, I'm quite happy with this guitar. It looks beautiful, and the finishing is pretty good, except for the frets. The ends are a bit sharp, and they could also use a good polishing.

Sound wise, the guitar was unplayable upon delivery due to a strong back bow. I had to tighten up the truss rod quite a bit, which was a first for me. From there I just had to adjust the intonation and all was fine.

The guitar sounds good, but there are a few spots where weird overtones creep in. Tuning stability isn't the best. Aggressive bending or moderate whammy bar activity will put it out of tune in no time.

Having said all this, I can't put this guitar down. I've put in more practice in the 4 months I've had this guitar than I have in the last 10 years. It's a blast to play, and it certainly has all of the classic Strat tones. I'd say it's even good enough for bar gigs and home recording.

Overall, it's great value for the money, and I already have my eye on a few other HB guitars.