CST-24HB Tortoise Flame : Better than expected.

About me:

Been playing for over 35 years, average at best. Mostly a 70s rockhead, Stones, CCR... I can play anything if you don’t mind it sounding like Chuck Berry….Ha Ha…

I have about 20 guitars (only 1 acoustic..) Some good - USA 72 Deluxe Tele, PRS SE Custom 24 Exotic Top, Ibanez S series, some not so good – the wife has a Hanna Montana Washburn… crazy woman…

I recently brought the HB CST24HB and TE-70 Paisley.

Review of the HB CST24HB:

Pros:

This guitar looks amazing.

It has a slim neck that plays fast. The action is low, <1.5mm@ 6th.

The coil split is very usable and the tones are excellent – full to grit.

Very versatile guitar that handles cleans through to JCM800 very well.

Cons:

Probably not for hi gain (metal, thrash…), but we knew that.

When comparing this guitar against the PRS SE Custom 24 Exotic Top:

I love the PRS, the quality and feel.

I love the HB, the quality and feel. Lighter than the PRS.

The HB has a slimmer neck (think almost Wizard II) than the PRS but both feel excellent.

I think the HB has a better tone range, the coil split on the PRS is something I do not use (just does not work for me). The PRS handles Hi-Gain quite well.

The PRS tremolo works very well; the HB is a solid bridge. I’m not really a trem guy.

Both stay in tune very well.

Conclusion:

100% recommended.

If I knew how good this guitar is, I would never have bought the PRS.

Is it a better guitar than the PRS SE? Hard to say, they are both excellent instruments. The price makes it an easy decision though.

Two friends have just bought HBs after playing on mine. I am about to buy 2 more – HB CST24 and HB TE-90QM.