CST-24T Paradise Flame : Stunner

I confess I really ordered this guitar because of the looks. I've always preferred the sound of strats to the heavier mahogany sounds so I didn't expect to be playing this much - just sitting admiring it!

Well, when it arrived the looks certainly didn't disappoint; front back and sides all look superb and finished really nicely. The only quibble I had was with the fretboard which was rosewood when I ordered it, but the spec had changed to ebonol when it was sent. There's plenty of opinion to be found on the internet re ebonol; the general agreement is that it is a good material for fretboards and looks very much like ebony, if that's your thing. The guitar still looks amazing, but personally I would have preferred rosewood.

So next step was to try out the playability. The action was excellent; the nut probably a shade high as is normal with new guitars, but generally it felt really good. A bit of buzzing around the 15th fret but nothing too serious, and easily fixed. I wasn't used to the neck shape but it felt comfortable enough.

Plugging it in was a revelation! Yes, a darker sound than Fender, but the simple controls give a wide range of sounds. And when you add a bit of overdrive, reverb etc. it really sings. I've now had it a couple of weeks and it has quickly become my guitar of choice.

For the price? ............ ridiculously good value. I'm very, very happy.