That was ten years ago, but I'm less inclined to believe that today.Pretty remarkable how much guitar one can get for not much $ nowadays. I bet many of us think: 'if I these things were around when I started..'.
Over the past few years 2022-2025 I purchased a handful of guitars (7-8?) ended up with two, had to return the rest. Of the two I kept, only one is 100% (and its an ugly color), probably should have returned the other
Even in the 1K price bracket you get construction problems like misaligned trem posts and shoddy fret work, that ten years ago would have been better on a $300 guitar. On 1K guitars, Jackson is lopping off fret ends at a steep angle so its difficult to even work them without a refret. Then you have substandard materials, most guitars under 1K don't get ebony/rosewood boards, are using throwaway lightweight poplar, and they all have "economy" inlays, which means either no inlays or offset tiny dots. No abalone. And these have FRS or edge zero trems. No OFR or edge/lo pro. And a bunch of 1K+ guitars are MII and MIC. Yuck.
I am really disappointed in what you get for the money over the past five years. There is very little that distinguishes a 1K guitar from a $300 guitar. It is usually just aesthetics (they reserve trademark appointments and finishes for mid or higher). You used to get MIJ or MIK which came with great fretwork, but now you get MII or MIC with rushed fretwork. My conclusion, either spend 2K+ or buy/return $300 guitars until you get a good one. Or buy used.
