I think I'm finally in the right frame of mind to pontificate a bit now. :icon_biggrin:
First of all, it plays like a damn dream, like buttah. I could NOT have asked for better action, etc. All the frets make the right sounds.
I am really surprised by the build quality of this thing. Maybe I was expecting a train wreck, but yeah; very smooth work. If you didn't know it was made of ply-Masonite, you'd never guess. It feels quite solid. There's just enough acoustic sound unplugged to make it much more alive (without an amp) than my Carvin Tele, which costs nearly three times as much. Maybe my favorite thing is that the whole package is satin finish: neck, body, hardware, pickguard; the Carvin is a shining example of gloss and therefore a reason it's been sitting in its case for how many months. I was expecting a good amount of single coil hum, but I was surprised at the relatively good behavior; yes, it still hums, but nowhere near as much as I feared. Again, expecting a train wreck. (Why did I buy it sight unseen in the first place?)
I think I am only disappointed in two areas: The tuners don't hold very tightly for very long; The pickguard is SO thick, probably 1/16"-3/32." Oh, and this is the first guitar I've played where the pickup switch gets knocked around by strumming.
BTW, this is the one I was asking about perhaps replacing with a W neck. Not happening. At all. The screws wouldn't line up. Awww.
But this contraption is what vintage guitar Mojo is about: Primitive materials joining forces to deliver more than they logically should.