For 500 Euros, I can think of very few guitars that offer the playability, comfort, and quality of the EC-200DX. Right off the bat, the first thing that stood out to me was the roasted maple neck, and the "charcoal burst" finish. It is decently balanced, sits comfortably on your leg (although, coming from an ST style guitar, it takes a bit of getting used to), and is quite a lightweight instrument.
The guitar came flawlessly packaged (this was a bit of a concerning point for me since the order tracking page told me that the shipment was delayed due to damage to the outer packaging but it turned out perfectly alright in the end). First impressions were visually perfect, with no unsightly scratches, heavy-handed paint work or other obvious blemishes. The fret ends were well rounded off and there were no sharp edges. There is only one tiny spot on the headstock that has a strange black line running through the wood.
What I didn't like:
1. The charcoal burst finish is gorgeous but beware, yours may not look blueish-grey, with the defined straight stripes - mine resembles a more organic, squiggly tiger stripe like pattern that is more earthy warm grey and decidedly "low resolution"... I suppose no two guitars like this look the same but this feels like a completely different finish as opposed to what is seen in the images...not sure if this is on purpose or I just got that one guitar that has a bad finish or that the wood was like this when flamed.
2. The pickups. I know, I know - one can't expect EMGs or any other known brand at this price range but man, the LH-150s sound muddy and undefined when distorted, and even clean tones leave a lot to be desired. On engaging the coil split, if you're hoping to get the Tele-esque single coil twang to your tone out of the box, you're going to be disappointed. The difference between these pickups and the EMG 81/85 combo I have on my KH-202 is literally night and day. I recommend swapping these out for better quality pickups as soon as you can.
What I'd change: (apart from the pickups):
1. Tuners: I'd swap these for locking tuners as well, just for the added convenience of quick restringing and some added tuning stability.
2. Nut: feels a bit plasticky. Might consider changing it down the line.
