I took a chance with this and it didn't pay off. The fretboard looks like it was cracked and then repaired from the 17th to 20th fret under the high E. I'm guessing they cracked it while setting the frets at the factory? I don't know but it's obvious something was done and it looks bad.
The 16th fret from the low E to D is dead because the you can basically rock a seesaw on the next fret up, the 17th fret is way too high. With relatively high action this thing buzzes all over the place, multiple high frets up and down the board. I really don't want to play guitar repair man with them either.
Bridge pickup is crooked, the A string saddle has a stripped intonation screw, low E won't intonate properly, the bridge is garbage.
So far I have a HB-35, it's a good guitar even though the tone knob doesn't work, I have a TE-20, decent guitar but it has issues as well like squealing pickups, the SC450-CB is the worst of them all, hands down. I know it's cheap, but cracked fretboards and dead frets is a non starter for me.
Some people say these are unbelievable for the price. So far I think you have to be unbelievably lucky to get a really good one.
I sent in a return request, I'm in the U.S. and I heard the return process is very cumbersome from somebody else who lives in the U.S. and has had to return HB guitars. I'm not laying out a dime to return this. I'm insulted this was even sent to me. Cheap guitar, whatever, this is really bad and there's no excuse for it.
I'm done buying HB guitars. If the return process is smooth I may add a star.
