Many people have seen these here on EBay and some have taken the opportunity to "try them out"...some have been dissapointed in them, others find them a very good replacement for the cheaper "Big Brand Name" guitars that many of us cant afford. I personally have purchased several of these and have been amazed at both the quality and the playability of these at half, if not less than half, the cost of the originals. Yes, these are imitations and many of the Chinese sellers will tell you so!! Remember, most of these guitars are made in the SAME FACTORY that the big brand names are made in China...some examples?? Washburn produces their "Oscar Schmidt" line in China, and some Fender and New York Pro guitars are also produced in China. Here is a helpful little guideline if you are considering purchasing from one of these sellers.

1) Write and ask questions!! I wrote to MANY of these before I came accross one seller that was both honest and trustworthy and was not afraid to answer any question, as small as it may have seemed. Dont be pressured if they will not answer your questions...simply move on to another seller that will.

2) Make sure that you ask DIRECTLY if the guitar you are purchasing is the ACTUAL guitar in the pictures they post. Many of these sellers use "stock" photos and send you something that is not what is pictured.

3) Ask the seller to take pictures of the ACTUAL guitar you are to purchase. Let them know you are concerned about "paint flaws" and poor wavy wood, or neck warpage. Ask them to send detailed photos of the one you are purchasing. If they will not comply, move on to another seeler that will do this for you!!!

4) Most importantly, use "simple" english to get your point across to them the best you can. Using too big of words or complicated english will not get you the answer you may be looking for. If you do not feel comfortable with the seller, simply try another that has the ability to communicate with you better.

You will find some really great values from these guitars....and even like the big brand names, there will be a "rotten apple" in the bunch...but all in all, you will get what you pay for....if not more!! Keep in mind shipping is not cheap for these, which is why they sell them so low in cost..but I have found the total price to be reasonable for the products I have recieved. I have had mine now for several months and have had many compliments on it both the looks, and the playabilty. Several of my musician friends could not tell that it was a "imitation" as the quality was as good as any other Oriental made "Big Brand Name" model!! All in all...if you cant afford the high dollar name brand, then these are a good value and can be modified to sound and play just as good as any other big name brand at a fraction of the cost!!