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Been searching for a UK guitar centric forum and came across this place. It seems like a very level headed place. I've been playing guitar probably half of my life (I should surely be better than average by now!) My main focus is 80s rock and metal but mainly focused on thrash. I build amps and pedals and whatnot so tend to have pretty weird/non standard setups. I look forward to chatting with you all. Attached some photos of my current gear. Though I'll be selling the ceriatone soon as I've moved fully to rack.

Hi, Welcome to guitar chat !

I think it’s a great choice having checked it out online! I used to have a strat copy (yung chang fenix I think) which was the same colour. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and it certainly looks the part! I think you’ve made a good choice based on your reasoning

REVEAL yeah we all agree that the Ibanez is super cool but that was not my choice. Only because I am buying the guitar online and I couldn't assess the shape etc. however I almost repent not going for the Ibanez. I didn't buy the Candy apple portable half Strat either, because of the ergonomics. Indeed it is very light and technically it is a Strat, but out of the box is unplayable and with all the upgrades I wanted was too expensive and probably not worth it. And I didn't buy the HB ST 62 DLX either ! The Harley Benton was my first choice because it is a perfect Strat replica and largely compatible with Strat aftermarket parts etc. and also people all over the internet speak very highly of the brand so I really wanted to give it a shot. But I did some research and I realized that the DLX model costs more only for the finish, but it does not have anything substantially better over the standard ST 62 vintage series. SO I WENT FOR THIS MODEL: https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_st_62_mn_vw_vintage_series.htm and since I also read online that the guitar is great but the electronics is so and so, and I still had some money to splurge, I replaced the whole pickguard with Fender Custom Shop FAT 50' pre-wired pickups (twice the price of the guitar). It took me a bit to make a decision because I was thinking to myself "why in the world should I buy a cheap guitar and then change electronics, tremolo, tuners etc? The answer for me is that I get exactly what I want and I can invest my money a bit at a time, if the guitar is worth it (both the model and the shape). If the guitar is rubbish (which I doubt) I can still use the Fender's pickups for another Strat project. I am very fascinated by the idea of a guitar that performs perfectly apart from looking cool and so I went down this road. I am not into tinkering with the instrument, I just want to play, but I feel confident that a partcaster, once sorted, is a great choice for me and great value for money (if compared with high end guitars). Anyway, that's all. The super Strat is coming! Oh yeah, I also love the vintage white colour! What do you think guys?

Welcome Aurora!

Welcome to the forum !

This is my currently most played guitar. Super bright and aggressive which is perfect for thrash.

Love that ‘80s-tastic, crackle finish.