Quality Korean Neck-Thru Mahogany w/ Quilt Maple Top, USA Pickups and OFR for $181

[xenophobe]

Oh, if Xenolla likes these . I know they're good. He's hmmmmm ..a bit "picky"..in a good way.

These are pretty fucking badass. They're no custom shop guitars, that is for certain, but damn. My neck is probably a little more finicky than most, but I just finished readjusting the truss and found a sweet spot. My neck won't go flat, it wants that classical bow to it as well which is a little disappointing to be honest. I like flat boards. This one doesn't want to do that and I actually had to use a little negative truss pressure to achieve neck relief the guitar likes. However the truss was completely un-tensioned on this one. Normally a guitar will have a little positive pressure. Action is a touch higher than I'd like but it's still far lower than a normal classical setup... I couldn't get more than 1/2mm more than the factory setup, so it's a little more than 3mm at the 24th on the low B. Plays nice. Almost all of the string buzz is not audible through an amp. I like getting my action as low as it can go without buzzing, then I like bringing it up to a height that is playable. I can't do that with this one, but I don't think I'm really disappointed as I don't really need the action any lower.

The Music Farm is selling these for $670 shipped without a case. They're selling the DX1ST for $599 shipped without a case. They're selling the DX1FR for $11 cheaper than the Stealth. The DX1 doesn't have a neck issue at all and has a lower action. My stealth is within any luthier's normal acceptable range. It's a 7 so action height is gonna have to be a little higher anyways. So the DX1 plays a little better. Everything else, hands down the Stealth wins by incredible margins. Fret ends go to the Stealth too. Inlays without filler, Stealth by a long shot. Binding quality, stealth. Binding workmanship, stealth by a long shot. The Desolation is clearly sloppy in places. Paint. Even. Paint apparent quality, appears to go to the Stealth. Fretboard... DX1 rosewood, Stealth ebony... Overall OCD type issues, DX1 without a question. I have nothing for the Stealth for cosmetic issues at all, even super nitpicky. I think it still needs time, the clear seems a bit soft and I got some minor pick wear relatively easily. Paint durability, DX1.

The Stealth looks and feels like a professional quality guitar, and is on par with high end Model series/Jackson Professional quality. The DX1 feels like a beginner's guitar with nice components.... sand the neck and you have a nice player. The Stealth has no apparent visual defects. The Desolation Series, every one that I've inspected has something that someone OCD would go crazy over. The Stealth does not. For $70 (or $11) bucks difference? I'll take the Stealth with a little bit of low register (and consistent) string buzz. A good luthier should be able to fix the issues relatively easily. I just need to state that this is on the example I own... from what was said, it's not an issue, so I'll assume it's my guitar in particular.

The finicky-ness of the neck and overall build really remind me of those old Model series. It's actually nostalgic in the feel of setting it up and the overall build quality is very high.

I'm not cackling like a school girl playing it nor have I had an intense personal/spiritual moment with it like I did my M8M... who knows, maybe I will... but man, if you've ever wanted a black stealth, this (and I assume the Chuck Schuldiner model as well) is a great buy. Oh, btw, I'm being really overly nitpicky with the string height... I'm trying to get it to where a US or Custom would be happy where other guitars cringe. This guitar cringes, but on almost every other merit, is far superior. It plays just fine. If I ordered a USA Jackson and this arrived, it would only go back because I can't get the string height and board as flat as I want. The overall build quality would be fine in my book. For a USA Jackson.

Even if you read my DX1 review and see that I can't quite recommend it... I can certainly recommend one of these. It certainly feels like a $1000 guitar. The Desolation Series absolutely does not.

[lepard]

Wow, these guitars are sweet!! Are they 24.75 scale or?? Are they all sub-$200 guitars or are the auction style with bidding? Thanks.

They are 25 1/2" scale. They list around $900 and were selling for around $500-600. Now that they are discontinued, and replaced with a cheaper model, the remaining supply has been getting blown out on eBay. The prices are all over the place. Just remember, it's only the Vendetta 4.0 that's neck-thru and made in Korea. There are hundreds of cheaper Chinese Vendetta 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0's on eBay.

I actually have the original version of this guitar from around 2004-2005 when it was being made by World Guitars Korea(E serial number). Dean switched from World Guitars to UnSung around 2007 I think. Here are both together. The original World Guitars model plays phenomenal but back then they used cheap pickups(EMG-HZ's) and a cheaper trem(basically a JT-580LP). UnSung made the 2010 model with a little thicker body, about the thickness of a Jackson Soloist, a nicer arched top, excellent made in USA pickups and an Original Floyd Rose.

[lepard]

By the way, here is another World Guitars Korea guitar that is absolutely amazing. This thing is USA Custom Shop quality all the way. I think DBZ is in the process of going under as Dean Zelinksy has left the company. Therefore, the remaining stock is slowly being sold out and sometimes for cheap. Once again, on these look for the Made in Korea and "W" World Guitars serial number. Avoid the made in China models.

There are just too many damn good deals in the used and "blowout sale" market right now on these Korean UnSung and World Guitars models. These last ones from 2008-2012, before they moved production to Indonesia and China, with EMG's and OFR's are just great guitars. I can't help myself when I see them being sold for cheap.

[xenophobe]

I spent a little more time setting it up. I ended up putting another full length shim under the floyd nut, so it has 1 full length and one shim on the bass side. This seemed to clear up a few different issues... there was some ringing on fretted notes that has gone away as well as open string notes buzzing that has also dissappeared. I loosened, err... well counter-clockwise tightened the truss about another 1/16 of a turn... took a few tries until I hit the best spot. Now the only string buzz I have is from having the action a little too low. Just about 2.5mm @ 24th, which satisfies my CS Snobbery, especially considering this is a 7.

I have to say, World Guitars does make great stuff. I have a Made in Korea E12, which is 2012 I'm sure. Being a CS snob, the workmanship for $670 is absolutely amazing.

Oh, and I just want to reiterate, the World Guitar BC Rich Stealth is on par with MIJ Charvel Jackson from the late 80's and early 90's and is also very reminiscent of Jackson USA/CS from the mid 90's.

I'm really surprised more people don't know about these things. And Grats on all your Koreans Lepard! These things are fucking metal.

And to think, I had already blown these off as being crappy imports. I'm glad I'm not so egotistical that I can't listen to another's advice. It really paid off. I've always wanted a Stealth and this is as nice as any USA that I've played and better than some. My Bernie Sr CS Warlock had way more issues than this.

[lepard]

This whole thread has me researching UnSung and World Musical Instruments companies in Korea. Apparently, they are located very close to each other.

I did find this disturbing information about Cort:

http://www.independentworldreport.com/2010/02/do-you-know-who-made-your-guitar/

Cort was abusing laborers a number of years back and eventually pulled out of Korea because the workers unionized to get minimum wage. This is why we haven't seen any Cort Korea guitars since Ibanez was using them in the mid-00's. Now Cort is continuing their harsh labor practices in Indonesia and China. This is just another reason to avoid Indonesian and Chinese guitars. I wonder if any of the Charvel and Jackson imports are made by Cort ? I know Dean is using Cort, see this headstock: