When you say that Strandberg fretwork sucks, you're only reffering to the fret ends?
Yes, fret edges. They were scratchy and unpolished right from the factory. They fixed it as a part of warranty, but tried really hard to persuade me that it was my fault
Can you believe that? It was a new guitar but repair guys tried to tell me it's "too dry", that's why the wood shrank, and it is my fault! So I asked them how it is possible within just a few weeks - do they think I forgot it in the dryer for a week? - there was no answer and they took it for repair.
The fretboard is also not of a high quality wood, you can insert a pin inside some of wood cavities between the frets.
Overall frets are fine I think, no need to level them, from the first glance at least, but I don't have the tools to check.
Except for the "null" fret - it started to show wearing within a month or two. Now it has dents and strings jump in and out of them when bending on first few frets.
may be more than meets the eye with the Strandberg, in a positive way
Well, I don't want to say it is a terrible guitar, throw it away, burn it and piss on it when its done! No. The guitar is fine, but not for its price point.
Its fair price is the same as for EART, $300-500 before pickups, not a penny more. I'd think twice before buying it for $1000, but probably would go anyway if there would be nothing similar in the same price range.
But for $2000? Honestly, I feel like I've been robbed by that company. Unpolished frets, broken pickup, unbelievable intonation and tuning issues, not possible to use my favorite 8th strings (D'Addario, Balls, a couple other brands - all were damaged, so it is not a couple of bad packs of strings), and all of this in a new guitar for 2K?
How is this even possible?
I'm not trying to get you to dislike the Eart
I can't start disliking it because I'm not in love with it anyway! All I am saying is that it is a few times better guitar while being many times cheaper. Not saying it's perfect or my favorite, no sir!
