The neck is well-made, very comfortable and smooth, allowing for quick play thanks to the satin finish. The fretwork is excellent, making the neck a joy to play, and this guitar is perfect for practicing. The rolled edges are nice, though just a bit rougher than those on my (US) Strat. The neck is perfectly fitted to the body, and the body finish is flawless. The birch green colour is beautiful. The only aesthetic issue is with the pickguard. Its edges remind me of the cheaper Squier models. It’s not a big deal, though slightly annoying. More importantly, out of the box, the truss rod needed no adjustment, and the string action was set perfectly for me. I did need to make some intonation adjustments on 5 of the 6 strings. Tuning stability is very good, and the tuners work smoothly. I prefer clean sounds, and this guitar could be tricky in that regard, especially for those without prior experience with Mustangs, like me. To my ears, the transients are somewhat baffling, requiring me to be very careful with my picking technique. I’m still in the process of locating the control sweet pots. When played clean, for me it serves as a good tool for dubbing/enhancing rhythm parts recorded with my Guild M75 (had no chance to try it with the Strat yet). Adding some grit in a bluesy amp setting transforms the Mustang into a more convincing instrument to be used on its own. I might try heavier strings. In summary, for a beginner, I think this could be a dream guitar. For me, it is a lovable instrument for practicing, writing music, and spicing up mixes.