Interesting, thanks! So it wasn’t any kind of quality problem, more tone. I’ll heep that in mind. I was pretty happy with the tone on the ones I heard but I’ll keep an ear out for that.
Yeah they seem great. I’ve only looked at the superstrats so far but they make a lot. Pro Mod San Dimas looks like an interesting choice.
no quality issue at all ! and about the tone it’s probably more a personnal preference. I don’t see any problem if you like how a PRS sounds.
Ok, attempt #2 - Cort M600T
Got it for just under $200. Looks promising:
The one I got has a Trem bridge instead of the tone-o-matic.
Cor-Tek makes the SE’s for PRS now so a clone this close is pretty cheeky of them 
We’ll see. Seller has a low number of transactions so I’m a little wary, but the price was great - worth a shot.
I returned the Taylor Acamedy today…
After 3 days of playing it I found the body to be too small for me. The neck kept pivoting out just from my arm weight. I think I need a full size.
Good luck with this one!
We’ll see!
If needed I can buy a pair of Seymour Duncans and upgrade it and still come out cheaper than a PRS. We’ll see what the overall quality is like when it arrives. Almost all the reviews I have seen have been glowing though.
D’Angelico solid body are cool. I had a sterling HH albert lee that I also loved.
I love SD pickups, they always sound so good/full. The EMG’s I have are also really nice (altho I don’t like all of them, have to be specific) and Fishman pickups are maybe the most “clean” ones I ever heard.
If you threw a pair of SD Zebra JB’s on the M600T it would look a lot like a PRS.
Lol and I even play on a Taylor mini. 
The Academy is a dreadnought body right?
Academy 10 is a Dreadnought, Academy 12 a Grand Concert body shape.
I’m gassing hard for a Martin D-18. But I can’t justify throwing $2500 on an acoustic right now.
looks like a nice choice, if you like PRS-like guitars. Cort has usually an amazing quality/price ratio. I’ve never been disapointed by a Cort, considering the price tag.
that’s a good thing IMO, even if you don’t use the trem : way easier to setup (because you can set the height of each saddle individually) and it avoids the need for a neck tilt, and the springs bring some kind of nice subtle natural reverb reminiscent to the Strats.
the TOM bridge is just bad design IMO (like other Gibson bridges).
Yeah! I got this thing for under $200US as well, which is awesome.
Yeah I am not sad about the bridge at all.
I was actually going to ask you about blocking the trem and essentially making it into a hardtail. I have heard about folks unfloating them? I don’t know much about it.
It’s a Wilkinson trem system.
yeah I’ve done that a few times already. I’ve had 5 or 6 Strats, maybe more, and I never use the trem …
in fact the Strat trem is made to be set floating a few millimeters over the table, like this :
… which means that the setup is made to a point where the string tension is essential to maintain the bridge in its position.
If you don’t plan to use the trem, or want to use it only strictly “downwards”, then you just have to tighten the spring tension on the back, which makes the bridge touch the table. Then the setup becomes independant to the string tension, which is great :
otherwise you can block the bridge with a piece of wood, and then you just have to loosen the springs to make the bridge block push the piece of wood next to the body. you can even remove the springs but you will need to fix the bridge grounding because it usually is carried by the springs from the electronics to the bridge.
I would recommend to just tighten the springs. it keeps the tremolo in working order but gives you the stability of a non-floating bridge, which is perfect IMO.
that’s what I have on my Starfield Altair, there are different ranges (mine is a Wilkinson USA if I remember) but I’m quite happy with this one.
Cool! Yeah I’ll try just tightening the springs down, sounds easy. Thanks!
I’m never even going to attach the arm, so no use in having the trem float.
You should try a guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge. Awful lot of work to get it setup but imo it does sound/work better than a ordinary strat trem imo. It kinda depends on what you play 
I don’t mind TOM bridges at all or at least the tonepros are decent. Not gonna buy a FR bridge ever again tho. I prefer a hardtail too like hipshot or evertune. Evertune is actually really handy if you are a touring guitar player.
Yeah I definitely am only buying trems by random chance as being on the used guitars that make the most sense for me at the time. I would really prefer hardtails - I will never use the trem myself.
As mentioned, If you’re never going to use the trem it might be a good idea to deck it, or even better block it. Save yourself a lot of headache.
