Most of the Negative reviews stem from the fact that people do not understand this is a copy of an early, cheap, factory guitar. The tone is really unique though... plywood guitars can sound..well, GREAT! Think of early KAY and Harmony etc. This is what Gretsch was after. The pickup is STUNNING in combination with the small corpus, twangy parlor sound. In my opinion, they really nailed this. I really cannot imagine not having this guitar, though its a cheapo, etc. One has to appreciate the aesthetic and just enjoy! I am running it into a VOX mini super Bettle and it is..well,,, divine...Nothing fancy here, just pure, vintage sound and pleasure. If your a slide player, this is essential in your arsenal. The small body size cuts through a mix like any parlor with a short VSL and less boomy response. Crispy and twangy!