I really, really wanted this maple neck on mahogany body Indonesian, built in 2020, after stripping down to essentials (1 bridge pickup, 1 volume) many other guitars. Just to turn up the volume and try licks for hours and hours - no fiddling with a 5-way switch, tone setup, tremolo.
Thinner than a basswood/alder/poplar, with rounded edges and the body has a lot of sustain, even though by not having extra cavities for neck and middle pickups - the electronics cavity is quite large.
I found the neck with 2-parts angled headstock and a large joint inviting the hand to move up and down, maybe because of the non-compound 12 inches radius (sic!) - thinner than a C-shape, thicker than a Gio or JS equivalent. Not 24 frets - so what ? Laquered, not oiled, but not in a glossy style.
Pickup - I bet the average ear will not find the differences from a real JB, either clear or distorted - I didn't.
Tremolo - just to be ignored and used as a hardtail (pity that the iconic heritage led to maintaining this part).
Tuning keys - on my guitar are regularly going out of tune, even not played aggressively and the knob screws tightened.
Out-of-the box, the truss rod, action (surprisingly low for an entry level factory setup) and pickup height were fine for me.
Electronics and grounding - one will want to change the volume pot or at least to use a drop of kontakt und tuner spray to avoid the noises it generates, and to cut the excess of wiring.
Painting: no flaws found. Color didn't count for buying.
Barreta Special might not be the ideal all-round-your-first-electric-guitar, but those looking for simplicity of playing and sound will add it on the wish list.
