Spaw, I'm with you.

I've played the G40 or 50 - I was in an airport situation and chanced upon a guy who had as many cases as I did. I asked him what he had in them and he asked me if I wanted to play a great $900.00 (US) guitar. I said OK and he pulls out this Garrison. I only had 10 minutes with it. During that time, I also looked inside (a horror to purists) and all over it, so my playing time was limited. It DID sparkle on the few pieces I attempted and this was at JFK with all the ambient noise an airport has.

Bob Taylor says the newer models coming out are much cleaner and lighter inside, so no more What The Hell Is THAT IN THERE kind of reaction is expected.

I might point out they are not trying to make cheap guitars there. They simply found a way to manufacture them for less and are passing the savings on to the consumer. Evidently, lots of stores lined up to carry them.

Bob did say they are looking at the quality of available student level guitars and are trying to raise the bar for them without breaking the students bank account.