ddw. Like most of the import guitars today, they're pretty good. Don't worry about brand names. They're all made in about five factories and often carry different names in different parts of the world. The biggest company in the world (I'm told) is Samick, and they market under different brand names. My friend Aengus Finnan, who is a pro, is real happy with his Cort. They have a nice design as well.