Hi Marty, Thanks for responding so quickly! Can I ask you a follow-up question? Someone told me that artists often have companies custom build instruments just for them. Does this hold true for your SZ or was it picked up from a guitar shop? Thanks very much for all your advice, although I found it a little ironic in that the SZ does have a fancy inlay and top... =) I'm just looking for something simple to play and change tunings on - I realized that I'm no tremolo guy, either. =) PS: Did you really used to play Carvin guitars? Would a no-frills carvin be worth the extra money or would it be a waste?