First of all, I’d like to thank Frank, who handled my order and customer service with great care, and replied to all my emails. Also, thanks to Thomann for the overall service.
Expectations and Setup
Before buying this guitar, I did a lot of research—I read everything I could find and watched tons of videos, so I knew exactly what to expect. That’s why I paid extra for the setup service. It added some wait time, but in the end, it was worth it. You even receive a link with pictures of the work being done.
Keep in mind: this is a low-budget, mass-produced guitar, so don’t expect it to be flawless. Still, I was lucky—my guitar came immaculate. I waited about a month for delivery, plus 4–5 days for the quality control process.
First Impressions
Overall, the guitar is fantastic. There is some neck dive, and unfortunately, the EMG pickups are not solderless. However, the design is stunning—the body shape is awesome, and the finish looks amazing. There are a few tiny black dots under the paint, like dust particles, but they’re only noticeable up close. Nothing major.
Sound and Playability
The pickups sound excellent. The EMG 81 is super aggressive, and the EMG 60 paired with delay effects (especially using Guitar Rig 7, Guitar Rig 5, or Archetype Gojira) is perfect for solos.
The neck on my simple Kramer Baretta Special is actually thinner and better for shredding—1000x better in that regard—but the EX-84’s neck is still good. I thought it would be thicker, but it’s quite fast and smooth to play.
Modifications and Hardware Feedback
To reduce neck dive, I used a Neotech Mega Strap Long. I’ve used it before—it’s smooth and non-slip, great for long playing sessions. It helped a lot. When I play without a t-shirt, the strap completely solves the neck dive. I also added Harley Benton Security Locks for extra safety.
In the future, I plan to relocate the strap button to the back of the neck joint (centered), which should eliminate the neck dive entirely. But for now, it’s manageable.
I read that the EX-84 used to come with Grover tuners, but mine came with stock tuners that are imprecise and don’t hold tuning well. After just 1 hour of playing, I gave up and installed Gotoh SG381-07 MG-T Locking Tuners. They fit (though the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were a bit short), but they work well and improved tuning stability a lot. Not perfect, but good enough for over an hour of solid playing. Highly recommended—just consider a slightly longer model if possible.
As for the bridge, the WSC Tune-O-Matic does the job, but I didn’t like it. Even with the tech’s setup to avoid fret buzz, the action was too high. I lowered everything myself, and now it’s perfect—there’s a slight buzz when unplugged, but nothing noticeable when plugged in. Eventually, I’ll replace it with a Gotoh bridge.
Strings and Tuning
Out of the box, I applied lemon oil to the fretboard and used Fast Fret on the strings. However, I quickly replaced the stock strings with DR Strings Alexi Laiho 10–56. I didn’t like them much—they’re a bit too thick for the nut. In the future, I’ll go with a max of 10–52 or maybe even 10–46.
For D Standard tuning (Godsmack, BFMV, Destruction), it sounds brutally heavy—pure evil in tone! But as I mentioned, I’ll switch to lighter strings for better balance and fit.
Final Thoughts and Future Plans
To sum it up: this guitar is a workhorse, a true metal machine. I’m really impressed. The body shape, frets, and gloss finish are beautiful. It’s already become my daily-use electric guitar. I can’t stop looking at it—it literally makes me smile every time I pick it up.
If you’re considering it: don’t waste time—get one (but definitely add locking tuners!).
Looking ahead, I plan to:
• Replace the bridge in 6–7 months
• Install stainless steel frets in 3–4 years
That’ll be it for mods. After that, I’m aiming to buy a higher-end explorer-style guitar—maybe a Schecter E-1 Evil Twin FR, LTD Snakebite, Solar, or even a Gibson.
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