Alex, hi, I was at Eli's yesterday in a jet-lagged stupor in order to pick up the guitar. It's phenomenal, grandiose, beautifully-crafted (I love the "open back"!!!), pristine in sound, resonant, articulate, wonderfully sustaining - in short, like something I've never played before! I am THRILLED. Upon initial testing I really liked the split/back pickup combo; with distortion, full front. (The guitar sounds great with my distortion unit!) an interesting contrast to Eli's z-2, it's very different, but still features your recognizable stamp. I think for him it was the right decision and affords him, taking both instruments into consideration, an unbelievable palette of sounds. I am heading north to western MA to visit my folks for a few days. I have a re-crafted 40-watt amp with a 12" Celestian speaker up there. So that will provide me with a good foundation upon which I can further explore the niceties of my new baby. My friends and colleagues abroad are going to go nuts! Warmly, Seth (Germany)