I want to get an el cheapo strat (or maybe tele, maybe a tele thinline) to mod, and mess around with, eventually basically ending up using only the original neck, body, and knobs. But I do want something that will be somewhat pleasing to the ears out of the box, and something that will be receiving "upgrades", not "repairs". So i looked around, and found two brands that people seem to really like. Xaviere (www.guitarfetish.com) and the several Rondo brands ( mainly SX, can be found at www.rondomusic.com) They offer a wide range of colors and options for the price, and the Xavieres seem to be a bit nicer, however, the SXs @ rondo have a much larger fanbase. I understand that a guitar from either of these companies is not expected to be as clean as a MIJ or MIA fender, or perform as well, but it sounds like they are a lot of geetar for the $$$. Does anybody here have any opinions on these brands?