1980s Hondo II strat copy = hidden gems!

Got a busted up guitar and after some maintenance it SHREDS. I've come to the opinion over the last few years that Hondo guitars of any make are almost criminally underrated.
Gave the fretboard a deep clean then freshened it up with some mineral oil
Sanded down the fret edges for a smoother playing experience
Gave it a thorough setup with 9 gauge strings, super smooth low action
A new metal nut!
Added 2 new springs to help the worn down set of 3 that were not capable on their own.
No electronic issues, I reflowed solder anyway and tightened everything up
The pickups are surprisingly bright, with a nice bite especially in the bridge position. I put the back plate back on after taking these pictures.
Check out my short video on YT to see this one in action.

[@anfasup3160]

Nice
How would you compare it to a standard American strar

[@jackpaynebassist]

It's not gonna be the same quality or experience as that but honestly it was really fun to play!

[@johnw4659]

Out of the box, Hondo guitars were garbage. The only thing they shred well is your fingertips.

[@jackpaynebassist]

There may be some survivorship bias at play- the ones that are still in circulation were the better ones. Or I just got lucky!

[@gertvos8176]

I have a Hondo ii professional stratocaster made by Tokai and it sounds and plays great ... I like it more than my other strats

[@blackmoofou6385]

I have a 1980 version in very good condition for it's age. Although you can't blend them the pickups are really loud. The only thing I will probably change is the tuners as the feel flimsy but other than that they are a decent guitar which fetch peanuts. ​@@jackpaynebassist