Hi everyone! I'm buying my first electric really soon and I can't decide between the above two models. I have a lot of questions.
Hi
1.
"aside from ..." Was trying not to laugh incredulous you would pose this as a serious question. Please don't take offence, but the truth is you're doing too much research without understanding derived of hands on experience and acquired common sense -other than sufficient wisdom to pose your question here. OK so I'm not laughing, and instead going to try and help you from making a mistake. First let's establish a couple of parameters. I cut my teeth on a classical
aeons ago. Wide thick necks are dreadful AFAIC and completely the opposite of what you want in any electric guitar unless you have hands like a gorilla. If my offerings below come across as brutal, I am trying to help you out, but, I'm too old to be bothered with the effort dishonesty takes, and I don't triage diplomacy high in the necessary in any factual explanation equation either because I'm not trying to sell you anything and really don't care if you disagree and don't 'buy' what I'm saying. Caveat emptor. But the benevolent me is also inclined to help. So all that said, whilst I'm being brutally honest, I'm getting a distinct impression from your questions that you are more concerned with how the guitar will look as an image accessory, than any pleasure in the hands on playing of it. You should assimilate and think that preceding sentence through rather than letting ego immediately react to it.
From vital aspects such as the completely different technical bridges, scale lengths, nut widths, controls, electronics i.e. vintage sounding PAFs (albeit LAF alnico Vs) versus hot open HAF alnico V humbucker tones et al, the SC450 Plus and CST-24T are such different instruments to either hold and play, that's what makes your presumption
"there is no difference between the two, right?" amusing illustrative of being way out of your depth without being aware of it. Clearly you've never held or played a Les Paul (LP) or clone of any sort. LPs are
heavy because of their massive body and the fact they're all mahogany. The LP shape is undeniably appealing, a thing of beauty to most traditionalists especially, including me, but it is an awkward fit on the thigh when you are sitting, exacerbated by its neck to body balance (CofG) which is downright awful. And did I mention they feel
big (relatively)?
The SC-450's neck profile is a more trad LP, not a fast neck, and single cutaway. And, the SC-450 feels big, although that is arguably subjective depending upon individual build and prior conditioning. The CS-24T OTOH is a double cutaway PRS clone with a floating bridge and trem although you can nail it down if preferred. It's a contemporary design super strat, albeit with with an PRSish improved opposed mech neck. Smaller, more comfortable shape, better balanced, and lighter. For basis of weight neck and shape comparison I have owned an SG many moons ago, currently own a HB SC Custom, along with multiple conventional and super Strats, conventional and super Teles, and several acoustics/e-acoustics.
2. 14" is a flatter neck, but not super flat. I can almost guarantee you that it's not the flatness you are disliking in that Classical acoustic, but the higher action, width of the nut, neck and neck profile. Again, completely subjective down to personal predilection and purpose, I like a radius around 14", although I prefer a compound radius which you won't find on guitars at this price point IME. Very versatile. Much flatter than a 9" vintage neck, or even e.g. Fender contemporary necks though 12.5". Good for bends, still fast enough whilst OK for chording. I'm not interested impressing peers with my metal
\m/ star L33t s0L0 shrEd skillZ. If you are you might want to look to an Ibanez with a super flat wizard neck instead.
3.
Colour won't affect how it sounds or how well you play. LD or HB? Edit: Found it. (HB) Which
colour you like is
completely subjective. Both are attractive to my eyes, and they
are different. My advice within choice available for respective preferred model is to buy the colour which most appealed to you initially. The initial impulsive subliminal fed attraction needing no complex explanation other than the obvious, like Ockham's Razor, is usually correct. The cameras don't do either justice, especially the HF.
4. Price variation. I don't like parting with $$$ unnecessarily either, but here's a life tip.
Always buy the model (inc colour) you
really want where you can afford it. Learnt that lesson with everything aeons ago. Why is pricing different between colours? A. Although HB's demand pricing model isn't max gouge, pricing is still demand pricing, with some colours more popular. More saliently, current pricing is influenced by and subject to fluctuating currency rates. Fresh shipment from Vietnam, the newer batch may cost more as emerging Asian country currencies generally are increasing in value as their economies grow.
5. B stock. Acceptability of flaws which may range from cosmetic to ? is completely subjective. The minuscule savings don't yield value for me. YMMV. If I was resident of Germany with free, quick easy returns, I might be tempted. From AU, er....no.
Good luck. Whichever you decide upon, enjoy it. Remember ultimately, that's what guitar is really all about. if you asked for my recommendation based upon the info you've supplied, personally, as a first or only electric, I'd go with the CST-24T presented with either or choice of one of those two as a gift.