Go with Schecter! Had mine nearly three years. Never goes out of tune. And the only time I thought it had a problem was when I suspected the truss rods were out of shape. Turns out I set the bridge at the wrong action after a string change. Touch wood. Schecter's introductory stuff (or even cheap) stuff tends to also have quality gear for the price too, especially for pickups (which are arguably the sole deciding factor in the suitability of a guitar for metal).

Hey! On a more unrelated, small-world note, I have your boyfriend's album. It was recommended to me by someone close to the father of the guitarist. Got it from Amazon.

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