I certainly had GAS in the DeArmond blow out days!
I had "sampled" multiple of every Korean made model and also a few Indonesian guitars like Jetstar Spl and S-65.
Most guitars were outstanding quality.
As an example...I had 4 different T400's with 2-TOrange, 1- Blond and 1-Transparant Red. The Blond and Red samples were earlier models and the TOrange later ones. The Blond and TOrange guitars were essentially perfect. The T400 also had the neck feel of an original Guild DE400 but with a poly finish. Unfortunately the Red T400 had neck problems and the action was way off.
The guitars were bought and sold at different times and different reasons. Some were priced so good I couldn't resist. The red guitar came with a DeA case so when I sold it but kept the case.
The mistake I made was selling the last T400 when I acquired a DE400. Having a DE and T model would have been a better choice as I installed vintage DeA 2000 pups on the Guild and would have kept the 2k pups on the T. Live and Learn...
The solid body DeA, Korean models like M75 we're like a 70's Guild M75 but had the floating harp stop and chunkier neck than the equivalent Guild. The early DeA M75 with Goldstone humbuckers and the later M77T with 2k pups are my pick. The M77's had the slimmer headstock design and a little thinner body.
The Jetstar "Thunderbird" style guitar are great.They had TBird body but the neck is pleasant wider and chunkier feel that vintage Guilds. Similarly for the the S73 where it looks like a 70's S100 but the neck is similar to the DeA Jetstar in feel rather than a vintage 70's S100.
The DeA were and are great guitars. I especially liked that the Starfire Special wasn't a hollow body guitar as the semihollow style didn't have a Guild SF3 shape equivalent. Both the DeA Special and Starfire Classic (SF4 shape) mimicked the vintage neck feel of Guild equivalent. Finally the X155 was my first deep body electric. I had a black and Sunburst model. Both we beauties with bound f-holes. I hung onto the black model the longest and installed a Guildsby to it.
One subtle observation...although the Indonesian guitars were the lower grade models they didn't have the very thick poly finish associated with the Korean built guitars.
Yep...the DeArmond "era" got me back into enjoying guitar playing and acquiring cool guitars!
M