Anyone have a high-ish end Schecter?

Drew_TNBD

I'm still toying over whether to buy a Schecter or not. I quite fancy the Keith Merrow KM6 mkii but haven't heard much in the way of user reviews yet. Anyone playing one, or anything similar from their range?

Teetonetal

I have the Schecter Tempest custom, which is the same factory and pretty close in price (unless I'm looking at the wrong guitar)

It looks stunning, but has some issue. firstly I had a lot of problems with the electrics, whcih required me sending the guitar back 3 times. It's not very tidy in there. secondly, the frets are not very well embedded in the neck - there is a gap between bottom of fret and fretboard, big enough for the high e-string to get trapped in, if you get a bit vigorous. Thirdly, despite grover locking tuners, it just doesn't keep it's tuning very well. 

So would I buy another? no. Love the shape, love the look, just not that well made for the money.

Drew_TNBD

Teetonetal said:

I have the Schecter Tempest custom, which is the same factory and pretty close in price (unless I'm looking at the wrong guitar)

It looks stunning, but has some issue. firstly I had a lot of problems with the electrics, whcih required me sending the guitar back 3 times. It's not very tidy in there. secondly, the frets are not very well embedded in the neck - there is a gap between bottom of fret and fretboard, big enough for the high e-string to get trapped in, if you get a bit vigorous. Thirdly, despite grover locking tuners, it just doesn't keep it's tuning very well. 

So would I buy another? no. Love the shape, love the look, just not that well made for the money.

You've made me sad now

guitargeek62

I had one ages ago (C1-Classic - '05?) that played well but sounded absolutely dead. The fingerboard was really rough too, but otherwise the build was alright. 

I wouldn't pay anything close to what they charge these days.

*edit* except for the USA models - they're cool. I tried some others again a couple of months back in Westside and they left me very apathetic too - 5/10, would not buy.

Alnico

@ennspek ;
@hobbio ;

Those two guys own Schecters but how high up the range compred with what you're looking at they are i'm not sure.

Are you looking for a guitar with a Floyd or not?

english_bob

Bummer Drew. It's a fine looking guitar, and I don't know of much else at that sort of price that's similar. Looks like you were right to be wary of ordering one. 

@Alnico - this particular model is fixed bridge.

Alnico

^
Ah, gotcha.
I know very little about Schecter past the ones that Knopfler used to use years ago.

ennspek

I have two from opposite ends of the range.
The Banshee I've only had for a week or two but I have had no issues with at all. It was in tune when it came out if the box and still is. Plays very nicely.
I also have a Schecter custom shop superstrat type. Can't remember the name at the moment. This one is a genuinely great guitar, up there with your Andersons and Suhrs.
Neither if these is really too similar to what you are looking at but I've had no complaints with Schecter, just the opposite in fact.

grungebob

I had the Schecter Banshee 6 passive. It had some finish flaws ( for which I eventually got a discount for) and the push/pull tone knob was shit. Other than that though it was very playable and had great huge tones ( Seymour Duncan Nazgul and sentient pickups that split very well) . It had THE lowest action coupled with the best intonation ive ever had and I genuinely liked the guitar. I sold it because I let myself be a brand snob and convinced myself I could get a better guitar. It was around £800 new I think but I picked it up end of line for £390 a lot of guitar for the money. They do an elite neck through model now that I've got my eye on for end of line discount if it happens again.

previous to the Banshee i've had a tempest and an S1 custom, both very nice guitars ( same quality I think as PRS SE). both of those guitars though needed new pickups and electronics to get the best out of them.

I think Schecter get a bad rep due to their overly metal image but some of the guitars are great

oh I just remembere I had a Shaun Morgan signature guitar too and that was also great.

Once I get over the fact my guitars dont need to cost £1000's or have big name on headstock I could quite happily settle on another schecter.

Teetonetal

Drew_fx said:

Teetonetal said:

I have the Schecter Tempest custom, which is the same factory and pretty close in price (unless I'm looking at the wrong guitar)

It looks stunning, but has some issue. firstly I had a lot of problems with the electrics, whcih required me sending the guitar back 3 times. It's not very tidy in there. secondly, the frets are not very well embedded in the neck - there is a gap between bottom of fret and fretboard, big enough for the high e-string to get trapped in, if you get a bit vigorous. Thirdly, despite grover locking tuners, it just doesn't keep it's tuning very well. 

So would I buy another? no. Love the shape, love the look, just not that well made for the money.

You've made me sad now

Sorry!

Upside is it does sound good.

Because I love the look of mine so much I'm keeping hold of it and will get the frets sorted out and a few issue addressed, especially as resale is so low. I tried selling mine (cost me £900 new I think and I had no offers at £350) 

there is of course the possibility that I just got one that is not representative of the norm. If I think about I'll take some pics to show the poor fretwork. 

Nikko

I considered a Schecter a while back, and the reviews I saw were pretty much what has already been said on here. It seems that the QC is just a bit 'inconsistent'. Two reviewers of the same guitar I was looking at, both had experiences at extreme ends of the spectrum. One guy said it was great, no issues etc, and the other sounded a bit like @teetonetal, and the experience he has had.

Its a pity really, because they really are great sounding and looking guitars.

drwiddly

I've got two - a California Custom 30th Anniversary (which is basically a HSS Strat with locking tuners) and a Stiletto Classic which is a thru neck, HSS superstrat type with a Floyd.

The Stiletto is more high end and very well made. I persevered with the EMG's that it came with for a few years but swapped them out for passives a while back. I'm happier with it now but that's probably just me. All the hardware is Gotoh and it looks and plays really well. I bought it when Guitar Guitar were knocking them out for half price but I think the rrp was around a grand.

The California is also very well made with a beautiful flamed maple neck but, as has been mentioned, it does sound a little bit dead acoustically. No problem through an amp though.

dindude

I know nothing about the far eastern made ones, they look tidy enough, just not my type of guitar.

I do have USA Custom Shop Production Series PT (the two humbucker Tele shaped one) which I adore. Just a simple guitar built perfectly and with a great vibe.

ToneControl

in 2014 I bought a new

Schecter Hellraiser C VI Electric Guitar - BCH

for 900 Euros

It was very nice

just one minor fault:  The stop bar post was not full inserted into the guitar body on the treble side, so the ridges on it that are intended to be below the surface of the wood were visible for 2-3mm

My luthier tapped it in, and Thomann paid for his time

the build quality seems similar to Gibson I think

I had 2 older versions of their Bass VI models -  they felt a bit cheaper

Plukky

All that money and you don't even get a tone control...