7 Best Schecter Guitars – A Complete Buying Guide

You though you had narrowed down your search for a new electric guitar by settling on one brand. With Schecter, you are still a long way from narrowing down because they have so many types and designs to choose from. In this list we give you the 7 best Schecter guitars to help you decide which one is best for you.

I have been doing gigs rock gigs here and there and have always used a relatively old guitar from many years ago. Now I am getting bigger and more regular gigs. It is time to upgrade.

I have used a Schecter guitar once before and loved it. Now I am determined to get myself a new model from this brand. There are different series into which several models fall. How does one decide which one is best?

Here is a compilation of the 7 best Schecter guitars along with details on what you need to know about each product.

7 Best Schecter Guitars – A Comparison Table

Schecter Guitar	Body construction material	Suitable genre	Neck length	No. of strings	Check on Amazon
Sun Valley Super Shredder - FR	Solid mahogany	Classic rock and neo-classical	25.5 inch	6	Check Price
Damien Platinum 8	Mahogany	Fusion, metal, rock	28 inches	8	Check Price
C-1 Apocalypse	Swamp Ash	Heavy metal	25.5 inch	6	Check Price
Reaper 6	Swamp Ash with burl top	Metal and rock	25.5 inch	6	Check Price
C-1 SGR	Basswood	Rock and metal	25.5 inch	6	Check Price
Omen Extreme 6	Solid mahogany	Heavy metal	25.5 inch	6	Check Price
Hellraiser C-VI	Mahogany	Metal	30 inch	6	Check Price

7 Best Schecter Guitars – Top picks for 

Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder FR

This electric guitar is part of the Sun Valley Shredder series. It features a solid mahogany body which gives you full, rich sound.

It is designed for speed and easy playability. You can move your hands smoothly along the thin (25. 5 inch) C-shaped maple neck. In terms of pickup configurations, this guitar has a humbucker (EMG Retro Active Hot 70) pickup which provides output ideal for rock tones and neo-classics.

There is an easily accessible battery compartment which holds a 9-volt cell while the plug-in FET preamp serves to get rid of unwanted humming and noise. A hardtail bridge working alongside tuning locks keeps tuning intact.

This Sun Valley performs best on high register notes and produces warm tones with unmistakable presence.

There is a retro feel to this guitar and a range of funky colors add to this feel. It is available in satin black, white, lambo orange and sea from green.

Pros

• Strong mahogany body
• Thin neck
• Plug-in FET preamp

Cons

• Case not included

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Schecter Damien Platinum 8

Like other Schecter guitars in the Platinum series, the Platinum 8 features a double cutaway mahogany body and a 28-inch maple neck. This is a 3-piece neck reinforced with carbon-fiber for a sturdy, stout feel.

The fingerboard is made of rosewood and is bespattered with bat-inlays. Like many other Schecter guitars, this one has EMG pickups. More specifically, these are active 808 humbuckers which add to the instrument’s sparkle.

In terms of controls, you get master volume, a tone knob and the standard 3-way pickup selector. Electronics are powered by an easily accessible 9 volt battery. Schecter’s hardtail bridge serves to maintain stable tuning.

If you are looking to buy a new electric guitar, the Damien Platinum 8 is no doubt worth considering but does it match your style of music. It does if you play rock, fusion and modern metal and is therefore recommended as the main instrument for these genres.

Most electric guitars come with 6 strings. This one has 8 strings. Although the extra strings have their merits, it could take you a while to get used to it if you ordinarily use a 6-string guitar.

Pros

• Sturdy construction
• Quality EMG humbuckers
• Rosewood fingerboards with bat-inlays

Cons

• 8 strings may be difficult for some guitarists

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Schecter C-1 Apocalypse

The Schecter C-1 Apocalypse is a sleek-looking versatile guitar made for extreme metal players. It features a swamp ash body and an ebony fingerboard. This tonewood combination gives it a bright eye-catching tone. Its striking carved top makes it stand out even before you notice the thin (25.5 inches), 5-piece, maple neck.

The C-shaped neck houses 24 stainless steel frets. This is a solid body instrument with Shecter USA Apocalyse pickups optimized for an aggressive tone suitable for the next rock performance. Sound is delivered by Alnico V magnets flanked by ceramic magnets which deliver superior presence and articulation. An Ultra Access heel carve makes it easier to access those high, almost inaccessible frets.

The hardtail bridge gives it solid intonation and good sustain. Pickup is warm but sounds pleasantly huge under gain. It does however, lose some clarity under extreme gain.

You will notice it from a distance thanks to its unique Roman numeral fret marks written on the fretboard in Goth font.

Pros

• Great build quality
• Sleek look
• Stainless steel frets

Cons

• Loses some clarity under extreme gain

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Schecter Reaper 6

The Reaper 6 has a combination of a swamp ash body, poplar top and ebony fretboard. How does this combination create a superior instrument? The swamp ash body handles lows well, gives strong mids and clear highs. The poplar burl top gives it a boutique feel and catchy look.

Ebony gives it a dark color and a tight grain. An ultra-thin (25.5 inch scale), C-shaped neck gives it a thin profile which makes it easy to navigate.

A proprietary diamond decimator bridge keeps tuning stable. Neck humbuckers make this guitar ideal for modern rock and metal tones.

The control panel consist of a volume knob, a tone knob as well as a 3-way pickup selector. The knobs also have a push and pull function which is used to access the coil-split tones thus adding to the versatility of this guitar.

An outstanding feature in this guitar is the Floyd Rose 1500 tremolo system. Its solid construction makes sure nothing can shake the tuning.

Pros

• Lightweight but strong
• Attractive burl top
• Tremolo system
• Versatile

Cons

• No kill switch
• Doesn’t come with a case

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Schecter C-1 SGR

If you are just starting out, the C-1 SGR from Schecter is something to consider. This is an entry level, budget friendly guitar which is easy on the pocket but doesn’t compromise on quality. It is definitely not a premium products but its overall build and detail puts many budget options from other brands to test.

The basswood body features an arched top and a maple neck which is bolted on to the body. The fretboard on which 12 frets sit is made from rosewood. Its overall look carries a good dose of Schecter’s gothic style brought out by the gothic cross inlay on the 12^th fret.

There are 2 SGR humbuckers positioned at the neck and bridge. These work with 2 metal control knobs used for volume and tone. There is also a pickup selector switch.

The 6-string guitar is available with electric blue, walnut satin or midnight satin black finishes.

In some markets, this guitar comes with a zippered gig bag which makes it convenient to carry around.

With such impressive hardware for the price, we almost thought there was no downside. This guitar’s weakness shows up in its sound. It doesn’t give you the rich beefy tones characteristic of mid and high range options. It does however, manage to give you clear tone with clarity retained even when overdrive is cranked up.

Another downside it that this guitar needs quite a bit of set up out of the box to get it to its real potential.

Pros

• Budget friendly
• Attractive gothic style
• Great hardware for the price
• Comes with a gig bag ( some markets)

Cons

• Lacks rich, beefy feel
• Requires a lot of set up

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Schecter Omen Extreme 6

The Omen Extreme 6 has a solid mahogany body and is a favorite for metal and hard rock guitarists. This tonewood gives it powerful sound and long sustain which heavy metal artists love. It works well for heavy distortion and doesn’t compromise sound in the process.

The neck is made of maple and is attached using abalone. Above the neck is a rosewood fret board with pearloid vector inlays.

It has a pair of Diamond Plus humbuckers which don’t look particularly outstanding but are quite powerful. They have a high output alnico design which gives you a wide variety of sound and tones.

Where controls are concerned, this guitar gives you 2 volume knobs. A master tone knob switch has push and pull capability as well as 3-way pickup selector switch. All these work well and can be adjusted easily even in the middle of a performance.

These guitars have Tune-o Matic tuning machines and a Floyd Rose bridge. Together, these elements make the guitar a great choice for guitarists who like to do extreme bending and can be more than a little rough on the strings.

Pros

• Passive humbuckers ( pair)
• Solid mahogany body
• Floy Rose bridge

Cons

• Tuning pegs seem weak

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Schecter Hellraiser C – VI

The Hellraiser series have made a name for being one of the most refined models in the market. The C-VI guitar is a larger version of the Hellraiser C-1. The larger C-VI guitar has heavier strings and is unique because it has a baritone scale. It has a 30-inch neck with 2 reinforcement rods.

The body has a standard Super Strat design and is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. The rods on the neck are double reinforced

Where electronics are concerned, you have a set of EMG humbuckers capable of producing just about any kind of output. It thrives in heavy distortion and sound quality is not reduced by heavy gain. That is not to say it won’t perform well on the other side of the spectrum. Roll back the volume knob and dial in a light overdrive and see how well it does in blues territory.

Other notable features are gothic cross inlays as well as a contoured asymmetrical body shape to make it more comfortable to use.

Pros

• Baritone guitar
• Mahogany body and rosewood fretboard
• Double reinforced rods

Cons

• Heavy strings

View price on Amazon

What to Consider When Buying the Best Schecter Guitar

Tonewood

The wood used to make a guitar is referred to as its tonewood. There are certain types of wood which are known to produce desirable tone and sustain thus making them good for musical instruments.

These are some of the most commonly used tonewoods for electric guitars. It is worth noting that two guitars may have the same tonewood but sound very different thanks to other differing elements of construction.

Ash: Features an open grain which gives you a balanced tone.

Mahogany: It falls in the medium to heavy weight category. You get warm sound with good sustain

Poplar: This is a lightweight hardwood which gives you bright and crisp sound.

Maple: Like mahogany, it is relatively heavy. Its sound is bright with long sustain.

Basswood: It a light wood which produces warm sound and strong mids.

Body Type

Electric guitars are available in 3 main body types. These are hollowbody, semi-hollowbody and solid body. Just as their names suggest, a hollowbody guitar is built like an acoustic guitar. The inside is completely hollow. A solidbody guitar’s body is made of solid wood and the semi-hollowbody guitar has a hollow body with a solid center block.

Pickups

A guitar pickup is the device which picks up the vibrations from the strings and converts them into electrical signals. These signals are then channeled to an amplifier which boost their volume.

Single-coil pickups: It has only one coil of wire. It could have one magnet with screws to allow adjustment of pole pieces, or a separate magnet for each string. Whatever the arrangement, if it has only one coil of wire, it is a single coil pickup.

Humbucker pickup: This one uses two coils along with either two magnets or pole pieces on opposite ends of a magnet. Double-coils produce warm, smooth sound which are favorites for blues, rock, jazz and pop.

Number of frets

Few guitar owners stop to think about this detail. Frets are seen as a standard, inconsequential feature of all guitars, yet they influence overall tone and playability.

The number of frets a guitar has determines how many notes are available for each string. A guitar with 22 frets for instance, gives you 2 less notes at the highest register compared to one with 2 frets.

Neck Profile

Profile or shape of the body is one of the most personal elements to be considered when purchasing a guitar.

The 3 main neck profiles are ‘C’ shape, ‘U’ shape and ‘V’ shape. It affects determines how your hands and fingers fit the neck and how easy it is for you to hold the guitar as you play. Another closely related factor to think about is neck width. It affects how easy it is for you to move your hands from one fret to another.

Bridge types

The bridge is the part of the guitar which supports the strings. Bridges and bridge saddles could be made from different materials which resonate differently. This is how two identical guitars with different kinds of bridges could sound different.

The two main types of bridges in guitars are Stoptail Bridge and Tremolo Bridge.

Tremolo Bridge: It is also called a whammy bar. It allows you to bend all the strings at once. This is good for users who play metal styles. The tradeoff is that it has a tendency to throw strings out of tune.

Stoptail bridge: it is a more stable bridge where tuning is concerned because it is attached to the body. It is believed to provide more sustain than the floating tremolo bridge.

Conclusion

Schecter guitars have a dizzyingly wide range of electric guitars to choose from. The company has been in the business for tens of years so you are assured of quality when you get your hands on one of these guitars.

Finding the best one for you is based on basic factors such as cost and design. Comfort while playing has a lot to do with the guitar’s design and your body frame as well as your preferred playing position.

FAQS

Why is humbucker pickup preferred to single-coil pickup?

Apart from producing electric signals, single-coil wires are also efficient antenna. The coil picks up surrounding electromagnetic radiation from the air therefore making them susceptible to hum.

What is the difference between a regular guitar and a baritone guitar?

The two are exactly the same but the baritone guitar has a lower voice. It is tuned a fourth or a fifth lower. All chord patterns are the same only that they produce lower voice.