| Build Quality: |  |
| Hardware: | |
| Electronics: | |
| Sound: |  |
| Value: | |
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Pros:
- Beautiful Orange Model
- Swamp Ash Body
- Powerful Output, Detailed Sound
Cons:
- Tuning Stability Issues
- Limited Controls
- Limited Tone Flexibility
I have said many times before and I will say it again: Schecter is one of the best guitar manufacturers out there. This company produces so many custom and mass produced instruments with stellar specifications that it is hard for me not to be in love with them. Though sometimes I notice a guitar that I know barely anything about and I get excited. So let us take a closer look at the Schecter KM-7 guitar and see whether it is as exciting as I think it should be.
Body Quality
First and foremost, as usual, we are going to get into the design of the guitar. In the case of the Schecter 248 7 string we have a rather interesting choice. An understated guitar that only stands out to those who know what the instrument can do. The body is designed after the famous Stratocaster shape, which is a good, if a little generic, choice for most guitars. It doesn’t make the guitar feel unique, but it makes it feel comfortable and handsome. The solid coloring of the guitar is where the guitar strats to stand out. While the black and white versions cool and all, the orangish colored model is the one I enjoy most. Just holding the orange model makes me feel 10 times cooler.
The body of the guitar is made out of Swamp Ash. You don’t see this wood used in the cheaper guitars too often. Fortunately, this is not a cheap guitar and we get to enjoy an interesting tonewood while playing it. Swamp ash is a very balanced hardwood. It provides a good level of durability for the guitar, making it resistant to light damage. The hardwood is also known to be rather lightweight, which is always nice to have in a seven string guitar. Swamp Ash also provides a nice overall tonal character, with powerful bass response, an interesting midrange and highs that feel a little lighter than usual.
The neck of the guitar is made of maple. This is always a good choice, especially for a 7 string guitar which requires even more warping resistance and durability. Works just fine here, and I am thankful for it, as you should be. The joint of the neck is set and glued into the body, which provides further stability in the face of the extra stress. The fretboard of the guitar is made of ebony, which is honesty, always a solid choice.
Hardware
The guitar comes with a hipshot hardtail bridge with a string through the body setup. This provides the player with a rise that will provide some amazing action out of the strings. The stability is also something you will definitely be able to appreciate.
The nut of the guitar is the Black Tusq XL, which is actually a great choice. This provides the guitar with awesome harmony, as well as providing a nice rise to the strings and limiting any plausible string buzz.
The tuning machine of the guitar is decent, though I would love for some more stability. The guitar tends to go out of tune much faster than I would like on a guitar like this, but alas, can’t have them all right?
Electronics
The guitar comes with a marvelous set of pickups. The Seymour Duncan Nazgul and the Seymour Duncan Sentient have some of the more badass names on the market. They also have some of the most powerful output and heavy sound on the market, among pickups that come with guitars. The pickups have a good lifespan and will serve you well in tone and power.
The controls are rather simplistic on the guitar, with one knob controlling the volume and one lever to control the pickup configuration. I would love a little more control on this guitar, but this is acceptable.
Schecter KM7 Sound
The sound of the guitar is like a shining star. If you don’t feel like the orange of the guitar brings enough style or attention, than know that the sound will make up for it. The guitar has great detail in sound, a powerful output and a head-turning tone. The only problem is the lack of control for the tone and sustain in the guitar, which would allow further customization of sound, but even without controls, the guitar sounds great.
Conclusion
Metal is the home for this guitar. Powerful sound, powerful tone all mean that prog rock, metal and even punks will find this to be acceptable. A little limited in flexibility, but it works just fine. Recommended.
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