| Build Quality: |  |
| Hardware: | |
| Electronics: | |
| Sound: | |
| Value: | |
| Average: | |
Pros:
- Great Value
- Awesome Pickups
- Locking Nut
Cons:
- Lots of broken strings
- Heavy
Schecter is one of my favorite guitar manufacturing companies of all time. They have produced some of my favorite guitars (none of which I own) over the past years. Their custom instruments are of exceptional beauty and quality, and many musicians will agree on that with me. Their mass-produced instruments are not much inferior though, with some of the most interesting and fun guitars of their being mass-produced. The Schecter Hellraiser C-7 FR is one of their best 7 string guitars we are going to take a look at it and see what makes it so great.
Body Quality
First, let’s talk about how gorgeous this guitar is. Because it is gorgeous and because we need to stop deceiving ourselves and admit: the design is one of the primary reasons we end up buying a guitar. First and foremost is the body shape: the double cutaway of the instrument is reminiscent of the famous Stratocaster design. This means the guitar has one of the most famous and lovely body shapes out there. The quilted top of the guitar produces an interesting pattern for the front of the guitar, while the two coloring options look eye-catching and rather lovely.
The body of the guitar is constructed out of mahogany. This is as much a good thing as it is a problem. You see, 7 string guitars need way more sturdiness than available for an average guitar. This is because of the pressure that the extra string puts on the guitar. As a result, using mahogany in a 7-string guitar is a great decision. This instrument has a great level of sturdiness, providing a guitar that is resistant to warping, breaking and denting, and scratching as well. The mahogany also provides a nice level of tonal personality, adding depth to the deepest tones and warmth to the rest. The only problem is the weight of the instrument, which, with the added weight of the neck, becomes rather substantial.
The neck of the guitar is made of mahogany as well. The hardwood is a good pick because of its sturdiness, which was discussed above. The manufacturer attempts to mitigate the problem of the weight by making the neck of the guitar as slim as possible, yet the guitar is rather heavy still. A sacrifice that is worth it if you want the extra string. The neck is set through for extra sturdiness and no alignment issues. The fretboard is made out of rosewood.
Hardware
The bridge of the guitar is the Floyd Rose Original Tremolo design. This design allows the instrument some great action, great string stability, as well as a tremolo bar that you can have fun with. The design of the bridge is rather attractive and fits with the rest of the instrument well.
The nut of the guitar is of the locking design. This means that the guitar has some awesome string buzz mitigation, as well as hardly any problems with tuning stability. The only problem is the extra time you might spend restringing the instrument, which might happen more often than you thought. The locking nut combined with the tremolo bending and overzealous playing might result in a lot of broken strings.
The tuning machine of the guitar has a lovely design and a chrome finish. Combined with the locking nut the guitar ends up having some amazing tuning stability that you can appreciate without issue.
Electronics
The guitar s equipped with two pickups. The guitar has a dual humbucker configuration which acts well to mitigate the buzz from the extra strings. The neck pickup on the guitar is the Sustainiac, which is perfect for the metal and sustain sounds you want. The bridge pickup of the guitar is the EMG 81 Active HUmbucker, which has an incredibly powerful sound and lets no buzz escape.
The controls of the guitar are extensive and lovely. The guitar comes with a master volume control, the master tone control, the intensity control, a three-way pickup configuration lever, a 2-way sustainiac pickup on and off switch and one more, 3-way mode select switch. Lovely even if it is a little intimidating.
Schecter Hellraiser Sound
The sound of the guitar is one of my favorites. The 7 strings, as you’d expect, provide a wonderful range of tones, with the mahogany providing a nice and warm bass basis. The true stars of the show are the pickups though, which provide a clean, powerful sound that can go metal and back to jazz in a second.
Conclusion
A highly recommended guitar, by me, for anyone looking for a new guitar. It even is rather affordable, making it a great value for whatever price you are buying it. Highly recommended for anyone looking to play a 7-string guitar.
