| Build Quality: |  |
| Hardware: | |
| Electronics: | |
| Sound: | |
| Value: | |
| Average: | |
Pros:
- Adequate Overall
- Relatively Affordable
- Good Sound
Cons:
- Soft wood body
- Less defined high tones
- Passive Humbuckers
I have said this many times, so it is no surprise that I will be saying this again: I love Schecter. I mean, who could not love Schecter? They produce some great quality instruments on the market, custom or not, even if the instruments have weird names sometimes. The thing is, identifying which one of the Schecter series guitars are exceptional can sometimes be a little hard. You have me to make it easy for you though. So let us take a look at the Schecter OMEN-8 and see whether it lives up to the Schecter name.
Body Quality
It seems that most 8 string guitars in this price range have a hard time coming up with unique designs, even when they are produced by some of the more creative companies out there. The double-cutaway Stratocaster imitation design permeates the 8-string guitar market through and through, seemingly not leaving any space for any other designs. Still, there is nothing wrong with a good Stratocaster imitation, and this one is a good imitation, so I will accept it for what it is. The several full-body solid colorings give the guitar a simple look.
The body of the guitar is made out of basswood. This provides the instrument with some great qualities and some qualities that I am extremely skeptical of. The favorite part of the basswood body is always the effect the hardwood has on the tone of the guitar. The exceptional low tone resonance of the guitar provides a great bass for the instrument, with the steady midtones and less prominent but still well expressed high tones. The hardwood is also known to be rather light, which allows the 8 string guitar to be rather bearable and comfortable. Still, basswood is rather soft and easy to dent and scratch. This also makes me suspicious as to the longevity of the instrument.
The neck of the guitar is made out of maple. This provides the guitar with the neck stability that is definitely needed in an 8-string guitar. The maple is highly resistant to warping and is durable enough to withstand the pressures exerted upon it by the 8 strings. The neck is bolted into the body of the guitar, which is an interesting choice, especially with a soft body such as this. Still the guitar is durable and stable enough for me to stop being skeptical of it.
Hardware
The guitar comes with a Schecter CTM-8 bridge. This bridge was designed specifically for 8 string guitars, working towards producing exceptional string stability and some great action for the player.
The nut of the guitar is made of moderately good material, with string buzz not being too much of a problem and the strings having a nice harmony to them.
The tuning machine of the guitar is decent. The design is definitely nice, while the tuning stability is adequate, with the guitar staying in tune for long enough periods of time.
Electronics
The guitar comes with, as most 8-string guitars do, with a dual humbucker setup. This allows the guitar great clarity of sound, as the string buzz and hum is filtered out by the humbuckers. The Schecter Diamond Plus pickups were not designed specifically for 8 string guitars, but they do a good job of working with this one. The output is powerful, the detailing in sound good and the longevity of the pickups is decent.
The guitar comes with two knobs, one for master volume and the other for master tone. The guitar also has a three-way pickup selector.
Schecter OMEN 8 Sound
The guitar has a very good sound. The output of the pickups is powerful, so that you will never struggle with weak tones. The detailing of each individual tone could do a little better, but honestly, so far the instrument does a great job of having a good, defined sound. The low tone bias is definitely present, but the guitar performs well over most of the tonal range.
Conclusion
This affordable 8 string guitar is definitely adequate in its existence. While not being outstanding in many things, the guitar provides the player with a level of sound that they will enjoy.
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