Is Schecter a good guitar brand? Who are the famous guitar players that use a Schecter guitar? What are Schecter Guitars known for? Is Schecter a good guitar brand for beginners? Does Gibson make Schecter Guitars? Are Schecter guitars durable? Do Schecter guitars sound good?
Although Schecter is a familiar guitar brand, especially with rock guitar players, there are still many guitar players and even novice guitarists that are unfamiliar with the brand. The questions above are usually asked by those who are still unfamiliar with the brand name. So, if you are one of those curious about how good Schecter guitars are, then you are in the right place at the right time, as we are doing a thorough review with the brand and checking how great their guitars are.
Schecter Guitar Research, or widely known as Schecter, is a renowned guitar manufacturing company that was established in 1976 by David Schecter. Originally, the company only produced replacement parts from other renowned guitar companies like Fender and Gibson, but as of this moment, it is now one of the largest manufacturers of electric, acoustic, and bass guitars in the world.
In 1976, Mr. Schecter decided to open the company as a repair shop located in Van Nuys, California. It was in 1979 that the company first started to offer fully assembled electric guitars. After 1983, the company reached to the point that it could no longer meet the demands of the market, which is why the company was purchased by a group of Texas investors and relocated its operation to Dallas, Texas.
In 1987, the Texas investors who owned the company decided to sell it to Hisatake Shibuya, a Japanese businessman who is also the owner of the Musicians Institute in Hollywood and the ESP Guitars. In the late 1990s, the company decided to have a factory in Incheon, South Korea, to be able to produce more affordable electric guitars, aside from their more expensive USA custom guitars.
In 2012, the company decided to expand its custom shop by adding 14,000 square feet to its manufacturing facility. In the same year, Schecter announced that it would be producing a new line of USA-made custom guitars to be called the USA Production Series, aiming to bring the company back to its roots. Along with this announcement, they also announced that they would debut their first line of amplifiers.
Who Are The Famous Guitar Players That Use Schecter Guitars?
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Malmsteen is a Swedish guitar player and is widely known for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal. Time Magazine rated him as 9th among eleven of the greatest guitar players of all time. He was one of the first artists to sign a contract with Schecter in 1986. The company was able to produce his first signature guitar the same year named YM-1. One of its unique features is that it has scalloped frets, which Yngwie is known for playing.
Zack Vengeance
Another famous guitar player who uses a Schecter guitar in his performances is Zacky Vengeance. Zacky is known for being the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold. In February 2012, Zacky signed with Schecter to build custom-designed electric guitars as his signature guitar model. His Schechter signature model is called the Zacky Vengeance 6661.
Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde is also one of the most famous guitar players that use a Schecter guitar. Zakk is known for being the lead guitarist of the famous artist Ozzy Osbourne, and he is also the founder, lead singer, and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Black Label Society.
Zakk is the owner of the guitar company Wylde Audio, and in 2015, he was able to strike a partnership with Schecter Guitars. In 2016, the first of his signature models was introduced to the market. The Schecter guitars he was known to use are the Barbarian, Blood Eagle, Odin, Viking, and the Warhammer.
Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler is a British artist that was born in Scotland but was raised in England and is widely known for being the lead guitarist, songwriter, and singer for the rock band Dire Straits. After the band disbanded in 1988, he pursued a solo career. His most famous Schecter guitar was called the Dream Machine, which has similar aesthetics to a Fender Stratocaster and has a red body color.
Prince
Last but not least would be one of the most famous artists and considered one of the greatest musicians of his time, no other than Prince. Prince was known to favor the design of the guitar he used rather than its sound, which is why there is no wonder he really liked his iconic Cloud guitar. As of this moment, Schecter was commissioned by the singer to reproduce the Cloud guitar to be available in the market.
Famous Schecter Guitars: How Good Are They?
C- 6 Deluxe And Plus
The Schecter C-Series is the company’s offering of entry-level electric guitars, and they are available in two models: the C-6 Deluxe and the C-6 Plus. Both models have their guitar bodies made of basswood, while the C-6 Plus’ top material is made of quilted maple images.
The guitars are equipped with two humbucker pickups called the Schecter Diamond Plus, and they all come with a three-way switch for guitar voicing options. Their fretboards are made of rosewood, while their necks are made of maple. They all come with a string-thru-body bridge for better resonance and sustain. All of these guitars have 24 frets.
Banshee Mach-6
The Banshee Mach-6 is the top-of-the-line electric guitar for Schecter. It is the company’s best creation yet. This guitar has a neck-thru construction which significantly improves its sustain. The guitar’s body is made of swamp ash and a flamed maple top. The neck is made of a combination of roasted maple and purple heart with carbon reinforcement rods.
The guitar is equipped with two Lundgren M6 humbucker pickups, which really sounds great, and it also has a three-way switch for you to choose your preferred tone. It has an ultra-thin neck shape and comes with 24 frets.
Schecter YM-1 Is it good?
If you are looking for one of the most famous guitars that Schecter ever made, then maybe the YM-1 is the one you are looking for. The Schecter YM-1 is known as Yngwie Malmsteen’s signature electric guitar that was introduced in 1986. The guitar has an ash body, and its fretboard is made of scalloped rosewood. It also comes with a two-point fulcrum-style bridge.
Yngwie Malmsteen is widely known to be one of those guitar players that never use the middle pickups on their Fender Strats, which is why in the Schecter YM-1, the middle pickup is wired to be as a hum-canceling coil for neck and bridge pickups, while it also comes with a three-way pickup switch, allowing the classic out-phase Strat tone in the middle position.
So, is Schecter a good guitar brand? Yes, Schecter is an excellent guitar brand to choose from, especially if you are looking for an electric guitar that you can use for playing rock, metal, or even heavy metal songs. They really sound great for the rock and metal genres, as they are one of the go-to brands for electric guitars in these genres.
