Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

[Evan Skopp]

Next up in the continuing Guest Luthier Series, we're very proud to have the team of Michael Ciravolo, President of Schecter Guitar Research, and Marc La Corte, Vice President, on hand to answer your questions. Originally founded in the mid-‘70s as a California-based supplier of replacement parts and then Fender-inspired guitars, the company has grown into one of the world’s premier guitar brands.

Here's a brief biography on today's guests:

Michael Ciravolo ran Hollywood’s Sunset Custom Guitars before being tapped to take the helm at Schecter in the mid-‘90s. Ciravolo, who also holds down guitar duties with Goth rockers Gene Loves Jezebel as well as his own band Human Drama, was one of the pioneers of developing manufacturing relationships with offshore factories and producing high-end, premium-branded instruments. Some of these guitars include the famed C Series, Tempest, Ultra, Blackjack, Solo and many others. His wife, Tish Ciravolo, is president and founder of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars.

Marc La Corte, also a musician and producer, runs the company’s AR Department and has developed relationships with Schecter’s myriad artists, including Robin Finck / Nine Inch Nails, Robert Smith, Porl Thomson, & Simon Gallup / The Cure, Robert DeLeo / Stone Temple Pilots, Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance / Avenged Sevenfold, Jerry Horton / Papa Roach, Shaun Morgan / Seether and many, many more. Marc is also intimately involved in product development.

As an added bonus, at the end of this live chat, Schecter will give away their awesome and stylish Vintage Guitar Strap to 10 lucky participants in this SDUGF exclusive event. No country restrictions!

Folks, please join me in welcoming Schecter's Michael Ciravolo and Marc La Corte!

 

[Rowan]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Welcome guys! I look forward to the knowledge and experiences you have to share with us. :bigthumb:

 

[MarcSchecter]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Good morning everyone!

We are really looking forward to this!

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Hey guys! Thanks for taking the time to share with us. This post is more about the business & logistical side rather than the guitar building aspect of Schecter.

How do you guys pick which artists you want to endorse (# of fans on Myspace, shows played per year, record sales, major label backing, etc)? Typically, do you pick one guitarist to endorse or do you support the whole band? For the average, small touring band that hasn't really broke ground with a major hit and massive sales, what kind of deal do they get for endorsing your brand and products? I'm just curious how big companies weed through the thousands of guitarists that think they deserve to be endorsed. There must be a logical criteria. Thanks for any insights!

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

By the way, last night Michael Ciravolo gave me 10 random numbers (with a few backups). Those numbers will correspond to the post numbers of the 10 winners of the Schecter guitar straps.

 

[jeremy]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

welcome!!

what can you tell me about prince's guitars? i know you guys built at least one or two of his symbol guitars.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Hi Michael and Marc!!

Thanks for taking time out for us here at the SDUGF.

A couple of guitar philosophy questions...

1. Can you both name any one particular guitar that made want to start building guitars because you felt you could do a better job making your own?

2. Can you both name any one guitar that made you want to start building because you thought you'd like to live up to it's higher standard with your own builds?

Thanks!!

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Welcome!

Something I've wondered for a while is how you arrived at the idea that offering choices to guitarists is actually a good thing. With other big guitar brands, their models tend to have the same dimensions. The differences between their models are mostly cosmetic. But your production models come in a variety of scales and neck dimensions, even the 7 strings. Did you follow the demand, or did you do it out of some kind of philosophy, or was it something else?

 

[Rowan]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Which is the best selling model of Schecter guitar currently, and also of all time?

 

[BTMN]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Good day Gents!! Thanks for sharing your day with us.
Any off beat Who/Pete Townshend stories to share and/or about the development of his '80s signature "Tele" style guitars? :scratchch :cool2: :approve:

 

[J Moose]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Thanks for doing this!

My introduction to Schecter years ago was through the USA built stuff... the oiled Strat & Tele styles which are superb instruments that IMO are on par with Anderson & others of that ilk. I really miss my old T-style guitar that went missing... it had the most amazing neck & sounded great.

I also realize that besides the crazy custom shop stuff, that a large chunk of what's out there are the imported Diamond series and those are fine as well... some of which are close to $1000.

Are there any plans or have you ever kicked around the idea to come out with a line of sub $1000 USA made guitars?

When I was in high school, circa 1993 or so I bought a USA made Hamer for $600 that came with a Floyd & Duncans... looking around today, and I guess its not hard to notice this because the diamonds are everywhere, that $600+ will also buy a "new" guitar with a Floyd & Duncans!

Not that they'd have to have a locking trem... but stripped down tone machines. Good wood, good hardware... Fender killers.

 

[MCschecterPres]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Good Morning All ... I need MORE coffee!!

 

[Richard]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

I realy don't have a question but I do want to say thanks for making a quality product for a really reasonable price. My Schecter Blackjack PT is my all time fav guitar I have ever owend. I'm a Schecter fan for life.... Thx Richard

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Michael and Marc --- welcome!

As a guitar nerd, I'm aware of the PT Series, but if I was a music-store-and-guitar-magazine only person, I would think of Schecter as HH Strat-body-style shred rockers.

I know Schecter has quite the reputation for high quality affordable "modern" design guitars --- are there any plans to create brand new modern updates on those classic designs, or push marketing of the more classic designs (outside of the PT Series)?

Thanks!

-Hunter

 

[Hoss]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

My #1 guitar is my early 80's PT/Saturn...i'd love to get another guitar that had a similar build/feel to this one so i can give it the rest it deserves once in awhile!

I've never layed my hands on the current USA Custom stuff...but to your knowledge, i assume i could count on the same stellar quality and feel of those old 80's PT guitars!?!? Nothing i've played to date feels as good from any other manufacturer?!

Also...of your Diamond series...i really dig the Pete Dee PT...can you tell us about how that guitar came to be?

thanks,
mike

 

[baritone]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

The Hellcat VI is a monster of a guitar. Are there any plans to expand on the crazy long neck idea?

 

[MCschecterPres]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

We built 24 'Cloud' guitars (as seen in Purple Rain) for a big radio promo Prince did first. Then be built him several custom CLOUD guitars for tour. Later we built 2 of his 'Symbol' guitars... a gold and a purple if I remember correctly... which have been in a few times to repair the broken bottom horns ... and to have a Floyd installed on one. He played one of these at the Super Bowl half time show. .... and we have also built him a replica of his infamous Hohner tele..... Lets Go Crazy

 

[MarcSchecter]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

@speed2dirt - You pretty much nailed it! Obviously things have changed dramatically with the internet and myspace. At the end of the day we are looking for talent, something that we think has the potential to be groundbreaking one way or another. So we sort of play A&R the way a record company does. We work with huge signed acts and lots of smaller up and coming bands. We just look for the right fit in the Schecter family.

You obviously need to be out there, playing shows, doing tours and getting exposure from all the normal media outlets, otherwise we would be giving gear to everyone who has a band!

I hope that helps.

 

[phil_104]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

I know this question is hard to answer, as it's very general, but I'll ask it.

I don't know much about Schecter guitars, but every time I have picked one up, it felt amazing. Quality and overall playability has been on par with instruments many times their price. Now, considering I don't know much about them, which instrument in your line do you consider your flagship, the guitar that, in your opinion, embodies what guitar building is about to you? If you had to recommend me a guitar in your line knowing nothing about my style, which one would it be?

 

[B2D]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Schecter Guitar Research

Good Morning All ... I need MORE coffee!!

Good Morning! I have some questions for you;

Wikipedia says that you were working at Sunset Custom in 1987 as one of the few retailers that sold Schecter guitars, and that in 1996 Hisatake Shibuya asked you to become president and run the company. Can you give us a brief rundown of how your business relationship with him developed during those times?

Is David Schecter still involved with the company? If so, on what level?

And finally... I'm in college working on my degree currently and I plan to relocate to LA to establish a career in the music industry. What does Schecter look for in potential employees? I can make a mean cup of coffee if that helps.

Thanks in advance for your time!