HELP with new Guitar Purchase!!

[gordon_39422]

Just returned from a tour in Iraq and finally buying a brand new guitar. With a budget of $700 - $800, I have narrowed it down to a few selections. One is a Schecter model and the other is a Lone Star Fat Strat. This thread focuses on the Schecter, as the Strat has decent pups for now. I played the Schecter Classic and love the SD's onboard, but not crazy about the vine-of-life inlay. I like the asthetics of several other C-1 models , but they utilize the Duncan Designed HB's. I have my eye on either the C-1 E/A with the RMC Piezzo built in the bridge, or the CSH-1. To maintain the cosmetic integrity of the Schecter axes, if I replace the DD's with genuine SD's, are the pup covers interchangeable? I have never seen the JB covered in gold before the Schecter Classic model. If not, can I buy gold covers for them to accent the rest of the hardware? I need to go from a full clean sound to texas blues to heavier chunk and searing solos. Also, I have seen several ads for the classic each claiming a different pair of pups. Which is a better combination for my desired tone, the JB/Jazz or the JB/'59?

I would appreciate any advice. I am a new member of this forum, but have spent countless hours as a guest scanning the useful posts since my return to the US.

Just wanted to add that upon completion of my studies at Atlanta Institute for Music (I begin in July), I will buy a better quality guitar. With the amount of practice and performing involved in the upcoming course, I was advised to stay in the 700-800 dollar range to prevent premature wear on a treasure. Also, I wanted to include my equipment to help with those willing to offer advise. I use a Furman SP8 Pedalboard to run my chain which starts with a Morley Bad Horsie II Wah into an MXR Double Shot Distortion into a Morley L'il Alligator and finally into a Line 6 Duoverb. The Duoverb has a great deal of flexibility and can turn my Peavey Predator into a Fender Strat with the right adjustments. However, I will also buy either the Fender Twin-Amp or the '65 Twin Reverb Custom 15 next year, so I want the guitar to possess its own quality sound. Again, the goal is to have a clean tone that covers the entire frequency spectrum, crunch with bottom chunk, and sustain for searing solos. Thanks in advance for any assistance you provide!

 

[KLINKDETROIT]

Re: HELP with new Guitar Purchase!!

I bought a Schecter C-1 Plus that came with Duncan designed HB103B modelled after the duncan distortion and it has a chrome/ nickel ? cover. It looks like theyjust put 2 spotwelds to hold the cover on the bottom of the pickup. I wondered if removing this would give the duncan designed pickup more clarity or gain or if removing it and attatching to the duncan distortion would tame that pickup? The spacing of the duncan designed 103B is trembucker width/not standard spacing so I would have to go and buy a distortion trembucker to fit the duncan designed spacing. I beleive you can purchase different types of covers. As to exactly what the covers add or detract frome tone is a question I am not qualified to answer unfortunately.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: HELP with new Guitar Purchase!!

The covers are, in fact, interchangable. I own a Schecter C-1 Stealth, love the hell out of it. Best purchase I've ever made. If (When ) you put some real Duncan's in the beast, you can just take the covers off the old pickups and slap em on the new ones, just 2 solder joints per cover.

 

[Wattage]

Re: HELP with new Guitar Purchase!!

Gordon welcome to the forum and glad you made it back from iraq in one piece, good job!

I would assume the covers are interchangeable but if not I have used Allparts covers on SD's several times and I know they make a gold cover.

 

[BluesNRock87]

Re: HELP with new Guitar Purchase!!

yea dude, the pup covers on schecters work with duncans, my friend did it to his c-1 plus.

welcome to the forum, welcome back to the states, good job over there

for pups, u mention 59/jb and jazz/jb. jazz/jb is seymours fav. combination (i hear) and it is for a reason. i believe this combo to be the most versatile. i unfortunately dont ahve a jazz at the moment, but my electric has in it right now a 59/jb. i like this combo a bit better because its more "classic" sounding to me, especially of the jazz. either way u cant go wrong.

 

[gordon_39422]

Re: HELP with new Guitar Purchase!!

I certainly appreciate the welcome and the feedback. I was aware of the f-pole spacing, but most of the pups I'm considering have the alternate trembucker options. The covers aren't of such importance that I wouldn't purchase them. I just know that I played the C-1 Classic which has genuine SD's with covers and have not seen them elsewhere. While I lost track of time jamming on the classic, I quickly placed the Duncan Designs back on the wall. Not bad, but if I wanted not bad, I would stick to my Predator. I was also wondering how much tone is affected by these. I notice that one coil has the poles exposed. Not that I am qualified to make these assumptions, but it seems that at the least the signal-to-ratio would diminish dropping all responses such as sustain, harmonics, etc.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: HELP with new Guitar Purchase!!

Welcome home!!!
I hear ya about the C-1 Classic's neck inlays, which are a little over the top. I played all the Schecter "C" series guitars at a local Guitar Center store over a year ago, but couldn't put down that Classic. The Jazz/JB pickup combo with the coils split is another asset as well. I thought the Classic played the best of those models, and the pup combo is an excellent choice for the guitar.
I ran across an online ad for one in mint but used condition and bought it and a case for $400 shipped. Yes, the vine-of-life inlay is kinda gawdy but I figured I wasn't going to be looking at it much while playing the guitar. It's got great action, and is pretty much good to go straight out of the gate.
A while back, Musician's Friend had a Schecter model advertised in their catalogue that was what appeared to be exactly like the Classic 'cept for the neck inlay and body finish color, which was black. I almost bought one, but went for a Fender DRRI amp instead at the time.
M-F is selling a Schecter C-1 Artist model that comes with a set neck and SD JB/'59 combo for pups that looks interesting at $500. You may want to try out one of those if you can find one. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...tar/s=electric/search/detail/base_pid/518187/
Good luck!