New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

[Tony_H]

Hello folks,

I just bought a new toy. A used all-mahogany Strat-style with a H-S-S config and a Floyd Rose-style trem. A real beauty - go and check out the picture http://www.guitarlife.cz/fatstratkrivka.jpg
Funny thing - the shop I bought it at has not removed the pic from the site yet, although the guitar has been in my room for two days now, and they've added my former guitar that I put up for sale there - see my former guitar at http://www.guitarlife.cz/gd.jpg.

Although used, the guitar is in a very good condition. The neck is straight, the finish shows very little wear, and it has a substantial mass while not being too heavy. Being a pickup geek like I am, I immediately started replacing pickups. The original HB was decent but a Duncan Custom is definitely better. The Fender Elite Strat single-coils that are in it don't cut it for me. The neck slot will soon see a JB Jr. and I'll keep the middle one for contrast.

What you cannot see on the pic is a Schecter logo decal on the headstock. I have already contacted Schecter to try and find out if the guitar is a real Schecter or a fake. I mean, the guitar bears no serial mark or number, no indication even on the tremolo - all it has is the Schecter decal on the headstock, and the tuners are by Schaller. The pots are of Czech origin, but they may have been replaced. Now if it is a real Schecter, it must be a custom job because it has no serial number. If it is a fake, I wonder why anyone would bother to fake a Schecter guitar here in the Czech Rep. where Schecter was a little-known brand until recently (like the last 5 years, and my guitar is definitely older than that).

If you can contribute a comment, for example if you have seen a similar guitar and can confirm if it really is a Schecter or not, please do.
Thanks
Tony

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

There is a Schecter Tele in Las Cruces, NM (about 2 hours drive from where I live) in a shop that looks almost exactly like your strat. I think that Schecter was making uber-Fenders for a while in the 80's and 90's before switching to their current lineup.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

I'm a big fan of Los Angeles Custom Shop Schecters. Tom Anderson worked for the early Schecter Custom shop, if I'm not mistaken, before starting his own company.
Make no mistake....Schecter Custom Shops are FAR superior to the imported Schecters, and share a lot of similarities with Anderson, Suhr, and Charvel guitars.
I haven't seen one that looks exactly like yours, but if it is a Schecter, I'm guessing it was made around 85, since they would have had more 'Schecter labeling' on it if it came out closer to 90. The headstock would have been like the current headstocks, the logo would say Los Angeles, and the the heel plate would say Schecter California Custom with the outline of the state of California. Since Schecter operated as a true Custom Shop in the early 80's, it wouldn't be surprising if your guitar came from that handmade batch. Email a pic to Schecter, and ask their owner or oldest employee.

I don't have a picture of my headstock, but here is my Tele with stock splittable Monstertone pickups. This guitar looks and plays so amazing, it'll put to shame almost any Fender I've picked up. It resonates like a 40 yr old tele.

 

[proxy]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

Schecter used to just makes guitar parts and then in the 80's it would throw together an occasional guitar, not really for production, hence they didn't bother with serial numbers and stuff. With all those sort of guitar parts laying around, it doesn't shock me that it would have quite a variety.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

Notice that both Schecter and Anderson use two strap buttons at the butt of the guitar. It balances well, when leaned against a chair, and you can choose two different heights to play at.....low or high.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

Here's a picture of a recent Schecter USA. The quality is top notch on these.
This one is selling for $1250

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

Someone just listed an old Schecter. does your logo and headstock look like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3750557829&rd=1

 

[Tony_H]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

Someone just listed an old Schecter. does your logo and headstock look like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3750557829&rd=1

Thanks so much! Some great pieces of info for my jigsaw puzzle! Here's more from me:
1. I got a response from Schecter's customer support and they said my guitar does not look like a Schecter. Mine has no heel plate, no 'California' written anywhere.
2. But yes, my headstock and logo DO look like the ones on your links, except that the logo lettering is in gold only (at least that's what the color appears to me) - without the black. This is why it is almost invisible on the dark brown mahogany headstock. Also, as far as I can see from the headstock pic, the locking nut is very similar to mine.
3. My guitar does not have two strap buttons on the butt.

The shop I got that guitar from listed it under the name of the former owner. As far as I know, that person is a locally famous guitar player who has been to the US and could have bought the guitar at a pawn shop somewhere, and later pawned it himself here in the Czech Rep.

The guitar had Czech pots in it when I got it. This made me think it could be a Czech custom job.
On the other hand, a Czech custom builder would probably use a Schaller trem, because these are easier obtainable here than original FR and they are considered 'upscale' or 'brand' enough to put on a custom guitar. But my guitar has an unbranded unit installed. That said, the guitar does use Schaller tuning keys. Somehow, this makes me believe the guitar can be a US custom job, because AFAIK Schaller tuners are regarded 'upscale' in the US (correct me if I'm wrong, this is just my experience). (Hey, I believe Grovers are far better than Schallers - but that's my opinion again).
Then again, why would a Czech luthier bother to put on a Schecter logo? Who would he want to impress? I mean, I believe like 99% that the Schecter brand was totally unknown here until like mid-1990's. Given the checked finish, my guitar must have been made well before mid 1990's.

Anyway, I'll keep searchin'.
Thanks for your input, I highly appreciate it. I have been off the forum for a while (busy y'know), and it's great to come back and find responses to my quesiton. Thanks again!
Tony

 

[Tony_H]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

New info from Schecter - but no help: The tech wrote that the company changed ownership several times since its foundation and that they don't have all of the records from the past. So my guitar may be a real Schecter - or perhaps put together from Schecter parts sold separately.

 

[Hoss]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

my question is...how does it play and handle in person...cuz it sure does look sweet!!!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

In LA in the mid eighties, there were about 2 or 3 shops that would sell Schecter parts.
I'm guessing that the guy who put your guitar together, came to Hollywood to a place called Sunset Custom and bought a neck, and some other parts. He then found that body, bridge, and pots, and assembled it. Since they were more of a parts company in the beginning, it would be safe to assume it was a parts guitar. Sunset Custom closed in the early 90's, when the Schecter company moved and really took off.
They were right next to the Carvin store, across the street from Guitar Center on Sunset's 'guitar row.' I'd be willing to bet that's where your parts were bought.

 

[Tony_H]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

In LA in the mid eighties, there were about 2 or 3 shops that would sell Schecter parts.
I'm guessing that the guy who put your guitar together, came to Hollywood to a place called Sunset Custom and bought a neck, and some other parts. He then found that body, bridge, and pots, and assembled it. Since they were more of a parts company in the beginning, it would be safe to assume it was a parts guitar. Sunset Custom closed in the early 90's, when the Schecter company moved and really took off.
They were right next to the Carvin store, across the street from Guitar Center on Sunset's 'guitar row.' I'd be willing to bet that's where your parts were bought.

That may very well be the case. I'll try to contact the guy who I believe the guitar belonged to and ask about it.

 

[Tony_H]

Re: New toy - a mystery Schecter Fat Strat

my question is...how does it play and handle in person...cuz it sure does look sweet!!!

Thanks! Well after 5 days of ownership, I think this guitar is a keeper. It's quite heavy but not as my former LP Studio was. The body is your regular Strat-style but a little thinner (1.65"), probably to reduce weight. The neck is a tad flatter overall and a little narrower at the nut than my Jap Squier Strat. The locking tremolo and locking nut work fine. The 3 mini toggle switches offer more tonal versatility while being a tad harder to get used to. I replaced the pots for a Gotoh 500K A volume, a CTS 500K A tone and and the third is a push-pull wired just as a coil split (both bridge and neck pups at the same time), the actual pot is not connected.

But what gets me the most is the sound. Man, that guitar sounds remarkably close to my Gibson The Hawk! Since I had to sell my LP Studio last year, the Hawk is my best guitar, and that darned Schecter sounds almost as rich and meaty even though it has the FR trem on it. I will have to make a few field tests with my gigging amp, and perhaps even replace that much-too-mellow Elite pickup schmickup with a SSL-1 to get more zing. But the Custom TB in the bridge is a good choice, much better than the Cool Rails in the neck: I'm replacing that one with a JB Jr.

And I also added Schaller strap locks, they never do any harm.