NGD! (Schecter content)

[Van Noord]

(Unexpectedly) picked up this Schecter Blackjack ATX Solo this morning after perusing the local used gear ads.
I've recently been gasing for another modern LP shaped guitar after selling a nice Korean LTD EC-401 a few years ago.
I've often overlooked Schecter as I've always been a big LTD user but lately these have peaked my interest.
The build a feel of this guitar is great, on par with my higher end LTDs. Which makes sense because I guess they are the same company now or they're built in the same factory (?)
Anyways, based on the specs alone it seems to be quite the guitar for the price...

- Mahogany body
- Maple neck
- Ebony fretboard
- SD Blackouts
- Tone pros bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tusq nut
- Glow in the dark side dot inlays
- Stainless steel jumbo frets
- Black matte finish w/ aged binding
- 24 frets

 

[Diego]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

I almost pulled the trigger on one of those, with the wine red finish though. Congrats!

Excellent guitar, those big ass frets feel phenomenal and the Blackouts sound huge. The neck pickup particularly is amazing, has a very tight low-end response and a great, throaty attack.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Oh man these Blackouts are HOT. This is my first time playing them and their reputation definitely precedes themselves. I find them hotter, have different mids and have more/better dynamics than my EMGs. But the EMGs have their advantages too.
I noticed pickup height is extremely important with these as they can get quite boomy and overly gainy if set too high, or sterile and dull if too too low. They are definitely set lower than my EMGs in order to achieve the same balance though. Any high and they're just out of control.
Any lower they're blunt and less expressive.

 

[dave74]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Never knew any of these had stainless frets. Yeah it seems that factory has less lemons than others that make our imports.

 

[stratguy23]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Yep, same factory, World Music, for high end MIK Schecter and ESP guitars, as well as PRS SE, though at least some SE production has shifted to Indonesia.

The same guy, Hisatake Shibuya, owns ESP and Schecter.

Pound-for-pound (or kg-for-kg), Schecter offers the most bang for buck specs-wise by having Graph Tech nuts, TonePros bridges, and locking tuners for a good chunk of their catalog. That just means less stuff to replace/upgrade. That was even more true when they were offering Seymour Duncans routinely as stock in guitars.

The ATX and Hellraiser lines are "top of the line" for Schecter, with Hellraiser seeming to be more popular. The differences between the two have mostly just been different ingredients, i.e., ebony fretboards and SD Blackouts in ATX vs. rosewood fretboards and EMGs in Hellraiser.

The Blackouts are indeed super hot. I wish SD made a lower output version, as I found that they sounded good, but I found them hard to control.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Congratulations with your new axe Van Noord!! When looking at the guitar's specs I must say it's equipped with some fine hardware and materials!! It even has stainless steel frets!! Major advantage in my opinion!! Have fun playing it bro! :fing2:

 

[Van Noord]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Another thing I like about this guitar is the body design. Schecter previously had an offset LP shaped Solo model and a lightning bolt 12th fret inlay. Kinda neat, but kinda odd.

Something I never liked about the LTD EC guitars was their weird pickup placement (close together and too high up the body) I also didn't like that the whole body shape seemed smaller and how thin the body was. I'm not too big a guy but at 6'1 and 215lbs, I felt like I was playing/holding a mandolin sometimes lol!
In the end though, it was just too much of a deviation from the traditional LP body shape IMHO.

This new (2014) revision of the Solo model is much closer to an actual LP in look and design than the EC.
It's got the full body thickness of an LP Standard, and the pickup placement is better as well.
Sure it has it's semi unique neck cutaway shape and the dial placement is different, but I think they fit this modernized design.

I took off the 10-46's today and put on 11-50's (tuned C#G#C#F#A#D#) and now this thing just slices and dices and chunks and thumps.
A real pleasure to play, and very sharp looking.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

I've got a C-7 with the lightning bolt 12th fret inlay and it's an absolute workhorse guitar. Those ATX's can be had on the cheap and they're fantastic. I'm dreading the day when people realize their quality and value.

 

[Adieu]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Another thing I like about this guitar is the body design. Schecter previously had an offset LP shaped Solo model and a lightning bolt 12th fret inlay. Kinda neat, but kinda odd.

Something I never liked about the LTD EC guitars was their weird pickup placement (close together and too high up the body) I also didn't like that the whole body shape seemed smaller and how thin the body was. I'm not too big a guy but at 6'1 and 215lbs, I felt like I was playing/holding a mandolin sometimes lol!
In the end though, it was just too much of a deviation from the traditional LP body shape IMHO.

This new (2014) revision of the Solo model is much closer to an actual LP in look and design than the EC.
It's got the full body thickness of an LP Standard, and the pickup placement is better as well.
Sure it has it's semi unique neck cutaway shape and the dial placement is different, but I think they fit this modernized design.

I took off the 10-46's today and put on 11-50's (tuned C#G#C#F#A#D#) and now this thing just slices and dices and chunks and thumps.
A real pleasure to play, and very sharp looking.

Which ESP/LTD eclipse shape are you talking about?

The thin bolton is actually wider than an LP. And the current Eclipse 2 has a full thickness model version called FTM iirc

 

[Van Noord]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

The model I mentioned previously, the EC-401 to 1000 series, which have design differences compared to the actual ESP Eclipse and the cheaper sub 401 models.

 

[stratguy23]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Something I never liked about the LTD EC guitars was their weird pickup placement (close together and too high up the body) I also didn't like that the whole body shape seemed smaller and how thin the body was.

I think the pickup placement is due to the fact that, at least in the 401 and 1000, the EC has 24 frets, not the traditional 22. So the neck pickup gets moved to an SG-like position.

The EC's front strap button is located at about the 17th fret, vs. the traditional 16th fret LP strap button placement. That may not seem like much, but when combined with a thinner/lighter body, the overall effect is like an SG.

ESP does have a few ECs with full LP body thickness - the LTD 401VF and 1000CTM, and the Alex Skolnick and Bill Kelliher sigs.

The Skolnick model is closest to an actual LP due to having a chunky LP-style neck.

I can understand ESP and Schecter not wanting to copy LPs fully. People who want LPs can get just get actual LPs. ESP and Schecter have their own customer bases, which, to generalize, are mostly metal players, and are likely to want more aerodynamic designs.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Awesome looking guitar! Love the matte finish! Enjoy!

 

[Van Noord]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

More pics!

 

[Diego]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

I hate you.

I kinda regret not buying it when I could. That thing is serious quality. It feels incredibly solid and stable.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

No doubt man, I've never come across one of these before, and have never seen one for sale locally.
If I encounter one in the wine red finish, I'm buying it!

This guitar has now transitioned into being my No.1.
It's that nice and sounds that good.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

I really dig those Jap-style graphics on your strap Van Noord! :bigok: Did you (or somebody else) handpaint that on, or did the strap come like this?
Either way I think it's a cool looking strap!

 

[Van Noord]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Thanks Jem, that's a strap bought in a dingy inner city pawn shop about 20 years ago when I was 17. It's leather, has no manufacturer markings and the characters are screened on, not painted.
I've never seen another one anywhere else. No idea what it says either! Lol!

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Thanks Jem, that's a strap bought in a dingy inner city pawn shop about 20 years ago when I was 17. It's leather, has no manufacturer markings and the characters are screened on, not painted. I've never seen another one anywhere else.

Hell, it's not only a cool looking strap, it has some history behind it as well!! :cool3: It seems to be pretty unique on top of it too since you never saw another one around either!
I'd hang on to it forever mate, but I'm sure you will since you already own it for 20 years. You seem to take care for it as it deserves, cause it still looks great for being that old! Thumbs up!!

 

[Mincer]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

I really dig matte finished guitars lately. I don't stick to them.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: NGD! (Schecter content)

Jem, I just did a close inspection of the strap and there appears to be a faded Levys marking on the underside of it. Never noticed that before, thanks!