Schecter guys...Sun Valley or Hellraiser C1?

75lespaul

75lespaul

New member
Looking for opinions as I can't seem to get my hands on one locally to play. I play classic rock, classic metal, classic to modern progressive. Pickups be damned, just care about everything else. Has to have Floyd.
 
Hmm, Schecter isn't too popular it seems. Just came across another model, the Silver Mountain, that's really piqued my interest. A bit more money but it seems worth it, especially if this is one of the last guitars I'm ever gonna buy. Only thing all of these guitars are missing is that super sweet 2nd and 4th position that H/S/H or H/S/S would have, but would I really miss what I've never really had? I want a sustainiac in a guitar as well too. I want it all, lolol. Oooooh, if that Silver Mountain FR S was an H/S/H with a five position selector, it would be perfect. I have to assume that if I had it customized by a proper :LUTHIER, not a tech, the cost would be extreme. Anyone have an idea of what it might cost to have a luthier route and install a middle pickup and five way selector? Second mortgage money, hahaha!!!!!
 
I played a Sun Valley in my local GC not too long ago and thought it was really quite a nice guitar. Basically a 24 fret Charvel with a Dinky sized body. I wouldn't have bought that particular one because it was an odd color but I'd buy a black one in a heartbeat, you can get it with a sustainer too.
 
soulforger said:
I played a Sun Valley in my local GC not too long ago and thought it was really quite a nice guitar. Basically a 24 fret Charvel with a Dinky sized body. I wouldn't have bought that particular one because it was an odd color but I'd buy a black one in a heartbeat, you can get it with a sustainer too.
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Yes, there's one again by mail though, for $599 but it's that very 80's yellowish, not my bag kinda color, lol. Just wish my local GC had some, but they only have the typical Gibsoon/Epi/Fender, few other things. They also downsized a LOT. I went there a few weeks ago for the first time since before Covid, and they only had things hanging on the wall and stacked against the wall. They used to have rows and rows of guitars and amps but now you could play a football game where everything used to be. It's strange.
 
I generally don't see any attractive Shecters. When they have a wood top, they are usually very dark/dank looking, and they do weird things with the inlays. If the Schecter designs speak to you, that's great. To me it looks like they are marketed to goth metal teenagers.
 
I see what you're saying, but a lot of these brands look the same to me. Not crazy about the LOOK so much as these guitars come stock with the sustainiac, which I want. As far as looks, I like the black Sun Valley Shredder. The black cherry Hellraiser C1 looks...classy? My fav as far as looks is the Silver Mountain, but that is a top level guitar which is more than just looks. Love the idea of the SS frets already on it too. Just read that instead of a middle single coil, Petrucci uses a mini toggle to get the neck and bridge inner coils at once, imitating the "notch" sound. Sounds like a MUCH cheaper mod than having the guitar routed for another pickup.
 
I like some of the Schecters, others not at all, but that's with any brand really. (I'm 46 and very not goth btw lol)

Silver Mountain is a cool guitar, but;

A. Make sure you can see the exact guitar before ordering, because every one is different, some look great and some look OK.
Sweetwater does have that going for them with their guitar gallery you can pick which one you like, and new shipments come often so be patient and wait for the right one to find you.

B. Don't trust Sweetwater specs for anything, any brand or model, amps or guitars. Just go to the Schecter website to study the various model specs.

C. Definitely spring for a model with the stainless frets, like the Silver and many others that are above the $1000 mark, well worth the extra couple hundred.

D. If you like conventional neck pickup tones you might not like the sustainer at all, hard to say.
I have one with it and that's fine for something different, but given a choice I'd pick a regular neck pickup over the sustainer everyday and twice on Sundays.

E. Silver Mountain is very lightweight and extremely beveled, almost too much IMO, but part of that is just having so much wood routed away for everything.
The non-floyded models without the sustainer are not as super-light. Sweetwater also has each unit's exact weight listed in the gallery.

F. They will knock some off the price, if you ask of course.

G. Never have a new guitar routed for anything IMO, it's a recipe for a torturous disaster!

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Dave! It was actually your post that led me to this guitar, lol. I've heard that the sustainiac doesn't have a great neck sound, but I have other guitars for that. Yes, having a guitar routed like that in the wrong hands would be horrible, especially after spending that kind of cash. I wouldn't be using this guitar for anything neck pickup alone, but I DO wonder how the Petrucci mod would sound with a less than stellar neck pickup. I found a vid on youtube and the neck pickup sounded okay. Not great, but usable.
 
75lespaul said:
Hmm, Schecter isn't too popular it seems.
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Schecter has fast become one of my favorite guitar manufacturers over the last few years. (I have three now.) I believe their build quality is on par with any Fender/Squier or Gibson/Epiphone. I'm just not familiar with the specific models you mentioned. I'll have to look 'em up. :cool:
 
dave74 said:
E. Silver Mountain is very lightweight and extremely beveled, almost too much IMO, but part of that is just having so much wood routed away for everything.
The non-floyded models without the sustainer are not as super-light. Sweetwater also has each unit's exact weight listed in the gallery.
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That just can't be true. I was shocked to learn how much a Floyd Rose weighs compared to a normal or traditional bridge. An Ibanez S, which has one of the smallest, most contoured bodies, weights more than an SG, because of the weight of the floyd.

Floyd guitars tend to be heavier than traditional, by about the weight of a Floyd. Somewhere around a pound. Certainly there will be heavy traditional guitars, Les Pauls with thick/dense slabs of mahogony. But with identical body shape, the weight of the floyd more than offsets the wood lost to a larger rout.
 
Top-L said:
That just can't be true. I was shocked to learn how much a Floyd Rose weighs compared to a normal or traditional bridge. An Ibanez S, which has one of the smallest, most contoured bodies, weights more than an SG, because of the weight of the floyd.

Floyd guitars tend to be heavier than traditional, by about the weight of a Floyd. Somewhere around a pound. Certainly there will be heavy traditional guitars, Les Pauls with thick/dense slabs of mahogony. But with identical body shape, the weight of the floyd more than offsets the wood lost to a larger rout.
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There's also extra routing for the additional controls, and for the battery. You might be right though, they all might be that light. I'll check the gallery and see what difference it makes.
Anyways my point was simply that it's a super-light guitar that doesn't have a lot of wood to start with, let alone after it's been routed like Swiss cheese to accommodate all the stuff.

edit;
I stand corrected. The floyded units are about the same and maybe a few ounces more on average, even though they have more routing for the floyd and the extra gadgets.


double edit;
These are getting a $150 discount right now,,,,,,,but it's in the form of store credit lol.
They would probably still do the discount if pressed, or at least a 10% discount.
 
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I did it. It took a few hours and a couple of calls, but I got a Silver Mountain, brand new with a new Schecter case shipped tax included for $1324.28. I don't have that kind of cash so I applied for the GC Gear card and got approved, and got the six month 0 interest deal. I initially called GC to see what they could do on an open box with a case and he was around $1400.00. I told him I can't, my budget will only allow $1300.00 with the six month no interest. He couldn't do it. I then called MF and spoke with Lincoln who told me they can't do anything with the open box, but he might be able to swing it with a NEW model. He called me back in ten minutes with that price and I took it. I actually told him my budget was $1325.00, which it really is. I couldn't have budgeted any more. I can't wait to do my first NGD in quite awhile, Artie, you remember when I was going through tough times and I thank you for you "kind words" amongst other things. I never forgot. I also never thought I'd be able to get a dream piece of gear again without sweating out whether I'd be able to afford it or not. Woo Hoo!!!!
 
Yeah, I've liked all the vids I've heard on this guitar and I can't wait to hear it in person. If I don't like the pickup, eventually I'll change the electronics and put in a Duncan Passive, probably a C8. I love that pickup. But I hope it never comes to that!
 
It's here! Feels like it has 10s or 11s on it, but it plays nice right out of the box. Only had a minute to check it out then back to work, but I'll get on it tomorrow, if not tonight.
 
10-46 slinky is what they use stock. On mine I went to turbo-slinky at Eb tuning. (9.5-46)
That's about as low as I prefer with full-mahogany guitars, as they tend IMO to get boomy and loose with super big strings tuned low.

Those are great inlays huh? I normally am not one for inlays at all, but these I love, not to mention the glowing side-dots!
 
Glowing? I didn't even notice, lol. Sounds neato. Yes, like the inlays a lot. Played it a little last night, but had to keep the amp low as it was around 11. Didn't like the tone, but I hadn't set it up yet. When I really dug in, found out I did NOT like the action at all, and the strings were pretty high. Got a project to do today with patio furniture so I'll probably swap out the strings, set it up, crank the amp tomorrow. Have very high hopes for this.
 
Of course it has to sit out in the light for awhile to charge-up the glowing side dots, but then when the lights go out they are nice and bright.
 
Mmm...not gelling with this guitar. The sustainiac seems to work on some notes, not on others. I set it up and to get the action anywhere I like it, it buzzes like crazy. Giving it a few more days to settle and will start adjusting the truss a little. Moved the pickups as close to the strings as Seymour teaches and hopefully that solves the tone issue. It soubnded kind of weak and thin on the bridge. Actually thought the neck sounded pretty good. It's no Jazz, but it works for what I need. For the momey, if I can't get it the way I like it, I'm going to return it. Sad to say but my $280 Jackson RR plays and sounds better. Of course, that has a C8 bridge and CC neck, but the Schecter should still sound great for the money. I may have just gotten the occasional dog as my buddy has a Schecter V that plays and sounds fantastic.
 
Aren't Schecters and LTDs basically the same guitars but with slightly different neck profiles and pups? I think they're made in the same factories anyway. Might want to check those out if you're unhappy with the Schecter.
 
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