NGD: Schecter Hellraiser C7 FR

[Code001]

So I received this in the mail today. I got it for $715 shipped from Music123, brand new. I figured I'd do something different than what most people do. Normally, people say how great their new gear is, go through a honeymoon period, etc. After about 30 seconds of playing the guitar, I already decided I'm going to return this. The guitar is pretty bad. First off, the thing feels like a Fisher-Price® toy. I'm not sure what it is, but the guitar just doesn't jive with me at all. It's not the tone, either. The tone is pretty good. Nothing mindblowing, but I wouldn't really have many qualms with it. The neck is beyond ridiculous, in terms of the overall thickness and shape. It's like two RG seven-string necks put together. The pots feel cheap as hell and will break at any moment, to boot. Fretwork was decent.

I could have looked past all that, but the biggest killer was the "OFR." OFR my ass! The thing won't flutter AT ALL. This isn't a user-error issue. I've been using floyds for nearly all my life. There's nothing in the trem cavity blocking it, it's set up just like all my other floyds, etc. The nut on the bar is just like those shitty licensed trems. It's not positive feeling at all, and you can easily tell it's using cheaper metal. It's probably the most ridiculously feeling trem. I've tried so far. It's sad that OFR's quality has come to this. I'm just glad I can return the thing without any issues. I'm out about $30 for shipping, but at least I was able to try it out. For those of you who keep saying that this is why you try things out in the store before you buy, this guy is a special order guitar that my GC does not stock. They said that I'd have to buy it, and I wouldn't be able to try it out beforehand.

BTW, since when did Music123 become part of MusiciansFriend/GC? They share the same hub...

 

[cyndicate]

Thanks for the headsup, I've been looking for a 7 stringer and was considering this because the price isn't too bad, guess i'll cross it off the list now

 

[Code001]

Thanks for the headsup, I've been looking for a 7 stringer and was considering this because the price isn't too bad, guess i'll cross it off the list now

Ibanez Japan, Caparison (rare), Ernie Ball, Vigier (rare), Anderson (rare) and maybe one or two other brands should be pretty safe, depending on what options/tone woods you're looking for. I don't like any of the 7s that ESP has to offer.

 

[cyndicate]

I was hoping to find a JP7 used, had the chance to play one and really dug the neck, but having a hard time finding one used, haven't seen any pop up on eBay.

 

[Neeklaus]

i've never played a schecter 7 but as huge as he 6 string necks are, i can't imagine it being comfy. i'm not one to really bag on a brand, but i'm surprised there are as many schecter players around. there are a ton in my area....yuck.

 

[racer_j]

I just got a Schecter Loomis and I love it. Sure the neck is bigger than a 6 string but I'm getting used to it.

This is my first 7 too. No Floyd on mine don't care for them.

I know they are making a lot of the Schecters in China and Indo now. I have a 6 string Schecter and love it too, both are SKorean made. I don't know if that makes a difference.

J.

 

[Code001]

I could live with the thicker neck, but the fact that the trem was as bad as those Lo-TRS jobs was what did it in for me. I'm a big trem user, so a good trem is a must. The Loomis neck actually is a little thinner due to the thinner finish. ESP/LTD love to put thick finishes on their guitars, and it makes a noticeable difference, IMO. I didn't want the Loomis, since it was an Ash body. The guitar was made in Korea, BTW.

 

[Duke309]

I just got a previous model C7 Hellraiser, and its been flawless. Excellent guitar for the cash. The two ibanez rg7321 I played felt like pieces of shit, I could have sworn they were put together in sweat shops. I got to play a brand new c7 hellraiser, which I why I picked up the one I did, and it was a great guitar.

 

[badger71]

I feel the same way about the Schecter 7s I've tried. I do like the Loomis, though, and I wish Schecter would move in that direction minus the sig status.

Well, guess it means I'll stick to older, MIJ, Ibanez 7 stringers.

 

[Gitfiddler]

while not a 7 stringer, i have a 750 for less than you paid for your piece. great shape, no neck pocket cracks, and one minor ding

 

[Erock]

I could live with the thicker neck, but the fact that the trem was as bad as those Lo-TRS jobs was what did it in for me. I'm a big trem user, so a good trem is a must. The Loomis neck actually is a little thinner due to the thinner finish. ESP/LTD love to put thick finishes on their guitars, and it makes a noticeable difference, IMO. I didn't want the Loomis, since it was an Ash body. The guitar was made in Korea, BTW.

that's odd man, I have a prototype C-7 HR with the OFR 7, and it's solid like a rock. I've been a trem user since I started playing, and it's been just as good as the OFR 6's I've owned. I haven't had an issue the whole time I've owned it, no problem with flutters or tricks, tuning stability is excellent. Are you saying they are starting to skimp on the quality of Floyd Rose tremolos in general?

 

[Code001]

Judging by what I saw on my floyd, I'd have to say so. For those of you who know licensed floyds, you'll know how positive the screw on the OFR is on the bar. On some licensed ones, it's taller, narrower, and is made of thinner/cheaper metal. The OFR on my C7 was the same way. Also, the studs seemed to be similar to those on a typical licensed floyd. The trem claw was clearly made out of cheaper metal, and the nut material wasn't as solid as normal OFR nuts. It came from the factory with 4 springs, but I changed it to my typical 3 spring setup. The bar felt fine going up and down, but it was stiff as hell. I checked the spring tension, and they seemed just as springy as my other OFR springs, so it wasn't that. The block was a 37mm block, so it should have been pretty decent at fluttering, but it wouldn't do it at all. Before anyone asks, yes, the springs were properly engaged in the trem block and on the claw.

 

[badger71]

Well, as far as Floyds go, and other Schaller products for that matter, I believe production moved from Germany to Korea until the German plants could get up to RoHS compliancy. It may be a rumor, though, so take it with a grain of salt.