Schecter A-1 Diamond Series Elite

$650
Ok I'm sure you've read all the other reviews by now, and being the American brand freak, I'm thoroughly impressed with those Koreans. They have sure come a long way.

A lot of attention was paid to detail. The neck through design is perfect for tuning, scalloped at the base for the high notes, and fitted properly at the head.

I love the gold hardware, and amber quilted maple top, but I would be orgasmic if I saw one with the exact same features (gold hdw, abalone/cream binding and inlays with a blue quilted maple top. I would leave my woman for that!

24 jumbo frets on a rosewood fretboard, amazingly ut was already set up. It came with a fairly decent case.

A lot of bang for the buck so i'll give this a 10

I'm using a Peavey Supreme head with a Hartke 4x10 cab, and line 6 POD xt live. Yea, I should be using a 4x12 but hey, I can't fit one in my little rice grinder.
I've gotten used to the LP with Burstbucker Pros as of late, but I have to tell you the harmonics are ZERO on that setup! The JB/jazz 24 fret 25.5 inch combo on the Schecter makes for dead on harmonics.
The JB is a little tighter than I would like, could use a pinch more bottom. The highs ring very clearly, bordering overkill, and the mids are just right. This guitar will work fine for seventies/eighties rock, Metallica, and yes even the C word. Splitting th JB coil and using the Tweed Fender amp gets pretty close to the Tele sound, only lacking the bottom.

Ok folks, since there is no guitar manufacturer out there who can come close to this one. Everything was perfect with one exception, even though the quilted top is more beautiful than Jenny McCarthy's naked body, the book matching is about 95 percent perfect. Having said this, Gibson can't even come close, so I give it a 9.9

This guitar is built for abuse, however we all know that gold finish requires special attention. No need for strap locks. Hell, i don't think I'd need a backup

I'd better not have to call customer service dammit!

If it were stolen I'd load my shotgun with 00 buckshot and blast the sumbitch who stole it full of holes, and buy two more!

People there is nothing out there like this. Check it out for yourself. Now I have a question for all you pickup freaks out there. Is there a Duncan that is identical to the JB but with a touch more bottom? Email me at Backwoodsjohnny1@wmconnect.com and let me know! Thanks!

carved top, 1vol, 1tone, 3 way switch. 2 ducan design hb. neck-through construction, 24 frets, reverse headstock. strap buttons are set up similar to sg, ie the ne button is on the backside of guitar. i hated that when i first saw it, but it balances it nicely. and i HATE the reverse headstock, guess i'm just old fashioned

very strong for heavier guitar tones, not so hot for classic tones. i play it thru a rivera khr100 and it has sustain for days! i used to play in a faith no more type band and used it in standard and drop d tuning, but now i use it as a drop c tuned guitar.

i hate factory set ups, probably because i use 12 to 54 guage strings, so i always have to set my own guitars. that being said, you can set it up quite similar to a les paul action. fit and finish is pretty standard.

i beat the sh*t outta my guitars, and i've played well over 200 shows w/ this guitar. can' really beat it for the used price. it holds the tuning great and the buttons are pretty solid. the volume knob was knocked of on the first show, but i do that to every guitar i've ever had.

i have to give a 10 because the first one i got, first time i changed strings the whole stop tailpiece assembly pulled right out of the wood! they sent me a new one within the week, and i've had no problems since. just shoddy qc, which i expect from korean made guitars, just have to judge 'em individually, there's a reason the diamond series are cheaper.

i give it an 8 or 9 for the used price (find em on ebay for 200), absolute i would say 7 (compared to say a les paul standard)i love the futuristic jazz bass body, HATE the reverse headstock (hard to tune in middle of a song live)it would be much more versatile with a push/pull pot for splitting coils like the pt series has.

Duncan design Pick ups scream! Thought of replacing them but no. 24 frets, 1 vol and tone knob, 3 way toggle. Love the abalone binding, kinda yellowed like an aged les paul binding. Cool body shape, string thru body, set neck, pearl tuners. A bit heavy in weight but not Over heavy. Feels BEEFY. Neck feels like my les paul standard.

I play Metal and this is perfect for that. Played thru a peavy 5150 half stack. The vol pot is a bit scratchy, contact spray should fix that. Back off on the vol for decent clean. Good even vol range as you turn it up or down.

Out of the box Set up was good. I changed the strings to 10 - 52, light top heavy bottom (how I like my women) lowered the action and tweeked the truss rod for my personal preference. I think they come with 10 - 46 strings. Tiny flaw on the 15th fret neck inlay, but need a magnifying glass to notice it.

I took it to rehearsal 1st night and it did well. Stayed in tune, no string breakage, tone was there. Got a gig this weekend and will use it with a back up as always, no matter what guitar. Strap buttons are good. Will get schaller locks eventually. Good finish, Black with abalone binding on body neck and headstock. Too shiny, but I'll play the hell out of it for that worn in look.

Limited lifetime warranty. Haven't had to contact them yet.

I've been playing in bands forever, I should be famous already. My main axe is a Les Paul Classic. This guitar gives the LP a run for the money. Made in Korea, set up in US by Schecter. Before I got it, I bought and returned a 10 top PRS custom 22. Mainly because the heavy strings I use were too much a pain in the ass to set up and it was Freakin' $2500 and wouldn't stay in tune(whammy bar). This axe was less than 1/4 that price and kicked ass right away and I won't need a second mortgage to pay for it. Looks killer too! Rock on....

I'm sorry, but I gotta call "bulls**t" on the last 2 responses. Especially "anonymous" (more likely an employee). This guitar has been discontinued if you want to know the truth. Mainly because Schecter couldn't sell them. The upper horn gets in the way of your chest or stomach (depending upon how high/low you wear your guitar). Also, the back of the head stock right near the nut and first fret gets in the way when trying to make any kind of "F" bar chord or power chord. It's hard to explain, but it's just too fat on the back side. Truth is...this guitar sucks. I owned one and can state this with honesty. Notice I said "owned"...I sold the crappy thing. Resell value sucked too. Schecter couldn't sell them new and when I got ready to sell mine...I lost my shirt. There are a hundred other guitars out there that I would consider before this one.

See above. It covers everything I have to say about this guitar.

See above. It covers everything I have to say about this guitar.

See above. It covers everything I have to say about this guitar.

See above. It covers everything I have to say about this guitar.

See above. It covers everything I have to say about this guitar.

Two Duncan Designed humbuckers, one volume knob, one tone control, 3 way pickup selector, mahogany body, neck-thru construction, Grover tuners...But, the thing that attracted me most to this guitar and probably why you're reading this...is the design. It's just wicked looking. I get a lot of compliments on it.

Fantastic tone and sustain. Awesome harmonics. Great guitar for rock and metal. Even has a nice full clean tone. Nothing twangy like a Strat, but still rich and full. The pickups are Duncan Designed and according to the Schecter web site are 95% identical to the JB (Jeff Beck) and '59 pickups. And, I believe them. They scream! It really is a great sounding guitar.

Great fit and finish for a Korean made guitar. I've owned several imported guitars and so far, this is the best. It probably helps that they are inspected and set-up in Los Angeles. It's been said they are the best of the Korean imports. I've also owned several much higher priced USA made guitars, and really, the differences are almost non-existent. I mostly use this guitar for lead and some hard chunking rhythms, so I have the action pretty low...well, very low actually - and there is NO fret buzz at all. I can even get all the fret buzz out of my higher priced, higher action Strat.

Haven't had it long. So far, so good... One thing for sure I've noticed so far is that it stays in tune nicely.

Haven't needed them yet. Although, I did email them with a simple question and they emailed me back within a couple of hours with the answer. My head's still spinning.

I've been playing off and on for about 15 years and have owned literally around 25 or so different guitars during that time span. 3 or 4 Les Pauls, several Strats, couple of Jacksons, several Ibanez, Deans, other Gibsons, 3 or 4 Peavey Wolfgangs, and the list goes on. This guitar ranks right up at the top as far as quality, overall tone, and definitely value. I would definitely buy it again and definitely recommend it if you're considering one. They're not too easy to find though...that should help the resell value I imagine.

This guitar is awesome: its got 24 frets for those few extra notes, only two knobs - one volume and one tone, of course...and then it has a 3-way selector. I like just having the essential knobs, because the rest can just get in the way. It has the most perfect sound for the style of music I play. If you're into hardcore or any type of new age rock, this is the guitar for you. The pickups are great (2 Duncan Design.) My model has a neck thru, which I especially like. The body is full mahogany, pretty heavy, but sturdy. The black finish looks great on this guitar, but gets alot of fingerprints. I love the shape of this guitar. Its not too pokey, but it still looks hardcore. I previously played a B.C. Rich Bich Platinum Series....it is now my back-up. I also got a VERY nice case for this from Schecter. Fitted for the guitar.

Like I said, if you play any type of new age rock....such styles as the Deftones, Slipknot, Taproot, Papa Roach, Undefined...this is the PERFECT guitar for you. This is great for my band's style.
http://listen.to/undefined
hehe...a little free advertising. Anyways, I play through a Red Bear stack and head. My effects consist of the Digitech RP2000 and Digitech Original Whammy. I have not noticed any noise at all coming from the guitar itself, because my effects leave a little fuzz anyways. This guitar can get great harmonics. Overall, it sounds VERY clean and precise. I am now a Schecter guitar lover.

My god. Schecter impressed me. I recieved this guitar with the action set exactly how I wanted it. This pickups were set perfect too. I even told them I play alot of dropped D tuning, and when I played, I found out that they already tuned it that way for me. The guitar was shipped in the case and it was very neatly wrapped. I haven't found any scratches or flaws.

Well, we can say Schecter makes durable guitars. This guitar may weigh quite a bit, but its gonna take ALOT to break this thing. The knobs are all very secure and strap buttons are solid. This finish on this guitar is awesome. Very thick paint. I think I can depend on this guitar. I would probably be stupid and gig without a backup, however, you shouldn't do this. Very unwise.

I've never dealt directly with Schecter, but it has a limited lifetime warranty (whatever that means.)

I have been playing seriously for about two years, and for three years before that I picked up the guitar every once in while.If this was stolen from me, I'd find the person and beat him with the guitar (because its got a heavy mahogany body and it would break the guys skull long before it would break the guitar.) If I couldn't get this guitar back I would definetely buy one exactly like it. I love the affordability of this thing...especially with the neck thru design. This guitar kicks anything else's ass, I don't have to compare it to a single guitar. If you've got time, visit my band on the web and vote for us. We're in 16th place and rising in the Top 100 Underground Bands. (we're also good friends with the band Taproot) Thanks alot. Buy this guitar. http://listen.to/undefined