Schecter C-1 Classic

2004 Model, Vintage Sunburst finish, gold hardware. You know all the other specs by now, so I won't add them here. It gets a 9 instead of a 10 because of a poor quality 5-way switch. A tremolo option would be nice.

Beautiful sound from the genuine Duncan pickups. I play a variety of styles (blues, hard rock, contemporary worship music) and this gutiar can cover them all. The guitar's sustain is absolutely remarkable. This axe is able to handle clean and high gain tones equally well.

The binding has an extremely minor flaw where the neck finish meets the binding. Otherwise, this guitar is flawlessly finished. It even looks better than the on-line photos! I have a guitar tech set up my guitars regardless of the original setup (I am very particular about the setup, though Schecter's reputation is very good in this regard. The pickup selector switch is noticeably poor for a guitar of this quality - two flaws = 8

I have another Schecter guitar (PT Custom) that has had a volume pot problem (no big deal - a few dollars to swap it out). Nonetheless, these guitars are extremely solidly built and, more importantly, they are a treat to play!

Have never contacted Schecter to deal with them, so I won't offer any rating here.

These guitars are very difficult to get where I live in Canada, so the expense was no big deal. I have been playing guitar for 23 years and have played just about everything (Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, PRS, ESP)and I am convinced that Schecter offers the best value for the dollar. In fact, while I was waiting for this guitar to arrive, I checked out some PRS guitars that were selling for a minimum of $1800 more and this gutiar beat them hands down in terms of playablilty and looks. As for tone, I didn't A/B them, but suffice it to say that the Schecter's tone, sustain and quality stand up just fine.

2004 model 1 volume, 1 tone knob

This guitar is way too bright, so much so that I was ready to sell it. Instead, I did what another reviewer suggested, I changed the pots to gibson 300k pots and changed the switch to a 3 way tele switch as I didn't care for the coil taps either. Now I have both pickups in series in the middle position. Probably the most important change I made was to swap out both pups for duncan custom customs, this combined with the 300k pots darkened it up to where I now like it. Before these mods I would give the sound a 6, now I would say it's a 9. I should probably mention that I play mainly classic rock.

Action was too low for me. I like it higher so I adjusted it. Mine is the vintage sunburst, gorgeous guitar.

Time will tell........

Asked for wiring schematics, since the one on their web site is the wrong guitar. They emailed me hand drawn ones.

Been playing 30 years, with a few simple mods this guitar is really nice, especially for the money. Wish, I had paid more attention to the construction of the neck, Maple and Walnut make a very bright guitar. I would buy it again, and immediatly do the mods I mentioned. I really like it now.....

Please see reviews below for features as this is a new trans blue C1 Classic. this guitar has all the features one could need.

I went on a little journey to find a nice back up guitar with a few friends. Actually my one friend was also looking for a back up. The third friend (confused?) already owns a C1 Elite as a back up to his LP and SG so he pointed us to Schecter.
I use a Les Pau Standard as my main and my friend uses a PRS CU22 as his main.
We bot hfeel the C1 Classic is a sweet guitar but still won't give you as rich and complex a tone as the LP or PRS but you do get what you pay for and that is a well crafted, high quality guitar and I would use this as a main guitar but we both felt something was missing. Maybe it was the mojo department but it didn't have the thiump of the LP or the CU22. The PRS and LP play better in my opinion, but I have no problem gigging with this fine guitar. I have played USA Hamer, USA Dean, import Deans, PRS, Ibanez, and Gibson and have owned most of the above. I still feel that a good Gibson or PRS will always be my number one because they really have that extra something in their tone the others can't match. I still love this guitar.

What can I say....great quality!

Seems very durable and built like a tank.

N/A

Please see the sound section above as I tried to include as much as possible.

Redesigned 2003 Model, Korean made but assembled and set up in Burbank CA. Won't be repetitive with most of the features that you can easily look up (and already know if you've done the research prior to reading this). But my model in particular is a new Dual Humbucker setup with a master volume, master tone control, and a 5 way selector switch that allows the humbuckers to be split into 'single coils'. Newer Tone-Pros bridge is grounded to the body and does not come loose as others have complained about.

Bottom line - for the price, I doubt that you could find anything with as much bang for the buck as you get with this guitar. The neck-thru and String-thru construction combined with the true Seymour Duncan pickups give you as much as a Gibson, PRS, or Higher priced Fender can. There is no account for taste or being partial towards certain brands, but even hardcore fans will have a great deal of trouble finding something to truly dislike about this guitar. I hate giving tens because it essentially means there is no room for improvement at all - but when price is added into the final factoring ... there is no wa to give anything less than a top score.

I prefer clean sounds, crunchy blues, deep throated Mesa Boogie style distortion, or a good classic Rock sound. I enjoy clean playing most - but this guitar has no problem hitting any of the sounds. ( I was extremely impressed with clean channels ... I expected Good clean and Acceptional distortion... not Amazing Clean and Great Distortion...lol...) The feature of splitting the Humbuckers into single coil sounds has been criticized for some by some because it isn't quite like the sound of a Fender or a Gibson. What must be realized is that there is no reason for Schecter to want to imitate Fender or Gibson (or PRS). The C-1 Classic has it's own sounds completely that I happen to prefer over all of the above. It is almost completely noiseless concerning static or interference even when on the single coil settings, and this guitar is capable of making almost any sound you wish. If you're looking for glassy Fender tones and Gibson's distortion... why buy a different brand and criticize them for not getting it "quite right"?... this guitar deserves it's own catergory for sound. Once again -... don't like giving tens but it has a unique sound of it's own for a lower price... I'm lovin it.

P.S. Please don't use this guitar for punk rock... This guitar deserves better music...(just like those who listen to it)

This guitar was shipped to New Jersey from California...then shipped to my home in Montana. Even with that amount of humidity, temperature, and altitude change over that few months - the guitar was almost perfectly in tune when I opened the box. I think Schecter deserves some bragging rights over that. The action for every Schecter is set up before they are sent out of Burbank, so naturally the action on my model was about as perfect as anything I've ever played. The people complaining must have their own specific taste and should not have docked points off because of it. The finish on my guitar is the deep blue option (probably the best choice because the chrome hardware will not fade like the gold). The only thing I was surprised about and would like to warn others is that the finish will be FAR darker than any picture you've seen on the internet. My particular axe may just be slightly darker than most ... but if you're looking for absolutely vibrant blue then you should maybe be prepared for a little different result. I happen to like the darker blue, personally, because it keeps the guitar with some 'class' and isn't overly flashy or flambouyant... it's just beautiful. The silver and blue is a great combination. I am also quite anal about how a guitar is built... and I checked have checked the guitar over and over again and I could not be happier. There is a slight discolored spot about the size of the Nose Hair on a G.I. Joe... Guess that means I should dock a few points off huh?...lol. I am incredibly impressed with the guitars build and setup... 10's across the board here as well.

This guitar is solid as a rock... it's not too heavy, though - I think you guys need to grow some shoulders or just Nut Up... I'd rather my guitar feel like I'm carrying SOMEthing than just a light-ass balsa wood silvertone guitar.

If you respect this guitar and take care of it - it will never let you down. (provided you get everything on it checked... like you always should anyway)

Schecters been good to me... I own 3 Schecters and haven't had to deal with them - I think that says something on thier part. You're going to get horror stories from people because stories about how good the support can be just don't seem to give people as much enjoyment as griping about some bad experience they had. You're going to get great service 9 times out of 10. So... how about a 9?

Playing for ...well... not even sure how long. I want to say 8 years but I am a gear nut - I'm addicted to knowing everything I can about guitars themselves, not just playing them. A case with the guitar would be great...but I'd feel spoiled if I got a guitar like this and a case for only 700. I may not have covered every aspect I was supposed to - but I will say that unless you are cursed by the gods and have terrible luck, looking for a very brand-specific sound, or impossible to please whiner, You WILL love this guitar and will never regret the money spent on it. It's worth every penny. I don't compare it to other brands of guitars because it truly deserves its own place. Schecter will get larger in the next decade and I hope down the road we'll say "Hey...this guitar sounds like an old schecter" instead of comparing it to companies like Gibson or Fender. (sorry...but they're not as Grass-Roots as they think they are... and I'm from near the area where the Gibson Factory is located...... (*great acoustics though) Please E-mail me if you have any questions at all or are thinking of buying the C-1 Classic. I'd love to help someone enjoy this axe as much as I already do.

You know all of the features from the other reviews here. 24 jumbo frets, Seymour Duncan Jazz and JB pickups, Grover tuners in a nice matt gold finish, five-way switching with coil splitting, volume and tone, neck through construction and string through body, Tone Pros Bridge. - play a note on this baby ...come back tomorrow and its still ringing! All with an absoulutely drop dead gorgeous finish - quilted maple top and mahogany body and five piece maple and walnut neck (mine is the amber finish), very nice bindings... and flawless workmanship - for $699 !!!!!!!!!!! The case is extra - another $69 to $100 ought to take care of that, depending on what you buy.

I am a jazz player and have had many guitars - including some that cost a bunch more. None sounded better. The Seymour Duncan Jazz, which I use the most, is one of the best jazz pickups out there - clear and articulate. The JB in the bridge position very nice. Tonal control on this guitar is amazing between the options for coil splitting and pickup switching - the tone controls also really work! You can go from really mellow to down right nasty and anywhere in between. I'm comparing this to other gutiars I have had including a Gibson 135 (crap!), Godin LGX-SA (tasty but expensive- didn't need the synth stuff on it, Fender Strat, Epiphone Sheraton, etc. - this guitar is, hands down, my favorite and is far and away the best looker as well as best playing.

In a word - Flawless. It came set up with 10s - no buzzing - very low action - an incredibly sleek, fast, neck. The wood, fit, and finish are absolutely perfect - astounding at any price! Of all of the guitars I have owned, this is the highest quality and best setup. By the way, my Gibson ES-135 (long gone!) was crap - poor setup, cheap materials, and no workmanship - it wouldn't have even qualified as a factory second by Schecter standards!

A really solid albeit somewhat heavy and guitar (but quite a bit lighter than a Les Paul.) Also, its body contours make it the most comfortable guitar I have owned - I generally play seated and this guitar just fits right. It feels durable and has been dependable - I still baby it though. This is my second Schecter Classic... 'cause I liked it so much (read on.)

Never had any problems or need to contact.

I've been playing well over 20 years. I play jazz. My current amp is a 60 watt Vox Valvetronix. I also use an Ultrasound. This is actually my second C1-Classic. I had one about year ago and bought some other guitars after a friend bought my Schecter. I came back the Schecter after playing (i.e. owning) Gibson, Godin, and Fender, G&L - I just like it the best. I have a G&L ASAT Tribute Special Semi-Hollow, with the high output single coils and enjoy it for a different sound - but the Schecter is my favorite! For the money, nothing else even comes close to the quality and features of this guitar - expecially when you consider the high-end components (good Grovers, real Seymour Duncans, Tone Pros Bridge, beautiful woods, etc.) Lost or stolen,I suck it up then go directly to my local GC and get a new one!

Okay, so there are 54 other reviews for this particular guitar, and I'm going to pretend to add something so important, so life-changing that you are going to drop what you are doing (RIGHT NOW)and go to (SERIOUSLY, DROP IT!) the store to try out this Schecter C-1 Classic.
Okay, so everything's been said about the features, but I would be remiss to not once again mention the QUILTED MAPLE top. It is stunning! Absolutely gorgeous! Mine is the dark amber color, and I have seriously just sat and stared at it thinking to myself, "I can't believe I own this guitar". When you add in the top-notch tuners (Grover), the serious pickups (Seymour Duncan's personal favorites), and the vine of life inlay, you are staring smack in the face of a $2000 guitar, that for some reason, is only marked $699. "That can't be right," you think to yourself as you pick up the guitar and plug it into the closest Marshall in the store, even as you walk past 50 Crates. That's when you notice the guitar is perfectly set up. The frets are dressed evenly, the pickups are at their proper height, and there are even 10's on the fingerboard. (What company is brave enough to put 10's on their flagship, anyway?) Then, you start to hear all these harmonics coming from your playing that you haven't heard before, and you look down at the price tag and rub your eyes, and it still says $699, and you start thinking about what you can sell to come up with the money for this guitar today!
Anyway, that was pretty much my experience.
Features-10

Then you get the guitar home, and you play thru your little tube marshall DSL401, and your yamaha dg 100, and your vox practice amp, and you check the door to make sure the police aren't coming in to arrest you for stealing your new guitar. The sounds are versatile and they are all good. You will get a chance to use your tone knob now because it actually does something.
Sound-10

Everything was perfect. I did not find one thing wrong with this guitar, except that I didn't know about it until the day before I purchased it. Schecter, come on, get the word out!
Action, Fit & Finish-10+

If there was ONE thing on my wishlist to add to this guitar, it would be straplocks. This guitar is simply too beautiful to ding up because of some faulty strap buttons. It has a limited lifetime warranty, so I assume that Schecter believes in their product!
Reliability/Durability-paint job 10, gold hardware 6, and strap buttons 8, so I quess I'll average 'em.

Haven't dealt with Schecter, and if I ever do, I am going to suggest a name change. Schecter just doesn't roll off the tongue like it needs to. "Man, I've gotta change the strings on my Schecter", "Dude, what did you think of that solo on my Schecter?", "Boy is your Schecter one pretty guitar!", and "Your Schecter is as long as my Schecter!"
See? It doesn't seem to flow really good, but man it sure PLAYS really good!
Frankly, I hope I don't ever have to mess with the company.

As if you can't tell, I am happy with my purchase. In the short span of 45 minutes trying out this guitar, all my other ones seemed obsolete. And I use to really love them.
The deal is, this guitar plays like a Carvin, looks like a PRS, and is built like a tank. (To me, that is a great combonation!) The through-the-body five piece neck gives me great confindence that I will be enjoying this guitar for a long time!
And all for the price of a Mexican Fender.
For heaven's sake, go play one NOW!

MODEL : C-1 CLASSIC <AD-C-1-CL>
BODY : Mahogany / Quilted Maple
BODY STYLE : Strat
NECK : Sply Maple / Walnut
CONSTRUCTION : Neck-thru-body
FINGER BOARD : Rosewood
FRETS : 24-Jumbo
SCALE : 25 1/2"
INLAY : Vine lf Life
PICKUPS : Seymour Duncan JB / Jazz
BRIDGE : TonePros / Thru body
CONTROL : Vol / Tone / 5-way mega
COLOR : Antique
TUNERS : Grover

made in Korea

i couldn't ask for anything more from a guitar i got for only $625 brand new, my friend works there so he gave me a discount. if i would have paid the actual price online or at Guitar Center i would give this feature a 9.

My music style is premodminantly metal, death metal, power metal, 80's metal, speed metal, progressive metal, hardcore, metal core, some punk, classic rock, classical, blues, jazz, and praise and worship(i play for my church).

bands: children of bodom, iron maiden, night wish, in flams, shadows fall, metallica, ozzy osbourne, black label society, iced earth, blind guardian, dragon force, yea you get the picture...

amps: Peavey XXX through a marshall 1960's B cab with vintage 30's and i also have a TSL60 with a Avatar 412B cab w/ Greenbacks.
effects: boss me-50, jekyll and hyde ultimate overdrive, boss super chorus, boss DS-2 w/ remote turbo.

this guitar is not very noisy, it as a little feedback, but thats probably due to more of then amp and this only happens when i play on the lead channels and i turn the gain much too high. when its on clean on either amp this guitar is noise-less.

i really like the tone that comes out of this guitar, but it was a tad bright so i went down to guitar center and i bought the GHS Zakk Wylde sig. 10's and put those on and its perfect. its not bright, and the sound is very warm and full, and with the coilt tapping the guitar can sound ver acoustic like. a lot of variety in this guitar.

the only dislikes i have about this gutiar where the strings, and the height of the pickups and the action. i went to a shop near me and had the p/u's adjusted and the action lowered quite a bit because im used to low action guitars. i have a prs custom 24, jackson RR-5, and a ernie ball petrucci music man and i have all the action on these 4 guitars as low as possible because it amkes it easier to shred on them.

the set up was alright, but as i said before i had to get new strings and lower the action as well as clean up the fretboard to make it less sticky.

pickups where a bit too high for my taste, so i lowered them. the bridge p/u would distort and the neck p/u was too bright. so i had them lowered.

everything on the guitar, aesthetically was flawless. but the gutiar scratches easily, but i wax my guitars every week in half so its ok.

the guitar is good for bedroom players and gigging ones as well. the only qualm i have about the durability is that the bridge gold plated covering wears off after awhile if you palm mute often or if you place your hand at the bridge while playing, as i do. the gold plated pickup covers seem to holding up and all in all this guitar is very reliable, but the durability could be better with the coloring.

I have been playing for roughly 5 years and the other gear that i own as i said above are:

guitars: PRS Custom 24, Ernie Ball Petrucci Music Man, Jackson RR-5
amps: : Peavey XXX through a marshall 1960's B cab with vintage 30's and i also have a TSL60 with a Avatar 412B cab w/ Greenbacks.
effects: boss me-50, jekyll and hyde ultimate overdrive, boss super chorus, boss DS-2 w/ remote turbo.

if it where stolen i would get pissed and chase down the guy, but i would still have my other guitars so i wouldn't be THAT mad.

the one thing i love about this guitar is that the neck is really smooth and the inlays.

i wish this guitar had a old plated original floyd rose isntead of a string thru body and tun-o-matic bridge though.

this guitar is probably the best guitar on the market for under $800 that you can find on online music stores and at guitar center. on the other hand you can get better guitars for the same price on e-bay.

I have the antique amber Schecter C-1 Classic. If you are
researching this guitar, you already know all of the features.
I will not be redundant and list them.

First of all, let me say that this is a very well made guitar.
It is of a very high quality for being a $699 guitar. I do
have some complaints however about the sound:

It is so damn bright. I don't understand how some of the reviewers
below me are saying that it is a dark guitar. If you have 9 guage
strings on this guitar it will sound like a banjo. If you have 10
guage strings it will sound bright. If you have 11 guage strings
it will sound normal.

Now, of course it is possible to boost the bass on your amp to
cover up the brightness, but it still bugs me. I really dislike
tinny sounding guitars.

It has an interesting pickup configuration which allows a variety
of sounds.

The action and finish on this guitar is very good. It came set
up nicely and I have no complaints in this area. This guitar was
and is beatiful.

This guitar is reliable and durable in some ways, and not in others.
I will list this stuff in the Overall Summary at the end of the review.

They were helpful and the got back to me quickly when I had questions.

I have been playing guitar for seven years. I know enough about
guitars to be able to give accurate reviews about their
characteristics.

There is no doubt that this is a good guitar. But, there are
enough things about it that bothered me that I never was really
able to "bond" with it. How I know if I like a guitar is if I
can pick it up and lose myself while playing it and before I
know it a half hour has gone by. I was never able to achieve that
feeling with this guitar. But admittedly, I am a very picky guitar player(when I pick up other people's guitars, I can't do anything on them because I am not used to them).

Please listen to the following points...I implore you!:

1. The body will look awesome forever as long as you take care of it.

2. The gold finish on the bridge WILL wear off because of your palm
hitting it. I'm telling you....it is inevitable.

3. My guitar is picky with humidity and temperature changes. The
weather will change and all of a sudden I might get a buzz and
have to adjust my bridge or truss rod. However, this doesn't bug
me too much.

4. If you are used to looking down at the fret-board to see where
you are, the "vine of life" inlay will completely disorient you and
you will lose your place. I would have gotten a Schecter that
did not have the inlay, but at the time the C-1 classic was the only
Schecter guitar that had "real" Seymour Duncan pickups(not those
"Duncan Design" pickups). That is the main reason I bought it
instead of a C-1 Stealth or a C-1 Plus.

5. This guitar is just so damn pretty that I feel guilty playing it.
I feel as if I am depreciating the value of it by just picking it
up. This creates anxiety which impedes my playing.

6. This guitar comes with some really high quality stuff on it
(Grover tuners, Seymour Duncan pickups, etc....), but it also comes
with REALLY crappy pot's and a switch. They cut out and are
scratchy. I replaced both pot's and the switch almost immediately.
The ones they use are garbage. But, this isn't a big deal considering that pot's and switches are pretty cheap and easy to
replace.

My advice to anybody considering this or any guitar. Don't let
looks and "features" sway your decision. You need to pick the guitar
up and play it. If there is something about it that bothers you
DON'T get it, because you will forever be bothered by it. Pick out
a guitar that is well-made, sounds good, and feels good. Anything
else doesn't matter.

I will be trading this guitar in soon. I feel guilty because
it is a well-made and versatile guitar. But, me and the guitar
just never "clicked".

Korean made, 24 frets, laminated 5pc. neck through body with mahogany wings, string through body, etc. as others have pointed out. Mine is the antique finish with the "brushed" gold hardware. I have to give it a 10 here for the amount of features for the price

The sound works great for me, I play anything from blues to heavy metal and this guitar can hit it all. While not a total strat sound in the coil tap positions it does do a decent single coil sound. The one thing I noticed and others have mentioned is the sound tends to be very very bright, while rolling the tone knob off fixes this you have to roll it pretty far to notice a difference at least under heavy distortion then it just sort of chops off the treble all of a sudden.

Amazingly the guitar was setup very nicely from the factory....Schecter actually sets up all their guitars including the overseas ones at their USA factory before shipping to dealers. However I do still plan on taking it in for fine tuning but as is it plays very well. The one problem I noticed while changing the strings is that while the tone pro's bridge is supposed to be locked down to it's mounting posts with hex nuts (unlike a tune-o-matic) mine wasn't and fell off while changing strings. With a USA setup that's something that should have been noticed so I have to ding a little here.

I would definitely use this guitar live. It seems very very well built. I would never gig without a backup though, things happen.

never needed it

I have been playing for about 10 years now. I also own a cheapo Kramer explorer style copy with EMG 60b/85n in it and a Jackson JSX-94 Concept Series with EMG 81 in the bridge. Playing through a Behringer V-Amp2 and BBE 264 Sonic Maximizer into a computer for recording/practice and a Marshall AVT50 112 combo for practice/playing away from home. If this guitar were lost or stolen I would definitely replace it. I was comparing this to a Gibson LP Standard Double Cut Plus and for 700 less I think I got just as good or better tone and lots more eye candy.

2002 Korean made, 24 jumbo frets-24.75 scale, urethane finished (neck and body) solid mohogany-winged body with mohogany and walnut laminated neck through body, 14" radius fret board (vine of life inlay). Book matched quilt maple laminate top with binding on body (top) and neck. Two seperate master volumes (only one operates, depending on pickup selection) and one master tone. Five way selector, 2 and 4 are single coil taps. Pick ups are Duncans. Strat style body. Neck is slim, D shaped with very little taper. All hardware is gold finished. Tone Pros bridge (locking) string-through body, Grover tuners, nutt looks like a graphite design. Newer models include a case. Color is antique satin.

Pods were noisy as new and needed a cleaning. Required set-up before I could judge it for sound. Not uncommon for a guitar to need a thorough set-up before seeing what it can really do. All other electronics were perfectly quiet. Neck through designe is an automatic sustain machine and this axe has it. The jumbo frets and locking bridge only add to the sustain its already got. Tone Pros bridge and Grovers are a nice addition to this designe and it stays tuned. Having the addition of single coil taps in the 2 and 4 position give this axe the benefit of those sounds along with humbucker grind in the 3 other positions. Super versatile guitar. Stays tuned well, but hates temperature changes more than other guitars I own. Not a good choice for cooler outdoor events. A warmer and not as bright sounding guitar, but never too dark or muddy on any pick up.

Korean's are pulling somthing off here, becuase it is put together very well for a 7 hundred dollar axe. Set up was hassle free and straight forward with no craftsmanship problems to hinder action or buzzing. Unless you shell out the big bucks for a guitar, expect a guitar to need a thorough set up. Fret edge was wrough, but it was in a dry music store enviroment and is expected if the humidity is off. Craftsmanship was next to superb for anything under 2 grand.

Cooler weather, as stated before, can throw it out of tune easily. Hardware is sturdy for gigs. Gold finish has worn off in some areas where there is constant skin contact. Vine of life inlays have stayed put, but look like they could work their way out if treated improperly. Urethane finish has held up perfectly. Solid constuction and very durable, tuff axe. Go for it, it can take a lot of hard playing!

Noisey pods were fixed asap by dealer. Havn't had to deal with company otherwise.

25yrs playing, have many amps and axes. Would be nice if offered with additional fret board inlay options, not just the vine of life. Nice inlay, but extremely buisy. Neck is very flat (14" radius) and fast. Hangs comfortably like a Strat and has great access to the frets. Plethora of sounds, no need to grab the other guitar with different pick ups, unless recording. Doesn't cover all pick up sounds, but gets pretty close. Bought it over a PRS if that says anything for it. Gorgeous looking axe!