Schecter S-1 Elite

Absolutely Beautiful! I have the Cherry Red Quilted top and I love it. I bought if from GC and had fallen in love with the look in the MF catalog. The only thing is that the quilt is nice but not as defined in the striping as that fabulous pics in MF.
I play Modern Alt Rock/Metal and play a half step down drop Csharp with 12's and this guitar gets DOWN!! I play it thru a Genz Benz El Diablo 100 with a modified tube combination thru a 4/12 with V30's. This is a great Modern Rock set up.
The guitar is light but after getting used to it you will see it is as chunky and anything out there.
I changed the bridge pickup to a Dimarzio Drop Sonic and it will chunk you out of a room.

Like I said after puting in a Dsonic in the bridge this guitar plays and sounds beautifully. Very Chunky very modern and very versitle.

I always have to have this thing re setup. Reason is I am very anal and I with the Tune O matic there is a chance when changing strings the bridge will get a little out of wack. (thats a technical term by the way).
I have found that the guitar does not play as fast as my strats or ibanez guitars because of the thicker LP style neck. It is probably just the size of my hands. Just a great guitar.

I have found it to be very solid. No change in quality after having it almost a year.

I have one experience with Schecter and it was good. I called to simply talk to someone about my style and what i was looking for and I had a guy there say you want this, this, this, and this. It was great. He said for the tone I wanted the Tempest or the S-1 was my guitar.

BUY THIS GUITAR! For the money I am a Schecter man thru and thru! I have just ordered another Schecter (White C-1 Elite) that will be here in a few days and I am very pumped! After that its the Tempest Black Jack for me. They make THE most guitar for the money out there.
BUT IT!!!

Nice features, esp since I got mine with real SD pickups. If you're going to make an upgrade that's the one to make.

Great after the PU upgrade.

This one goes to 11. Just gorgeous to look at. Kudos to the design team on this one. I have the black cherry finish, so with the black chrome hardware, abalone binding, black recessed knobs, sweet inlays, there is just nothing to complain about.

I see no reason to expect durability problems.

Not applicable

Tremendous guitar! A couple words about the body however. It is pretty light. I'd almost rather it was a couple pounds heavier to give it a more solid feel. (If I played standing up more I would prefer the lighter weight so I reckon it depends on your playing position.) The modified SG body shape is great looking but when you sit down it has a tendency to make you pick right over the neck PU. No biggie really. I love the slim-ness of the body. Some have mentioned it is headstock heavy...I don't find that.

I now own a C1 and S1 so life is good! Schecter makes really nice guitars for the money. After you upgrade the pickups you've got a real keeper!

Bought this guitar about a year ago and let me say these picture dont di it justice. This fit and finish is great, the inlays are flawless, the electronics are great. String action is low, no buzzing frets.
I bought mine for about 600 bucks but I would put it in the 1500 dollar price range when you consider the quality of this instrument.

With the coil split, your sound possibilities are endless....

TOP NOTCH !!!!! Pictures just dont do this instrument justice. Just go see one for yourself in the store.

I DID have a problem with the 1/4in jack after about 6 moths. The nut fell off and left a brass washer in the electronics cavity that shorted out the wires a few times and muffled my sound. A 10 minute fix with a pair of pliars and a drop of glue on the nut solved that problem.

Never called....

To anyone thinking about purchasing this guitar I say get it, your gonna love it.

It's an S-1 Elite in Black Cherry. Check the specs on Schecter's website.

The sound is what its all about. I had a Mexi-Strat that I've been playing for a couple of years. I've also had Fenders in the past. I thought they sounded sweet until I started "really" listening to some BB King and Howlin Wolf. That fat humbucker sound was just not available on a single coil strat. I bought this S-1 Elite after trying out some high end strats, Epiphones (SG, Les Paul), and some Ibanez models. I have to say this Schecter knocked me over good !!!

The tones are sweet, bright and fat. It fits my blues, classic rock, and alternative playingto a tee.

Nearly perfect. I lowered the action just a bit for my own preference (arthritis is a players doom). Pickups sound great to me. But then I've never had a really expensive Duncan or DiMarzio setup like some of the other reviewers. Fit and finish are exquisite. The Black Cherry finish is luscious to look at. The pearl / abalone inlays are also matched and quite stunning.
Only one minor flaw was with the nut where the cable plugs into. It was loose, and gets loose from time to time. Not a problem.

I'm alive and I still manage to play daily. Oh, you meant 'live' as in on stage.... I'm sure it would hold up fine if one was careful with ones axe. I treat my gear with TLC. Someone who beats on their gear probably should get something this visually pleasing.

I don't ply in a band or on stage. I'm just a play at home or jam with friends sort of player.

I haven't had to deal with Schecter. Guitar Center is where I purchased this guitar. They are top pros with customer service.

I've been playing on and off for maybe 10 years. I'm still learning. I own an Ibanez Artcore AFS75 in black (old style semi hollow electric ). I also own an Ibanez Classical with pickups and a cutaway (not great but not bad either). I just replaced my little Fender amp with a Vox DA15. Nice....much improved sound and tone quality.

The quilt top looks bueatiful, the body is nice and light, the pickups are Seymore Duncan and the pickups sound good. The tuners are Grover and stay in tune! The neck feels good and easy, and it appears to have quality wood. What else can I say its a great made guitar. I think God would want us to have this Schecter S-1 Elite.

To me the guitar sounds incredable. I just love it. I don't really have it yet but the first day I played it was the first day I couldn't keep my mind off it. I couldn't even sleep until I bought the guitar! The sound is so good that even my Father and his friend said that it played and sounded better then a $2500 Les Paul Authentic that was at the same store. My Father judges a guitar by playing it unplugged. This guitar was very resonant and rang loud. The Les paul Authentic is supposed to be a better guitar. In my opinion, the S-1 Elite looked and sounded better then the Les Paul Authentic.

How Shecter did the action was lovely and lively for anything you could play. The finish was just beautiful. The finish was a smooth gorgeous Black Cherry quilt top with shell at the sides.

Since I don't have one myself yet, I have to say that Shecter is a great made guitar. Since it's a great made guitar it will last forever unless someone smashes it or breaks it.

I gave this a five because I don't really have the S-1 yet and I won't see any problems with it but I heard that the support is lousy. I would of thought that the support would be good because its a small company and it hasn't hit big yet. But maybe I am wrong?

I know that for a fact that the Shecter S-1 is a great guitar because #1, it sounded better then a $2500 Les Paul Authentic, #2, I played alot of quality guitar gear like, the Matchless clubman 35 (Sampson era), Fender Vibro-King, Two Rock Opal, Budda Superdrive 45, Zinky Blue velvet, Marshall JCM 800-PKXI, Vintage Tweed Fenders, Fender Woody, Mesa Boogie Mark 1 and IV, and the guitars are PRS Artist 3, Eric Johnson SIG Strat, Grosh Retro Classic, Les Paul 57 Historic gold top, Yngwie Malmsteen SIG strat, and a Moortone. #3 Also because it feels good, sounds good, and looks good. I'm only 11 years old and I know a good guitar when I play one and this is definitely one of them.

I bought it brand new November 2005 for 573$. Don't know when it was produced exactly. 22 frets, two "seymoure designed" hummbuckers with 3way-coiltap (awsome) so all together it gives a 5 position range from telecaster sound to that fat SG sound. The body and neck are both mahagony and the fretboard is Rosewood (dark).Beautifull black cherry color with black burns towards the edges. The thing i adore about this guitar are incredible looking Abalone (sedef looking) bindings on every single edge of guitar body and head. Oh yeah! The head is something special, it has two stylish horns that give something special to the all guitar look, evilish a bit! Looks like something in between Gibsin SG and classic PRS. But more beautifull than both of mentioned. The hardware is black, I woulden't like it any other way. The bridge has a locking system witch is also a great plus. Grover tuners are definetly good and reliable. The neck is 22 fret jumbo, preety much like Les paul..but better in a way.

As i mentioned above the first thing about it is a Three way Coil-tap.
With that feature you can get the sound from telecaster to that fat Gibson SG sound. I'm playing it on Marshall AVT100 Combo and tried it on few different amps (H&K, Fender DeVille, Crate..) and it sounds great on every single one of them. The pickups though (seymoure designed) could be a bit better, heavyer. I am having doubts about changing them with some DiMarzzio. If the guitar would come with any better pickups it would cost somewhere around 1200$.

The guitar came setted up pretty well, i only lowered the bridge, just a bit but that is the matter of taste! Everything else-perfect!

This guitar is definetly for all and every use , home, studio, live you name it! I believe and my humble opinion is that it will last me a lifetime (I'm 25) and will end in my will and testament one day surely.
I don't believe that I will ever be in need of buying a new guitar.
A friend of mine that plays a Ibanez JS1000 (Joe Satriany signature - 2100$) is astonished with S-1 Elite! He says that he can not believe that such a guitar exists in that price level.

Never dealed with customer support, think I never will.

When I was going to purchase the guitar I never dreamed of such a beutifull qualitymade one. I was going for the Ibanez GAX to be frankly, and accidentaly went into other shop before just to check it out, and there it was, so i gave a bit more money than I planned, and it is worth every single cent. and more! I discovered later that the guitar costs much more than I payed it, so I believe that the seller dident know what he has in shop and under-priced it.
This guitar is one great looking, high quality guitar. I felt in love in it and thinking of marrying "her" too.

Great features for the price. I like the tuners, the bridge, The cross inlays, the binding. It would have been nice to have real duncans pickups even if they sounds quite similar. The coil tap is a + but its too noisy to be used with distortion.

I'm no crazy about the pickup sound. I use to have a real duncan JB on one of my axes and it's sounds the same. Too bassy and undefined for my taste. For the rest, the guitar is perfect. I like to feel the guitar when I play and this guitar feels powerfull. Since the tone of a guitar is a least 50% pickup, I'm gonna change the duncans and I'll be more than happy with the sound.

Factory set-up was perfect for me. The neck is super strait. Action is low enough to be confortable and high enough to sounds good. Finish is 10/10.

I just bought it so I don't know. The finish looks a bit fragile.

Before I bought this guitar, I tried fender, ESP, Ibanez, Gibson and PRS. I don't understand why people are still paying 1000$ for a fender or 2000 for a gibson. We're in 2006, I don't think it makes any difference if you buy a guitar made in korea or usa. Both factories uses the same machines and techniques (Except for custom guitars). It's well made, cheap, and the neck is so strait and confortable... I can't stop playing. I also liked the ESPs witch are in the same price range. Anyway, The only thing I don't like about this schecter is that the headstock is a bit too heavy for my taste. It's like if the neck was too heavy for the body. No big deal, I'll get used to it.

I think this was a 2003. I got it used off of ebay. It has 22 frets witha 3-way coiltap...cool! H/H with Duncan Design pickups. It has a really nice quilted black cherry finish with abalone inlays. It has the SG body profile but meaner looking. It has the tone pro bridge with some solid grover tuners. I would characterize the neck as skinnier than a Gibson Les Paul, still painted, but definitely thicker than my ibanez wizard neck (that one is like a broomstick, I love it). No accessories included. The coil tap is a huge feature especially at this price

AWESOME!!! This thing can go from tele clean to crunchy as hell. Also has a great moderate rock tone. Overall it has a full sound. This is probably my fav guitar now although I've only had it for 2 days, but played it at rehearsal.

Action was high from the factory but it usually is. I lowered it way down, now its like buttah! Just a well constructed guitar all around. Oh yeah, the abalone inlays are GORGEOUS, I am still drooling. My girlfriend was pissed because after rehearsal yesterday I was just staring at the guitar in the corner and not her...it will wear off I hope.

So far it seems like a tank, but it is almost to nice to gig hardcare with it. I have no choice though, I will have to watch those stage dives.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

Been playing for 10 years, too much gear to name. This one stacks up to the PRS's and Parkers I have played any day, no BS. There might be some slight imperfections in the abalone if I wanted to get really picky, but overall an awesome guitar. Schecter makes some nice guitars.

I bought this around 2002 from Musicians Friend. After seeing the Black Cherry color, that was the color I wanted. When I placed the order, they were going for $599. He said they were closing out the Amber color and were selling them for $430, a $170 savings. UUh,OK, I'll take it!! I was floored when I opened the box, the Amber blew the B.C. color totally, let me repeat, TOTALLY out of the water!! The inlays and the binding, WOW, this thing is worth $1000 on looks alone. Check out MF to see all the features.

I play mostly classic rock, Bad Co.,Montrose,Whitesnake,Beatles, Sammy Hagar. My amps are 1962 reissue Marshall Bluesbreaker, Vox Buckingham, Epiphone Galaxie 10, and a Marshall JTM30. This axe kicks butt on any of them. The sound is very full. It can do the sounds of the bands above. There is absolutely nothing I dislike about this guitar.

Not that it needed it, but the first thing I did was take it in to have it set up, it's just something I do on something new. When I went to pick it up, my tech said he had good news and some bad news. The good news is this is one beautiful piece, the bad news is, I don't want to give it back! He was using it in his church band!! My guitar tech used to work as a setup man for Gibson when they were built here in Kalamazoo. This thing came back playing like butter, the neck just melts in your hands. One of the knobs splits the bridge pickup to a single coil, it's okay, just cuts the volume down. Dosen't sound like a Fender at all because of the split, so I don't use it. The quality of this Schecter is top of the line. Again, I can't beleive they don't sell these for more. I saw no flaws at all when I first got it. It's been set up one time, almost three years ago, it stays in tune and does not break strings.I go around jamming with friends, it seems that when there is someone new there, this guitar draw them to it like flies on shit. When they pick it up, they just smile. The action feels that good. Plays like a dream....

First of all, I have a Gibson LP Elegant, I paid $2100 used. I play the Schecter a lot more. I have a DigiTech RP100, we went on a weeks vacation and I took these and a set of headphones and jammed every day, without bothering anybody. In the three years I've had this, it has had the shit played out of it and still looks great. This has the gold hardware and is holding up good. The finish, still shines, but who cares about the finish now a days. You pay more money for one that has been made to look like it has been beat to shit. I use strap locks, the best $20 I have spent on all of my guitars!

Don't need it....

I've been playing, or I should say I have known how to play guitar for 38 years. I got back into it in 1997 and got G.A.S. in 2000. Then I really got into playing. Fortunatly, the G.A.S. has gone away, after the purchase of the Marshall Bluesbreaker. With that,the LP and this Schecter, I'm about ready to sell everything else. This is all I need!! As far as Schecter goes? I think it's an upcomming company. The quality they show in their products has been lost in other companys. If you buy one, you might just end up with another. People who buy crap for their first guitar more than likly will quit playing. This is a guitar that will make a beginner play forever. Oh Oh, I think I feel some G.A.S. coming on, they do have a sweet electric/acoustic!!!!

This guitar is awsome. It feels great and plays even better. One problem is it's balance when playing sitting down. But this is definatly a stage guitar. It's got a 22 fret neck with beautiful cross inlays. Got kind of an arched top almost and dual humbuckers. Duncan Designed pickups are great and tone is awsome though i look to switch with EMG 81/60 in the future. Tone pros bridge holds it tuning and gives amazing sustain. Grover tuners and black chrome top it all off and give it a beautiful look. Push/Pull tone knob give amazing tonal range and possibilities.

The pickups definately give a screaming humbucker sound but they could be a little bit stronger to match the guitars strength in tone and sustain. String thru body, set neck, and tone pros bridge make sustain last forever and give the tone a definate boost over other guitars out there.

Guitar came set up and ready out of the factory with the exception of the strings. I didnt really take liking to the GHS strings that came with it. Action was low but no fret buzz and plays really smooth and really fast. The neck is fast and its feel is great. Finish is beautiful and definatly makes a statement just by looking at the guitar before even hearing an note.

Ive had it about two three months and had no problems with it at all. Just try'n to keep them fingerprints off from all the admirers. Definatly a first guitar and i use it on all live playings and practices. This things built like a tank. Everything on it is solid and feels just as solid everytime i pick it up.

NONE NEEDED

Im just upset this wasnt my first guitar. if it was stolen i would hunt the person down and foce them to buy another one for themselves. I definatly recomend this guitar to anyone looking for an all around all music styles guitar that you can rely on and trust to last all gig.