Schecter Banshee Mach 7

[HighSteppinNotReppin]

icked one of these up recently after not playing 7's for years (didn't get any pics of it so here's one from the internet lmao)
-26.5 scale roasted maple/ purple heart neck
-ss frets
-Lundgren M7's

I've played a lot of high end guitars, Suhr, Aristides, Anderson, etc and I build for Xotic Guitars (really nice vintage s and t types). I'm rather well versed in high end and custom stuff, and I gotta say, I was absolutely unaware of how with the shits Schecter was. This guitar is way good for the price point. Frets are absolutely killer, neck is really good and really stable, I can tune from drop F# to standard Ab without much neck movement. The heel adjust truss rod is super handy for quick and dirty setups, and the pickups are NASTY. It plays incredibly well and stays in tune like it should, it also intimidates my blues and fusion buddies which is fun.

There are a few things I don't vibe with though, first things first, I got it used. The low B and E strings buzz slightly when played open. Could be some tom foolery that was had with the nut, I'm not sure. Regardless it's not anything crazy, and it's a compensated nut so intonation on the lower frets is pretty damn good. Second, I'm not a fan of these tuners. They are Schecter branded and I can't tell who's making them for Schecter. They don't remind me of Hipshot or Gotoh, but best believe Gotoh's are going in soon. These tuners do work, they hold tune, but I just don't like how they feel. Lastly, while the pickups are absolutely f****n sick for the scaries, they are a one trick pony and they kinda have this cocked wah thing I don't really vibe with. I'm going to try and get a Jupiter for the bridge and might go P90 in the neck for shits and giggles but we shall see. I also am not a fan of the finish. Not that its a bad finish but the reverse burst is kinda odd and then it's a regular burst on the back and you can see the ash (I hate how ash looks and hate working with it even more). Being that I work for Xotic, this might end up being the worlds first nitro refin and relic'd Schecter Banshee to exist (Tell me what color you wanna see, I might just do it) Lastly, for six string slingers, if you wan't a 7, be aware that there will absolutely be a learning curve adapting to a longer scale length!

Overall, for a guitar in this price point, you can't really beat it. It has all the fixins' to be a killer guitar and if you get one used that ain't set up too good you can easily make it rip. I love this thing and I am so stoked on the quality sub 2k guitars are bringing to the table. If you were to spec something like this from Jackson or whoever it would cost a whole lot more than 1500 bucks. Definitely a sick fiddle!

 

[OldMate]

Congrats on the NGD, dude! These look absolutely killer (and would be if they're anything like my old Banshee 7P). Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

 

[TheBloodstained]

I bought a Banshee Mach-7 FR S last year. I received it just before Christmas, and... I'm not really blown away by it.

Firstly, mine showed up with a couple of issues:
There's minor surface imperfections in the finish on the back of the neck which you can feel.
The frets needs leveling in the the higher register.
The action is quite high right now - this could potentially be a none-issue after a fret level, although I think part of the problem is the nut sits a bit high, which is also making the strings sit higher.
The wheel of the heel adjust truss rod seems to be a bit "man handled". The accompanying tool (a metal rod) to use with the adjustment wheel doesn't fit in any of the holes, so I have to use smaller Allen keys to turn the rod. The truss rod works like it should. I've adjusted the neck on the guitar without a problem.

I had a 14 day return window, and during those 14 days I played the guitar a lot to get a feel for the instrument. Despite its flaws I had fun playing it and ultimately decided to keep the guitar. It's a beautiful instrument, and the surface imperfections on the neck doesn't really bother me. Sound wise it's a lot different from what I'm used to - the M7 definitely takes some getting used to - but I've gotten good tones out of it, and it sounds pretty good on my demo recordings.

Still, I can't help but to feel like I've kept an expensive dud, which I'm pretty much stuck with now. I've been looking for guitar techs in my local area who can help me getting the thing properly set up and playing like it should (or how I want it to play!), but it can be a rather expensive venture here in my neck of the woods, so I haven't actively done anything yet.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Banshee Mach-7's are damn fine instruments with incredible specs. I was just unlucky this time.
I will make an NGD thread with mine at some point.

 

[HighSteppinNotReppin]

Damn that's frustrating. I know the feeling I've had a few of those where I'm super excited to get it in my hands, it's been hyped up and it just falls short of the expectations. Fortunately, like I said it has all the right fixins to make it killer it just might take a little work. Definitely do what you can to get those frets leveled and nut dialed in, it'll rip once that's done and it'll serve you right for a long time, it just sucks that you have to go through extra hoops when it should have been completely dialed from jump at the price point

 

[Briz]

Congrats on the NGD, dude! These look absolutely killer (and would be if they're anything like my old Banshee 7P). Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

This. I have an old Banshee-7 Passive that I bought new in 2015 for $499.95 + tax. That guitar plays better, has better neck stability, and had better QC standards than some of my higher end guitars that were seven times more expensive. It's the only Schecter I own, other than an old C-1. I'm looking forward to playing the Mach-7, Tao-7, and KM-7 MK-III Stage USA Signature when they're back in stock locally.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

Congrats! Yeah a lot of the stuff Schecter has been doing with their higher end Diamond Series guitars has been stellar!

My schecter km7 mk2 is ridiculously good. It’s so well done it shocks me every time I pick it up.

Color? Hmm, seafoam green or metallic purple.