Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid C-1 FR Review

JustinRhoads1980

Jackson Elitist
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So this guitar was my first Schecter ever. I had been eyeing it for a long time and was a bit curious in whether or not I would like it and whether it was good as some people have claimed.

This would be my first guitar from them so I didn't know what to expect, it was my first mahogany body guitar so I didn't know how that would affect my sound, first guitar with active pickups and I didn't know if I would love them or hate them.

So after doing my research for a long time tirelessly reading forums about schecter reviews and the pickups in the guitar I decided that when a good deal comes around I am jumping the gun on it.

I was originally going to get a used one that would have run me $600-$750, but a month later a seller on Reverb Music123 had one that was B-stock for $635 and within 2 hours I bought it.

Music123 was very thorough in telling me why it was b-stock and after talking to them I felt like I had just made a big fucking score on this guitar. It was b-stock because someone bought it, returned it because they didn't like it and while it was in the warehouse it had a very slight chip on the floyd rose.


So here are the specs of the guitar before we get into what my overall thoughts are about it.

Specs:
  • Body Type:Solidbody
  • Body Shape:C
  • Left-/Right-handed:Right-handed
  • Number of Strings:6
  • Body Material:Mahogany
  • Top Material:Quilt Maple
  • Body Finish: Polyurethane
  • Color:Trans Black Burst
  • Neck Material:3-piece maple, set
  • Neck Shape:SLS (ultra-thin C)
  • Fingerboard Material:Ebony, 12"-16" compound radius
  • Fingerboard Inlay:Mini dots, glow-in-the-dark side dots
  • Number of Frets:24, X-Jumbo
  • Scale Length:25.5"
  • Nut Width:1.625"
  • Bridge/Tailpiece:Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo
  • Tuners:Locking
  • Number of Pickups:2
  • Neck Pickup:EMG 66 Active Humbucker
  • Bridge Pickup:EMG 57 Active Humbucker
  • Controls:2 x volume, 1 x tone, 3-way blade pickup selector
  • Strings:Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010-.046)
So overall pretty good for a guitar that is retailed at $1000 new.

When I first got the guitar I was a bit anxious because I was checking the guitar thorougly for any other issues with it and none were found.

After getting it setup and intonated, man this guitar sounded great. The neck for one is thin, but it it has a little bit of chunk and is a bit wider, which I don't mind and actually found it very comfortable when playing.
***Just to note the guitar came setup and such which is very awesome and wish more companies did it. My adjustments were either preference wise or very slight adjustments in the intonation.***

The quilt maple is very nice and the color is also extremely cool as I am a sucker for guitars with a quilt top with a dark black or grey transparent finish :yum:

The fretboard is actually really dark very tight grain which I find extremely nice and the added bonus of the inlays being MOP is just the best since personally other than dot inlays, I think ivoroid is kind of ugly.

The controls and switch feel solid and the wiring actually isn't too shabby to be honest (my guitar does not have the EMG solderless) and nothing was crackling and no sound issues/connection issues.

The guitar sound great with the EMG 57/66 set. It IMO is my best sounding guitar out of my collection and really does scream. The cleans are usable and not bad either, very defined and clear, but very different from passive cleans. Is it closer in sound to passives? Yes it is, of course not entirely, but way closer sounding compared to stuff like the 81/85 and other variations. IMO


Overall Thoughts: After having it for 6 months

So overall I really like this guitar and would have no problem paying full price for another one of these or something else Schecter offers. I was suprised by the QC and the guitar will be one of my main players. The pickups sound good for what I do and the feel is great and the ebony fretboard, mop inlays, and dark quilt top is just an added bonus for me :). I would deeply recommend this guitar if you are looking for something that slays and is under $1000. And also if you have concerns about the floyd, they have a hardtail version of this for $100 less, so kudos to you. Also they have the same scheme of this guitar in different shapes and extended ranges aswell.

Overall thorougly impressed overall I would give the guitar a 8.5/10


Now lets get on with the pictures!

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