Schecter or Ibanez?

[MitchellJBurgess]

Hey guys,

So, I've been looking at a lot of guitars lately, and I was wondering what would be the better guitar? Schecter or Ibanez?
I completely understand that all guitarists are different.
That's why I'm about to say,
I really like thin necks, which I understand Ibanezs' have considering I have an Ibby X
I also like the bridge to not be in the road, like Ibanez's ART series, I don't like things getting in the road. I don't want to 'just got used to it' either.
So yeah,
What would be a preference?
Also, the only reason I haven't actually tried a Schecter, is because seemingly here in Australia there seems to not be any Schecters?

Thanks =)

 

[Into Obsidian]

IMO, Go with Ibanez. You cant beat their necks regardless to what model. You can always upgrade electronics

 

[GuitaristOfHell]

I like Schecter because they feel better to me. OP not being mean but this thread has little value. There is no better. It's all about taste. I can't play ibanez cause the neck makes me go crazy, too flat for me. Write the pros and cons for each one you're interested in then decide. Compare them side by side if you can.

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

HeAlso, the only reason I haven't actually tried a Schecter, is because seemingly here in Australia there seems to not be any Schecters?

Odd, I guess it must be around your area or how far you can travel to another suburb. Every music store in Melbourne I've been too have Schecters left right and centre.

Also, please explain when you mean bridges being "on the road". That'll help us narrow down some choices for you.

 

[c4tze]

IBANEZ!!! dont support the schecter korea stuff which is overprized imo.

 

[Tranquilliser]

Go LTD.
In all seriousness, just go and play what you're looking for, from both brands (and possibly others) and decide which one feels the best to play, and which one you think looks nicer (can be important), as well as which one you think will work best for you - then buy which ever comes out on top.

 

[K4RM4]

I own to schecters (C1-FR and Omen extreme -7) and Two Ibanez (RG5EX1 and S5470F). I couldn't tell you which i like more, the C1 or the S5470. Neck size really doesn't matter much to me, i really only care about the tone and stability i get from a guitar. The C1 has a lot more sustain than the S5470, but it really comes down to what you want to play, and which guitar "speaks" to you. If i HAD to choose between the two, i'd probably go with the schecter due to the fact that i feel it is more versatile with the coil taps and i love the energy that active pickups push out.

 

[flint757]

I own the loomis and a more parted now gryphon schecter. I hate Ibanez they feel so cheap to me, but I've never played an expensive one and they make my hand tired...this is incredibly pointless now that I finished righting this.

 

[broj15]

i like schecter because most of thier more upscale guitars come with a set neck witch, IMHO, is much comfier when playing on the 21-24 fret. However i will admit that ibanez necks are considerably thinner even though it's only a matter of a few millimeters (it just feels thinner because ibbys are usually more of a flat "D" profile where schecters typically have a rounded "C" profile).

For your money i think a schecter is a pretty safe bet because, depending on the model, they come with premium name brand pickups and hardware (tuners, bridge, etc) where as most people choose to invest at least an addition $100 (depending on brand) in pickups and bridge when they buy an ibby. All of this however is my opinion, and should be taken with a grain of salt.

The best advice anyone can give you is to get your hands on one of each brand, plug it in, and see how you feel about it. I know there are several members from Austalia on here and i'm sure some of them have schecters. Find someone near by and see if they would let you spend some time with thier axe.

 

[gunch]

Wouldn't say no to a Solo-6 custom myself.

 

[Go To Bed Jessica]

If you want to check out some Schecters, you could probably try the Billy Hyde/Allens store in Southport. BH/A Newcastle is awash with Schecters - they're almost spilling out the door.

FWIW I think they are pretty good value for money. I've not played one that was terrible, and for their respective pricetags I have been impressed with every single one I have picked up.

I'm currently looking into picking up an 8 string (don't own a 7, I'm going straight from 6 to 8) and will likely be picking up a Schecter.

As for the country of manufacture stuff, don't pay any attention to it - as long as you can physically play the guitar before you buy it - it's irrelevant. I have a Korean-made Ibanez and it's a fantastic guitar. I've no doubt that some Korean-made guitars are rubbish, but there are plenty of US-made ones that are too. Let your hands and ears decide.

Also, I always get weird looks in shops for this... but the LAST thing I do when shopping for a guitar is plug it in. I want to know that a guitar *feels* good to play and sounds decent acoustically. If it doesn't sound decent acoustically I'll just put it back on the wall and walk away. Even the best pickups won't save a shitty sounding instrument... but if you can find one that resonates nicely straight up, then the pickups have something good to work with.

IMO, of course,

 

[greyhound]

IBANEZ!!! dont support the schecter korea stuff which is overprized imo.

if anything is overprized it's the ibanez.

 

[flint757]

if anything is overprized it's the ibanez.

The one quality most people give about Schecters is that the wood and hardware is better quality than their prices. People who like Ibanez only do because of there signature trem's and thin necks which to me are just ridiculously uncomfortable.

 

[nickgray]

I was wondering what would be the better guitar? Schecter or Ibanez?

Apples or oranges? You have to be more precise than that, both companies offer a wide range of guitars and asking which company is better makes little sense.

As a whole though, Ibanez makes amazing thin necks (they pretty much have zero competition in that field, if you want a super thin neck, you have to go with Ibanez) and puts atrocious pickups on 95% of their guitars. Schecter puts good pickups in their mid-high and high end guitars, has abominable inlays in about 1/3 of their guitars, and, of course, they don't have Ibanez necks.

As far as general quality is concerned, it all depends on an individual instrument, I'd say. My Japanese 1527, for instance, has less than stellar fretwork. The fret ends look like they were filed by someone who either had little idea what they were doing or by someone who didn't care, but thankfully, it's purely a cosmetic issue, I don't care about this sort of stuff all that much, truth be told. It doesn't affect the playability at all, but I can see how it can upset certain people.

So yeah, there's really no guarantee, you have to inspect the instrument before buying it to be sure.

 

[-42-]

You say you like thin necks? Ibanez.

 

[Ckackley]

For me it's all about the necks.. Ibanez necks make my hands cramp up something fierce, but I can play Schecters forever with no issues. Also the 26.5 scale length is awesome. Now, if Ibby would do a Darkstone 7 I might be tempted.. lol

 

[vampiregenocide]

I don't know what you mean by 'in the road', but in terms of thin necks most Schecters I've found tend to be pretty wide and thick (Though the ATX is quite comfortable), so if you're after a thin neck I'd go for an Ibanez.

 

[xPIZZLEx]

I hope you're not basing your decision on opinions alone. If you are, here's my two cents:

-If you like Ibanez, go with Ibanez. Their necks are good, but I feel they're nowhere near a Jackson.
-I prefer Schecters for what I do. I like their neck joints, they have great sustain and warm, full-bodied tone. Every Schecter I've played has been all-around solidly-built, great sounding guitar.
-I've yet to find an Ibanez that doesn't have:
A) lackluster tone without being plugged into an expensive amp or aftermarket pickups (which, by the way, you shouldn't have to do for a brand new guitar unless you have a major hard-on for a certain pickup manufacturer), or,
B) a trem issue. Ibanez' licensed Floyd Rose variants are absolute garbage in both my experience working on them and general opinion.

Having said that, your question is very vague. Your decision is going to come down to Ibanez (X) vs. Schecter (Y). You're going to have to compare pickups, control layout, neck feel, neck joint, wood type, bridge (trem or fixed) and last but not least, price. If you can, go to a music store that has both guitars and an amp that is the same or close to your existing rig. That will help much more.

 

[-42-]

A) lackluster tone without being plugged into an expensive amp or aftermarket pickups (which, by the way, you shouldn't have to do for a brand new guitar unless you have a major hard-on for a certain pickup manufacturer), or,

Tell that to 90% of the board.

 

[flint757]

Tell that to 90% of the board.

He just did