High end Schecters or LTD guitars. Help me choose one.

[blue_fAng]

It's time for a new six strings guitar without floyd rose that is arround 800 bucks new, to achieve modern high gain tones for rhythm. I'm very interested in the schecter hellraiser but there are some LTD-1000 models that are very similar to the hellraisers. I'm not considering the LTD MH-1000 because the NT version comes with passive pickups and I'd rather have emgs and the LTD Viper-1000 is too ugly so no thanks. I've been reading a lot that the LTD H-1001 and helllraisers are almost the same guitar, the main differences are that the neck is thinner on the LTD, the coil tap feature in the hellraisers that I don't really care and the LTD has maple neck while the hellraiser has mahogany neck. My main question is this: Do they sound too different to chose one over the other or do they sound similar? And should I consider the EC-1000? I know they sound awesome too judging by the clips I've heard all over the internet, but my main concern is that I end up with a guitar with the same tone as the others, the dealer wants more for the EC-1000 than the other models I mentioned.

BTW there is no way I can try them, thats why I want help choosing them.

 

[Habsburgs]

lol 6 strings are for old people I would go for the LTD-1000. "metal" guitars dont age well at all.

 

[EffigyForgotten]

Carvin.

 

[EffigyForgotten]

Carvin for 800 bucks man, really ? I thought they were like 2500$ or something minimum (at least shipped here up in the North) :Smokin:

I speced out a pretty crazy order for 1350$ so go and make a custom in their builder and see what it comes out to.

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

I bought an LTD EC-407 7-string back in October. It's pretty fantastic. Sleek but artsy finish too.

 

[xFkx]

maybe i'm getting a bit cynical having owned a bunch of ltd's and schecters, but all of those are basically the same guitar for me

 

[FIXXXER]

Schecter = LTD (made in korea)
Schecter > LTD (new, indonesian models)

not sure if anything changed but AFAIK Schecter = LTD =same factory

 

[Keregioz]

Yeah, I think that schecters and LTDs are pretty close quality/sound wise. The only reason I would never get a hellraiser is the fugly abalone binding. There are other good schecter models though, like blackjack. They don't come with EMGs though.

 

[Melodeath]

Do they still make Blackjacks? I was on their site today and noticed a strange lack of the Blackjack name.

 

[nw-productions]

schecter!

 

[Tercero]

After working in music stores for the better part of a decade, I've had the opportunity to get my hands on a lot of Schecters and LTD's. The higher end LTD's and Schecters are both made by World Musical Instruments in South Korea and are killer guitars for the money. If you're looking at Hellraisers, for what its worth, my Schecter Hellraiser Extreme is one of my favorite guitars. 5 piece maple/walnut neck-thru, ebony board, and comes loaded with EMG's which you dig. I honestly like this thing better than my old ESP Horizon NT-II's.

 

[mickrich]

I'd say neither.
Look out for a used ESP standard.
I have an MI NTB and Eclipse custom and get a lot of bands bringing LTDs to the studio.
They don't stand a chance against my ESPs when it comes to intonation, playability and quality of sound.
The thin eclipse is a bit of a let down but an M, horizon or full thickness Eclipse are killer guitars.
I also have a PRS custom 24 and the ESPs usually get picked ahead of it.

 

[blue_fAng]

lol 6 strings are for old people I would go for the LTD-1000. "metal" guitars dont age well at all.

lolz I never tune below C standard tuning. In fact I have written some tech-death ish stuff in E standard!

Yeah, I think that schecters and LTDs are pretty close quality/sound wise. The only reason I would never get a hellraiser is the fugly abalone binding. There are other good schecter models though, like blackjack. They don't come with EMGs though.

The LTD's have abalone binding too, not that it bothers me. The blackjacks are ok but I always prefered the emgs over the blackouts.

Do they still make Blackjacks? I was on their site today and noticed a strange lack of the Blackjack name.

Yep.

After working in music stores for the better part of a decade, I've had the opportunity to get my hands on a lot of Schecters and LTD's. The higher end LTD's and Schecters are both made by World Musical Instruments in South Korea and are killer guitars for the money. If you're looking at Hellraisers, for what its worth, my Schecter Hellraiser Extreme is one of my favorite guitars. 5 piece maple/walnut neck-thru, ebony board, and comes loaded with EMG's which you dig. I honestly like this thing better than my old ESP Horizon NT-II's.

Cool! I've read in other forums that some people like some LTD models or Schecters more than ESP standards too. Why is that?

I'd say neither.
Look out for a used ESP standard.
I have an MI NTB and Eclipse custom and get a lot of bands bringing LTDs to the studio.
They don't stand a chance against my ESPs when it comes to intonation, playability and quality of sound.
The thin eclipse is a bit of a let down but an M, horizon or full thickness Eclipse are killer guitars.
I also have a PRS custom 24 and the ESPs usually get picked ahead of it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've never tried an ESP, and I don't know anybody who owns one in my town to try one (most people here are very poor), and although I'm always interested in ESP guitars I'd never buy anything used.