Schecter vs. LTD

[AllanD]

Hey guys, I'm wondering what the general consensus is on which one is better? I have a Hellraiser, it was the first guitar that I truly felt played amazing. I'm thinking if there is something better, like an LTD? ESP is out of the question, too expensive.

 

[Robert W]

Is body type a factor? Pickups, active or passive? Standard or extended length scale? 6,7, or 8 string?

 

[Terminus]

Well, Schecter Guitar Research is technically owned by the same guy that owns ESP/LTD. The Hellraiser/Horizon guitars are the most obvious likeness of each other.

Wikipedia:

In 1987, the Texas investors sold the company to Hisatake Shibuya, a Japanese entrepreneur who also owned the Musicians Institute in Hollywood and ESP Guitars (To this day, Schecter Guitar Research and ESP Guitars have remained separate entities).[1] Shibuya moved the company back to California and returned Schecter to its custom shop roots, devoting all its efforts to manufacturing high-end, expensive custom instruments.

Schecter guitars were once again only available from a few retailers, one of them being Sunset Custom Guitars located in Hollywood, which Hisatake Shibuya also owned. Sunset Custom Guitars happened to be the place where Michael Ciravolo, the future president of Schecter Guitar Research, worked.

In 1995, Schecter introduced the highly-sought-after S Series guitars and basses, which were Fender-style instruments. In 1996, Hisatake Shibuya asked Michael Ciravolo to become Schecter's president and run the company. Michael Ciravolo, an experienced musician, brought to the company many well-known musicians as endorsees. These included Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, and Jay Noel Yuenger and Sean Yseult of White Zombie.

Michael Ciravolo never really liked Fender designs, so he sought to distance the company from its past Fender-style models.[1] Toward that end, he added the Avenger, Hellcat, and Tempest models to the Schecter catalog. He also wanted to reach out to a new generation of musicians who were ignored by most major guitar manufacturers. Yet, at this point, the company was only producing expensive, custom shop models. (Schecter's maximum output was forty guitars a month.)[1] So, to realize his vision, Ciravolo began searching for a factory that could mass-produce Schecter guitars while maintaining high quality standards.

In 1997, Michael Ciravolo met with several Asian guitar manufacturers at the Tokyo Music Festival and subsequently decided on a factory located in Incheon, South Korea. (Though not known for sure, this location could be the electric guitar factory of World Musical Instrument co. Ltd.) Schecter's guitars would be built in the South Korea factory, after which they would be shipped to the U.S. to be set up in a Schecter shop. At the 1998 summer NAMM show, Schecter introduced the Diamond Series, which included six affordably priced non-custom guitars.

In 1999, Schecter added the seven string A-7 Avenger guitar to the Diamond Series. It also introduced the C-1, which was debuted by Jerry Horton in Papa Roach's "Last Resort" music video. Today, the company mass-produces affordable, non-custom guitars under the Diamond Series and continues to build expensive, handmade, custom models.

I like the sharp headstocks of ESP/LTD better than anything by Schecter but that's purely aesthetic.

Really though ,you have to go out and play a guitar to get any idea of how it compares to another guitar.

 

[cyril_v]

They're probably made in the same factory by the same people for all we know.. lol.

Well, Schecter Guitar Research is technically owned by the same guy that owns ESP/LTD. The Hellraiser/Horizon guitars are the most obvious likeness of each other.

Definitely.

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars/ltd-standard-deluxe/h-1007fr.html
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...iser-Special-C7-FR-Electric-Guitar?sku=H64906

 

[Trevoire520]

The better guitar is whichever one you like the best! Schecter necks in my experience aren't as nice as LTD's, but honestly that's a personal preference more than anything else.
Just stick with what you've got and get on with making music dude!

 

[AllanD]

I wish I could try an LTD, Guitar Center doesn't sell them ><.


The reason I'm asking is because most bands I see now a days are either using LTD or Schecters, with the LTD being seen most often. Gotta be a reason for that!

 

[mburton21]

I haven't played any of the new LTDs, they're made in Indonesia now IIRC instead of South Korea.

My bandmate owns a C1 Hellraiser and a few LTDs, I own a few more LTDs. Honestly, there is literally no difference in quality (again I'm not sure with their most recent production models though) you can't go wrong with either! I lean towards LTD though hehe.

 

[Trevoire520]

Because LTD are endorsing more bands possibly? Maybe LTD's are more widely available in their area? They think LTD's look better?

There could be 100 reasons you see LTD's more often, but chances are it's not really anything to do with their instruments being significantly better than Schecter's.

If you like the guitar you have then just forget about all this brand stuff and get on with making music. Stop worrying about it and overthinking it.

 

[Terminus]

I wish I could try an LTD, Guitar Center doesn't sell them ><.


The reason I'm asking is because most bands I see now a days are either using LTD or Schecters, with the LTD being seen most often. Gotta be a reason for that!

The LTD guitars I've tried out have had thinner profile necks than any schecter I've tried.

I went up to the CG in Austin last weekend, they have both ESP and LTD in that particular store. Pretty popular brands, strange they had none where you're at.

 

[AllanD]

Because LTD are endorsing more bands possibly? Maybe LTD's are more widely available in their area? They think LTD's look better?

There could be 100 reasons you see LTD's more often, but chances are it's not really anything to do with their instruments being significantly better than Schecter's.

If you like the guitar you have then just forget about all this brand stuff and get on with making music. Stop worrying about it and overthinking it.

Good point. Trust me, I'm not going to stop making music, I just want to know if there are tools out there than can help me make it more efficiently.

The LTD guitars I've tried out have had thinner profile necks than any schecter I've tried.

I went up to the CG in Austin last weekend, they have both ESP and LTD in that particular store. Pretty popular brands, strange they had none where you're at.

How thin would you say, Ibanez thin? Or Fender thin?

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Closer to Fender, with a larger fretboard radius and with extra jumbo frets. Ibanez and Schecter necks have always been weird for me, ESP/LTD seems so much more fluid, but then again my first two guitars where strats so when I went to LTD/ESP I had formed into what I was comfortable with.

 

[Tommy Gun]

I wish I could try an LTD, Guitar Center doesn't sell them ><.


The reason I'm asking is because most bands I see now a days are either using LTD or Schecters, with the LTD being seen most often. Gotta be a reason for that!

ESP/LTD gives out more endorsements. That's mostly the reason for seeing them more.

 

[AllanD]

Closer to Fender, with a larger fretboard radius and with extra jumbo frets. Ibanez and Schecter necks have always been weird for me, ESP/LTD seems so much more fluid, but then again my first two guitars where strats so when I went to LTD/ESP I had formed into what I was comfortable with.

Interesting. I love my Schecter, but for some reason I couldn't play an Ibanez to save my life. I'm definitely going to have to try an LTD, what are the top models?

ESP/LTD gives out more endorsements. That's mostly the reason for seeing them more.

Oh, lulz

 

[Norris-wf]

+1 on the neck thickness. My mate had the hellraiser and I have the MH-400 and if you stood back, it is hard to tell them apart, same body shape components etc. But the neck was definitely thicker on the hellraiser than on the LTD and I found it quite noticeable.

 

[Raptor7]

I have a BlackJack C7 made in 2005, bought as new in the same year.
They stop making this particular model back in 2008 If I am not wrong. At least not with the specs I have on mine (fixed, SD JB and 59, 27 3/4, 24 frets, mahogany, etc). Its the exact guitar Loomis has on video actually. I honestly say I tried a few Hellraisers C7 and none of them got close to my BlackJack in terms of finish and comfortability, and the sound is... Also I tried a few LTDs and two ESP. I can say now the ESPs and LTDs are exact the same construction, fell and finish as the old Schecters, pre 2006/7. If you compare a Schecter from nowadays with a LTD or ESP, the difference starts to be seen and felt. Meaning they fucked Schecter's finish and whatever a bit. Thats why, probably, why poeople are after LTDs now.

And btw, my preference for pickups leans towards passives, I need more versatility and I play doom, so no need for actives. Also the neck thickness has the right radius and curvature for my hand, enough to feel comfortable and it allows my mind to unconsciously concentrate on music and not on my grasp.

 

[cobhc]

I have a BlackJack C7 made in 2005, bought as new in the same year.
They stop making this particular model back in 2008 If I am not wrong. At least not with the specs I have on mine (fixed, SD JB and 59, 27 3/4, 24 frets, mahogany, etc).

The only difference I see in the newer Blackjack C7's is they're 26 1/2 scale length, everything else is the same. Although I've seen reviews from 2007 of the Blackjack C7 which state it's a 26 1/2 scale length. Are you sure you're not mistaken with that?

 

[Raptor7]

The only difference I see in the newer Blackjack C7's is they're 26 1/2 scale length, everything else is the same. Although I've seen reviews from 2007 of the Blackjack C7 which state it's a 26 1/2 scale length. Are you sure you're not mistaken with that?

Yes, I was wrong, I was just recalling my memory from a 5 year old read of the specs. Its 26 1/2, true. Baritone. Thank you for your correction.
For the rest, there are plenty of differences, starting with the name ATX. So the usual Blackjack C-7 as we know it is no more. However there is a C-7 Standard in the catalog which resembles with the original C-7, but the wiring I believe is the same as on a Hellraiser. My C-7 has two pots, volume and tone and a 5 pos switch. Also some of the binding it's not similar to the 2004/5 models. Pick-ups are other SD models or SD Designed.

 

[cobhc]

Yes, I was wrong, I was just recalling my memory from a 5 year old read of the specs. Its 26 1/2, true. Baritone. Thank you for your correction.

I hope my post wasn't taken as a rant, or a know it all correction. I was merely trying to confirm what the specs indeed were to prevent anyone being misinformed.

 

[kernelxsanders]

i went to guitar center the other way and this one schecter caught my eye. i played it and it played better than i expected, which is weird for me because i usually dont prefer schecters. but they just started selling ltd's and every time i go in, i always pick up the ec1000 vb and it never disappoints me. i just love the necks and the way they feel, though that one schecter (i cant recall which model) was pretty up there for me. but for leads, its a different story. im all about ibanez for solo kinda riffing. so it depends on your playing style if your more of a rhythm, soloing in the higher octaves or somewhere in the middle with metal lead harmony kind of stuff.

just IMO

 

[Raptor7]

I hope my post wasn't taken as a rant, or a know it all correction. I was merely trying to confirm what the specs indeed were to prevent anyone being misinformed.

oh nono man, thank you again. no worries.