Review

This Explorer-style Schecter guitar is certainly a departure from the brand's typical double-cutaways. It's also one of Schecter's most interesting signature models -- it's designed in cooperation with BälSäc the Jaws ‘o Death, the rhythm guitarist for Gwar. And with high-end pickups, traditional tonewoods, and a Floyd Rose tremolo, the E-1 is designed for the stage.

Our Star Rating

We think this guitar has the best alternative design on the list, and we give it four out of five stars.

Review

This version of Schecter's C-1 electric guitar seems like it was born to play the lead. The swamp ash body gives you slightly bright tones that float over the rhythm. And the Floyd Rose tremolo lets you dive-bomb and string-bend to your heart's content.

The real beauty of this guitar comes in its pickups. The neck humbucker is a Sustainiac humbucker. This pickup involves a sustain circuit that allows notes to ring indefinitely. The bridge pickup is a Fishman Fluence Modern humbucker that has two voicing circuits for great tonal versatility.

Our Star Rating

This Schecter C-1 is the best guitar for playing lead on the list. We give it five out of five stars.

Review

As the name suggests, this is a great guitar for the serious shredder. And despite its quality features, this superstrat-style guitar is available for an affordable price. Its mahogany double-cutaway body and maple neck make it an outstanding lead machine for rock or metal.

This guitar also features a unique combination of pickups -- a Sustainiac and an EMG Retro Active Hot 70 humbucker. The 3-way pickup switching gives you access to a wide variety of possible tones.

Our Star Rating

This is a great guitar in a great price range. We think it's the best midrange guitar on the list, and we give it four out of five stars.

Review

This unusual-looking axe can stand up to some serious abuse. To start, the Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo keeps you in tune no matter how hard or often you like to dive-bomb. And the thin-C padauk and maple neck are reinforced with carbon fiber to reduce the risk of warping and other damage.

This Schecter guitarist one of the few that is made of swamp ash -- an unusual choice for a metal guitar. But a swamp ash body gives you decidedly more midrange bite than you get with mahogany, and some players might prefer that.

Pickup-wise, you get a Sustainiac and a Schecter USA Apocalypse-VI humbucker. The combination of the set neck and Sustainiac pickup gives you infinite sustain when you need it.

Our Star Rating

We think this unique Schecter guitar is the most durable on the list. We give it 4.5 out of five stars.

Review

Since Schecter guitars are regarded as some of the best in the business, many models are out of reach for players on a budget. But the Schecter Omen Extreme-6 is a prime example of an affordable Schecter guitar that is still high quality.

The included Schecter Diamond Plus humbuckers are commonly used on less expensive Schecter guitars, but they're still equipped with a push-pull coil tap, and 3-way pickup switching makes it easy to sculpt your sound. And a stunning quilted maple top with an electric guitar black cherry finish makes the Schecter Omen 6 look more expensive than it is.

Our Star Rating

We think the Schecter Omen Extreme-6 is the best budget guitar on the list. We give it 3.5 out of five stars.

Review

While the Solo-II Apocalypse might look more like a rock guitar, it's most at home playing intense metal. Its swamp ash body is equipped with Schecter Apocalypse VI humbuckers that yield a powerful tone while enhancing harmonic content. The pickups also have a push-pull coil tap for an even greater variety of possible tones. And intonation will never be a worry with the Tune-O-Matic bridge and locking tuners.

The Solo-II Apocalypse is also designed to be supremely playable. The set padauk and maple neck offer plenty of sustain, and the single-cutaway body gives you great access to all the frets. The thin-C profile and ebony fingerboard ensure that you can play blistering riffs when you need to.

Our Star Rating

We think this distinctive Schecter guitar is the best Les Paul-style instrument on our list. We give it four out of five stars.

Review

Some metal players need the extended range afforded by a 7-string electric guitar. And this Keith Merrow signature brings extended range, good looks, and great playability. The swamp ash body is topped with striking poplar burl, and the blue crimson finish is truly a sight to behold.

If you prefer a guitar with a distinctive tone, you'll love the Keith Merrow Custom Series Fishman Fluence humbuckers. These pickups are both warm and a little gritty. It's also made with neck-through construction for powerful and unparalleled sustain.

Our Star Rating

We think this is the best 7-string electric guitar on the list. It gets 4.5 out of five stars.

Review

When you picture Schecter guitars, you likely don't imagine a Telecaster body. But the PT Pro is an outstanding choice for rock and metal players in search of vintage looks and tone. The alder body has a beautiful quilted maple top, and the Schecter USA Z-Plus humbuckers offer a distinctive, vintage-inspired tone.

Aesthetically, the PT Pro is a standout, too -- the thin roasted maple neck is stunning, as is the translucent blue burst finish. The string-through-body supports good sustain.

Our Star Rating

We think this Schecter guitar is the best one for multiple genres, and it gets five out of five stars.

Review

Just about all Schecter guitars are designed for metal and rock. But this versatile semi-hollow guitar is ideal for a range of genres. Its vintage-inspired Tesla TV-ML1 humbuckers sound great clean or through an overdriven amp. And like many Schecter instruments, it's equipped with a coil tap so you can play with single-coil tones too. The all-maple body adds some crispness to its already warm tone, and the Bigsby tremolo gives you lots of room for pitch bending.

Our Star Rating

We think this is the best Schecter for jazz and blues on the list. We give it four out of five stars.