Schecter: Omen 7

I've been neglecting the 7-string; these days I play my 6s & resort to the 8 if there were moments that require lower notes peddling. So today, after Janet alerted me to the arrival of my Omen 7, I headed out to town despite the flu bout... 

As stated on the headstock truss rod cover- Omen 7. This is the entry level tier of Schecter's offering but the QC on show would shame many other costly instruments. I like everything about the Omens; they are really no-frills guitars fit for the beginners or seasoned players alike, who wish to focus on play rather than be over-delighted with instrument cosmetics.

I've chosen the lacquer-free finish for all my Omens (my upcoming Omen 8 included), I simply love the brighter acoustics because this does good to the overall heftiness of the instrument. Based on my personal encounters, I know this finish type compliments many Tesla pickup models which are what I will purchase in time to come, to replace the default pickups.

Schecter: JL proto

If it's to your interest, there is a Schecter Jeff Loomis prototype model currently available at Davis GMC. His signature on the body, please take note.

Strings Sunday

Was in town yesterday, despite the foul weather, to get strings. Glad I took the train as the news reported flooding at the Orchard Road stretch. Purchased the above 3 packs:

• Dr Duck nickel alloy set. I've not tried them for quite some time now, I feel the need to 'remember' the feel of strings which I seldom use.
• SIT Power Steels. Some of you might know that the SITs are rather bend-friendly, even the steel set. This 'soft' factor might be the reason why my frets last longer. Since the steel Curt Mangans are not available, I've been turning to SIT/ D'Addario for my steel needs.
• Schecter Decimator for 8-string guitars. It's not easy owning 8-string guitars, strings availability is a recurring pain I have to deal with. The Decimator is really testing my patience, not that they are lousy but they are essentially a set of 10s which isn't my preferred range...

For the record, I have tried the following string brands throughout the years: Ernie Ball/ D'Addario/ Rotosound/ ESP/ Curt Mangan/ Pyramid/ Yamaha/ Dean Markley/ Electro Harmonix/ D'Arco/ Everly/ Tone Drive/ GHS/ DR/ SIT/ Cleartone/ Schecter/ Brooklyn Gear/ Fender/ Gibson/ K-Garage/ Black Diamond/ Marshall

Wish it was back: Schecter 006 Deluxe

Schecter's 006 Deluxe was a simple guitar, much in the veins of the current Omen series; well-made & very affordable. In fact, it used to list for less than $300 when I tried it at Ebenex years ago. Back then, Ebenex was located at Roxy Square II, Beez was still the employee there. The body outline is preserved till this day & manifested as the Stargazer model but I'm rather thankful Schecter has the Omen range to perpetuate the 006's good vibes. Wish it was back...

Separated at birth (yet again)

This is the wonderful but discontinued Ibanez SZ model, wish it was back...

Conceptually, Schecter's C1 model & the Ibanez SZ are only slightly differentiated.

We can say so for Yamaha's (discontinued) RGX model here as well.

Not forgetting Cort's Katana offering- they are all fundamentally similar with slight differentiation to respect the design/ copyright threshold.

When a particular guitar design establishes a forte in terms of appeal, it will be imitated. Many of us will not hesitate to embrace the design fundamentals in other manifestations because having an experience with one, we know what to expect from the other. Ibanez's SZ & Yamaha's RGX are sadly extinct; they were both very good guitars for the money but the manufacturers have their reasons to do away with them.

Schecter: Omen 6... mine (2)

This is how the pickup cavities of the (Schecter) Omen 6 look like. The surface wasn't sanded down to manifest a smooth feel but shielding paint was applied so that's how much effort/ consideration was put in.

These are the default Schecter humbuckers in the Omen 6, made by the G & B pickup company; they make pickups for other brand names as well (LTD is one of them). They are to me, 'get-by' units; appealing only in certain applications, so out they went. If you are interested in them (pickups only, I'm currently using the screws/ springs) you can have them both for $35...

Schecter: Omen 6... mine

This is a reiteration that I don't dismiss the budget guitars out there. I own a few of them, I will continue to keep a look out for these gems.

As clearly stated on the truss rod cover; it's an OMEN 6, one of the most affordable model offered by the manufacturer.

This is how it is at the rear, one of the reasons why the OMEN 6 goes for a very affordable asking price is that it's a bolt-on make. The heel there is angled to promote upper fret reaches but the bulk is just a put-off if you wish to rest your thumb there. Not saying this guitar has poor upper fret access but it's a fair offering, definitely.

The body's top surface features sumptuous beveling to such an extent it manifests a curved-top feel.

I don't fancy the default humbuckers so they were replaced by the above Tesla pickups:

• Neck: Opus 2
• Bridge: VR-Nitro

These darlings brought much life to tone. Due to the lacquer-free body, the Omen 6 gives off a bright default acoustic tones. This, in my opinion, would provide the perfect snap for a single coil pickup so the Opus 2 option was rather clear. I require a crisp sounding Tesla in the bridge which has a tamed midrange emphasis- just a little bit, not a grand truncation- so I chose the covered version of the VR-Nitro. This is a happy combo for me. I bought this guitar more than a week ago, still fiddling with the pickups height.

Schecter: Omen 6

Schecter's Omen series are afforable bolt-on guitars. They are the no-frills offerings you should consider if you are looking for a simple guitar with great QC & above average default tone. The Omen 6's body's depth you see here is similar to that of Ibanez's (discontinued) SZ series, as well as Cort's Katana. The neck has that in-between profile which should attract the shredders & benders alike. The default humbuckers are a little flat to begin with but it responds to distortion superbly. At $395, it's certainly one of the best value-for-money guitar in my books.

Schecter: Damien Riot FR

I was at Davis GMC earlier today, before the storm took over & flooded parts of Ang Mo Kio, managed to try Schecter's Damien Riot (FR). The 'extra' feature here is the heel-neck joint which is at the 18th fret while the rest of the bolt-on electric guitars out there (generally), sports a 17th fret occurrence. The body outline there played a crucial part in keeping things in balance pertaining to this 'deeper' joint. The neck has a great shred feel to it but the roundness of the overall profile invokes a (Fender) Strat make. I'm not quite a fan of EMG-HZ pickups but in this guitar, the pair sounded aggressive but retaining that passive pickup warmth. It proved its worth after I plugged it into a Marshall DSL401. So if you are looking for a locking whammy equipped solid-body, this one's recommended.

Cheap & cheerful (1): Schecter Omen 7

If you are looking for an affordable 7-string  guitar with lots of goodness in tact, do check out Schecter's OMEN 7. The build on offer is incredible for the money. Despite being in-house units, the pickups on board are above-average players. The OMEN 7 lists for $465 which makes it a great value-for-money purchase. However, be informed that the scale length is slightly longer than the average 7-stringer, going at 26.5"- but I've played this instrument without issues, I expected early lethargy to set-in but it feels 'normal' through & through.

Synester special

All you Synester G fans, take note of Schecter's latest offering (Musikmesse 2011) ; the Synester Special. It's what the manufacturer would classify as a no-frills version hence made affordable to you, ardent followers, but still retianing the 2 crucial features: Duncan (Invader) pickups + Floyd Rose bridge.

Separated at birth

Schecter's Riot...

BC Rich's Eagle... variation on a theme.

Riot 8

The Schecter camp is really pushing the 8-string market. The Riot 8 is new for 2011 & looks good. The manufacturer also makes it a point to vary their tonal offerings, some 8-string models sport a pair of EMGs while others are equipped with Seymour Duncan (Blackouts)- this is what we (the players/ buyers) want. Thank you, Schecter. (Product availability will be updated here in the near future)