Schecter A-7 Elite 7-string--good stuff

[pro-fusion]

Check it out, yesterday I just got this Schecter A-7 Elite neckthru seven-string that I won in this auction:

fantabulous eBay auction

It's definitely the nicest seven-string I've had the chance to play (which isn't all that many, frankly). The neck is very playable, though probably not to the same standard as a USA Jackson seven-string. But then, it's not Custom Shop $$$, either!

Even though it's a Korean Samick-made guitar, just like the LTDs, the A-7 Elite overall seems to have better playability than the neckthru LTDs I've tried. And once I get rid of the craptacular Duncan Design bridge pickup for a real Duncan, I'll be set. The DD pickup in the neck, isn't that bad, actually.

I also have a Schecter V-7 bolt-on seven string, which has a basswood body and off-brand trem. I know Vai and Petrucci think it's great, but basswood really sucks as a body wood for a seven-string. The response from the low B-string on a maple/mahogany neckthru is ten times better than on a basswood guitar, which doesn't give the notes as much 'snap'. Basswood's rounded-off tone is ok for soloing on the high strings, but it turns the low B to mush.

[eaeolian]

Re: Schecter A-7 Elite 7-string--good stuff

Nice price for a very good quality set neck 7 string. I always had problems with the way the Avenger 7 body pulled on my shoulder, though.

I'll agree with you on body wood and 7 strings - basswood sucks. Mahogany and maple thru w/alter are the only things I've heard sound good - even the ash on my LTD doesn't pick up the B very well.

Mike

[jgcable]

Re: Schecter A-7 Elite 7-string--good stuff

The A-7 certainly is a huge chunk of mohagony. I thought it was the biggest sounding 7 stringer I had ever owned. It could really handle the B string with no problem.

[pro-fusion]

Re: Schecter A-7 Elite 7-string--good stuff

Yeah, the Avenger body definitely takes a bit of getting used to. I'm the sort of geek that wears my guitar pretty high, though, so I haven't had a problem with the top horn yet. It's a fairly heavy guitar, but not that much heavier than my Soloist (which, to be fair, is one of the heavier of those that I've played). For me it's almost the opposite--I feel weird playing a really lightweight guitar!

My only slight run-in with the body is the lack of a 'forearm bevel' on the bottom front area. Even though I grew up as a Les Paul player, I've been playing superstrats for so long now that I've grown accustomed to having a strat-like bevel for my forearm, so that the sharp edge of my A-7 is noticeable to me--even though that never bothered me when playing Les Pauls.

Apart from the Duncan Design pickups, everything on the A-7 Elite seems really high quality. Even my V-7, which was Schecter low-end 7-string for awhile, had U.S.-made pots and switches. I ended up replacing the three-way blade on that with a five-way megaswitch when I put DiMarzios in it (a Blaze Custom REALLY helps offset the dullness of a basswood body--much better than the regular Blaze).

[pro-fusion]

Re: Schecter A-7 Elite 7-string--good stuff

I'm going to try a Distortion-7 in there first, as the six-string Distortion is my normal pickup of choice. If the low-B gets a bit too indistinct with that, I'll go with the JB-7.

[eaeolian]

Re: Schecter A-7 Elite 7-string--good stuff

It's a fairly heavy guitar, but not that much heavier than my Soloist (which, to be fair, is one of the heavier of those that I've played). For me it's almost the opposite--I feel weird playing a really lightweight guitar!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">What's interesting (to me, anyway) is that my Soloist 7 is LIGHTER than my USA Dinky, and the B string still sounds great. (The Soloist is maple/alder, as is the Dinky.) I think the resonance/quality of wood has as much or more to do with it as the actual wood itself...

Nice score, though. Try a JB7 in there. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Mike