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Download Example 1 Clean - Neck Pickup |
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Download Example 2 Clean - Middle Pickup |
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Download Example 3 Clean - Bridge Pickup |
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Download Example 4 Dirty - Bridge Pickup |
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Download Example 5 Dirty - Neck Pickup |
The other thing you notice is that they’re pretty sharp. The Solo-6 Custom comes in three striking colors: faded vintage sunburst, dark vintage sunburst, and gloss black with gold hardware. For this review, I got the dark vintage sunburst model, and when I took it to an open-mic night it turned quite a few heads.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Great Features—Some Stealthy, Some Not
When the Solo-6 Custom review guitar showed up at my house, it came strung with a set of D’Addario .010s and was ready to be played. All I had to do was tune it. And that was a breeze, thanks to the chrome Schecter locking tuners. I could have unboxed this guitar at a gig and had no problems all night. The craftsmanship is top notch—I couldn’t even find any finish flaws. You can’t say that about a lot of new guitars.
The Solo-6 Custom has a ton of bells and whistles, so don’t let the traditional look fool you. It comes stock with USA Seymour Duncan pickups—a Custom-Custom bridge unit and a ’59 in the neck position. The electronics are of good quality and will likely provide many stress-free years of service. The Master Tone knob also functions as a coil tap, and I found that very useful, especially in tandem with the bridge- and neck-pickup Volume controls. Both Volumes provided a nice sweep and cleaned up heavily distorted tones well. Another nice touch is that Schecter added rubber grips to the speed knobs for better control.
The chrome bridge and tailpiece are both from TonePros, and the added sustain they provide is noticeable and appreciated. The 24 3/4"-scale Custom features a mahogany body with a carved, flamed maple top. The neck is also mahogany and features a GraphTech nut and an ebony fretboard decorated with pearl split-crown inlays. The neck and body are wrapped with a multi-ply, crème-colored binding that is the perfect touch for this beautiful, great-sounding guitar.
The cutaway at the neck joint is very smart and comfortable when playing higher up on the neck. The flatter radius and bigger frets allow you to easily bend without fretting out. The neck is a little thinner than I’m used to, but it’s a very comfortable C shape that most players should also be comfortable with. Further, the nut was cut perfectly, and I didn’t run into any string-slipping or tuning issues.
The back of the body has a slight contour that’s less annoying than some single-cut guitars, and many players will find that this feature makes the Solo-6 more comfortable to play live than similar designs. The neck angle is straighter and less dramatic than traditional single-cuts, too. This allows the pickups to sit in the body more, which I believe yields better bass response and more of the sound of the wood to come through.
Plugging In
I tested the Solo-6 Custom with my Mad Professor head and 2x12 cab and my Fender Deluxe. The tone of the guitar is more aggressive and leans more toward modern sounds than vintage. That said, the Duncans are smooth and responsive. The bridge pickup has a lower-mid growl that makes it perfect for drop tunings and full power chords. The ’59, on the other hand, gives you a beautiful, creamy tone that makes you want to play the blues all night long. In the middle position, the blend of the two pickups is very nice and a bit Jimmy Page-like.
When you pull up on the Master Tone knob, you split both the bridge and neck pickups. This instantly turns the guitar into a Tele-style instrument. I found the single-coil sounds very useful and versatile. The split middle position is great for playing clean with chorus. Single-coil mode means you get the 60-cycle hum when you engage your distortion pedal or amp, but this is a small matter considering you have six sounds to choose from.
Give It a Whirl
Did I mention that this guy lists for just under a grand? It retails for $999 and streets for around $700. That’s a deal in any economy. With this guitar, Schecter proves you can still get a great guitar for not a whole lot of cash. In fact, I’m pretty sure that, by the end of the open-mic gig I took the guitar to, a few guitarists in the crowd had decided to head to their nearest Schecter dealer to check one of these bad boys out. And I would have rated this guitar the same way if it cost $1200 or $1400 bucks. So if you’re in the market for a versatile single-cutaway guitar with a few tricks up its sleeve, give the Schecter Solo-6 Custom a try.
Buy if...
you need a quality guitar with lots of pro features and tone but you’re on a budget
Skip if...
you have a bigger budget and prefer an instrument with a more traditional look and feature set.
Rating...
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Street $699 - Schecter Guitar Research - schecterguitars.com
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