Schecter Guitars article
Common Schecter Guitars Mistakes to Avoid
The avoidable mistakes that trip up Schecter guitars buyers again and again, from a plain-spoken repair-room point of view.
I've fixed enough guitars over the years to know most problems start at the buying decision, not the workbench. Schecter guitars are genuinely well-built across the range, but the range is wide enough that it's easy to trip yourself up if you're not paying attention to the right details. Here's the honest rundown, no sales pitch attached.
Mistake 1: Buying an Artist Model for the Name Alone
Synyster Gates, Nick Johnston and the rest have their names attached for a reason, but their signature specs were built around their own hands and their own technique. Buying one purely for the name, without trying it, sometimes means paying extra for a scalloped fretboard or unusual pickup layout that doesn't actually suit how you play. Try before you buy, name or no name.
Mistake 2: Mixing Up "USA," "Custom" and "Masterworks"
These words get thrown around loosely by sellers who should know better. USA Custom Shop and USA Masterworks mean American-made, premium-tier instruments. "Custom" on its own doesn't automatically mean one-off or hand-built — read the actual product description rather than assuming from a single word on a listing.
Mistake 3: Choosing a Floyd Rose Without Knowing What You're Signing Up For
| What you get | What it costs you |
|---|---|
| Excellent pitch stability, dive bombs | Slower restringing, spring balancing needed |
| Great for heavy tremolo use | More setup knowledge required to maintain it |
A locking tremolo is brilliant if you actually use it. If you don't, you've bought yourself a maintenance chore for no real benefit — a fixed bridge does the everyday job just as well with a fraction of the fuss.
Mistake 4: Grabbing an Eight-String Before You're Ready
Extended-range Schecter guitars are genuinely excellent, but a wider neck and unfamiliar low-string technique will slow down a player who hasn't built solid fundamentals on six strings first. Buy for the music you're actually making now, not the music you imagine you'll be making in two years.
Mistake 5: Skipping the Setup Check
A guitar straight off the shelf, even a good one, still benefits from having its action, intonation and neck relief checked properly. Skip this and you'll spend weeks blaming your own playing for problems that are actually sitting in the setup. It's a small cost that saves a lot of frustration and, frankly, a lot of wasted practice time.
Mistake 6: Assuming Regional Models Are Available Everywhere
Not all Schecter guitars are sold everywhere — the US, European and Japanese sites don't all list the same instruments. A model you've seen online from a Japanese collaboration or a European-exclusive finish might simply not be sold, or might carry different specs, wherever you actually are. Confirm availability and specification through an authorised dealer before you fall in love with a listing you can't actually buy.
Mistake 7: Ignoring Fretwork and Nut Quality
It's an easy thing to overlook next to flashier features like pickups and finishes, but sharp fret ends or a poorly cut nut cause ongoing tuning problems and genuine discomfort that no amount of good electronics will fix. Check it in person, or ask directly before buying online.
Avoid These and You're Ahead of Most Buyers
For the fuller buying process, our complete buyer's guide covers construction, pickups and bridges properly, and our overview of the brand is worth a read for context on how the range came together.
The Bottom Line
Most of these mistakes cost money, time or both, and every one of them is entirely avoidable with a bit of patience. Buy for what you actually play, check the details that matter, and don't let a famous name or a shiny finish make the decision for you — the best Schecter guitars are the ones that fit your hands and your music, not your ego.
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