YosemiteSam
Unfriendly and Aloof!
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So, I went to Guitar Center to check out a Schecter Hellraiser and a Schecter Blackjack as an upgrade to my Ibanez RG.
They didn't have any Blackjacks in stock which I was a bit put off by since I wanted to hear what the Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups sounded like compared to the EMGs that are in the Hellraiser (basic difference between the Hellraiser & Blackjack models)
Schecter Hellraiser with EMG pickups
Schecter Blackjack with Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups
Anyhow, I was very impressed with the Hellraiser. Definitely an upgrade to my Ibanez RG170DX even with the high end DiMarizo ToneZone / SH-3 / PAF pickups. Basically, the wood matters, but thats a given.
While I was playing around and waiting on one of the Guitar Center guys, I decided to pick up a Gibson Les Paul. Now, understand I've always loved their sound, but didn't like they way they felt when playing them. Part of that was because I love the feel of a Floyd Rose tremolo even though I practically never use the bar itself. Solely a comfort deal. On top of that, I hated the way the Tune-O-Matic bridge felt when I was chopping wood. (muffling)
Well, I plugged it into a 75w Line-6 and was blown away by three different things. First, It wasn't anywhere near as heavy as I remember. It appears that Gibson has begun to add reliefs inside the body to lower the usual weight of Les Pauls. Secondly, It didn't feel uncomfortable at all as Les Pauls always had, but not only that. I was playing cleaner than any other guitar I ever played. Now, I don't mean it *sounded* cleaner due to the guitar / pickups / wood it's made of. I mean I played cleaner in cleaner picking / fingering of each note with less "garbage noise".
I have no idea why I play better on it and at this point I'm not going to even attempt to speculate. The issue with the guitar is it cost about 40% more than the Hellraiser and there was no way I figured my wife would accept spending that much more when I was already purchasing an already pretty expensive guitar.
She saw me get so freaking excited while playing it and she didn't blink once. She told me. If that is the guitar you want, then get it.
Anyway, here it is!
My Golden Retriever Gracie checking it out in the upper left hand cornor.
They didn't have any Blackjacks in stock which I was a bit put off by since I wanted to hear what the Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups sounded like compared to the EMGs that are in the Hellraiser (basic difference between the Hellraiser & Blackjack models)
Schecter Hellraiser with EMG pickups
Schecter Blackjack with Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups
Anyhow, I was very impressed with the Hellraiser. Definitely an upgrade to my Ibanez RG170DX even with the high end DiMarizo ToneZone / SH-3 / PAF pickups. Basically, the wood matters, but thats a given.
While I was playing around and waiting on one of the Guitar Center guys, I decided to pick up a Gibson Les Paul. Now, understand I've always loved their sound, but didn't like they way they felt when playing them. Part of that was because I love the feel of a Floyd Rose tremolo even though I practically never use the bar itself. Solely a comfort deal. On top of that, I hated the way the Tune-O-Matic bridge felt when I was chopping wood. (muffling)
Well, I plugged it into a 75w Line-6 and was blown away by three different things. First, It wasn't anywhere near as heavy as I remember. It appears that Gibson has begun to add reliefs inside the body to lower the usual weight of Les Pauls. Secondly, It didn't feel uncomfortable at all as Les Pauls always had, but not only that. I was playing cleaner than any other guitar I ever played. Now, I don't mean it *sounded* cleaner due to the guitar / pickups / wood it's made of. I mean I played cleaner in cleaner picking / fingering of each note with less "garbage noise".
I have no idea why I play better on it and at this point I'm not going to even attempt to speculate. The issue with the guitar is it cost about 40% more than the Hellraiser and there was no way I figured my wife would accept spending that much more when I was already purchasing an already pretty expensive guitar.
She saw me get so freaking excited while playing it and she didn't blink once. She told me. If that is the guitar you want, then get it.
Anyway, here it is!
My Golden Retriever Gracie checking it out in the upper left hand cornor.