Schecter Damien 7

Ok, so I just snagged this thing from someone on here and have been playing it for a couple of weeks now. For those that don't know, here are some quick specs for ya:

CONSTRUCTION/SCALE: Bolt-on / 26.5”
BODY: Basswood
NECK/FINGERBOARD: Maple/Rosewood
FRETS: 24 X-Jumbo
INLAYS: Black Pearl ‘Bats’
PICKUPS: EMGhz7-A set
ELECTRONICS: Vol/Tone/3-Way
BRIDGE: TOM w/ thru-body
BINDING: None
TUNERS: Grover


Ok, so this is my first extended scale 7 and after about 20 minutes I was very comfortable with it. After opening up the packaging I was surprised by how gorgeous this thing really is. It's a flat black with some pretty wicked bat inlays that just really grab your attention.

Playability:
After playing Ibanez's almost exclusively for several years, I knew that this would be a bit of an adjustment. The neck is definately thicker and wider than an Ibanez, however, it remains very playable and rather comfortable. So far, I really haven't had any trouble switching back and forth between my Ibanez's and this bad boy.
This thing looks like it'd be rather heavy and while it is a tad heavier than I'm used to, I don't see it being a problem in a live performance setting. The balance, as you'd expect from a super strat, is rather good. It's not neck heavy and sits just right across your body.

Sound:
Well, it's not the absolute kill em all kind of sound. With the factory EMG HZ's I can get a pretty solid chugga-chugga type tone, but it leaves a little to be desired. It basically sounds like a slightly muddy passive 81 in the bridge. Not a lot of power and cut, but still usable. I bought this guitar planning on swapping out for the real deal EMG's and still have every intention of doing so, but for those on a budget, the HZ's really aren't too bad.

I'd recommend the Schecter Damien 7 to anybody who's looking for a solid riff master guitar. Lightening fast solos and blazing sweeps really aren't what I'm good at so I'm not sure how well this guitar does that. What it does do.....is some serious sonic mayhem. Just imagine some of the heaviest power chords you've ever heard and they're coming from YOU!!! That's what this beast excels at!!!