# Schecter Vs Gibson



## wyldeman71 (Jan 20, 2014)

Ok, hear me out. I'm trying to decide between a Schecter Hellraiser Extreme Solo and a 2014 Gibson Les Paul Studio Pro. From what I can tell the Studio Pro is not EXTREMELY different than the standards. The problem I have is knowing I'm not getting the top of the line (not counting the customs). It would be my first Gibson. I own several Schecters now and I know they're good quality and this model is pretty much top of the line for them. I just want to be sure I'm not just buying the name with the Gibson.


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## Zado (Jan 20, 2014)




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## BornToLooze (Jan 20, 2014)

All of the Studios I've played were good guitars, but not for how much they cost.


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## metalvince333 (Jan 20, 2014)

Give a try to the Gibson LPJ guitars, impressive and really nice for the money. Also check out for ESP/LTD EC series. If you are lucky you can get a barely used ESP Std for about the same amount of money as those models you are looking at and in my humble opinion, the ESP will be the best option. They also released a full thickness LTD version so you have plenty of options. I tried two ESP eclipse in the past and they both had amazing substain and some of the nicest looking quilted maple top i've seen.

As for the guitars you mentioned, I havent played a studio I liked and to be honest I tought for a long time that they were some of the worst guitars on the market (worst than most mid-level Epiphones) but I cant say anything about the newer models as I havent tried one and from what i've seen, Gibson is getting back on track with their quality control. The schecter will be a simple and easy choice, it's solid, sounds good and plays good and they always had great quality control. 

Between the solo and the studio: solo all the way
If you have some spare time and want the best guitar for the money: Look for a good deal on a ESP


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## Tommy (Jan 20, 2014)

Out of the couple of Gibson's I've played I have never been impressed with them. Then on the other hand I've been pleasantly surprised but the Schecter's I've played. 

If you can I say go try them out and see which ones feels right to you.


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## 7deadlysins666 (Jan 20, 2014)

I voted Gibson other.... I've had a few Schecters and a few Gibson V's and while the Schecters were very nice, the two V's I had were the best sounding, most resonant guitars i've ever owned. Perhaps I got lucky on them, but whatever grade mahogany they used was awesome.


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## spawnofthesith (Jan 20, 2014)

Go with Gibson... Schecters are great guitars, but Gibsons are better. Just make sure you play the gibby first... the QC issues are hugely exaggerated on the internet, but still better to check it out first to ensure you aren't getting a lemon. Studios are primarily only different in cosmetics from higher end gibson models. However, I'd also look around and see if you can find any stores that still have 2013 models at blow out prices. I have a Les Paul Signature T on lay away right now, and I'm actually getting it for a bit cheaper than the new studio pro models


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## BusinessMan (Jan 20, 2014)

For what I play I'd pick schecter.


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## Underworld (Jan 20, 2014)

Gibson LPJ. I went to the store not later than yesterday and the LPJ felt like the best sub-2k Gibson of the bunch. You can get them for 700$, and they are very solid.


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## Zado (Jan 21, 2014)

Underworld said:


> Gibson LPJ. I went to the store not later than yesterday and the LPJ felt like the best sub-2k Gibson of the bunch. You can get them for 700$, and they are very solid.


Honestly I recently played a LPJ a friend of mine bought and it wasn't that great ,bad fretting( I've seen many epiphone with better fretwork) and the rosewood fb was awful


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## Andromalia (Jan 21, 2014)

The two "modern" Gibsons I bought new were very good. (That's a 50 studio reissue and the kelliher explorer)
That doesn't guarantee lemons don't exist but I'd assume they're pretty safe.


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## Don Vito (Jan 21, 2014)

Haven't played the 2014 Studio's, but if they're anything like the 08/09 models I've played, Schecter would be a safer bet. I've played that Schecter before btw. It's good.


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## Nitrobattery (Jan 21, 2014)

The Heallraiser Extreme is head a shoulders above the regular Hellraiser line. It's my 'go to' guitar. Last night at rehearsal I had guitars sitting there that were two or three times as expensive...and I played the Schecter the whole time. I actually didn't even like Schecter before this line, but these particular guitars are absolutely fantastic.


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## wiretap (Jan 21, 2014)

Anything but a Schecter. Although VS Gibson you will get a really bare guitar for the price range. Unless you go used (LP Trads and Classics can be had for around $1000 if you look hard enough). LTD EC1000T CTM or EC400VF. Les Paul thickness models. Or an ESP Standard if you're buying used.


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## danresn (Jan 21, 2014)

I definitely think that for a value to money ration Shecter smashes Gibson. As for the particular models in question I have no idea


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## spawnofthesith (Jan 21, 2014)

These poll results are honestly baffling/shocking to me  having owned both, I don't even see how its a contest (I used to have a schecter blackjack atx, and currently own a garza, and on the gibson side used to have an lp studio, and currently have an lp sig t on lay away). Im definitively not trying to slag schecters, like I said before, they're great guitars, but Gibsons are in a whole other category.


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## gunch (Jan 21, 2014)

Man, I'd wait for the 2014 schecters in your situation, the solo shape is even improved and more traditionally "LP"


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## cdf294 (Jan 21, 2014)

I have played many Schecters that I liked and a few I didn't.
I have played Gibson's that I liked, and a whole lot more that I didn't.

If buying Gibson, it's my opinion that you will need to play quite a few of them to find one that really speaks to you. IMO, the Gibson's aren't quite the guitars they once were. I recently sold a 90's LP Standard that was a great guitar but doesn't hold a candle to my custom builds in the same price range. I have owned in the neighborhood of 15 Gibsons but only 2 remain- a '04 61RI SG and a '78 The Paul.

I am in no way saying that Gibson isn't a good guitar but I will say that, in some cases, I felt like I was paying for the name or the looks, not the quality.

So my vote? 
For what it's worth-
Online purchase- Schecter.
Local purchase- go try some Gibson's. I learned years ago to never buy a Gibson before playing it.


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## fps (Jan 21, 2014)

Find a good Gibson Studio, IMO it'll be the best guitar you'll get. But make sure you walk out with the one you tried. Agree with silverabyss it's worth waiting for the 2014 Schecters though, they look great, and who knows how they'll sound.


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## oversteve (Jan 21, 2014)

wyldeman71 said:


> I just want to be sure I'm not just buying the name with the Gibson.


It's like that, they are not worth their pricetag by any means. Also with Gibson LP's you're getting horrible access to the higher frets.


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## Zado (Jan 21, 2014)

wiretap said:


> Anything but a Schecter. Although VS Gibson you will get a really bare guitar for the price range. Unless you go used (LP Trads and Classics can be had for around $1000 if you look hard enough). LTD EC1000T CTM or EC400VF. Les Paul thickness models. Or an ESP Standard if you're buying used.



Schecters and LTDs are made in the same factory,by same workers,with the very same materials. And you are suggesting a low end LTD against a high end schecter model which was totally comparable to a ESP horizon according to Nitrobattery(who actually had both)?


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## will_shred (Jan 21, 2014)

spawnofthesith said:


> Go with Gibson... Schecters are great guitars, but Gibsons are better. Just make sure you play the gibby first... the QC issues are hugely exaggerated on the internet, but still better to check it out first to ensure you aren't getting a lemon. Studios are primarily only different in cosmetics from higher end gibson models. However, I'd also look around and see if you can find any stores that still have 2013 models at blow out prices. I have a Les Paul Signature T on lay away right now, and I'm actually getting it for a bit cheaper than the new studio pro models



I really think that Gibson has stepped up on their QC. I played a few Les Pauls at my local Guitar Center and they were really all awesome.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Jan 21, 2014)

If your looking for the traditional LP sound go Gibson (Studio, LPJ, or even a Standard is affordable used) The ESP/LTD/Schecters won't give you the traditional Les Paul sound because they don't have a maple cap on top of the mahogany, the Japanese copies like Edwards and Burny and Tokai are like exact copies of Les Paul while the ESP/Schecter are more like shredder singlecuts.


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## Zado (Jan 21, 2014)

JoshuaVonFlash said:


> If your looking for the traditional LP sound go Gibson (Studio, LPJ, or even a Standard is affordable used) The ESP/LTD/Schecters won't give you the traditional Les Paul sound because they don't have a maple cap on top of the mahogany, the Japanese copies are like Edwards and Burny and Tokai are like exact copies of Les Paul while the ESP/Schecter are more like shredder singlecuts.


Yep,totally agree If you want an LP sounding guitar,a gibby,heritage,tokai,bacchus,edwards and so on would be a wise choice.Others are more modern sounding pieces of gear


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## Kapee (Jan 21, 2014)

Well, we sell both of these guitars at our shop and i have personally held so many schecters and gibsons in my hand that its not eaven possible to count it. Both before and after our heavy QC (Full inspection and full setup by professional technicians with lifetime experience), so i think i can say that the only way to know wich one you should choose, is to go test them out.

And if you test out a guitar that has a high action, neck curved, frets buzzing or some of that sht, just show it to someone behind the cash register and tell him to do something about it. Bad setup can be problem for every instrument in every price range, because wood tends to live alot. Maby you miss a really nice guitar just because of that.

All in all, both are great manufacturers and both make really nice guitars. Gibson just seems to have a bad reputation over the forums and i dont understand why, butyou really should just walk in a goddamn guitar store and demand a awesome guitar. Maby you fall in love with some totally different guitar you never tought of 



(Schecter tho doesent have anything to do with Gibson guitars in upper price ranges imo and all G's in every price are fully USA made, if you give credit to that..)


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## aneurysm (Jan 21, 2014)

oversteve said:


> It's like that, they are not worth their pricetag by any means. Also with Gibson LP's you're getting horrible access to the higher frets.



That´s the Reason why i love my Explorer and Flying V so much ! 
I also have a R7 and i really loke it´s Tone, but for shredding it´s not really useable a all .


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## 3074326 (Jan 21, 2014)

metalvince333 said:


> As for the guitars you mentioned, I havent played a studio I liked and to be honest I tought for a long time that they were some of the worst guitars on the market (*worst than most mid-level Epiphones*) but I cant say anything about the newer models as I havent tried one and from what i've seen, Gibson is getting back on track with their quality control. The schecter will be a simple and easy choice, it's solid, sounds good and plays good and they always had great quality control.



I would understand if you said you played one mid-level Epiphone that was better than most Gibsons you've played, but saying that Studios are worse than most mid-level Epiphones is hilarious. This is the type of internet hyperbole that gives Gibson a bad reputation, and it's simply not even close to being right. I mean, you're entitled to your opinion.. but man. I couldn't disagree more. 

(EDIT: I misread what you said. I still disagree, but without the venom.  )

I feel like a Gibson crusader on these forums and I'm not even a huge Gibson guy. I own one, and it's just a Special. Their QC is fine. I've seen a couple finish problems, but those are problems that shouldn't even see the sales floor if the store is doing its job. 

If a guitar plays like shit in the store, it probably just needs set up. It doesn't mean the brand sucks, it means the store isn't properly humidified and the guitars aren't cared for. For the most part, Gibsons (and most other brands) play decent enough right out of the box after getting tuned. And fret ends sticking out is also rarely a problem out of the box. It's another humidity control problem. 

Anyways, go with the Schecter if you're trying to save a few bucks. Go with the Gibson if you want the better guitar. Just my opinion, of course.


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## spawnofthesith (Jan 21, 2014)

^the whole "gibson qc sucks" thing is one of the more hilarious myths that the internet has invented


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## Zado (Jan 21, 2014)

spawnofthesith said:


> ^the whole "gibson qc sucks" thing is one of the more hilarious myths that the internet has invented


This is for sure,the thing reached a really unrealistic level,but there's also to say the contrary would be unrealistic as well.
I know some guys that LOVE Gibson,and I can't blame them,if you're into rock stuff you just can't avoid being fascinated by the brand.But when I tried their instruments I've often notice something I didn't like.One of them has a Bonamassa signature,it was a rather expensive instrument,but he's greatly happy with it.The guitar is not flawless though...for example the fretboard is not exactly aligned with the neck,so you can clearly feel the "edge" where they join together while playing.It's matter of habit,sure,but not even my 100&#8364; Sx,nor all the Squier I've tried had something like that.It could be irritating for some.
A couple of 'em complained about the irregular way the finish coat appears (one says the finish was "poured" onto the guitar,not sure if this is the correct sentence to describe it though),or inlays applied crooked (by lil of course),and those are not cheap guitars by any means.

I'm not excluding that some lemons are specifically sold in unlucky small shops here,but I'm not sure that'd be an excuse anyway.

I also heard some weird stories about Gibson cheating on bumblebee caps sold for high prices when they are just masked normal caps,but I'm not really into this kind of electric stuff so no idea there,but I think it has contributed to the bad reputation gibson has now for many players.

In the end,yeah,as usual,try and then buy.


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## Eclipse (Jan 21, 2014)

Go with Schecter. I'll never buy another Gibson. So far everyone I've talked to affiliated with Gibson directly seem to hate their jobs. I haven't had good luck with Gibson employees and the pots in my Traditional Gibson were wired wrong.


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## Nitrobattery (Jan 21, 2014)

Zado said:


> Schecters and LTDs are made in the same factory,by same workers,with the very same materials. And you are suggesting a low end LTD against a high end schecter model which was totally comparable to a ESP horizon according to Nitrobattery(who actually had both)?



Everyone has their preferences, and that's fine, but like someone else stated...far too many people walk into a music store that has too much inventory in an environment that isn't properly humidified and they too quickly pass judgment on the neglected instrument. You can take any excellent playing guitar and stick it in an under-humidified room...and you've got a guitar with sharp frets, a wonky neck and it's suddenly a "bad" guitar. But really, a little humidity and a setup and it's back in business. That goes across the board for any company and any price point. Most companies don't ship shitty guitars....they just ship to shitty dealers that don't know how to maintain their product. 

That said, after unboxing and setting up tons of ESP's over the years (and owning a few of my own) I absolutely think the Hellraiser Extreme line is every bit as good as the ESP Standard Series stuff for 2/3 the price. Honestly, I far prefer the Hellraiser Extremes to the SS ESP stuff by a mile...but that's just me. That doesn't apply to everything that Schecter does, but these are the exception. I've played some great ESP's, and I've played some lemons. Same applies to Schecter, Gibson and pretty much any other brand. 

For what its worth, for the heavier stuff my three main live guitars are a Caparison Angelus, an Ibanez Prestige RGA321 and the Hellraiser Extreme...and the Schecter is hands down my favorite. Regardless of the price point, I think they're all around well made, good sounding and great playing guitars. I've had about 15 Gibsons over the years as well and have enjoyed most of them too. But something to point out...we're comparing apples to oranges. Both companies are capable of making great guitars...but they're pretty drastically different from each other in terms of construction. 22 vs 24 frets, neck-thru vs set neck, ebony board vs rosewood, maple/walnut neck vs mahogany, extra jumbo frets vs medium frets etc etc. Even if you can't play the actual models, take a Solo 6 and a Les Paul for a spin and see if one feels better than the other in your hands. It'll be a start.


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## Metal-Box (Jan 21, 2014)

I'd go Gibson, personally. The Schecters are damn nice too, but I think the Gibson is the better overall buy.


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## wyldeman71 (Jan 26, 2014)

Sorry to bump up a flamed-out thread, but what if I threw into the conversation a gibson golden axe. I've always liked the shape and it sounds like a solid guitar.


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## BucketheadRules (Jan 26, 2014)

I've got a Gibson Flying V which is undoubtedly the best guitar I've ever owned, but I would still feel bad recommending Gibson.

It's light, resonant, sounds fantastic and plays like a dream, but it's got some fairly serious electrical issues that I've never experienced with any other guitar from another brand, I'm aware that even at £500 (a good price for a Gibson) the fact it's got a Gibson logo on the headstock means it probably still cost me more than what it's really worth, and my least favourite thing - it's got a single-piece mahogany neck with a 17-degree back-angled headstock and no volute. So if it falls out of its stand, the headstock is toast. I probably won't be buying many more Gibsons...

So yes - even though it's my favourite guitar I own, I still couldn't feel good about recommending a Gibson to you. A Schecter will almost certainly give you less trouble, and will probably be just as good, if not better. Certainly better-looking and better-equipped for the price.


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## Andromalia (Jan 26, 2014)

wyldeman71 said:


> Sorry to bump up a flamed-out thread, but what if I threw into the conversation a gibson golden axe. I've always liked the shape and it sounds like a solid guitar.



Mine is faultless, but some people seem to have gotten bad ones. I suppose that dealer thing applies there, too. Not sure they are easy to find any longer as it was supposed to be a limited run of 400.


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## CraigGmr (Mar 10, 2014)

Its hard to look past a Gibson, because well.... its a Gibson, but at the end of the day your looking for sound and style. And for what shecters go for compared to gibsons its hard to look past them when they sound awesome! For me owning a Gibson is more of a bucket list sorta guitar, but for now as a struggling musician lol id go the hellraiser!


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