The legacy of the Super Strat lives on with the Schecter C-1 FR, a dual-humbucker-equipped ax with Floyd Rose licensed tremolo and a familiar double-cutaway shape. With its Duncan Designed HB-105 active humbuckers, 25 ½-inch scale and 24-fret fingerboard, this is a great guitar to check out first if you’re looking for a high-octane shred machine.
Unlike most shred axes in this price range, the C-1 FR’s body is crafted from genuine mahogany instead of some bizarre mystery wood. The bolt-on neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard decorated with subtle dot inlays. The C-1 FR is one of only a few Super Strats with a three-on-each-side tuner configuration rather than the more common six-on-a-side arrangement–a definite plus for players weaned on Gibsons.
My review guitar came with a delicious whiter-than-white finish that made me want to join an Angel cover band, and the contrasting black binding, black chrome hardware and jet black pickup covers gave the guitar irresistible two-tone ebony-and-ivory appeal. The C-1 FR’s fit and finish is so immaculate that’s its difficult to believe this guitar lists for well under $1,000.
Performance
The dual volume and master tone controls and three-position pickup selector provide a good selection of meat n’ potatoes tones, but it would be nice if a coil-tapping feature was available on the C-1 FR, as it was on other models.. Even so, I pulled from the guitar a satisfying range of tones that were perfect for rock, shred, metal and just about any other aggressive modern musical style.
The active Duncan humbuckers have that characteristic glassy treble, focused bass and balanced midrange that players demand from active pickups, and they delivered ample sustain and body for some pretty impressive harmonic-and-whammy bar effects. This guitar sounds better through an amp with massive gain, such as a Peavey 5150, a VHT, or a Mesa/Boogie, although it did also display impressive modern funk sheen through a Fender Twin.
The Verdict
Schecter really deserves commendation for producing a massive line of high-quality, low-cost guitars. If you’ve ever played a Schecter guitar and loved it, the C-1FR will not disappoint. Buy it used, you’ll find a killer deal on these!
While the Schecter C-1 FR we reviewed is no longer in production, check out the Hellraiser C-1 FR, Schecter C-1 FR Standard and the BlackJack ATX C-1 FR. Compare and find the right ax for you!
Discuss guitars & amps at www.gear-monkey.com guitar message forum.
Schecter guitars are the best ! They are premium guitars. Every model is truly a beauty !
This guitar is amazing, I have had it for about 3 years now- the pickups are great clean (especially the neck pup) and seething hot on distortion. It’s built to last- even though it’s bolt on its feels rock solid and has a nice hefty weight to it. Probably the best metal guitar of its price range