Schecter Apocalypse
David Schecter set up his company in 1976. Originally all they did was supply replacement parts for Fender and Gibson, among others. But by 1979, they were manufacturing their own guitars to a limited number of retail outlets.
They grew quickly in the numbers produced and in reputation. Originally they produced headstocks and other parts for Fender. And so the likeness in the Schecter designs was obvious. The Saturn was a Telecaster copy, and the Stratocaster look-alike was the Mercury.
Despite early encouragement from the Fender hierarchy, the toys came out of the pram, again, and lawsuits were flying around. In 1986 Schecter went away very quietly, only to reappear under new ownership in early 1987. Later that year, they were sold on to the Japanese who still own them.
The guitars they produce today are staggering. Designed unashamedly for metal and heavy rock, they have a big reputation. The Japanese owners kept the business based in California, which was a good idea. And they have taken them to heights David Schecter could only have dreamed of.
The Apocalypse arrived in 2018. And from day one was ready to create some noise. An Ash body with an ebony fingerboard with 24 accessible frets. Two humbuckers and a Floyd Rose bridge. This was ready to rock.
Great action and aggressive tones, the Schecter Apocalypse is a metal machine. And did it look the part? Just a bit.
An aggressive but very aesthetic styling with nice contours. It stands out in the crowd. And the ‘what are you looking at’ red finish is going to make you take notice.
“I just want to be able to play and make people feel good with what I do. When you’re thinking that way, anything can happen. And usually what happens is good.” … Mark Knopfler
Body
Schecter guitars are very stylish, well-made guitars that, will cross the genre-divide. This is something a lot of other guitars struggle to do.
There is a deep double-cutaway design that gives full access to the fingerboard. The cutaways are deep and bold, but not overly aggressive. The body is made from a solid piece of Ash.
It has stylish contours that give grace to the design. Being a solid piece of wood, it is not a lightweight instrument, at 28.2 pounds. It has a slim design, and the thickness doesn’t extend the elbow. It can relax on the body as you fly up and down the fingerboard.
Neck
This neck is a 25.5-inch scale Maple five-piece design with a set-in joint. It has a slimline bordering on a thin ‘C’ shape giving it fast action. It has a smooth satin finish, and the adjustable truss rod is made from carbon fiber.
The ebony fingerboard has 24 stainless steel extra-jumbo frets. It is finished with mother of pearl inlaid Roman numerals. They contribute to the style of the guitar but add a bit of a sinister feel. There are also two triangular guide markers on the fretboard.
The well-made neck is fit with purpose; slim, slick and designed for speed.
Hardware
At the top are the Schecter machine heads. These are a quality design with a good ratio. In a music environment where there is a lot of string bending going on, you need good tuners.
They are finished in all black and have closed backs. It has an adjustable Graphtech nut and a string tension bar.
Tremolo
The highlight of this guitar, is a reincarnation of the Blade tremolo bridge from Floyd Rose. This is a great addition to the sound and performance of this guitar. It builds reliability and brings a good string response. It creates one of the best vibratos there is; expressive one moment, and aggressive the next.
This tremolo bridge was built for dive-bombing. It screams and bends and drags the strings in every direction, but returns them to their tuning. A remarkable addition to a remarkable guitar.
Electrics
You won’t find any single-coil pickups on this weapon. Two screaming, but varied humbuckers are what you have.
The humbucker at the bridge, is going to give you plenty of aggressive tones. Alnico magnets paired with ceramic magnets generate an explosion of sound. It is quite a combination. The Alnico V magnets powering an aggressive sound that has plenty of depth and low end. The ceramics sitting beside them have plenty of top end and clarity.
But it is the neck humbucker that seems to draw the most attention. This is what Schecter calls their Sustainiac Humbucker. This unique design, lets notes ring and sustain for as long as you want them to. There is a special built-in circuitry to achieve this, and the feedback is created electromagnetically. It will carry on, note, or chord until you stop it.
Playability
It plays beautifully. If you have played a Schecter before or owned one, you will know what we mean.
Great neck, smooth and fast. Deep cutaways allowing you the full length of the fingerboard. Body with a thin line design so your playing arm can rest gently. It is impressive.
Sound
It is powerful and, at times, shattering. But it can also be softer and expressive. If metal and rock is your thing, then that is the reason why this guitar has been built. You are not going to be disappointed.
The inclusion of the Floyd Rose 1500 tremolo bridge brings a stack of benefits. The Sustaniac Humbucker at the neck adds a lot.
Guitar & Gear Articles
