Need help to choose

[urares21]

Hey guys I am once again asking for your opinion. I am looking to bui another guitar and I can't pick between

Schecter Hellraiser C1 FR S BCH​

And
Schecter Synyster Gates Custom S Gloss

 

[juiceellish]

While active pickups are nice for gain/volume boosting, if you’ve never had an active pickup, or don’t know how they work, don’t get a guitar with them. The Hellraiser has an EMG 81 in the bridge which is an active pickup. Simply put, active pickups require 9 volt batteries just like a sustainiac does. However, it can be easy to forget that fact if, like I said, you’re not accustomed to using active pickups, and you can drain the battery by simply leaving the guitar plugged in. A lot more preference/taste based things go into buying a guitar. It’s all about what YOU want, not what WE *would* want/know/think. However, you’re better off going with the Syn custom as his bridge humbucker is not an active pickup which does NOT need a battery to itself. With his, you’ll get a consistent tone from the bridge in the long run, whereas, like I said, the active pick up is good until the battery dies. It’s disgusting - the difference in tone from an active pickup with and without a battery. I highly recommend doing extensive research on pickups in general (i.e., active, humbucker, single-coil, etc.)

 

[urares21]

While active pickups are nice for gain/volume boosting, if you’ve never had an active pickup, or don’t know how they work, don’t get a guitar with them. The Hellraiser has an EMG 81 in the bridge which is an active pickup. Simply put, active pickups require 9 volt batteries just like a sustainiac does. However, it can be easy to forget that fact if, like I said, you’re not accustomed to using active pickups, and you can drain the battery by simply leaving the guitar plugged in. A lot more preference/taste based things go into buying a guitar. It’s all about what YOU want, not what WE *would* want/know/think. However, you’re better off going with the Syn custom as his bridge humbucker is not an active pickup which does NOT need a battery to itself. With his, you’ll get a consistent tone from the bridge in the long run, whereas, like I said, the active pick up is good until the battery dies. It’s disgusting - the difference in tone from an active pickup with and without a battery. I highly recommend doing extensive research on pickups in general (i.e., active, humbucker, single-coil, etc.)

I had a sun valley schreder and I kinda hated the active pickup because it sounded VERRY NICE but just the first few hours like 3-4 hours and then it started to lose the juice in the tone

 

[juiceellish]

Exactly. When I had mine, I’d leave it plugged in for breaks and such, completely forgetting that active pickup batteries drain that way. Learned the hard way how active pick ups work lol. And now, having done extensive research, I kinda know what flavor of sound I like. For example, I’ve had the SG custom with his old Seymour Duncans, I’ve had the Schecter Apocalypse pickups, I’ve had Steve Vai’s Dimarzio Dark Matter 2 pickups, and an EMG Retro active pickup. Figured out I REALLY love Joe Satriani’s Dimarzio setup: Dimarzio Mo Joe with split pot in the bridge, and a single-coil Dimarzio Satch Track in the neck. I also like the standard configurations of an Ibanez Premium S1070PBZ: Dimarzio Tone Zone bridge, Dimarzio True Velvet single-coil middle, Dimarzio Air Norton neck. Beautiful sounding pickups for all purposes. This Ibanez is also what I want next but I’d change the bridge pickup to a Dimarzio Mo Joe and change the bridge pot for a splitting pot to access the bridge side single-coil. That sound is ferocious to no end. So yeah, you learn a ton about your taste in tone after some research.

 

[Brayan Salas]

Hello bro!, I'm Schecter Syn Gates Custom S owner, and another one LTD guitar with the same pickups as the hellraiser, both have nice tones, and how Josh said, the battery is different in the two cases, in my experience, I never have been lack of battery on both cases, but I really love the tone of sustainiac as a single coil pickup, and when you start to use the sustainiac modes, is a great experience, I think the syn model with the sustainiac has a lot of fun, I would choose once again that Schecter Syn Custom S model.

 

[Aaron Davenport]

I'd say it comes down to the fretboard. I want to say they're different. I play Schecter C-1 FR's and remember having one of the original Syn Customs, i felt the Syn Custom had a longer fretboard.

 

[Kfir Yaakovi]

I really love the Custom-S guitar. I love the sound and feel I can get from that guitar. But I have no opinion on the Hellraiser.
If you don't own a Syn guitar, I would go for it. otherwise, the Hellraiser probably

 

[Jeremy Healey]

I own both Synyster guitars, also a C-1 Hellraiser Hybrid FR in ultra Violet. They are both an absolutely joy to play and it’s a very hard choice lol

 

[Alicia Willis]

Can’t give much input on the custom as I’ve actually never played one.

BUT !!! I do have a C-1 Hellraiser and I LOVE it.
I played around with many guitars in store and nothing felt right in my hands.
I took a chance on it and bought one off line and I adore her to pieces. The most comfortable guitar I’ve ever held.

And like Josh said, remember the active pickups. Been there done that and thought I fucked it up but only to remember it needed batteries