Schecter Apocalypse Review

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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While it’s typically a great idea to have a guitar that you can use for multiple playing styles and music genres, sometimes you just have to use the right tool for the job. The Schecter Apocalypse line may be the answer for those players looking for just the right metal guitar to lay waste to humanity as we know it.

To clear up some potential confusion, the Apocalypse is actually a complete guitar model lineup, all intended for metal mayhem. Features and body shapes differ, so we will be looking at the Apocalypse C-1 FR-S Red Reign.

Body and Neck

Back in the day, some guitars that were geared towards the ‘heavier’ end of the spectrum (B.C. Rich, anyone?) had a visual design that was as aggressive as the music they were intended to produce.

That’s not the case with the Schecter Apocalypse C-1 FR-S, as the body shape is more traditional…but don’t let yourself be fooled. It’s made out of swamp ash and modeled after the classic Fender Strat double cutaway design, but it has the benefit of a carved top that makes it comfortable to play and adds a touch of elegance.

The neck is made with a super-strong maple and Padauk laminate construction and a ‘C’-shaped profile, and it’s topped off with an ebony fretboard with 24 jumbo stainless steel frets. Featuring a compound radius profile, the C-1 is a great tool for any aspiring shredder.

The fret markers are actually Roman numerals (in a Gothic-inspired font) instead of the traditional dot inlays, and the side fret dot markers actually glow in the dark.

Hardware

No shred machine worth its salt would be without a good tremolo bridge, and the C-1 FR-S gives you the best, featuring a Floyd Rose 1500 series. Floyd Rose trems have proven themselves to provide incredible tuning stability, even with the most extreme dive-bombing technique you can throw at it.

Pickups on the C-1 FR-S are a Schecter USA Apocalypse VI in the bridge position, and the neck spot houses a Sustainiac system. For the uninitiated, a Sustainiac pickup allows you to create virtually unlimited sustain. That function can be disabled, leaving you with a traditional neck pickup. When it’s on, you have the option of three different operating modes to choose from.

The headstock is loaded with Grover Rotomatic tuning machines with an 18:1 gear ratio for ultra-precise adjustments, and all of the hardware has a satin black finish. That makes for a perfect contrast with the intense ‘Red Reign’ finish.

Sound

No matter the level of crunch you have dialed in on your amp, the C-1 FR-S delivers from a sonic standpoint. The Apocalypse pickup is (obviously) a high-output monster, and getting shred-tastic tone is a breeze. The kicker here is that the overall tone is very well defined, with each note – all across the entire range – being tight and distinct. Chords leap out with no mush factor at all.

The Sustainiac system adds a level of ‘wow-ness’ that you most likely can’t get with a traditional guitar. Using the three modes (Fundamental, Harmonic, and a mix of the two), you can get searing high notes along with dive-bombs that will last…and last…and last…

As to be expected, the action of the true Floyd Rose system is very smooth, and the incremental fine tuners are an absolute God-send with a locking system such as this. The tuning stability is rock-solid; you could literally set off an atomic bomb on this thing, and you’d still be tune.

Conclusion

Take a combination of solid build quality, impressive good looks, an electronics set up that can peel the paint off the walls, and a top-shelf hardware set, and it’s pretty hard to argue that the Schecter Apocalypse C-1 FS-R could be anything but a great guitar that may be the perfect addition to any metal head’s collection.

For more info about the Schecter Apocalypse, click here.
For more of the best electric guitars for metal, click here.