Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Review

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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Schecter guitars aren't exactly shrinking violets; they are built to be seen, as well as heard. The Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder is as 80s as power ballads and spandex. It's loud, flashy, and proud, but is it one of the best guitars under $1000? Let's find out.

Body and Neck

The Super Shredder has a mahogany body with a flat top. Schecter has designed this guitar to be very slimline and ergonomic from top to bottom. It comes with a bolt-on maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with offset reverse dot inlays.

This guitar is built for speed like many iconic electric guitars of the 80s. The super-thin C-shape neck has 24 X-jumbo frets, so it's incredibly playable. As well as being incredibly playable, it's an impressive looking instrument, with an overall high-quality finish. The Super Shredder comes in a bunch of different colors; one of our favorites is Lambo Orange – like the 80s, it's so bad it's brilliant!

Hardware

In terms of hardware, everything is very geared towards the 80s, too. The bridge and neck both have EMG Retro Active Hot 70 pickups. Although these pickups are essentially 70s themed, they produce a sound that was iconic in the late 70s and carried on into the 80s. Think of artists like Van Halen and ZZ Top, and that's what you get.

Another great thing about these pickups is that they are outfitted with a plug-in FET preamp that alleviates virtually all noise, buzz, and hums. One of the best things about this guitar is the Floyd Rose Special Hot Rod Locking Tremolo bridge. This bridge is exclusive to Schecter, and it adds that cheesy but beautiful 80s shimmer to your soaring lead lines. It has a matching Floyd Rose Special nut, robust metal tuners, and all hardware has a black finish.

Sound

The EMG Retro Active pickups deliver a sound that's probably very different from anything you have played before. The bridge pickup has a beautiful warm bottom end, although it does lack some punch. Everything sounds very smooth, and when you get into the high-range, that's where this guitar excels.

The neck pickup takes you into some refreshing, vintage PAF-like tones that are crisp and articulate. Schecter's exclusive Floyd Rose bridge is the icing on the cake, adding that little bit of glam to your sound. This guitar only has one job to do when it comes to sound; to capture the essence of those big power ballad solos. So, it's not the most versatile sound, but it does its job exceptionally well.

Conclusion

The Super Shredder isn't the ideal guitar for more modern metal, despite its shredding appeal. It doesn't pack the kind of punch in the bottom end that some metal influenced guitarists will want. In the 80s, it was all about soaring, high-end solos, and that's what you get from the Super Shredder.

Although it's not the most versatile guitar, there are very few that deliver this kind of sound better than the Shredder. It looks fantastic, with multiple color options, and it has high-quality hardware. Very few guitars will deliver this kind of sound at this kind of price.

If you want to re-live the 80s in style, the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder will be right up your street. Dig out your spandex, and headband; this one's a lot of fun.

For more info about the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder, click here.

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