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Schecter C-1 E/A
Schecter C-7 Deluxe
VS
Playability
78
Sound
70
Build
65
Value
71
Score
71
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Playability
75
Sound
66
Build
52
Value
74
Score
64
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Schecter C-1 E/A vs C-7 Deluxe

Reasons to Get
Schecter C-1 E/A over C-7 Deluxe

Decorative Top
Flamed Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Graphite
Resistant, good tuning stability and rich tone
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Strings
6 vs 7
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.89'' (48mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 26.5'' (673.1mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
14'' (355.6mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Schecter C-7 Deluxe over C-1 E/A

Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Strings
7 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Nut Width
1.89'' (48mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
26.5'' (673.1mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 14'' (355.6mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
74 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Schecter C-1 E/A vs C-7 Deluxe

Body Wood
Mahogany vs Basswood
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 3-4
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Graphite
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Schecter C-1 E/A vs C-7 Deluxe

Bridge Pickup
Schecter Diamond Plus
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Schecter Diamond Plus
Same Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.79'' (20.1mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm)
Same neck comfortability
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Schecter C-1 E/A is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Schecter C-7 Deluxe's 64 score, although not by a lot.

The Schecter C-1 E/A wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Schecter C-7 Deluxe has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Schecter C-1 E/A.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Schecter C-1 E/A is the better choice.

The Schecter C-1 E/A meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Schecter C-7 Deluxe meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Schecter C-1 E/A
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Schecter C-7 Deluxe
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Schecter C-1 E/A Overview

  • From Schecter's 2015 Retro series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 14" Fretboard Radius
  • Flamed Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany 3-pc neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Fishman Powerbridge (Piezo) w/TonePros T1Z Tailpiece bridge
  • Thin C Set neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • Grover tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Schecter C-7 Deluxe Overview

  • From Schecter's 2015 C-6 Plus/Deluxe series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 7 strings
  • 26.5"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic w/ String Thru Body bridge
  • Thin C Bolt-On neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • Schecter tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Schecter C-1 E/A

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Schecter C-7 Deluxe

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.

Winner: Schecter C-1 E/A.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Schecter C-1 E/A comes with some kind of pickup modification: Multi-Voicing.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

Schecter C-1 E/A pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Schecter C-1 E/A's switch options
Schecter C-7 Deluxe pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Schecter C-7 Deluxe's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Schecter C-1 E/A.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Schecter C-1 E/A
Pickups 55
Sustain 85
Versatility 68
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 70
Schecter C-7 Deluxe
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 66

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Schecter C-1 E/A compares to the Schecter C-7 Deluxe.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Schecter C-1 E/A is built in South Korea while the Schecter C-7 Deluxe is made in Indonesia.

South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Schecter C-1 E/A has a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

On the other hand, the Schecter C-7 Deluxe comes with a Graphite nut. It's a self-lubricating material that will allow the strings to slide over the nut without a lot of friction. It's a good type of nut if you want to have better tuning stability than with plastic, although it's not as resistant as Bone or Tusq.

Winner: Schecter C-1 E/A.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Schecter C-1 E/A's are Grover while the Schecter C-7 Deluxe's are Schecter

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

The Schecter C-1 E/A has a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

On the other hand, the Schecter C-7 Deluxe comes with Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Schecter C-7 Deluxe.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter C-1 E/A
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter C-7 Deluxe
  • Expensive Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Schecter C-1 E/A
Quality of materials 65
Features 55
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 65
Schecter C-7 Deluxe
Quality of materials 41
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 52

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Schecter C-1 E/A Nut Width
Schecter C-1 E/A Nut Width
Schecter C-7 Deluxe Nut Width
Schecter C-7 Deluxe Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Schecter C-7 Deluxe has the wider nut with 48mm (1.89'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 6mm (0.236'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Schecter C-7 Deluxe, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Schecter C-1 E/A's Scale Length
Schecter C-1 E/A's Scale Length
Schecter C-7 Deluxe's Scale Length
Schecter C-7 Deluxe's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Schecter C-7 Deluxe has the longest scale: 26.5". The Schecter C-1 E/A is only 25.5" long. This is a 1'' (25.4mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Schecter C-1 E/A Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Schecter C-1 E/A and the Schecter C-7 Deluxe have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Schecter C-1 E/A Fingerboard Radius
Schecter C-1 E/A's Fingerboard radius
Schecter C-7 Deluxe Fingerboard Radius
Schecter C-7 Deluxe's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Schecter C-1 E/A's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Schecter C-7 Deluxe's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Schecter C-7 Deluxe.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Schecter C-7 Deluxe favors large hands more than the Schecter C-1 E/A.

Schecter C-1 E/A:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Schecter C-7 Deluxe:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Schecter C-1 E/A and Schecter C-7 Deluxe Frets Size
Both have a similar XL Jumbo fret size

Both have a XL Jumbo fret size. These are really tall frets made like this so you don't meet any resistance when playing techniques like vibrato, bending, tapping, etc. They should make the guitar easier to play, but you have to be careful not to get the notes out of pitch by pressing down too hard, which might happen since the fretboard will be too low to stop your hand.

Final Playability Scores

Schecter C-1 E/A
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 90
Playability 78
Schecter C-7 Deluxe
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

Schecter C-1 E/A vs C-7 Deluxe
General Schecter C-1 E/A C-7 Deluxe
Brand: Schecter Schecter
Year: 2015 2015
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 7
Made in: South Korea Indonesia
Series: Retro C-6 Plus/Deluxe
Colors: Brown White, Black
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Basswood
Bridge: Fishman Powerbridge (Piezo) w/TonePros T1Z Tailpiece Tune-O-Matic w/ String Thru Body
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Grover Schecter
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany 3-pc Maple
Decoration: Mother of Pearl Dots 4mm Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 26.5"
Shape: Thin C Thin C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm)
Frets: 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 14" 16"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Graphite
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 48mm (1.89'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker / Passive) Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker / Passive) Schecter Diamond Plus (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Multi-Voicing None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1