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Schecter Corsair 2020
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
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Playability
75
Sound
66
Build
69
Value
70
Score
70
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Playability
72
Sound
77
Build
70
Value
68
Score
73
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Schecter Corsair 2020 vs Fender American Professional II Telecaster Specs Comparison
Schecter Corsair 2020 Fender American Professional II Telecaster
General
Brand: Schecter Fender
Year: 2021 2020
Configuration: HH SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: Corsair American Professional II
Colors: Gold White, Sunburst, Black, Blue, Green, Brown, Yellow, Gray Burst
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Maple Alder
Bridge: Tremolo Roller Tune-O-Matic 3-Saddle Top-Load/String-Through Tele with Compensated Brass “Bullet” Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Grover Rotomatic 18:1 Fender® Standard Cast/Sealed Staggered
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany Maple
Decoration: Blocks White Dot
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: Thin C Deep C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.8'' (20.3mm) - 12th Fret: 0.92'' (23.4mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 14" 9.5"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Schecter Diamond 78 (Humbucker / Passive) Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Schecter Diamond 78 (Humbucker / Passive) Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split S-1 Switch
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Schecter Corsair 2020 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Schecter Corsair 2020's switch options
Fender American Professional II Telecaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Professional II Telecaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
Schecter Corsair 2020 over Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Decorative Top
Poplar Burl Veneer vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2021 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs S-1 Switch
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs SS
High output without hum
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.79'' (20.1mm) vs 0.8'' (20.3mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm) vs 0.92'' (23.4mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Bigsby Tremolo vs Fixed
Intense vibrato with a solid arm
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
14'' (355.6mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
70 vs 68
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Professional II Telecaster over Schecter Corsair 2020

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickups Brand
Fender vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickup Mods
S-1 Switch vs Coil Split
Modifies the pickups
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Pickups
SS vs HH
Beautiful cleans
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.8'' (20.3mm) vs 0.79'' (20.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.92'' (23.4mm) vs 0.87'' (22.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Bigsby Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 14'' (355.6mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Avg. Weight
7.825lbs (3.5kgs) vs 8.375lbs (3.8kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Other Key Differences
Schecter Corsair 2020 vs Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Bridge Pickup
Schecter Diamond 78 vs Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Schecter Diamond 78 vs Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Maple vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Schecter Corsair 2020 vs Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender American Professional II Telecaster favors large hands more than the Schecter Corsair 2020. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Schecter Corsair 2020:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Professional II Telecaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender American Professional II Telecaster meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Schecter Corsair 2020 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 Corsair 2020
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Professional II Telecaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

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.

Woods Used in the Schecter Corsair 2020

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Woods Used in the Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Winner: Schecter Corsair 2020.

Pickup Configuration

The Schecter Corsair 2020 has an HH configuration while the Fender American Professional II Telecaster has SS pickups.

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.

On the other hand, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

The Fender American Professional II Telecaster pickups from a more specialized brand than the Schecter Corsair 2020. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Country and similar genres.

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: Fender American Professional II Telecaster.

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.

Both give you different pickup mod options.

The Schecter Corsair 2020 offers Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

On the other hand, the Fender American Professional II Telecaster comes with the following: S-1 Switch.

An S-1 switch can do a lot of different pickup combinations. It can split them, connect them in series, parallel, add more pickups to each position, and more. Check out the diagram to know how it affects this model.

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 Corsair 2020.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Schecter Corsair 2020
Pickups 60
Sustain 70
Versatility 68
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 66
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 75
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 77

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 Corsair 2020 compares to the Fender American Professional II Telecaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Schecter Corsair 2020 is built in Indonesia while the Fender American Professional II Telecaster is made in United States.

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.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Fender American Professional II Telecaster

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 Corsair 2020 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 Fender American Professional II Telecaster comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

Winner: Tie.

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.

The Schecter Corsair 2020's brige is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.

On the other hand, the Fender American Professional II Telecaster's is a 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: Schecter Corsair 2020.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Schecter Corsair 2020's are Grover Rotomatic 18:1 while the Fender American Professional II Telecaster's are Fender® Standard Cast/Sealed Staggered

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 Corsair 2020 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 Fender American Professional II Telecaster 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: Fender American Professional II Telecaster.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter Corsair 2020
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • S-1 Switch Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • 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 Corsair 2020
Quality of materials 68
Features 65
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 69
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
Quality of materials 66
Features 55
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 70

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 Corsair 2020 Nut Width
Schecter Corsair 2020 Nut Width
Fender American Professional II Telecaster Nut Width
Fender American Professional II Telecaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Professional II Telecaster has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.8mm (0.031'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender American Professional II Telecaster, 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 Corsair 2020's Scale Length
Schecter Corsair 2020's Scale Length
Fender American Professional II Telecaster's Scale Length
Fender American Professional II Telecaster'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 Fender American Professional II Telecaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Schecter Corsair 2020 is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) 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 Corsair 2020 Neck Profile
Schecter Corsair 2020's neck profile
Fender American Professional II Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender American Professional II Telecaster's 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 Corsair 2020 and the Fender American Professional II Telecaster 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 Corsair 2020 Fingerboard Radius
Schecter Corsair 2020's Fingerboard radius
Fender American Professional II Telecaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender American Professional II Telecaster'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 Fender American Professional II Telecaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Schecter Corsair 2020'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 Corsair 2020.

Fret Size

Schecter Corsair 2020 Frets Size
Schecter Corsair 2020's Frets Size
Fender American Professional II Telecaster Frets Size
Fender American Professional II Telecaster's Frets Size

The Fender American Professional II Telecaster has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Schecter Corsair 2020's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Schecter Corsair 2020
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 75
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72