FS: Schecter USA Custom Shop

[reluctant-builder]

I feel for the OP. Tendinitis is no joke, and it's sad to have to give up playing.

However, I think -- when considering the audience on these boards -- that asking five large for a Schecter (or any name-brand guitar, honestly -- "Custom Shop" just doesn't mean enough; it's not custom for anyone but the person who customized it) is not going to net a buyer. Especially not me since all I've ever done when I've taken a moment to use the Schecter custom builder form and I notice just the base price I go "Pshaw, give me a @!#$ing break" and surf away.

Considering that the vast majority of us have congregated here under the premise of constructing our own dream guitars using bodies and necks produced by Warmoth -- and that we could build at least two fantastic, unique guitars for the asking price of that one Schecter -- I'd be very surprised if someone here snatches it up.

The best bet would be a forum full of Schecter fanboys, most likely.

 

[stubhead]

Well, there is a real Schecter Custom Shop. just as there is a real Ibanez Custom Shop and a Washburn Custom Shop - though many suspect they're among the same group of "ghost-builders." And you can even buy guitars direct from some of these guys, Mike Lipe, the Fender CS guys like John Page & Mike Stevens.... they're coming out of the woodwork, when somebody says they built custon guitars for Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, what do you think they mean? One of the more comical moments in rock-star interviews frequently happens when the interviewer says something to the effect of -

"And you endorse Schecter guitars, right?"

and the rock star says -

"And the ones I play are exactly like the ones in the store!"

"BWA HA HAA WHOOWIE HEE HEE Snortle chug sneez...."

Though they often edit out that last part. I poked just a few numbers into the Schecter site and hit $4,700 without even a neck or anything! So this guitar is surely real... but like a few others here have said, we like to make our own. And for that amount of money, someone who can do setup and fretwork at a very high level (some few of us) really can make himself two or three guitars. This was the part I found most interesting:

it's going to be a while before I can get back to playing at anywhere near a professional level, I'm selling most of my guitar gear in order to fund my career switch to that of a film composer.

I'm assuming you already have a degree in composition from NTSU, Miami, Julliard or Berklee? Because all your competitors do. And you're already living in Los Angeles, because as much as it's nice to chat about the internet "leveling the playing field" nobody's going to hand you $100,000 and a blank slate to score a 50 million dollar movie and you have to be intricately involved in the scene-by-scene editing - frame-by-frame, half-millisecond at a time, actually. I've had a few guitar students good enough to actually consider some career options and this one looms large as a GREAT fudging job, but boy you've gotta be good and you've gotta be willing to spend some time in the trenches - ever watch Saturday morning cartoons? Because that's where you start (if you're lucky enough to start at all) and all those guys want your dream job too. 

Hey - would you be willing to trade that guitar for a guitar slide made from a piece of pipe taken from a genuine voodoo house in New Orleans? This is the very last one available - I promise -  all those witch-doctors have been poopin' in the bushes for months now since I stole their plumbing. But if you trade for it I won't tell them where it is. I promise.

 

[AlexSmith]

Reluctant-Builder: Thank you for being understanding. I belong to a lot of forums, and this is just one that I've posted on. Who knows who will buy it? I'd rather open up as many chances as possible than avoiding a site entirely just because most people congregate here because of building guitars, not buying them. Who knows who'll buy it?

StubHead: Cynical much? Switching careers is never easy, no matter what it is. I'm at Berklee now, graduating in a year, in talks to intern with either Howard Shore or Hans Zimmer. I take this very seriously, but thanks for assuming the least out of me.

I won't be replying to this thread anymore unless it's to someone who's actually interested.

 

[rapfohl09]

As much as I love this forum, sometimes I am glad I don't feel the need to enter these pissing contests...

(I realize what I am saying is kind of hypocritical, but sometimes things need to be said)

 

[stubhead]

I'm at Berklee now, graduating in a year, in talks to intern with either Howard Shore or Hans Zimmer. I take this very seriously, but thanks for assuming the least out of me.

Congratulations! That's great. I think if you get on it early and stay really focused, you do have a better chance - I didn't know you were really, really on it so. One big issue is that there's no turnover at the top, except from deaths - Danny Elfman isn't planning on retiring anytime soon.  :toothy11: And the technology is pretty ruthless about eliminating unnecessary expenses, like musicians. The television stuff is all one guy, strapped into a mad-scientist room full of computers. And Howard Shore may be one of the last  few who gets to hire who he wants. Los Angeles is a snakepit, and all the studio musicians who presided over the crash there have started chasing soundtrack writing work.



I haven't watched TV for several years now, but I did notice there tends to be a great improvement in the music if the show become a hit - more money to play with! I distinctly remember that "C.S.I." had really great music the 3rd and 4th season. And some of the independent small-channel soundtracks are really good - Tom Selleck bought up the "Jesse Stone" books from Robert Parker and has made several high-grade TV movies from it. I had bought the CD from composer Jeff Beal. Since the movies are set up in rural Massachussets, I though maybe Jeff Beal was a local composer, but he's L.A.

I just know it's a really, really tough line to break into. You must be familiar with (or even know?) Ben Levin up there? His stuff is actually quite cinematic... but on the notes to his "Invisible Paradise" CD, he explicitly thanks the moms & dads, for still supporting their broke kids! I think he's writing some really good music, just gotta hope he can locate a career in there somewhere. And so he can even pay the students who record and gig with him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bupdgM2lcc8

I know you hate me because I won't buy your guitar, but say "hey" to Julien Kasper if you see him. I know him way back from when he was the new hot kid in (Tallahassee) town. He probably keeps food on the table from the commissions he gets off the "JK" signature D'Pergo guitars his students buy. :laughing3:

http://julienkasper.com/musicians.asp

 

[NQbass7]

As much as I love this forum, sometimes I am glad I don't feel the need to enter these pissing contests...

(I realize what I am saying is kind of hypocritical, but sometimes things need to be said)

I dunno, anytime someone's first post/majority of posts on the board are to the "gear for sale" section, I consider it essentially spam. I don't participate in the pissing match, but I think it keeps the forum closer to what the core user-group wants it to be about - building guitars and guitar parts, not selling amps or completed, overpriced custom guitars. So I don't have a problem with it.

If a long-time forum member who's been around for a while posts an amp to the gear for sale board, that's a different matter. But I'm fine with scaring off people who are here just give us their sales pitch for why their custom guitar is the best thing ever and they were even nice enough to knock the price all the way down to forty bajillion dollars, cause this guitar is actually worth fifty bajillion doncha know.

Basically, when you come to a community and don't take the time to learn the rules of the community... well, you kinda deserve what's coming.

 

[rapfohl09]

As much as I love this forum, sometimes I am glad I don't feel the need to enter these pissing contests...

(I realize what I am saying is kind of hypocritical, but sometimes things need to be said)

I dunno, anytime someone's first post/majority of posts on the board are to the "gear for sale" section, I consider it essentially spam. I don't participate in the pissing match, but I think it keeps the forum closer to what the core user-group wants it to be about - building guitars and guitar parts, not selling amps or completed, overpriced custom guitars. So I don't have a problem with it.

If a long-time forum member who's been around for a while posts an amp to the gear for sale board, that's a different matter. But I'm fine with scaring off people who are here just give us their sales pitch for why their custom guitar is the best thing ever and they were even nice enough to knock the price all the way down to forty bajillion dollars, cause this guitar is actually worth fifty bajillion doncha know.

Basically, when you come to a community and don't take the time to learn the rules of the community... well, you kinda deserve what's coming.

You know...that is completely true :icon_thumright:

 

[AlexSmith]

I'm at Berklee now, graduating in a year, in talks to intern with either Howard Shore or Hans Zimmer. I take this very seriously, but thanks for assuming the least out of me.

Congratulations! That's great. I think if you get on it early and stay really focused, you do have a better chance - I didn't know you were really, really on it so. One big issue is that there's no turnover at the top, except from deaths - Danny Elfman isn't planning on retiring anytime soon.  :toothy11: And the technology is pretty ruthless about eliminating unnecessary expenses, like musicians. The television stuff is all one guy, strapped into a mad-scientist room full of computers. And Howard Shore may be one of the last  few who gets to hire who he wants. Los Angeles is a snakepit, and all the studio musicians who presided over the crash there have started chasing soundtrack writing work.



I haven't watched TV for several years now, but I did notice there tends to be a great improvement in the music if the show become a hit - more money to play with! I distinctly remember that "C.S.I." had really great music the 3rd and 4th season. And some of the independent small-channel soundtracks are really good - Tom Selleck bought up the "Jesse Stone" books from Robert Parker and has made several high-grade TV movies from it. I had bought the CD from composer Jeff Beal. Since the movies are set up in rural Massachussets, I though maybe Jeff Beal was a local composer, but he's L.A.

I just know it's a really, really tough line to break into. You must be familiar with (or even know?) Ben Levin up there? His stuff is actually quite cinematic... but on the notes to his "Invisible Paradise" CD, he explicitly thanks the moms & dads, for still supporting their broke kids! I think he's writing some really good music, just gotta hope he can locate a career in there somewhere. And so he can even pay the students who record and gig with him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bupdgM2lcc8

I know you hate me because I won't buy your guitar, but say "hey" to Julien Kasper if you see him. I know him way back from when he was the new hot kid in (Tallahassee) town. He probably keeps food on the table from the commissions he gets off the "JK" signature D'Pergo guitars his students buy. :laughing3:

http://julienkasper.com/musicians.asp

HA! Yes, I know Ben really. well. I hung out in his room nearly every day during my first year. Once I moved out of the dorms we stopped hanging out as much, but I still see him from time to time. Check out his band Bentknee if you haven't yet. Insane.

I know Julien too! Never took lessons from him but he gave me a couple surf spots to check out.

 

[AlexSmith]

As much as I love this forum, sometimes I am glad I don't feel the need to enter these pissing contests...

(I realize what I am saying is kind of hypocritical, but sometimes things need to be said)

I dunno, anytime someone's first post/majority of posts on the board are to the "gear for sale" section, I consider it essentially spam. I don't participate in the pissing match, but I think it keeps the forum closer to what the core user-group wants it to be about - building guitars and guitar parts, not selling amps or completed, overpriced custom guitars. So I don't have a problem with it.

If a long-time forum member who's been around for a while posts an amp to the gear for sale board, that's a different matter. But I'm fine with scaring off people who are here just give us their sales pitch for why their custom guitar is the best thing ever and they were even nice enough to knock the price all the way down to forty bajillion dollars, cause this guitar is actually worth fifty bajillion doncha know.

Basically, when you come to a community and don't take the time to learn the rules of the community... well, you kinda deserve what's coming.

To be fair, I posted a bit about building guitars when I first joined. Remember that I specifically haven't been playing guitar, and my money I thought I'd be delegating to an ergonomic DIY build was then used on studio/film scoring gear. I've never stopped browsing the site though.

 

[AlexSmith]

Price dropped to $4500 obo. Thanks.

 

[greywolf]

The real value of anything is what it brings in the open market.

It's a nice looking guitar , I hope you get what you are asking although I think it's a bit optimistic in this economy .

 

[Alfang]

I hope you get $4500 for it, let me know, I'm starting a guitar shop the next day.