Schecter has launched a pair of six and seven-string signature electric guitars for Aaron Marshall.
It was no secret that Intervals guitarist and long-time Schecter endorsee had a signature model coming. He had been playing prototypes for many months. But now his AM6 and AM7 models are here, available for purchase, offering pro players and serious amateurs a high-performance instrument at a workhorse price.
Okay, at $1,399 for the six-string AM6 and $1,449 for the seven-string AM7, they are not cheap per se, but they offer pretty much everything that the contemporary progressive metal player could need.
Both come fitted with a dual humbucker pairing of Shecter USA’s Solstice (bridge) and Equinox (neck) humbucking pickups, both housed in a solid basswood body, controlled by volume and tone knobs, and selected via five-way blade selector switch. The chrome knobs and switch tips are a nice touch.
The AM models are very much built in the modern double-cutaway style, with arched-tops, judiciously excavated lower and upper horns and a sculpted heel all to enhance access to all 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets.
The bolt-on neck is fashioned from quarter-sawn wenge into a thin C profile, and topped with a 12” to 16” compound radius Macassar ebony fingerboard, the sides of which are illuminated in low-light situations by Super Blue Luminlay markers, the top inlaid with aluminum offset/reverse circle design
The six-string AM6 has a 25.5” scale, the AM7 measures in an inch longer at 26.5”. The hardware is tip-top, with Hipshot Grip-Lock locking tuners and a Gotoh Vintage 2-point tremolo on the AM6, a Hipshot 7-String fixed bridge on the AM7. Some prog-metal players might hanker after a Floyd Rose but there’s something to be said with the more terrestrial limitations of a vintage-style vibrato.
Other neat features include the heel-mounted truss rod adjustment wheel, which should be mandatory on all guitars of this style, and both guitars have been equipped with an industry standard Graph Tech XL Black Tusq. And the reverse headstock is pretty cool, too, with Schecter resisting the urge to go with a weaponized design, all pointy angles.
Marshall has been put some serious road miles on the prototypes and said the AM6 and AM7 signature models were built with versatility in mind.
“The objective with this first model was to spec and deliver a minimalistic workhorse guitar that plays effortlessly, and affords the player a wide pallete of tones in any musical situation and at a reasonable price point, especially with these specs,” he said on Instagram. “This is our first offering together, and yes, there are more premium instruments coming, but I can tell you first hand that these not only hold up, but they over deliver and most of all, they inspire me to play.”
The AM6 and AM7 are out now. The AM6 comes in Arctic Jade, with left-handed options available at $1,449. The AM7 is finished in Cobalt Slate. Signature details are kept to a minimum. These will cater to anyone looking for a modern build, a speedy right and a wealth of tone options.
For more details, head over to Schecter Guitars.
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