I really don't want to sound nit picky with this review as I only have one complaint, but I'll start with all the reasons why this guitar is the best I've ever owned.

Features- after reading about the push pull volume knobs and the active pickups I was sold. I knew this guitar would provide me with a myriad of tones to play with on both the clean and distorted channels, and I definitely got what if not much more than I paid for with this guitar.

Quality- Schecter really treated this thing like a baby with the cosmetics. The Red cherry body is just awesome looking and the pearl outline running along the headstock and body is a fine touch up. Overall it's just a work of art and surprisingly light for its size too. This guitar was built to last and I know one day I'll be able to pass it down to my children or even my grandchildren down the road. There's no need to worry about shoddy craftsmanship. As for the neck (one of the reasons i gave this guitar a 4.5, but not detrimental in any way), it's not as fast as a Jackson, but hey, it doesn't have the word "soloist" in the title so it's not going to be toothpick thin. It's perfect for rhythm guitarists of all types though. Also, this is the only guitar of the three i now own that I can comfortably play while standing up. I was always a bit hesitant to buy a v shaped guitar but it turned out perfectly for playing in front of friends and family when I need to be a bit more lively.

Sound- I run this guitar through a Line 6 Spider III 120 watt amp. Not the best in terms of tonal quality, (I've heard many people say their distortion sounds too digital and that's understandable) but this guitar totally negates any digital tone's setbacks. The quality of the EMG active pickups is amazing. Even when a little excess noise or feedback gets in the way, every note, chord, and screaming pinch harmonic cuts through it with resounding clarity. You may want to replace the 9 volt battery often though, just to maintain the high quality sound without letting your dying battery kill a performance.

Overall this guitar is one of the best purchases I've ever made. After watching countless Youtube videos of it and reading pages of reviews (Yes I know it was quite a gamble to buy it without even playing it first. So please, don't follow my example and give it a test drive before thinking about buying it) I am stunned at how high the quality of this guitar is and how much you get out of it for only $750. And now for the main reason i gave this guitar a 4.5. I've played it nearly every day for two weeks and the one thing that bugs me is that it doesn't stay perfectly in tune for very long. after a run through of Metallica's Master of Puppets things start to sound a bit off. Maybe i need new strings or maybe it's an intonation problem that I need a technician to fix. Either way I hope it doesn't keep up because this is just too beautiful and too high quality of a guitar to "break down" so frequently like that. Aside from that and the neck everything about this guitar is incredibly high end for the price tag making this guitar an almost perfect purchase for anyone on a tighter bidget. But hey, if you're not as nit picky about things as I am, you love playing metal, and you have the money to spend on a new axe, then I highly recommend you make this one your next purchase.

I bought this guitar as an addition to my Schecter C-1 Classic and my Fender Strat and it is a good complement. The V-1 Hellraiser has more of deeper tone and more bottom end than either the C-1 or Strat but not as much of the crystalline highs although the sound is clear and definitely not muddy. Due to the ability to switch to single coils by pulling up on the pick-up selectors this guitar has a very varied sound. Definitely try to play one of the Schecter Hellraisers before buying though as the sound may or may not be for you. Be aware that playing a V-shaped guitar in a sitting position can be a challenge for some but I usually place the bottom inside my right knee and that works well. The craftmenship is flawless. I ordered this guitar from Musicians Friend in May 2009 and received the 2008 model which has Grover Tuners (which I prefer anyway) but if you want to make sure you receive the 2009 model with the Schecter Locking Tuners be sure to check before ordering. This guitar fits perfectly inside an SKB V Case.

I bought this guitar December 22nd, 2008. straight out of the box I knew this thing was not too shabby, but when I plugged it in I found it to be the most attractive object on the planet. This thing has an extreme tone range. It can go from Oozing Black Sabbath or Electric Wizard to high end boosted EVH with a few flicks of the 3-way selector and a knob turned. The strings were mounted to perfection when I got it and the neck is very shredable. I have not had a single problem with this guitar and I don't think I ever will.