Schecter has rolled out the Black Ops series, a trio of high-performance T-style electric guitars that come in standard six-string configurations or as multi-scale extended range guitars – all come dressed in a satin black open-pore finish and looking exactly like the sort of instrument the modern metal player might need to split the atom.
They might look the same and share similar specs, with Schecter choosing mahogany for the bodies and necks, ebony for the fingerboards, but fundamentally the playing experience – and the sound of each – will be radically different. That’s the nature of the series.
The PT Black Ops will feel like a modern metal guitar take on the Telecaster, a familiar shape, a familiar scale length of 25.5”, and of course six strings – albeit with a slim, shreddable neck profile, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a glued-in neck with a sculpted heel to make it more ergonomically forgiving than its forebears.
Thereafter we leave “familiar” behind, with the PT-7 Black Ops taking the same idea as the PT Black Ops but applying it to a 7-string guitar with a 25.5” to 27” multi-scale fingerboard, and the PT-8 offering players a 25.5” to 27.5” multi-scale platform and even more potential for low-end riff devastation.
All three are a tantalising proposition for modern metal players, particularly those who want a straightforward drive. There’s nothing you don’t need on these Black Ops models.
There’s just a single Fishman Fluence Open Core Modern humbucker at the bridge position, locking Schecter tuners to keep things stable, and resisting the temptation to install a Floyd Rose vibrato or similar – a thought that must have crossed some minds in the R&D department, at least for the six-string PT – there is a Hipshot hardtail. That offers fuss-free performance, easy intonation, and it’s a tidily engineered unique.
Everything else is built for ergonomics. These fingerboards are flat. The PT-8 Black Ops has a 20” radius fingerboard, with a 16” radius ‘board on the seven-string, and 14” on the six-string.
Those bodies might be Telecaster inspired but are a good few evolutionary steps away. These are very different guitars, with forearm bevelling, a generous belly carve, and chamfering on the edges to enhance comfort.
“Engineered for precision and power this clandestine arsenal combines cutting-edge technology with time-tested craftsmanship to deliver unparalleled performance in the field,” says Schecter, and the Californian brand is not wrong when it comes to keeping secrets.
The Black Ops series might be single-pickup affairs, but with Fishman you have multiple voicings to play with, with a three-way toggle switch allowing you to choose between three core voicings. A master volume controls output level.
As for the engineering for “precision and power,” well, that could mean the carbon rods that reinforce the necks. These are built tough so you don’t have to go easy on them.
Available now, the Black Ops models are priced from $1,199 to $1,349. And there’s good news for southpaws – all three models are available as left-handed instruments. For more pics and specs, head over to Schecter.
