Schecter KM-7 MK-II Review WiredGuitarist June 13, 2016 Articles, Reviews, Schecter Guitar Reviews, Uncategorized We recently released a guide to Schecter Keith Merrow models, and quickly received many requests for a full-blown Schecter KM-7 MK-II review! I decided I’d break down the differences between these guitars and the original models, as well as just see how well they hold up to their predecessor overall. Read below to see if this is the guitar for you! The Schecter KM-7 MK-II Features: Swamp Ash w/ Body Bevel Flame Maple Top w/ Natural Finish Thin C Shape 5-Piece Maple/Wenge Neck w/ Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods Neck-Thru Design Ebony Fretboard with 12”-16” Compound Radius 26.5” Scale Length 24 Extra-Jumbo Stainless Steel Frets Offset Reverse Circles with Luminlay Side Dots. Hipshot Hardtail Bridge Locking Tuners Ernie Ball Compensated Nut Seymour Duncan Nazgul/Sentient Pickups 3-Way Toggle w/ Push/Pull Volume Control Thumbwheel Truss Rod Adjustment This guitar has largely similar specs to the original KM-7, but packaged differently with some improvements. I’d highly recommend checking out my original review so you can get the full picture. The compound radius, along with the 26.5” scale length are some of my favorite features a guitar can have, especially a 7! The maple/wenge neck looks fantastic. The guitar overall looks great if you like the natural aesthetic and new shape. The bevels will obviously be polarizing, but I at minimum find them very comfortable… I’d expect just about any other play to think the same! The Hipshot bridge, locking tuners, Seymour Duncan pickups, ebony board, swamp ash body, and glow in the dark side dots make their return! (All features beloved by modern musicians). Some notable upgrades would be the Ernie Ball compensated nut, and Hipshot O-Ring knob! The inlays are now just circular outlines as well, which I think is super cool! The neck is still pretty general interest, and anyone who likes reasonably thin profiles should get along with it well. Tone: This is probably the arena in which the KM-7 MK-II is most similar to the original. Much like the original model, the tonewood combination is fantastic; however this time we see a fancier neck. The swamp ash and 26.5” scale length combine for bright, clear and punchy tone. The neck-thru design and strips of wenge in the neck definitely make the guitar sound a little bit richer, and lend it great sustain. As with the KM-7, the Hipshot hardtail bridge is heavy and gives fat tone. The TUSQ nut has seen an upgraded to the Ernie Ball compensated design. I love TUSQ, but the Ernie Ball nut is something I’d think any player would welcome. It really helps you achieve accurate intonation. The short version on the pickups is that I echo my sentiments from the first review. No one would argue that the Nazgul/Sentient aren’t well-suited for metal. You get a surprising amount of range from them as well due to the coil split and spanky baritone scale. I’m still personally not a huge fan, and I’m in a pretty small minority there. Luckily, the guitar will take swaps very well, and it’s easy to sell Nazgul/Sentient sets on the used market and pick up something more suited to your own ears. Build Quality: A recurring theme with me is picking up Schecters and being surprised at their build quality… even though I really shouldn’t be at this point. Schecter has been on an upward trend since their inception, and they’ve used their experience and size to really nail Korean import instruments. It helps that the recently-revived Schecter USA Custom shop is fantastic and oversees the quality control of these guitars. The KM-7 MK-II is well built, especially considering the features you’re getting for the pricepoint. It’s not a Japanese Ibanez or a Thorn, and it’s never going to be: but no one besides the pickiest players will be upset with this guitar. Routing, electronics, fretwork, and alignment are all on point, which is something even $2,000+ “boutique” brands still struggle with. Final Verdict: The Schecter KM-7 MK-II definitely lives up to its predecessor, inasmuch as you’re getting extremely cool specs and great value. If you go in with the understanding that it’s not a $4,000 Mayones, but exceptionally good for the price point, you will be 100% satisfied. However, it goes about it in a bit of a different way than the original model. Where the original model was a juiced-up superstrat with boutique and modern metal appointments, this KM-7 MKII really ups the ante. You’re getting a natural finish, aggressive bevel, and multi-wood neck-thru design. You’re just going to have to decide for yourself whether you like the look of this new one. I will say most players will find the guitar more comfortable, and I love the Ernie Ball compensated nut! Both the KM-7 MK-II and original KM-7 are great guitars for modern metal players not satisfied with the features most guitars have in the same price range. Thanks for reading! We upload new articles daily on gear, tone, songwriting, theory, and more! Make sure to check those out here! This article was written by Kyle Karich, our editor located in Florida.
