At first glance, the spec sheet of the South Korean-built Hellraiser C-7 is so similar to that of the LTD MH-417 it's like the designers were copying each other's homework.
It's flawlessly built around a sculpted mahogany body and slim C-profile neck, features rosewood 'boards and 24 fat frets.To kick off, the C-7 comes spec'd with a pair of coil-splittable EMG 707TW humbuckers. The coil-split is activated from a push/pull on each of the volume controls.
"You might think that singlecoil options are a bit pointless on a fire-breathing seven-string guitar. You'd be wrong."
Now, you might think that singlecoil options are a bit pointless on a fire-breathing seven-string guitar. You'd be wrong. Tonal versatility is never pointless and the C-7 reinforces that opinion with a selection of warm yet punchy humbucking and singlecoil sounds.
EMG pickups are not generally celebrated for their clean tone but the singlecoil mode on both 707 pickups works great for jazzy runs and chords and blues licks on mild overdrive settings.
The Hellraiser's extended 26½-inch scale adds a useful touch of extra tension to the low B string for increased definition, even when the distortion is piled on - and the other strings feel unaffected by the added tension. There's just a bit more twang in the tone - and that's important if you want your bottom string riffs to stand out live or in a mix.
The Hellraiser's wider tonal range and extended scale length make it a more potent package for us. The lowish price tag doesn't hurt either.
We reckon you'll use the guitar's singlecoil options more than you expect, and you'll definitely appreciate the tighter response in the low B string.
