If I hadn't wanted somewhat higher highs, I'd have probably kept the Damien 7 FR in my arsenal for life. Overall this guitar was a real champion hiding in the shadows waiting for discovery.

Sound
I was very impressed with the overall tone and sound of the Damien 7 FR equipped. While I don't normally play the "meatier" metal, I was thinking about branching out. The overall sound was fairly clear in the bridge position, but the highs left a little to be desired. When I say a little, I mean VERY little. If I were a metal rhythm guitarist I imagine I'd have been extremely happy, but my ear is a little over-perfectionist when it comes to my high notes. The middle and bridge position seemed to generate very little difference from each other, but I expect this was intentional as the description from Schecter and here on zZounds both indicate that the 'buckers in this baby are meant to really accent lows. Overall, I'd say that whether a guitarist is novice, intermediate or advanced this would make a great guitar to break in to seven string playing for rhythm and, with a skilled enough lead guitarist who doesn't mind sacrificing their highs this would be nice as well.

Features
I believe in the old adage "Keep It Simple, Stupid!" This guitar keeps it pretty simple. There are no massive bells and whistles to get in the way of just plain playing. The Floyd Rose with the locking nut keeps you in tune well. I did some serious… read more dives with the Damien 7 while I had it, and she always came back for more still in tune. The selector switch seemed solid enough to handle heavy use and the metal knobs were a plus. I could get a quick positive grip, or use the edge of my palm to adjust volume and tone quickly. They were easily in reach and didn't make me stretch to ridiculous lengths to make adjustments on the fly.

Ease of Use
As for getting great sound or use in general, this guitar is simple to use. Even if you aren't an experienced guitarist you will likely find the control positions useful without getting in the way. If you don't like locking nuts, I wouldn't look here, but if you don't mind them you'll find this one to be great! On most of my previous lockers I had trouble with the tuning raising a bit when I locked the nut back down. On this one, I had no such problem.

Quality
Durable, solid and well put together, this Schecter will likely give you years of good service. I only had it for a week before deciding to swap to an elite, but in that time I felt that I was holding on to a rock solid piece of fine equipment here.

Value
For under $500.00 this is probably one of the best guitar values I have ever seen. If you think you have to pay upward of $1,500 to get a decent guitar, you can have them, but if you are an open minded sort who knows quality doesn't always me high price, I'd recommend this Damien in a heartbeat!

Manufacturer Support
I'm giving a 10 for support only because the two calls I did have to make for a little information about where to find documentation were answered promptly by knowledgeable people. I didn't sit on hold forever and the folks from Schecter were polite to the extreme.

The Wow Factor
Well, I don't know about sex appeal from the guitar, but everyone who saw it was pretty awe-stricken. In fact I think I made at least two converts from Gibson players ....

Musical Background:
Lead guitarist, active in local band

Musical Style:
Rock, metal, classic rock, blues read less