Are you a guitar player already?
I'd personally never buy a guitar without playing it first, though that could be tricky over the internet.
When you've got some idea of what you want, go to a guitar shop and try out the models you're considering. Otherwise, if you get a guitar with the wrong neck profile, or balance, or tone, you'll be stuck with an expensive piece of wood you don't want to play.....
What kind of music do you (want) to play? I'm assuming it's gonna be metal from the brand (Schecter aren't exactly known for their suitability to jazz
). May I suggest some other possibilities from that site?
If you can stretch to $800, go for this
Les Paul. For that kind of money, this is possibly the best guitar in the world (you'd usually pay thousands for a Les Paul). What's more, I'll be so jealous I'll come round your house and steal it!
Otherwise, try this (or something similar - to play rock/metal, you
need a bridge humbucker):
Fat Stratocaster - the humbucker in the bridge position will give you a much more powerful sound than a standard Strat. This is also a very good price for an instrument of this quality - Strats usually go for well over $1000.
You could also consider an ESP or Ibanez for a good rock-oriented instrument, though I don't like them (necks are way too thin to be comfortable for me). I personally own an Epiphone (Gibson's import brand, like Squier are to Fender) SG standard, which I love to bits. It's got a fantastic sounding neck pickup, and the action is nice. The only thing I'd say against it is that it's a bit neck-heavy, so you have to actively hold it with your fretting hand rather than just letting it hang, as you can with a Strat or the like. But it's beautiful, so I don't care...
Anyway, play a guitar before you buy it (unless you can't find it in a music shop), but beyond that it's up to you.
