Schecter Demon 6 Review: The Best Schecter Under $500

As you could probably guess by the name, the Schecter Demon 6 is a mean metal machine. 

The Demon 6 is one of the more budget friendly models in the current Schecter lineup which comes from their imported Diamond Series, and today we’re going to take a look at what it offers.

About Schecter Guitars 

Schecter Guitar Research, or just Schecter, is an American guitar manufacturing company that was founded in 1976. Like several other big guitar names, they originally started as a company that manufactured replacement parts for larger guitar brands, but eventually started designing and building their own line of guitars, basses, amps, and effects. 

Schecter guitars are loved among the hard rock and metal community. Their guitars have a modern look and feel and are known for having thin necks that are a dream to shred on. They are also known to have used high output pickups by brands like EMG, or Seymour Duncan which are ideal for handling high-gain. 

In 1998, Schecter developed their popular Diamond Series line of instruments, which have been mass-produced through a handful of different factories in eastern Asia including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and China. Doing this allowed Schecter to offer guitars in a more affordable price range making them more accessible to the average player. The high-end custom shop Schecters are manufactured in their US factory. 

Check out our guide on the Best Schecter Guitars

Schecter Demon 6 Highlights: 

The Schecter Demon 6 is built to raise hell, without breaking the bank. With a fast 24 fret neck and Seymour Duncan designed active humbuckers, you’re going to want to turn the gain up to 11 and shred for days! 

What We Liked

• Fast Thin-C shaped neck, extra-jumbo frets
• Powerful active humbuckers
• Comes with upgraded Graph Tech XL Black Tusq nut

What We Didn’t Like

• Low action / fret buzz out of the box
• Lack of coil-splitting options
• Case sold separately

Schecter Demon 6 Review: Features & Specifications

• Duncan Designed active pickups
• Easy playing thin-C neck with satin finish
• 24 extra-jumbo frets
• Simple design – Tune-o-matic bridge with string through design
• Lightweight Basswood body, maple neck with wenge fretboard

Schecter Demon 6 Review: Our Insights

As you can see, the Demon 6 is a guitar loaded with features to appeal to fans of metal and hard rock, and could even work for punk or hardcore, basically any aggressive type of music.

Let’s take a look at some of the details that go into making this guitar a bringer of fire and brimstone!

Check out our guide on the Best Metal Guitars

Design

While the Schecter Demon 6 is technically a “super-strat” style guitar, it has little in common with the Stratocaster tone and feel. 

Starting at the top we have the standard Schecter headstock shape, with the 3+3 tuner setup. The maple veneer and crimson red burst on the headstock is a really classy touch.

Next we have a maple neck with a wenge fingerboard. The grey pearloid “Gothic Cross” fret inlays are a staple among many of the Schecter guitars and resemble something you’d see in a medieval RPG or movie. The neck is thin and fast, and meant for speed.

The basswood has a familiar double cutaway “super-strat” shape to it, and that’s where the Strat similarities end. The Demon 6 is lightweight and comfortable to hold, and crimson burst finish and maple veneer are killer, and really seal the demonic look in place. The arched top looks and feels great.

Build Quality

Schecter is known for having some of the nicest build quality in their Diamond Series guitars. Because they are made overseas they are able to keep the costs fairly low while putting together really nice instruments.

While this is a bolt-on neck style build, which isn’t always known for singing sustain, the design on the Demon 6 proves otherwise. The Tune-o-matic bridge and string-through the body are a big reason for this, as well as the tonewoods that were used. This Demon 6 feels really solid and resonant and seems to punch above its weight in terms of build quality. 

Tone Woods

In terms of woods, Schecter decided to go with a basswood body, maple neck, and wenge fretboard. There is also a maple veneer on the body and headstock, but they are strictly cosmetic.

Using basswood is becoming increasingly popular in imported guitars. It’s tonal qualities are quite fat and have a punch low midrange growl when compared to something like an alder body. Many guitar makers are using basswood for it’s good dynamics and because it is quite abundant these days. 

The maple neck and wenge fretboard add a bit of snappy quality which balances well against the basswood.

Hardware and Electronics

For the Demon 6, there isn’t too much hardware to worry about. They’ve used a standard set of Schecter tuners, and an Tune-o-matic bridge. The custom black chrome dome knobs on the volume and tone controls are low-profile and slightly recessed into the body, so they don’t get in the way when playing. 

Sound

Now let’s get to what you really care about, the sound.

Seymour Duncan has recently begun releasing pickups under the “Duncan Designed” name which are focused for budget friendly guitars, allowing guitar makers to use great pickups without the added cost.

On the Demon 6, they’ve used Duncan Designed HB-105 pickups in the neck and bridge. They are active, using a 9v battery which is stored in a small cavity in the back of the guitar. These pickups are loud and compress well. Being such high output, almost any amp is going to go into a crunchy breakup right away. 

With some volume and tone control, you can go from high gain distortion to a classic rock crunch, and even bright cleans on the neck pickup. These pickups do feel pretty versatile for an active pickup, which is more known for high gain.

Playability

One of the best features of the Demon 6 is how easy it is to play. 

Extra jumbo frets and a 14” radius fretboard make big screaming bends and legato tapping easier than ever. The 25.5” scale ensures that your fingers won’t get too cramped when shredding up on those high frets.

Using a Thin-C neck profile was a perfect choice here, as it makes riffing and soloing a breeze. The satin finish on the back of the neck is one of those features often found in higher-end models, and makes moving up and down the fretboard effortless 

Value

Because of all the reasons we just discussed, I’d consider this a great value. At under $500 dollars, this would be an incredible guitar for any metalhead who is looking for an entry level guitar that is capable of holding up at home, studio, or for live gigs. 

It doesn’t come with a hardshell case, but that is to be expected at this price point.

Check out our guide on the Best Electric Guitars Under $500

Schecter Demon 6 Review: Buying Experience

Before you purchase any instrument, it’s important to look into the warranty policy for each manufacturer and each retailer. We are big fans of Sweetwater and recommend buying from them when possible. Let’s take a look at some of their policies so you know what to expect.

Shipping

One of our favorite perks of ordering from Sweetwater is that they ship for free. This is one less cost to worry about. Who doesn’t love that?

Costing around $500, the Schecter Demon 6 qualifies for the 55-point inspection. This is really reassuring as the guitar will have a test drive and a full setup by a qualified technician, and they are great at what they do.

For added protection it’s a good call to order a hardshell case from Sweetwater. They’ll put your new Schecter inside before shipping. If not, they’ll ship in cardboard. Schecter guitars are packed well, but a hard case will be great for protecting your guitar when you take it with you to a jam or gig.

Warranty

You can’t be too safe when it comes to protecting your investment, so it’s a good idea to get your new guitar registered and look into warranty coverage.

Sweetwater offers a free 2-year warranty and a lifetime warranty is available from Schecter.

There’s plenty of fine detail in the Schecter warranty policy, but the gist of it is that they will cover any defects and repair them for free as long as you are the original owner and have proof of purchase. 

Return Policy

What happens if you decide that the evilness of the Schecter Demon 6 is too much for you to handle, and want to send it back?

The Sweetwater “no-hassle” return policy makes things simple. You have 30-days to take your guitar for a test drive. If you find it’s not for you—send it back.

As long as it’s in the same new condition you can return it regardless of the reason for return.

Should You Buy the Schecter Demon 6?

If you’re looking for one of the best metal guitars available, yes you should. 

We think the Demon 6 would be a great choice for any of the following reasons:

• You want a shredding machine that is fast and easy to play
• You’re a fan of high-gain distortion tones and blistering leads
• You’re looking for an aggressive guitar to add to your collection, offering some heaviness that your other guitars might not

At the low price point, it would be a great starter guitar for a young metalhead, but offers enough to satisfy long time players as well. 

Schecter Demon 6 Alternatives

These days there are almost too many options when it comes to electric guitars, and gear in general. It’s important to make sure you weigh your options, and look at some additional choices before you pull the trigger. We’ve gathered a few cool options that might work well for you as well.

Schecter Demon 6 Vs Schecter Omen Extreme-6

The Omen model is another popular choice for metalheads from the Schecter line. As you can tell just by looking they are quite similar, but have a few key differences that set them apart from one another.

Here are some key features of the Schecter Omen Extreme 6:

• Mahogany body with quilted maple top
• Thin-C maple neck, 24 frets, Abalone vector inlays 
• Schecter Diamond Plus set of humbuckers

Maybe the largest difference is that the Omen Extreme 6 has a set of Schecter-designed passive pickups, while the Demon 6 has active pickups. Because of this, the Omen 6 will have a bit less output, but also be a bit more dynamic. Neither passive or active are better than one another, just a personal preference really. A huge plus though, is that the Diamond plus set are set up for coil splitting, giving the Omen a little more tonal versatility.

As far as stylistic choices, the differences are slim. The first thing I notice is the neck inlays, where the Omen has the “vector” design and the Demon has the “gothic crosses.” The Omen also has a binding around the body, which makes it look a little more premium.

All in all, both guitars are killer. To decide, I think it’s important to decide whether or not you would prefer active or passive pickups if you’re looking into these two. Both guitars are under $500 and considering what they’ve got to offer, Schecter has made these two an incredible value either way.

Schecter Demon 6 Vs Schecter C-1 Platinum

If the Demon 6 has a big mean older brother, it would probably be the Schecter C-1 Platinum. Let’s take a look at how these two hellraisers compare to one another.

First let’s see what features the C-1 brings to the table:

• EMG 81/85 active pickups
• Mahogany body with satin finish and quilted maple top
• Thin-C neck profile, rosewood fingerboard

Overall the C-1 Platinum is a slightly upgraded version of the Demon 6. 

The upgraded Grover tuners, and EMG 81/85 are a premium feature that we love to see. If you’re not familiar with EMGs, they are pretty much the gold standard when it comes to active pickups and have been for many years. 

Another cool upgrade is the 3-piece maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Having a 3-piece neck makes the wood less likely to shift due to changes in humidity and temperature, and pairs well with the rosewood fretboard.

Coming in at about $150 more, the C-1 Platinum is still a solid choice but requires a little more investment. If upgraded pickups and hardware a priority for you, you can’t go wrong with the C-1 Platinum.

Schecter Demon 6 Vs Ibanez RG450DX

While not quite as sinister looking, the Ibanez RG450DX is a shreddy super-strat style guitar that can hang with even the meanest guitars.

The RG series were one of the original shred machines from the early 80’s that made its way into countless heavy / hair metal music videos and performances.

Let’s see what the current RG450DX model has for us:

• Mahogany body, 3 piece Wizard III maple neck, jatoba fretboard
• HSH pickup configuration with 5-way switch for a wide tonal range
• Double locking tremolo system for ultimate pitch control
• Sharp and sleek design, built for speed

There’s a lot to take in on this one, and it’s pretty much all great.

Probably the thing these RG guitars are known for the most is the famed Ibanez Wizard neck. Super thin neck profile built to allow players to pull off the fastest licks on earth. They’re extremely comfortable and ridiculously easy to play. These necks are quite a bit thinner than the Schecter Thin-C neck profile, which might work best for some players but not for others, personal preference here.

The HSH pickup configuration is awesome, and allows for 5 different pickup combinations, including single coil tones which is something you won’t get with the Schecter Demon 6. But to be honest, you’re probably not buying the Demon 6 to get those bell like single-coil tones.

The last huge difference to note here is the tremolo system. While the Demon 6 is a hardtail style setup, the RG450DX has an Ibanez dual locking tremolo system similar to a Floyd Rose. Some players love these kinds of trems so they have absolute pitch control, while others would rather not deal with them at all.

In the end, either of this would be such a fun guitar to add to your collection. The RG450DX comes in at just below $400 which is pretty insane and represents a killer value.

The Bottom Line

So is the Schecter Demon 6 right for you? We feel that this would be a great choice for any metalhead or hard rocker looking for an affordable super-strat style shred machine with plenty of attitude. 

In conclusion, some of our favorite features of the Schecter Demon 6 are:

• The great-sounding Duncan Designed active pickups
• Easy playing thin-C neck with satin finish
• Simple design – Tune-o-matic bridge with string through design

So, hopefully, this review has helped you make a decision on whether the Schecter Demon 6 is right for you. If not, we hope that some of the alternative options we looked over might work for you as well.