Last Updated on November 25, 2022 by Teemu Suomala
Schecter Omen Extreme 6 – Best Metal Guitar Under $500
Summary
Pros:
-Pickups are excellent for the price
-Warm tones with enough brightness in it
-Slim C-shape and narrow neck makes this axe easy and fast playing
-Out of the box action is usually great
-Handles every kind of metal well
Cons:
-Sometimes fret buzz in the long run(with some truss rod or saddle adjustments, this should be an easy fix)
-The sound could be more detailed
-Some high notes with thicker strings are hard to reach aka. upper fret access is a bit limited (not too bad)
I would recommend this for any type of metal, but especially for modern metal with fast riffs and solos. This axe is definitely worth the money if you are looking for a high-value for-money metal guitar. If you are not going to play metal, this guitar probably is not for you.
Schecter Omen Extreme-6 is in my opinion, the best metal guitar under 500(which I know of). It has some minor flaws, but for the price, it’s hard to beat this one.
How Schecter Omen Extreme 6 sounds:
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Schecter Omen Extreme-6 specs:
Body type: Solidbody
Body wood: Mahogany
Neck wood: Maple
Neck shape: Thin C
Scale length: 25.5”
Truss rod: 2-Way Adjustable Rod w/ 5/32” (4mm) Allen Nut
Fretboard material: Rosewood
Fretboard radius: 14”
Number of frets: 24 X-Jumbo
Nut width: 1.653” (42mm)
Nut: Graph Tech XL Black Tusq
Pickups: 2 x Schecter Diamond Plus (push/pull coil-split)
Pickup switch: 3-way
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic Bridge with String-thru body
Who crafted this Review:
Author: Teemu Suomala
I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…).
I last time played this Schecter in a music store in July of 2021.
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Schecter Omen Extreme-6 Review
Sound
The body is made of mahogany, which supports warm and dark tones well. This Omen is equipped with 2 Passive Diamond Plus Humbuckers, with coil-split.
If you have played more expensive guitars for a long time, pickups can sound really average. But if you just want to get a solid metal axe for under 500, pickups are excellent for the price.
There is enough growl and this axe definitely chugs.
Omen gives you great sounds for both, old-school and modern metal riffs. When it comes to distorted leads, it’s awesome. There is enough clarity with leads and the tone is not too fuzzy or tinny.
Overall, this axe is made for fast modern metal riffs and solos. But you don’t need to shy away from this if you are into old-school metal.
Find great metal amps here.
If you want some complaining about the sounds, here it comes…
The sound could be a little bit more detailed in my opinion. And when playing clean parts, especially high notes, I found the sound to be flat in some points. So this is not the best pick for clean soloing.
But clean tones are definitely good enough for the price, and this flaw doesn’t ruin the tones of this guitar completely. So those clean metal intros will go just fine with this guitar.
Another great sound demo with Floyd Rose version of this Schecter:
It’s awesome that this guitar doesn’t have plastic or ”synthetic-bone” nut. Schecter has hit this guitar with Graph Tech XL Black Tusq-nut. It improves the sustain(how long notes play) of this guitar).
Playability
Out-of-the-box action is really good. You can usually start shredding as soon as you open the box. And with the truss rod and saddle adjustments, achieving your sweet spot setup is easy.
1.653” (42mm) nut width is narrower than ith most guitars, especially when we compare this to other metal axes. The neck is narrow, and it won’t slow you down. The thin-C neck shape supports the slim feel of the neck. In my opinion though, the neck is chunkier than I expected and reminded me more of a regular C-shaped neck or even a D-shaped neck a bit.
The fretboard radius is 14 inches, so the fretboard doesn’t have much curve. This makes moving your hands around the fretboard and making fast shifts between the frets easier. Extra Jumbo frets support this smooth playability, and with the right setup, you don’t need to use much strength in order to fret a note.
This guitar is made for fast playing and shredding.
Some high notes with thicker strings are a little bit hard to reach(aka. upper fret access is not amazing). It’s not too bad, but a contour that would make upper fret access better would be amazing (wink, Schecter).
This guitar is surprisingly light, and the balance is also solid. The Omen is definitely one of the most comfortable guitars to play at this price range.
Quality
I think that this axe offers top-notch quality when compared to others at the same price range. Nothing to complain about when I look at it. And I found no long-time owners saying that the guitar broke or had serious issues in normal use either. This is always a good sign. I didn’t notice anyone complaining about sharp or rough fret edges, or about bad tuning machines, everything seems to be great. But it’s not perfect…
Some people noted that fret buzz can be noticeable at some point, it can be fixed, but it’s still a con. But this is normal with guitars, and with the truss rod and bridge adjustments, these fret buzz issues should be easy to fix.
Looks
This guitar looks really good in my opinion. A mix of mean and classy looks to me. I have a hard time deciding which one is the better color: See-Thru Black or Black Cherry. Both look stunning. Every detail looks polished and well finished, and it’s hard to believe that you get this much for this price.
Summary
Pros:
- Pickups are excellent for the price
- Warm tones with enough brightness in it
- Thin C-shape and narrow neck makes this easy to play and made for fast playing
- Out of the box action is great
- Handles every kind of metal well
Cons:
- Sometimes fret buzz in the long run(with some bridge/truss rod adjustments, this should be an easy fix)
- The sound could be more detailed
- Some high notes with thicker strings are hard to reach aka. upper fret access is a bit limited (not too bad)
- Body can feel bulky
I would recommend this for any type of metal, but especially for modern metal with fast riffs and solos.
Of course, if you are not going to play metal, this guitar probably is not for you.
This Schecter is in my opinion, the best metal guitar under 500 (that I know of). It has some minor flaws, but for the price, it’s hard to beat this one.
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Alternatives
Best for Budget Riffing/Runner-Up – ESP LTD EC-256
Pros:
- Pickups are great for metalheads
- Body materials support metal tones (I’m not a huge tonewoods-believer)
- Neck feels good
- Handles the cleaner parts well too
- Quality for the price is fantastic
- It’s really fun to play riffs with this
Cons:
- High notes on thicker strings are hard to reach (Poor upper fret access)
- The Thin U-shaped neck paired with single-cut guitar with not much contour is not the best option for fast soloing.
This guitar is a good choice if you want to play heavy riffs. You can definitely shred with this too, but it’s made for riffing in my opinion.
For example, this guitar handles stuff like Metallica, Slipknot, and thrash metal overall really well. It can also be a solid mid-range option if you just want to play metal music in general.
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Great Same Price Range All-Rounder- Fender Player Telecaster HH
This one is an excellent all-rounder with one of the best split-coil tones I have heard. Modern C neck shape ensures easy playability, and the affordable price makes this guitar a really interesting choice. I definitely recommend that you check this guitar out. Really high value for money.
And 2 Humbuckers ensure that this handles heavy distortion and metal tones well too. But there’s no denying that the Schecter sounds meaner.
You can read my full review of this guitar here: Fender Player Telecaster HH Review 2022 – Before You Buy.
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For Bigger Budget – ESP LTD Deluxe EC-1000
I have played this guitar several times and it’s one of my favorite metal guitars. This guitar is just gorgeous. It handles everything, but it’s made for heavy riffing. A pleasure to play and listen. It offers great value for money with high quality and stunning tones.
This EC-1000 is more versatile than Schecter Guitar Research Omen Extreme-6, and with heavily distorted tones it does an even better job. But the small con is its a higher price.
You can read my full review of this guitar here: ESP LTD Deluxe EC-1000 Review 2022 – Before You Buy.
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FAQ
Are Schecter Guitars good?
Based on my own experience, I would say yes, Schecter guitars are good.
Schecter guitars that I have tried, both Hellraiser and Omen Extreme 6 FR are an absolute pleasure to play. The neck is just buttery smooth with both these guitars. Even with my small hands, playing is easy.
Sound-wise, the metal and to be more specific, modern metal is the thing where Schechter guitars shine the most. But still, these guitars can be tamed for all kinds of metal and handle cleaner tones relatively well too.
If you value these qualities and high value for money, I recommend that you try some Schechter’s out!
Where are Schecter guitars made?
Most Schecter guitars are made in South-Korea. Custom shop guitars are made in the USA and cheaper models are usually built in Vietnam, Indonesia, or China.
The Schecter Omen Extreme-6 FR is made in Indonesia.
Conclusion on Schecter Guitar Research Omen Extreme-6 Review
I really like the Schecter Omen Extreme-6 and have enjoyed playing it. It sounds mean and is overall really comfortable to play guitar. If someone needs a metal axe under 500, The Omen is my go-to option.
I hope that this review helped you out! I wish you all the best and keep rocking!
Teemu Suomala
Hello Teemu. I was just going through your review of the Schecter Diamond Series Omen Extreme 6 because I own the black see through version and was thinking of trading it away for an older Epiphone 435i Super Strat. I believe it’s a vintage 90’s guitar which I love. I spent my teenage years in the 80’s and early 90’s and absolutely love these era guitars. Add the fact that they’re getting harder to come by nowadays and you can understand my dilemma. Anyway I’m in no way an advanced guitar player. I manage and can put notes together and am still learning. I first started playing in the 80’s with my first Epiphone Les Paul. But didn’t stay committed to playing because I soon married at an early age (18) and had to work in order to support my family. Sadly part of being a responsible adult, husband and father caused me to leave my hobby of guitar playing behind me and I was forced to sell off my small collection of guitars and equipment. Man if only I had held on to all of it!! Anyway I’ve recently started playing again in my ripe old age (lol) and it’s now harder to play because of the arthritis in my fingers and hands. I can only play so long before I start to lose sensation in my hands, my fingers start to swell and I can’t even hold onto the pick anymore. I keep playing till the pain takes over and forces me to stop. But I’d say I’m a slightly above average starter skill wise, no where near what you can do. But I just love playing even if it’s in the comfort of my recliners in my living room and bedroom. I use headphones so I don’t disturb my family. The reason I’m messaging you is I tried to send you my email through the add email slot on this website but it’s not working. I’m interested in the website you said you created. Would love to receive any other videos and / or tips to help me with my continued learning process. Also I’d like to know if you’ve ever had the chance to review and / or play the Epiphone 435i guitar I’m thinking of getting. I’d hate to trade my Schecter Omen Extreme 6 if the Epi doesn’t compare in sound to my Schecter. I have to include that I mostly play metal and rock/ hard rock music like AC/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest, Scorpions and so on. Classic metal. Although I’ve recently found myself trying out some newer Drop D stuff, but not to much. So yeah there you go – me in a nutshell, lol. Just trying to get your opinion on this Epiphone 435i Strat and also trying to get myself signed up to your website. Could you please help? Thanks
Hi Joe and nice to meet you! Great to hear that you are diving back into the world of guitar playing! I have not played that Epiphone, but the Schecter most likely offers meatier and heavier tone because of its double humbuckers. But I think that Epi can handle some heavier stuff too.
Btw, what do you mean by email slot, I think I don’t have that kind of stuff on my page, but you can find my email address on the “Contact”-page.
When it comes to hand pain, correct thumb placement (at the back of the neck facing the middle finger) can help with some riffs and chords. Of course you don’t have to always force your thumb to go there. But even more important are stretching and warm-up. I bet that if you try these things out, they will help you out a ton.
If you have more questions, just ask!