Schecter OMEN Extreme 6 vs ESP LTD MH 100

[taurash]

Hi guys

I'm drooling over the ESP Horizon in See Thru Cherry sunburst colors for quite a long time now. But still I don't have enough money to buy it :/

So, I decided it was time to look at one of her little sisters, the LTD MH-100. And because it's as beautiful as the MH-100, I also ordered the Schecter Omen Extreme 6.

In a future post, I'll tell you more about those two great looking guitars. But now is the time to let you hear how they sound. 


https%3A//soundcloud.com/user-492302877/schecter-omen-extreme6-test-song


https%3A//soundcloud.com/user-492302877/esp-ltd-mh100-test-song

And now, guys, I'll ask you to help me.
Imagine you're standing in my shoes. Which one would you keep, knowing that I cannot keep them both ?

[salteedog]

Crikey...they sound almost identical Keep the one that feels the nicest.

[taurash]

The sound is quite close but I can hear differences when I play. Too bad, it's hard to hear on this track.
If I have to keep the best feeling one, I'll keep the LTD.

A few details about the way they both feel :

The schecter is heavier, though still quite light. It's a mahogany guitar and the LTD is made in basswood.
In both cases, no sharp edge, finishing is perfect, nothing to reproach them. They both are made in indonesia, and I could bet they're made in the same factory cos' painting is the exact same
The schecter had a quite high string action and I had to set it up. Now I've made it lower, but still not as low as the LTD. Both neck are good, but it seems that the LTD is a bit thinner and feels easier playing.
Tuners are home made in both cases. They keep the guitars in tune with no problem, but the LTD tuners are a bit more pleasant to use, it's more fluid.
The big advantage the schecter has upon the ltd is the push/pull split. The LTD doesn't offer this possibility, but since I will change the pups, I'll solve the problem in the same time.

So, really, very few differences about these two pretty guitars. They're made for metal, felle good and sound good.
Yet, the schecter is 450€ when the LTD is just 300€ ! So, I guess my choice is made I would have loved to keep the neck decoration of the schecter, but I find some Deathead stickers from Jokomo that will allow me customizing it.

And now, a few words of comparison between those big brand low cost guitars and the Harley Bentons.
There's an equation that says that a HB would cost twice its price if made by another brand, because of various costs added by the distributors.
So let's imagine this LTD is a HB, and then it would cost 150€.
I have tried several HB guitars these last months. Well there's no way a 150€ HB could stand a comparison with this LTD. No chance in hell ! HB's 150€ have slightly sharp fret edges, polishing is not ok, and the finishes have several small details that make it go wrong.
The closer comparison I can make is with the HB R-457, though it's a 7 strings guitar, but let's imagine it's the R-456. On the HB the tuners are unpleasant to use and don't keep the guitar in tune with the same sharpness than the LTD. The overall quality is far under.

Now, I will compare the quality of the LTD with my favorite HB guitar : the SC Custom.
Fret work is perfect in both cases.
Action can be set very low, both necks are very easy and confortable to play.
BUT :
The LTD is very well balanced. The neck doesn't rise or fall, it's absolutely perfect. The SC custom's neck keeps rising up as if it was trying to reach up to the sky, I should have called it Icarus
YET :
The SC custom is equipped with Grover tuners, and though the LTD tuners are good, they're not as fluid and precise as the Grovers. But this is just a piece of equipment.

So, I advice HB should take a very close look at this MH100 and try to make an as good luthier job on their own guitars. They're already making a nice job but, as far as I'm concerned, only the top of the line HB guitars are really worth it. The mid-range HBs probably have the same defaults in terms of wood work than the others, but it's compensated by some better pieces of equipment.

[salteedog]

That's a good analysis taurash. Every customer has their own definition of 'value'...for the worth they place on various features or attributes.

For me I'm happy to save money by polishing (but not necessarily leveling) my own frets and living with finish flaws. But I will pay for decent woods (not a lot of pieces of plywood), reasonably engineered metal parts, working pickups and most importantly proper assembly (bridge and neck fitted correctly) and no cracks.

[taurash]

You're right salteedog, everyone has their own definition.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't like spending too much time on setting my guitars up. I can polish some frets but leveling them is an exercise I never did.

Yet, this LTD MH 100 is a killing ! I will change its pups to Seymour Duncan Distorsion soon, but I must say that the original ones are already making a very good job. But this guitar is definitely made for metal.

So here's a short thrash metal demo song played with the MH100. I'll record the same song with the Schecter as soon as I can cos' I have to send it back to Thomann.

https%3A//soundcloud.com/user-492302877/thrash-demo-mh100

[taurash]

And here is the same thrash metal track recorded with the schecter omen Extreme 6.
It might be quite hard to hear, but it sounds heavier than the LTD, probably due to the wood (mahogany, the LTD is made in basswood)

https%3A//soundcloud.com/user-492302877/thrash-demo-omen-extreme-6

[taurash]

And just for fun, the same track played with all my 6 strings guitars together. Sounds really huge to me

https%3A//soundcloud.com/user-492302877/thrash-demo-6-guitars-together

[salteedog]

Crikey! That sounds massive alright. Not a bad sound

[Deleted]

Yeah that all guitars together one sounds great taurash. A real torrent.

[taurash]

Thanks salteedog and @defjef

Bonus is that I really had to improve my skills in mixing to have this one sound correctly !
Now if the bentonites want to go metal, my guitars and I are ready

[Deleted]

May 7, 2018 14:39:49 GMT taurash said:

Now if the bentonites want to go metal, my guitars and I are ready

[Deleted]

The great thing is that multi guitar one doesn't sound 'metal' do me. It reminded me of an Airbag track - goodness knows which one, I always remove the vocals from those songs, the lyrics are poor and tend to annoy me ) - it might be called 'Homecoming' or 'Homesick' or 'Back Home' or something. Whatever it is it has that BIG guitar sound and sounds great in my car.