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Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite
Schecter PT SLS Elite
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Playability
80
Sound
85
Build
81
Value
82
Score
82
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Playability
82
Sound
77
Build
80
Value
80
Score
80
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Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite vs PT SLS Elite Specs Comparison
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite PT SLS Elite
General
Brand: Schecter Schecter
Year: 2023 2018
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: South Korea South Korea
Series: Reaper Elite SLS Elite
Colors: Blue Black, Orange
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Khaya African Mahogany Swamp Ash
Bridge: Floyd Rose 1500 Series Hipshot Hardtail (.125) w/ String Thru Body
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Neck-Through
Tuners: Grover Schecter Locking
Fretboard: Wenge Ebony
Neck Material: Wenge Maple/Walnut/Padauk Multi-ply w/ Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods
Decoration: Pearloid Lines Abalone Offset/Reverse Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Ultra Thin C Ultra Thin C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.748'' (19mm) - 12th Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) 1st Fret: 0.748'' (19mm) - 12th Fret: 0.787'' (20mm)
Frets: 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" to 16" 12" to 16"
Nut: Locking Compensated
Nut Width: 41.3mm (1.625'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Schecter USA San Andreas (Humbucker / Passive) Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker / Active)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Sustainiac (Humbucker / Passive) Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker / Active)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Sustainer Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Black Black
Show Diagrams Comparison
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite's switch options
Schecter PT SLS Elite pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Schecter PT SLS Elite's switch options

Reasons to Get
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite over PT SLS Elite

Release Year
2023 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
Sustainer vs Multi-Voicing
Infinite sustain when activated
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Value Score
82 vs 80
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Schecter PT SLS Elite over Reaper-6 FR S Elite

Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs Sustainer
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output

Other Key Differences
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite vs PT SLS Elite

Bridge Pickup
Schecter USA San Andreas vs Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Sustainiac vs Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Ash
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Wenge vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Wenge vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
R6 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Locking vs Compensated
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite vs PT SLS Elite

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.748'' (19mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.787'' (20mm)
Same neck comfortability
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Decorative Top
Quilted Maple Veneer vs Flamed Maple
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Compound Radius
12" to 16"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Neck-Through
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Neck-Through Build
  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Schecter PT SLS Elite:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Schecter PT SLS Elite meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite meets only 5. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Schecter PT SLS Elite
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in the Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite

Wenge wood pattern used for guitar building
Wenge
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Wenge is a stiff wood that comes with straight and tight grains. Its color is dark brown and the tonality emphasizes the low and mid-ends (warm) frequencies, similar to Rosewood.

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Schecter PT SLS Elite

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Winner: Schecter PT SLS Elite.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Schecter PT SLS Elite's online:

The Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite's pickups are Passive while the Schecter PT SLS Elite's are Active.

Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Both give you different pickup mod options.

The Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite offers Sustainer.

The pickups with Sustainer are able to recreate the 'feedback' you get when you hold your guitar near a speaker without muting the strings. This allows them to produce infinite sustain that you can use for as long as you want to create interest sounds and harmonics.

On the other hand, the Schecter PT SLS Elite comes with the following: Multi-Voicing.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite
Pickups 85
Sustain 100
Versatility 69
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 85
Schecter PT SLS Elite
Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 77

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite compares to the Schecter PT SLS Elite.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in South Korea.

South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

On the other hand, the Schecter PT SLS Elite comes with a Compensated nut. Each hole where the string sits at the nut is cut at a different distance from the bridge, which compensates for the different amount of tension that each string is subject to. This fixes most intonation issues across the fretboard, so it gives great tuning stability.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Both in this comparison come with stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

On the other hand, the Schecter PT SLS Elite's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite.

Tuners

The Schecter PT SLS Elite has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Nevertheless, the Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.

Winner: Schecter PT SLS Elite.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Sustainer Pickups
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Retainer Bar
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Weight Relief
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter PT SLS Elite
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite
Quality of materials 73
Features 95
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 81
Schecter PT SLS Elite
Quality of materials 80
Features 85
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 80

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite Nut Width
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite Nut Width
Schecter PT SLS Elite Nut Width
Schecter PT SLS Elite Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Schecter PT SLS Elite has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 0.7mm (0.029'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Schecter PT SLS Elite, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite and Schecter PT SLS Elite's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite and the Schecter PT SLS Elite have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite Fretboard Compound Radius
Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite's Compound Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both have a compound radius. This means both offer you the best craftsmanship when it comes to fretboard design. You'll have an arc to help you play chords close to the nut, while also having a flat design at the higher frets for faster soloing and easier bends.

Fret Size

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite and Schecter PT SLS Elite Frets Size
Both have a similar XL Jumbo fret size

Both have a XL Jumbo fret size. These are really tall frets made like this so you don't meet any resistance when playing techniques like vibrato, bending, tapping, etc. They should make the guitar easier to play, but you have to be careful not to get the notes out of pitch by pressing down too hard, which might happen since the fretboard will be too low to stop your hand.

Final Playability Scores

Schecter Reaper-6 FR S Elite
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 100
Playability 80
Schecter PT SLS Elite
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 100
Playability 82