Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign vs Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged
Reasons to Get
Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign over Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged
Reasons to Get
Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged over Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign
Other Key Differences
Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign vs Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged
Shared Features
Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign vs Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
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Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign vs Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged: Which One is Better?
After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged's 74 score, although not by a lot.
The Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged in every aspect.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign.
Which Guitar is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign is the better choice.
The Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign meets 8 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged meets only 6. 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.
Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign
- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Wide nut
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged
- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Wide nut
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing a guitar, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.
Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign Overview
- From Schecter's 2019 Apocalypse series
- Made in South Korea
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Swamp Ash body
- Maple/Padauk Multi-ply w/Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Schecter USA Apocalypse-VI (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Schecter USA Apocalypse-VI (Humbucker/Passive)
- 2 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- TonePros T3BT TOM & T1Z Tailpiece bridge
- Thin C Set neck
- 22 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
- Schecter Locking tuners
- Weight around 7.8lbs (3.5kgs)
- Compare Specs >
Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged Overview
- From Gibson's 2020 Gibson Murphy Lab Collection series
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple body
- Solid Mahogany neck
- Indian Rosewood, Hide Glue Fit fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Gibson Custombucker Alnico 3 (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Gibson Custombucker Alnico 3 (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
- 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
- 3-way Switch
- ABR-1 bridge
- Authentic 64 Medium C-Shape Set neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Kluson Single Line Strip with Metal Buttons tuners
- Weight around 8.125lbs (3.7kgs)
- Compare Specs >
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar 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 Both Guitars

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.
Woods Used in the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign


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.
Woods Used in the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged


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.
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
Both guitars have an HH pickup configuration. 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 guitars 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.
Both guitars use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some guitars offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both guitars compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both guitars are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Only the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
Here's the diagram comparing all the pickup combinations you can get with both guitars:


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 Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the guitar. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign compares to the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged.
Country of Origin Comparison
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign is built in South Korea while the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged is made in United States.
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.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged
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 guitar 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 Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign has a Black Tusq XL nut. TUSQ nuts are usually the highest quality you can get. Black TUSQs are made from a special slippery material that helps the strings get back to its original position (one of the keys to tune stability).
On the other hand, the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged comes with a Nylon nut. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most guitar fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most guitars end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive guitars come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
In this comparison, the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign is the only one that has 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: Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign.
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.
Both guitars come with a similar bridge: 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: Tie.
Tuners
The Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign 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 the guitar 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.
Winner: Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign.
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 guitars have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Black Tusq XL Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Made in South Korea
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Tremolo
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Nylon Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Tremolo
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare the playability of both guitars. Bear in mind that the guitar will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test a guitar before buying it. 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 guitar for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar is 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 we're comparing guitars. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width Comparison


The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length Comparison

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 guitars have a scale length of 24.75".
This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.
On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.
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 Comparison


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 Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign and the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged 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 Comparison


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.
In this case, the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.
Hand Size Comfortability
Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged favors large hands more than the Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign:
Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged:
Fret Size Comparison


The Schecter Solo-II Apocalypse Red Reign has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Gibson 1964 Trini Lopez Standard Ebony Ultra Light Aged's Medium Jumbo frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.