Schecter Damien Platinum-6 FR S SBK

Schecter Damien Platinum-6 FR S SBK review

The Damien Platinum-6 FR S SBK is a matte-black, six-string electric guitar built around a distinctive pickup pairing: an EMG 81 humbucker at the bridge and a Sustainiac system at the neck. Its Floyd Rose Special tremolo and 24-fret layout point toward players who want expressive pitch effects and access across the fretboard. The listed price is 1139, with no currency specified in the supplied product details.

Its mahogany body has no separate top, and a glued-in maple neck meets a rosewood fingerboard. The finish is accented by multilayer silver and platinum binding, plus Platinum Bats fingerboard inlays. Matte-chromed hardware keeps the hardware treatment consistent with the dark finish. The look is specific and strongly styled, rather than a plain take on a familiar guitar shape.

Neck and playing feel

The neck has a Thin C profile, measuring 20 mm thick at the first fret and 22 mm at the twelfth. Its 648 mm (25.5-inch) scale is a standard long scale for an electric guitar, while the 356 mm (14-inch) fingerboard radius and 41 mm (1.63-inch) nut width describe a relatively flat, narrow-feeling playing surface. The fingerboard carries 24 X-Jumbo frets, giving players room for upper-register parts.

One owner describes the guitar as very comfortable to play and says its feel matched their expectations. That is a useful endorsement, though neck shape and fret size remain personal preferences. Another owner reports adjusting the string height and intonation after aligning the tremolo. Those setup changes helped bring the guitar to their preferred feel, but buyers should allow time for a proper setup rather than assume every instrument will arrive ready for their particular playing style.

Pickups and Sustainiac controls

The bridge position uses an active EMG 81 humbucker. The neck position is occupied by the Sustainiac system, designed to create sustained notes from the strings. The supplied owner feedback is particularly enthusiastic about it, describing the sustain as striking and expressive. That makes this model especially relevant to players who use held notes, feedback-like textures, or dramatic lead parts.

Controls include one volume knob and one tone knob, a three-way toggle switch, and two Sustainiac switches. One is a two-way on-off switch. The other selects among Fundamental, Mix, and Harmonic modes. These options give the neck system more than a simple on-off role, but they also make the guitar's electronics more specialized than a conventional two-pickup layout. The product data identifies the pickups as active; it does not specify battery details, so check the manufacturer's documentation for power requirements.

One reviewer characterizes the guitar as rock-oriented while still producing a clean sound, and another is pleased with the EMG-based tone. These are personal impressions rather than measured descriptions. The hardware and pickup configuration suggest a guitar intended to cover forceful bridge sounds alongside the Sustainiac's extended-note effects, with the three-way selector providing additional switching options.

Floyd Rose setup and hardware

The guitar is fitted with a Floyd Rose Special tremolo and matching Floyd Rose Special locking nut. Grover machine heads complete the tuning hardware. A floating tremolo can support expressive pitch movement, but its setup can be more involved than a fixed bridge. One owner says they carefully set the bridge parallel at rest, adjusted the string height, and corrected the intonation before being fully satisfied. That account is a reminder to check bridge alignment and setup when the guitar arrives.

Factory strings are Ernie Ball Regular Slinky #2221, gauged.010 to.046. The guitar is listed in matte black, and the supplied details say neither a bag nor a case is included. Buyers who need protection for transport should budget for a suitable case separately.

Verdict

The Damien Platinum-6 FR S SBK makes its strongest case through the Sustainiac, the EMG 81 bridge pickup, and a Floyd Rose Special tremolo. Its Thin C neck, long-scale dimensions, 24 jumbo frets, and detailed binding round out a specification set aimed at players who want a purpose-built rock guitar with pronounced visual character. Owner feedback praises the playability, finish, and Sustainiac performance, while one report of a misplaced first string at delivery raises a quality-control concern. Individual setup needs may also vary, particularly with the floating bridge.

There is no included case or bag, and the tremolo may take adjustment to suit the player. For someone specifically seeking sustained neck-position effects and Floyd Rose expression, those are practical considerations rather than reasons to dismiss the guitar. For players who prefer simpler electronics or a fixed bridge, much of its specialized design may go unused.