For home-studio metal, the Schecter Demon series offers a lot of usable tone at a modest cost, about $599 to $999. Its Duncan Designed active pickups put out a strong, consistent signal, which tends to feed amp sims and preamps cleanly and keeps high-gain rhythm parts tight when you are stacking takes.

Range matters in a session, and this series covers it. The Demon-6 handles standard tracking, while the Demon-7 and Demon-8 let you write and record low-tuned riffs without pitch-shifting after the fact. Floyd Rose FR models are there for dive-bomb leads and tremolo effects, and the S-II offers another body style for a different feel. Left-handed models make it easier for lefty players to track comfortably.

The Satin Black and Aged Black Satin finishes look the part on camera when you are filming playthroughs. Studio Gears stocks the Demon line for producers who want a dependable metal guitar to build heavy productions around, and the choice mostly comes down to string count and bridge type for the parts you need to record.