Schecter C-4

4 string
Bolted neck
Body: Antique Amber finish with gold volume switches.
Neck: 24 frets with Vector inlays. Gold tuning pegs
EMGhz pick-ups with a S Tek bridge.
Currently playing with Ernie Ball custom strings.

I bought this bad boy 4 years ago from Offbeat, a local shop in Lake Zurich, IL. They stocked the floor with a bunch of nice looking Schecter basses and the C-4 stood out real nicely. I managed to get it for around $500.

The pick-ups are extremely responsive (EMGhz freakin' rock!). Having played Warwicks and quality Fenders, I have to say this bass is capable of keeping up. Really versatile with a variety of strings, my favorite being Blue Steel medium gauge. Great with quality effect pedals and bass amps. Slapping and popping on this guitar sound excellent, especially on the high end. Active pick-up also allows for a really smooth and dynamic low end.

The nut seems like it's the only weak part on the bass. After playing on this guitar for a while, the nut has deteriorated, effecting the action. I think a simple replacement will probably fix that. The EMGhz are really sensitive and with active pick-up turned all the way up, the bass is capable of topping out lower wattage bass amps. Also, if your battery for active pick-up runs out, so does your ability to play this guitar on an amp. But besides those 3 things, this guitar was an extremely good buy!

The quality of the overall bass rivals some of the higher priced guitars out there. The wood finish is really spectacular. I got the Antique Amber finish and paired with the gold tuning pegs and switches, this guitar looks sharp. The materials used for the neck and body are extremely dense and offer really robust and warm tones. The neck also came with inlay, topping off the package.

Really happy to have purchased this bass. I originally started with a cheap Silvertone. When I got this guitar, I was shocked at the comfort level. I highly recommend this guitar; the price certainly makes it a worthy purchase.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I ordered my guitar off of musiciansfriend.com. I needed another guitar because all i had was a Fender P-Bass (mexi). I paid $499.99 and it was worth every cent.

I love the pickups and finish first of all. the pickups are great (what else can you expect from emg's?) the finish is absolutely stunning. the controls are laid out for maximum versatility. it is just great!

The only thing is the weight. 16 pounds. But one has to remember that with weight comes durability. at least you know it wasnt made out of plastic!

as i said before the construction is excellent. the quality is phenomenal. everything is perfect. (I wonder to myself, have i found the perfect instrument?)

I have a story. A good friend of mine that has been playing electric guitar for 9 years came to my house the day i got my C-4.
he hadnt ever heard about Schecter (neither had i before i started searching). He asked me how much it cost me. I said you tell me how much you think it is worth. He pondered for about 5-7 minutes before saying: i think it cost between $1500-1700. i laughed and didnt say a word. some things are better left unsaid.
any more questions feel free to email me at
sirmichael@bassplayer.cc

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This bass has a beautiful finish. That is what really caught my eye when I first saw it. It was really t he feel and the active 2-band Eq that made me buy it.

UTILIZATION

When I first tested this bass I knew I had to have it. It was the second bass that I bought. I upgraded from a Fender Jazz. The feel of the C-4 was just amazing, not like the big thick feel of the jazz bass. The full scale 34" neck with 24 jumbo frets was way different than what I was use to. The action was way better making string changes and all around playability easier. The C-4 feels lighter than all other basses that I own, so it isn't a huge strain on your shoulder.

SOUNDS

This bass has a great tone thanks to the mahogany top. The tone is bright but smooth. The EMG HZ pickups sound great and are controlled by an Active 2-Band EQ. The 2-Band EQ is really where the tone is controlled the most. You can go from bright poppy bass to low bassy jazz tones with the turn of two knobs. The only thing I didn't like about the sound was whenever I would recorded you could always hear a high treble click whenever I would play fingerstyle hard, but not hard enough to where you would normally hear clicks from the strings hitting the pickups. I could never figure out what it was that was causing it, but other than that the sound is great. This bass is really great for live settings.

OVERALL OPINION

I love this bass. I would say that it is the easiest bass to play that I own. The action is great the fell of the neck is great and it makes it very easy to play very fast. Whenever I am trying to get down hard and fast riff, this is my go to bass. I have been playing it for about 3 years and not a single thing has ever gone with it. Not even a string break or anything. I have 3 Schecters all together and this one has stayed together longer than the others. It was my first active bass so I had to get use to unplugging it or the battery will die. When the battery dies you can tell, because it will sound pretty crumby.