Schecter Scorpion Bass

I purchased this bass brand new, February 14, 2003 , in an online auction, from a reputable dealer. (Long live vohnjamm!) I was apprehensive of purchasing a bass without playing it first, but no one around here had one and I needed the low end capability, but didn't want to resort to playing a five string bass. I'm playing in a doomcore band with a downtuned (AEAD) Peavey T-40, and while I could fight and die with the T-40, in a severely downtuned state my good ol' Peavey was not an effective weapon. I'd read about the Schecter Scorpion and it appeared to be just what I was looking for. I paid about $500 for it.


$500 WELL SPENT! I am totally impressed with this bass. It looks cool as hell, (mine's grey) and it is truly an implement of wanton destruction. It was well set up right out of the box. The first time I played it at band practice I was very pleased to be in tune and not have my strings flopping all over the frets. Nice, tight B string; really breathes new life into my parts. The difference between the Scorpion and the tortured T-40 is night and day. I've found my new bass. I'm going to buy another one as a spare.

DISCLAIMER: I love my Schecter Scorpion!
OK, every rose has it's thorn. When I put a strap on it, the neck dove straight to the floor. I almost gave up on it right then and there, but it felt so good to have strings under my fingers that weren't flimsy feeling from being detuned, that I decided to work with it. A big wide leather strap helped a little, and now I'm starting to get used to it, but I'm thinking about adding some weight in the body to balance it a little better. Does anybody play these things before they approve them for production? Prototype anyone? Then there's the bridge, which will be replaced as soon as I get a chance. It's a generic bridge which apparently was not made especially for this bass. It's the kind of bridge where you have to stuff the string thru the little hole and then guide it up over the saddle. Well the .125 B string does not go thru the little hole very easily, and once thru, has to make a steep rise to the saddle, and then bend over the saddle at an extreme angle. I am breaking B strings at an incredible rate, even for me. If I had my druthers, I would also druther have a stainless steel or brass nut, instead of plastic. The volume knob worked loose (cheesy fix) and last but not least the top strap screw pulled out from the body. It had three "SchecterUSA" stickers and tags on it and one tiny little one the back of the headstock that said made in Korea. Made me go "Hmmm....."


Aside from the minor issuse that I mentioned, so far this bass has not let me down. I've benn gigging with it without a backup and I'm not paranoid at all. It stays in tune, even here in Iowa, with our extreme temperature and humidity fluctuations. It's not a heavy bass, but it sounds like it weighs a ton. The active EMG's make sure of that. I'm not sure what kind of wood it's made of, really don't care. The grey finish looks nice with the white binding around the neck and headstock. There are position markers only at the 12th fret, which is very entertaining, when trying to teach someone a new riff. Rosewood fretboard, nice.

Bottom line, I'll be buying another one to have as a spare. When people ask me what I'm playing these days, I tell them the Schecter Scorpion!


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