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MGR/Paul Ortiz « Schecter Stiletto Deluxe 5 »
Published on 01/11/03 at 15:00I bought this bass guitar from Sound Control UK for around £339, although Schecter being an American based company I should imagine it is readily available at your nearest guitar dealer for around the same price if not cheaper. It was intended as a replacement for a rather knackered out hunk of wood with strings on it (also known as the Peavey DynaBass). A 5 string was a MUST for me, as I also own a baritone guitar and from time to time need to drop down to gut rumbling, bowel-movement-inducing lows!
This bass is fantastic! Where to start: well first of all it's active, and although the control surface is simplified in comparison with it's more expensive relatives, it more than does the job and offers a wide range of tones. Plus all the controls are 'notched' so you can find that middle point very easily and recall your favourite sounds no problem. The pickups are Shecter's own Diamond series, and although they are not a patch on the EMG's that come on the Custom/Studio/Elite, they are well balanced and quiet - no huuuummmmm here! The low B sustains through every bit as much as the D and G strings, due in part to the whopping 6 bolt neck join. Also worth mentioning is the extended scale length of 35". This keeps the low B tight enough for all manner of slapping and popping - something which is near impossible on similarly (and often higher) priced 34" models, unless you string em up with a set of suspension bridge wires. The factory setup was great, the intonation was spot on up and down the fretboard and the action was perfect for slappin-tappin tomfoolery right out of the box. And of course, it came with a battery. Always handy on an active bass.
Added to all this, mine came in a rather foxy Walnut Gloss with chrome hardware - it looks awesome.
The only thing I would of liked to see would probably be a mid-range/Q control. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of sounds available to you here, but more often than not I end up having to fiddle around with the EQ section in my sequencer to bring out those low mids. But then I can't grumble considering the price tag. It's a small trade off! Also a gig bag or cheapo case would off been nice..but hey, now I'm just being picky.
The construction quality is superb. The hardware is all in perfect condition and is fitted in a solid manner. The nut has been filed to match the profile of the neck, so you won't catch your hands on any razor sharp edges zooming down to first fret (as was the case with my old bass - god I hated that thing!). The strap buttons are sturdy and reliable, so you won't have to worry about your bass and the floor having an unexpected meeting any time soon. The only flaw I could find was the smallest of small notches in the top edge of the fretboard, but it's really nothing to cry about.
A word of caution - the close string spacing, combined with the extended scale length, means that for first time 5-stringers, things might get messy. You'll need to have a pretty accurate thumb if you intend on doing any slapping, and particularly on those first few frets you'll need to stretch those little fingers of yours quite a bit. This isn't so much a criticism (if I wanted pro string spacing, I would have paid a pro price!), but it's definitely worth taking into consideration if you're just starting out.
Overall, you can't go wrong with this bass. It will get you noticed on the looks front - it's got a sleek 'Euro-design' body shape, and from a distance, you could almost fool people into thinking it was a Warwick! It plays like a bass many times it's price tag, and sounds just as good. Whether you're after that aggressive, low tuned modern rock sound, or fancy yourself as a bit of a Jaco wannabe, then you owe it to yourself to at least try one out. At £339 or LESS, this just goes to show that highly affordable, can still mean highly playable.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
This bass is fantastic! Where to start: well first of all it's active, and although the control surface is simplified in comparison with it's more expensive relatives, it more than does the job and offers a wide range of tones. Plus all the controls are 'notched' so you can find that middle point very easily and recall your favourite sounds no problem. The pickups are Shecter's own Diamond series, and although they are not a patch on the EMG's that come on the Custom/Studio/Elite, they are well balanced and quiet - no huuuummmmm here! The low B sustains through every bit as much as the D and G strings, due in part to the whopping 6 bolt neck join. Also worth mentioning is the extended scale length of 35". This keeps the low B tight enough for all manner of slapping and popping - something which is near impossible on similarly (and often higher) priced 34" models, unless you string em up with a set of suspension bridge wires. The factory setup was great, the intonation was spot on up and down the fretboard and the action was perfect for slappin-tappin tomfoolery right out of the box. And of course, it came with a battery. Always handy on an active bass.
Added to all this, mine came in a rather foxy Walnut Gloss with chrome hardware - it looks awesome.
The only thing I would of liked to see would probably be a mid-range/Q control. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of sounds available to you here, but more often than not I end up having to fiddle around with the EQ section in my sequencer to bring out those low mids. But then I can't grumble considering the price tag. It's a small trade off! Also a gig bag or cheapo case would off been nice..but hey, now I'm just being picky.
The construction quality is superb. The hardware is all in perfect condition and is fitted in a solid manner. The nut has been filed to match the profile of the neck, so you won't catch your hands on any razor sharp edges zooming down to first fret (as was the case with my old bass - god I hated that thing!). The strap buttons are sturdy and reliable, so you won't have to worry about your bass and the floor having an unexpected meeting any time soon. The only flaw I could find was the smallest of small notches in the top edge of the fretboard, but it's really nothing to cry about.
A word of caution - the close string spacing, combined with the extended scale length, means that for first time 5-stringers, things might get messy. You'll need to have a pretty accurate thumb if you intend on doing any slapping, and particularly on those first few frets you'll need to stretch those little fingers of yours quite a bit. This isn't so much a criticism (if I wanted pro string spacing, I would have paid a pro price!), but it's definitely worth taking into consideration if you're just starting out.
Overall, you can't go wrong with this bass. It will get you noticed on the looks front - it's got a sleek 'Euro-design' body shape, and from a distance, you could almost fool people into thinking it was a Warwick! It plays like a bass many times it's price tag, and sounds just as good. Whether you're after that aggressive, low tuned modern rock sound, or fancy yourself as a bit of a Jaco wannabe, then you owe it to yourself to at least try one out. At £339 or LESS, this just goes to show that highly affordable, can still mean highly playable.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com