Schecter Blackjack ATX

As a new bass player, I was completely uninspired by the mind-numbing dearth of aesthetics when it came to bass guitars. Almost everything was some variation on the p-bass body, and more often than not with the nauseating sunburst/tort theme. It's like bass players were stuck with the worst the 70s ever had to offer. The first time I noticed the Schecter, it was like everything else disappeared, and I said to myself "Now, THIS is what a bass is supposed to look like!"

Although not a current year offering, the Blackjack ATX was a top of the line model, along with the Hellraiser Extreme. The key differences were set-neck vs. neck-thru construction, and Semour Duncan vs EMG pickups, and those differences were a wash for me. I preferred the Blackjack colors, as well as the single "Active" 12th-fret inlay (a lightning bolt) was much less ostentatious than the numerous gothic inlays on the Hellraiser Extreme.

The Blackjack ATX series of basses is a 34" scale (35" for the 5-string version), 24-fret instrument with a mahogany body and neck, ebony fretboard, and set-neck construction. With custom upgrades like Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups and Grover tuners, it is gig-worthy out of the box.

All the hardware, including the string-through (or top-load) bridge is black chrome for a custom look that separates it from the crowd. The arched top, creme binding, and tusq nut complete the custom look.

Schecter's endless model lines and similar naming conventions create confusion and hurt resale value, especially for their higher-end models. But that definitely creates a buyers market for those willing to spend a moment to learn the differences.