Im surprised how little I ever read about the Schecter Stiletto Studio model basses. I bought the 5-string fretless about a year ago but the 4-string fretless is sweet too.
If you ever wanted to sound like Pino Paladino or Percy Jones or Mick Karn, then this is the bass for you. It is so sensitive that every nuance can be heard.
For example, hammering with your baby finger is amazingly expressive! Ive played basses where hammering with the baby finger is damn near impossible but the Stiletto Studio 5 plays like no bass I have ever handled. I once owned a 4-string fretless Rickenbacker 4003 about 17 years ago, though, that was almost as goodsomeone stole it. The guy who ripped me off killed himself some months later but never had the decency to give me back my axe before taking his brody. But anyway, the Stiletto Studio 5 sings. It almost plays itself. You can pluck a string, for example, let it ring and then pluck another while letting the first one keep ringing and then slide up or down the neck or both and both strings will keep on singingnone of those clunky notes that dont ring out. These just sing and sing and sing.
Ive been recording with it as well as letting a buddy play it onstage and the results are just super! He never played fretless in spite of the fact that hes super, super goodmuch better than mebut he just loves the Schecter fretless and wants one now. A buddy who loves metal also wants one now that he played mine. My younger brother is also a bass-player. He rarely used 5-strings and never used fretlesses because he didnt like the sound of either. Now he wants to buy a Schecter fretless Stiletto model and is thinking about getting the 4-string. Theyre that good!
The Stilettos came in 4, 5, 6 and 8-string models. The 4 and 5-strings can be either fretted or lined fretless. The 6 and 8-strings are fretted only. They can also come in left-handed models. The design is bad-ass! You can see how pretty it is here:
Invalid Link Removed
It is a pretty bass with that streamlined body and natural finish with the golden pots, bridge and tuning heads (as well as the strap pegs). As my brother says, its not just an instrument but a work of art. Indeed! Maybe not quite an Alembic body but still extremely nice.
The neck is cut from multi-laminate maple/walnut and is, of course, neck-thru design. On either side of the neck are glued two pieces of mahogany/bubinga. This design yields a very nice sustain. The fingerboard is rosewood with 24 frets (supposedly 24 frets on a bass can cause the pickups to not be at the optimum position which affects the sound but really I dont notice anything). The scale length for the 4 and 8-strings is 34 and for the 5 and 6-strings it is 35.
There are two Diamond Custom bass pickups rather than the standard Bartolinis I keep seeing on most active basses. The pots are 2 large knobs and 3 smaller ones. The large pots control the front and back pickups independently and the smaller pots provide superb low, mid and high cut/boost range of 12 dB with an EMG active18 volt EQ circuit. A 9-volt battery is required to power the controls and mounts under a screw-on plate on the back of the body. Just a little turn of a pot can completely change the sound, so you have an almost infinite range of possibilities.
How does it sound? Youd have to hear it to appreciate it. The deepest bass or utter twang that sounds like its coming through a small radio. The low B string rumbles with wall-shaking power. It has absolutely the best slap-&-pop sound Ive ever heardjust beautiful. Playing it with a pick also sounds marvelousnothing is lost. In fact, Im hard pressed to decide which is the best sound: finger-boom, slap or pick. The Schecter Stiletto Studio model basses kick ass no matter how you play them. As I stated, you can sound just like Percy Jones, Pino Paladino or Mick Karn and if you are familiar with any of the aforementioned gentlemen, then thats all that needs to be said.
The price at the website was perhaps a bit steep for some, but $949 for such a bass is actually very cheap. Youre lucky to get a good active bass for under $1200 and those are usually the Korean ones. But you cant order anything from the Schecter website anyway. You have to go through an authorized Schecter dealer. The one I go to always discounts Schecter stuff and I got this bass for an astonishing $664 brand new ordered straight from the factory. Yes, you read that right $664! No ifs, ands, or buts (I was going to say no strings attached but that doesnt sound right). Try getting an equivalent Alembic for that price (hell, try getting an Lakland--the American 4-94 fretless was $3200!).
Anyway, I think Schecter is very underrated.
Schecters website is
www.schecterguitars.com
If you ever wanted to sound like Pino Paladino or Percy Jones or Mick Karn, then this is the bass for you. It is so sensitive that every nuance can be heard.
For example, hammering with your baby finger is amazingly expressive! Ive played basses where hammering with the baby finger is damn near impossible but the Stiletto Studio 5 plays like no bass I have ever handled. I once owned a 4-string fretless Rickenbacker 4003 about 17 years ago, though, that was almost as goodsomeone stole it. The guy who ripped me off killed himself some months later but never had the decency to give me back my axe before taking his brody. But anyway, the Stiletto Studio 5 sings. It almost plays itself. You can pluck a string, for example, let it ring and then pluck another while letting the first one keep ringing and then slide up or down the neck or both and both strings will keep on singingnone of those clunky notes that dont ring out. These just sing and sing and sing.
Ive been recording with it as well as letting a buddy play it onstage and the results are just super! He never played fretless in spite of the fact that hes super, super goodmuch better than mebut he just loves the Schecter fretless and wants one now. A buddy who loves metal also wants one now that he played mine. My younger brother is also a bass-player. He rarely used 5-strings and never used fretlesses because he didnt like the sound of either. Now he wants to buy a Schecter fretless Stiletto model and is thinking about getting the 4-string. Theyre that good!
The Stilettos came in 4, 5, 6 and 8-string models. The 4 and 5-strings can be either fretted or lined fretless. The 6 and 8-strings are fretted only. They can also come in left-handed models. The design is bad-ass! You can see how pretty it is here:
Invalid Link Removed
It is a pretty bass with that streamlined body and natural finish with the golden pots, bridge and tuning heads (as well as the strap pegs). As my brother says, its not just an instrument but a work of art. Indeed! Maybe not quite an Alembic body but still extremely nice.
The neck is cut from multi-laminate maple/walnut and is, of course, neck-thru design. On either side of the neck are glued two pieces of mahogany/bubinga. This design yields a very nice sustain. The fingerboard is rosewood with 24 frets (supposedly 24 frets on a bass can cause the pickups to not be at the optimum position which affects the sound but really I dont notice anything). The scale length for the 4 and 8-strings is 34 and for the 5 and 6-strings it is 35.
There are two Diamond Custom bass pickups rather than the standard Bartolinis I keep seeing on most active basses. The pots are 2 large knobs and 3 smaller ones. The large pots control the front and back pickups independently and the smaller pots provide superb low, mid and high cut/boost range of 12 dB with an EMG active18 volt EQ circuit. A 9-volt battery is required to power the controls and mounts under a screw-on plate on the back of the body. Just a little turn of a pot can completely change the sound, so you have an almost infinite range of possibilities.
How does it sound? Youd have to hear it to appreciate it. The deepest bass or utter twang that sounds like its coming through a small radio. The low B string rumbles with wall-shaking power. It has absolutely the best slap-&-pop sound Ive ever heardjust beautiful. Playing it with a pick also sounds marvelousnothing is lost. In fact, Im hard pressed to decide which is the best sound: finger-boom, slap or pick. The Schecter Stiletto Studio model basses kick ass no matter how you play them. As I stated, you can sound just like Percy Jones, Pino Paladino or Mick Karn and if you are familiar with any of the aforementioned gentlemen, then thats all that needs to be said.
The price at the website was perhaps a bit steep for some, but $949 for such a bass is actually very cheap. Youre lucky to get a good active bass for under $1200 and those are usually the Korean ones. But you cant order anything from the Schecter website anyway. You have to go through an authorized Schecter dealer. The one I go to always discounts Schecter stuff and I got this bass for an astonishing $664 brand new ordered straight from the factory. Yes, you read that right $664! No ifs, ands, or buts (I was going to say no strings attached but that doesnt sound right). Try getting an equivalent Alembic for that price (hell, try getting an Lakland--the American 4-94 fretless was $3200!).
Anyway, I think Schecter is very underrated.
Schecters website is
www.schecterguitars.com
