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Schecter Stiletto Deluxe 5 String
With the popular trend of
severely low tuning (see review of Yamaha
Drop6) dominating the sounds of modern rock,
it comes as no surprise that the 5 string
bass has gotten rather alot of exposure in
recent years. Today’s basses are more
modern, sleek and increasingly a world away
from the archetypal Fender-esque styling
we've come to expect. With the likes
of Alien Ant Farm and Method's of Mayhem's
Tommy Lee all endorsing Schecter in some
shape or form, the American based 'guitar
research' company has put itself somewhere
near the top of the pile with its vast range
of guitars and basses appealing to those
after a cutting edge, less conventional
look, feel and sound combined with
professional build quality. The
Stiletto series of bass guitars are, in the
words of Schecter themselves, "hands down"
their most popular bass. The Deluxe 5
is the most affordable in the Stiletto
range, but shares many of the features of
its more expensive counterparts.
Features
Yes, it has five strings (Say
what you see - Ed). A common feature
on all the basses in this range is the
extended scale length of 35". This
delivers a low B that yields considerably
more tension than would be possible on a
regular 34" scale bass. The sturdy
maple neck is topped with a 24 fret Rosewood
fingerboard with dot inlays, and is attached
to the solid Basswood body by 6 recessed
bolts. The chrome hardware really sets
off nicely with the deep red Walnut Gloss
finish, and the black topped 3-2
configuration headstock is a classy touch.
The real treat however is in
the electronics. The deluxe sports 2
Diamond active pickups backed up by a 2 band
EQ - also active. The control surface
is simple, and there is no mid-range or Q
knob to be found here. There's a
master volume, a bass boost/cut, treble
boost/cut and a pickup blend pot. The
jack socket is sturdy and sits flush against
the body, and by the looks of it a loose
rattling socket isn't something that’s
likely to bother you any time soon.
How it plays
Wonderful! The factory
setup was spot on. There were no
issues with intonation, even up to the 24th
fret, and the action was just right allowing
for any manner of slapping or tapping
straight out of the box. And of course
it came with a battery - always handy on an
active bass. I did find the smallest
of small notches in the top edge of the
fingerboard but it's not anything worth
getting upset about. The first thing
that struck me about the Deluxe was its
size. The body is a good deal smaller
than I was expecting and this is most
evident when you're actually playing.
It doesn't feel like there's a huge
cumbersome chunk of wood between your hands
and the frets. Although chances are
you'll more often than not find the thing
creeping off your lap if you tend to play
sitting down, as there really isn’t much of
the body to rest on your leg and the lower
horn is more like a stump. But
standing up the balance is just perfect, due
in part to the off centre rear strap button.
The cutaway is ample, and gives effortless
access to those upper frets. The
fingerboard is surprisingly narrow and
manageable for a 5 string which does of
course mean that the string spacing is a
little on the cluttered side so you'd better
have a pretty accurate thumb if you intend
on doing any slapping. Due to the
increased length of the neck, the frets are
huge. This, combined with the narrow
spacing may prove a little daunting to some
and particularly on those first few frets
you'll need to be able to stretch them
fingers plenty. However, that extra
inch does come in handy in as much as it
keeps all 5 strings nice and tight.
Similar spec (and higher priced) models from
various brands have only a 34" neck and the
difference is noticeable. With a 35"
neck the low B doesn't flap or cause too
much unnecessary racket.
How it sounds
The major benefit of active
electronics in bass guitars is the sheer
choice of tone it offers you, and despite
the simplified controls, the same is true
here. Running the bass directly into
my soundcard and out through a rather large
set of Pioneers I was amazed at the raw
power this thing was producing. The
bass boost creates sufficient low end
rumble, although when using the bridge and
neck pickup, too much bass can turn things a
little muddy. Cutting the bass reduces
the sound to a wispy yet clear tone, well
suited for more chordal styles of playing.
The treble boost/cut works a treat too and
unlike the rather crude tone knob on most
lower priced passive basses, it is capable
of more than 'harsh' to 'dull'. You
can gradually bring in that crystal clear
top end a bit at a time until the desired
sound is achieved. And the top end
truly is crystal clear. This is
especially noticeable when playing the upper
frets. The high notes possess clarity
and treble-a-plenty, but are not weak.
Some bass guitars seem to specialise in
either top end, or low end - attributable to
bad setup, or bad electronics. This
bass however has near perfect balance in
terms of string output, and courtesy of the
6-bolt neck join, the D and G strings
sustain and ring through every bit as much
as that whopping low B. The pickup
blend control is great too as it allows you
to introduce more round and hollow tones
from the neck pickup. The pickups
themselves deliver a great sound. On
some bass guitars the neck pickup is overly
bassy, but thanks to a combination of good
pickup design and the control offered by the
2 band EQ, smooth round (yet defined) sounds
are easily achievable. The bridge
pickup packs an entirely different punch,
providing some nice natural mid range growl
for all those Jaco wannabes out there.
My general impression of the sound was that
it was very 'hi-fi', which is not
necessarily a bad thing. But while the
bass is indeed diverse, don't expect to hear
any woody jazz tones coming out of this
thing any time soon. The Deluxe's
modern look and feel is most definitely
mirrored in its sound, and it exudes clarity
and power over character.
The Verdict
Well, more importantly The
Price. Coming in at around £339 (from
the authorised Schecter UK Dealer) this is
truly a bargain. I know all too well
from past experiences that there is a price
barrier either side of which you will find a
plank of wood with metal things on it, or a
seriously playable piece of kit. This
is thankfully, the latter. To those
experimenting with the 5 string bass for the
first time however, it is worth cautioning
you over the size of the frets and width of
the neck. Obviously more expensive
basses pack wider necks and more
'professional' string spacing, but as
mentioned earlier things can get a little
messy with the Deluxe if your
fingering/slapping/popping technique isn't
pretty accurate to start with. However
all of this is nothing that a little
perseverance won't overcome. And in
the long run it's worth it.
Considering the price tag, the Deluxe 5
gives real bang for your buck. Quality
craftsmanship, good electronics and a
fantastic factory setup all constitute a
great instrument. While the Custom,
Elite and Studio models are all more
impressive on the specifications front,
don't let that fool you. The Deluxe 5
is proof that incredibly affordable can
still mean incredibly playable.
Review by
Chimpspanner |