Schecter Guitar Research Stiletto Custom 4 Bass For Sale (2024 Update)

Pros: This is a beautiful neck-through bass with a luscious satin mahogany body, and matte gold hardware. 5 control knobs – volume, pickup selector/tone, then 3 band EQ. Stays in tune. Great tone. Cons: The active pickups/EQ require TWO 9v batteries! Don't need changing often though (like every few years, playing 2 hours a week). The matte gold hardware is prone to some mild patina formation. In some electronic environments you get a bit of hiss from the pickups. I think fluorescent lights contribute to this. Mitigated by turning down the treble EQ knob, and fixed if your sound guy kills the highs on the mixer.blueflame1611

Overall: Absolutely BEAUTIFUL looking 5-string bass!!!! In your hands, in your sight, and in your lap, this guy is stunning. Stunning to look at and to handle. Schecter really nailed it on the Stiletto series. That low B sting is what I have been looking for in a bass for a while now. I mostly am into classic rock & country type of stuff. But I am also into 70's funk like Stevie Wonder. The low B is a MUST for old school funk and reggae. When I first got the guitar, it was way out of tune and every string vibrated like mad. So when you first get your guitar from zZounds, it is not set up. That is a chore for the end user. Which is great because a musician should not have to be completely reliant on a "professional" tech in order to perform basic comprehensive maintenance on their instrument. So, I emailed zZounds requesting some help and advice from them for the proper setup of my newly bought bass. As quick as that, they replied with a bunch of links to help me get myself up to speed. After reviewing the guides, I was able to tune my bass and set the truss rod properly. Now my Stiletto sounds dang near perfect! To be honest, I am not that great of a player. I do have a musical background, but I am pretty new on the bass. But I can tell you that the more I practice with this guy and listen and appreciate its wonderful sound through the Markbass I'm using, the more I am happy with this purchase. TL;DR Excellent instrument. Excellent fitment of components (this guy was assembled in Indonesia) Marvellous to feel and to hold Emits beautifully clear, super deep bass notes Wish I knew about Schecter's stuff before I dropped over 2K on my LĀKLAND 😉Billy

I now own 5 solid body neck-throughs: Two 4003's, two Warwicks, and this Schector, which just arrived yesterday. I don't think I'm a good enough expert to sit and analyze each bass's pros and cons, and then try them out with a bunch of different amp/speaker combinations. That's what they pay the guys at Bass Player for. All I can say is I haven't stopped grinning about this Studio-4 since I opened the box. Easy playability, excellent build quality, sexy looks, and a good, loud, punchy sound. What's not to like ? I will say this: The EQ knobs don't do a wide range of tone-shifting. The EMG pickups are very bright, modern-sounding, and with the stock Ernie Ball RW strings, that's exactly what I wanted. Plenty of glass up top, and a bit (maybe a bit too much) at the bottom. If you're looking for P-bass thud-thud Motown sound, my first thought is this may not be your best bet, although with flatwounds it would probably be within dial-able range on your rig. The rest is all good, and this would make a great bass for a student, a working bassist or the dedicated hack (that's me). If you're a world-famous bass soloist, this may not necessarily be the axe you'd take the stage with, but I'm betting you'd spend lots of time practicing your moves on it. It will keep up. One more thing. It arrived set up as nicely as I've ever seen, right out of the box.doc

Sound: Sound wise, it is great. Very good for soft rock to all genres of metal. Haven't played any other types of music with it yet but the pickups seem very versatile. Features: The active pickups are a plus and sound great. Has all the basic bass controls. Manufacturer Support: Only dealt with schecter in regards to questions a few times in the past. Never had an issue with any of their instruments. Overall: I am a guitar player who needed a bass for my home recording.I'll admit, I am a Shecter fanboy. I have been playing and collecting schecter guitars for a long time. The quality of their instruments are great and for the price they can't be beat.Purchased this for some home recording and I am amazed at the playability and sound.Not being a native bass player I was not sure what to expect. I have played bass before for my home recordings and let me say this bass sounds amazing.Using it with a motu m4 and a 24 volt mod for the active pickups.It has a lot of gain so I have to turn down the input volume on my m4 quite a bit but the sound come through great in my daw.J

After 2 hours of trying many different basses in the store around the same price point (and higher), finally choosing this one, and having it in my hands for 2 weeks, I definitely made the best choice. This bass sounds great, plays great, and looks great. It needs minor setup adjustments, but other than there, zero regrets. For the price, this is an unbeatable instrument.ALEX

Schecter, ( I read) takes great pride in their craftmanship. I was not happy with getting my fingers ripped up by the rough, sharp fret ends. I talked to a tech at Schecter I described why I was not satisfied. He told me to return it ASAP. I then went out looking for a bass at my local guitar shop, saw the exact same one but the frets were nice and smooth. Makes me wonder if I was sold and received a knock off. Best to try out what you are interested in. P.S. Don't expect a quick refund.Bobby

First off, I consider myself a Professional Amateur. By that I mean I do read reviews, but most likely spend my hard earned money actually buying and using an item BEFORE I make any comments. In this case I will say that the build quality of this instrument is excellent given it's price point. A few years back, I owned the 5 string version of this particular bass and always regretted selling it. The overall fit and finish, hardware and pickups are great. There are only two minor things I would change if I were redesigning this bass. First given the string spacing here, the neck seems wider than it needs to be. Second, the neck could be slightly thicker on the bass side to reduce hand fatigue. If you take a moment and look at your fretting hand, curl your fingers slightly like you were going to pick up a cup. You will see that the opening is much thicker towards your thumb, or bass side. I think the neck should be shaped like the EVH style guitars are or were. Minor things, and easily compensated for. So overall I personally think it is a great buy for the money. Also forget about all the hype that you read and see online concerning the transition from a four string. In reality NONE of that is true. Think of this as a four string bass with added extra horsepower under the hood to be used as needed and you will be fine. Be creative, learn, experiment!D.K.

I am a relatively new bass player and graduated from a 4 to a 5 to a 6. I'll keep the 5, it has some nice features that this 6 does not but I am already in love with this one. Looks great, sounds great, plays easily with great tone. A happy customer. Tone and Volume for each pickup. Might be nice to be able to blend a bit more, but still able to get a great sound. I've only had it 2 weeks, but so far, it holds up nicely. Stays in tune through a couple of hours playing and everything feels solid. I'd say, for the money, this is one of the best basses I've played. Easy to handle, not too neck heavy though you've got to expect some of that from a 6.WhiteFalconLover

I have been playing bass for about 3 years. This bass is amazing. It sounds so great. The 2 band eq makes it pretty versatile. Not only does this bass sound great, But it looks so beautiful. There are no downsides to this bass. My only complaint is that there were a few scratches on the tuning knobs that were there when I opened the box. I guess the factory did it when stringing the bass. Other than that this bass is perfect. It comes set up and ready to play. I would recommend this bass to anyone.LBrooks87

Pros: This is a beautiful neck-through bass with a luscious satin mahogany body, and matte gold hardware. 5 control knobs – volume, pickup selector/tone, then 3 band EQ. Stays in tune. Great tone. Cons: The active pickups/EQ require TWO 9v batteries! Don't need changing often though (like every few years, playing 2 hours a week). The matte gold hardware is prone to some mild patina formation. In some electronic environments you get a bit of hiss from the pickups. I think fluorescent lights contribute to this. Mitigated by turning down the treble EQ knob, and fixed if your sound guy kills the highs on the mixer.blueflame1611

Overall: Absolutely BEAUTIFUL looking 5-string bass!!!! In your hands, in your sight, and in your lap, this guy is stunning. Stunning to look at and to handle. Schecter really nailed it on the Stiletto series. That low B sting is what I have been looking for in a bass for a while now. I mostly am into classic rock & country type of stuff. But I am also into 70's funk like Stevie Wonder. The low B is a MUST for old school funk and reggae. When I first got the guitar, it was way out of tune and every string vibrated like mad. So when you first get your guitar from zZounds, it is not set up. That is a chore for the end user. Which is great because a musician should not have to be completely reliant on a "professional" tech in order to perform basic comprehensive maintenance on their instrument. So, I emailed zZounds requesting some help and advice from them for the proper setup of my newly bought bass. As quick as that, they replied with a bunch of links to help me get myself up to speed. After reviewing the guides, I was able to tune my bass and set the truss rod properly. Now my Stiletto sounds dang near perfect! To be honest, I am not that great of a player. I do have a musical background, but I am pretty new on the bass. But I can tell you that the more I practice with this guy and listen and appreciate its wonderful sound through the Markbass I'm using, the more I am happy with this purchase. TL;DR Excellent instrument. Excellent fitment of components (this guy was assembled in Indonesia) Marvellous to feel and to hold Emits beautifully clear, super deep bass notes Wish I knew about Schecter's stuff before I dropped over 2K on my LĀKLAND 😉Billy

I now own 5 solid body neck-throughs: Two 4003's, two Warwicks, and this Schector, which just arrived yesterday. I don't think I'm a good enough expert to sit and analyze each bass's pros and cons, and then try them out with a bunch of different amp/speaker combinations. That's what they pay the guys at Bass Player for. All I can say is I haven't stopped grinning about this Studio-4 since I opened the box. Easy playability, excellent build quality, sexy looks, and a good, loud, punchy sound. What's not to like ? I will say this: The EQ knobs don't do a wide range of tone-shifting. The EMG pickups are very bright, modern-sounding, and with the stock Ernie Ball RW strings, that's exactly what I wanted. Plenty of glass up top, and a bit (maybe a bit too much) at the bottom. If you're looking for P-bass thud-thud Motown sound, my first thought is this may not be your best bet, although with flatwounds it would probably be within dial-able range on your rig. The rest is all good, and this would make a great bass for a student, a working bassist or the dedicated hack (that's me). If you're a world-famous bass soloist, this may not necessarily be the axe you'd take the stage with, but I'm betting you'd spend lots of time practicing your moves on it. It will keep up. One more thing. It arrived set up as nicely as I've ever seen, right out of the box.doc

Pros: This is a beautiful neck-through bass with a luscious satin mahogany body, and matte gold hardware. 5 control knobs – volume, pickup selector/tone, then 3 band EQ. Stays in tune. Great tone. Cons: The active pickups/EQ require TWO 9v batteries! Don't need changing often though (like every few years, playing 2 hours a week). The matte gold hardware is prone to some mild patina formation. In some electronic environments you get a bit of hiss from the pickups. I think fluorescent lights contribute to this. Mitigated by turning down the treble EQ knob, and fixed if your sound guy kills the highs on the mixer.blueflame1611

Overall: Absolutely BEAUTIFUL looking 5-string bass!!!! In your hands, in your sight, and in your lap, this guy is stunning. Stunning to look at and to handle. Schecter really nailed it on the Stiletto series. That low B sting is what I have been looking for in a bass for a while now. I mostly am into classic rock & country type of stuff. But I am also into 70's funk like Stevie Wonder. The low B is a MUST for old school funk and reggae. When I first got the guitar, it was way out of tune and every string vibrated like mad. So when you first get your guitar from zZounds, it is not set up. That is a chore for the end user. Which is great because a musician should not have to be completely reliant on a "professional" tech in order to perform basic comprehensive maintenance on their instrument. So, I emailed zZounds requesting some help and advice from them for the proper setup of my newly bought bass. As quick as that, they replied with a bunch of links to help me get myself up to speed. After reviewing the guides, I was able to tune my bass and set the truss rod properly. Now my Stiletto sounds dang near perfect! To be honest, I am not that great of a player. I do have a musical background, but I am pretty new on the bass. But I can tell you that the more I practice with this guy and listen and appreciate its wonderful sound through the Markbass I'm using, the more I am happy with this purchase. TL;DR Excellent instrument. Excellent fitment of components (this guy was assembled in Indonesia) Marvellous to feel and to hold Emits beautifully clear, super deep bass notes Wish I knew about Schecter's stuff before I dropped over 2K on my LĀKLAND 😉Billy

I now own 5 solid body neck-throughs: Two 4003's, two Warwicks, and this Schector, which just arrived yesterday. I don't think I'm a good enough expert to sit and analyze each bass's pros and cons, and then try them out with a bunch of different amp/speaker combinations. That's what they pay the guys at Bass Player for. All I can say is I haven't stopped grinning about this Studio-4 since I opened the box. Easy playability, excellent build quality, sexy looks, and a good, loud, punchy sound. What's not to like ? I will say this: The EQ knobs don't do a wide range of tone-shifting. The EMG pickups are very bright, modern-sounding, and with the stock Ernie Ball RW strings, that's exactly what I wanted. Plenty of glass up top, and a bit (maybe a bit too much) at the bottom. If you're looking for P-bass thud-thud Motown sound, my first thought is this may not be your best bet, although with flatwounds it would probably be within dial-able range on your rig. The rest is all good, and this would make a great bass for a student, a working bassist or the dedicated hack (that's me). If you're a world-famous bass soloist, this may not necessarily be the axe you'd take the stage with, but I'm betting you'd spend lots of time practicing your moves on it. It will keep up. One more thing. It arrived set up as nicely as I've ever seen, right out of the box.doc

Pros: This is a beautiful neck-through bass with a luscious satin mahogany body, and matte gold hardware. 5 control knobs – volume, pickup selector/tone, then 3 band EQ. Stays in tune. Great tone. Cons: The active pickups/EQ require TWO 9v batteries! Don't need changing often though (like every few years, playing 2 hours a week). The matte gold hardware is prone to some mild patina formation. In some electronic environments you get a bit of hiss from the pickups. I think fluorescent lights contribute to this. Mitigated by turning down the treble EQ knob, and fixed if your sound guy kills the highs on the mixer.blueflame1611

Overall: Absolutely BEAUTIFUL looking 5-string bass!!!! In your hands, in your sight, and in your lap, this guy is stunning. Stunning to look at and to handle. Schecter really nailed it on the Stiletto series. That low B sting is what I have been looking for in a bass for a while now. I mostly am into classic rock & country type of stuff. But I am also into 70's funk like Stevie Wonder. The low B is a MUST for old school funk and reggae. When I first got the guitar, it was way out of tune and every string vibrated like mad. So when you first get your guitar from zZounds, it is not set up. That is a chore for the end user. Which is great because a musician should not have to be completely reliant on a "professional" tech in order to perform basic comprehensive maintenance on their instrument. So, I emailed zZounds requesting some help and advice from them for the proper setup of my newly bought bass. As quick as that, they replied with a bunch of links to help me get myself up to speed. After reviewing the guides, I was able to tune my bass and set the truss rod properly. Now my Stiletto sounds dang near perfect! To be honest, I am not that great of a player. I do have a musical background, but I am pretty new on the bass. But I can tell you that the more I practice with this guy and listen and appreciate its wonderful sound through the Markbass I'm using, the more I am happy with this purchase. TL;DR Excellent instrument. Excellent fitment of components (this guy was assembled in Indonesia) Marvellous to feel and to hold Emits beautifully clear, super deep bass notes Wish I knew about Schecter's stuff before I dropped over 2K on my LĀKLAND 😉Billy

I now own 5 solid body neck-throughs: Two 4003's, two Warwicks, and this Schector, which just arrived yesterday. I don't think I'm a good enough expert to sit and analyze each bass's pros and cons, and then try them out with a bunch of different amp/speaker combinations. That's what they pay the guys at Bass Player for. All I can say is I haven't stopped grinning about this Studio-4 since I opened the box. Easy playability, excellent build quality, sexy looks, and a good, loud, punchy sound. What's not to like ? I will say this: The EQ knobs don't do a wide range of tone-shifting. The EMG pickups are very bright, modern-sounding, and with the stock Ernie Ball RW strings, that's exactly what I wanted. Plenty of glass up top, and a bit (maybe a bit too much) at the bottom. If you're looking for P-bass thud-thud Motown sound, my first thought is this may not be your best bet, although with flatwounds it would probably be within dial-able range on your rig. The rest is all good, and this would make a great bass for a student, a working bassist or the dedicated hack (that's me). If you're a world-famous bass soloist, this may not necessarily be the axe you'd take the stage with, but I'm betting you'd spend lots of time practicing your moves on it. It will keep up. One more thing. It arrived set up as nicely as I've ever seen, right out of the box.doc

Over the years I have owned several bass guitars of varying quality and price range, some custom made and others hailed to be a top of the line model. This bass succeeds in playing, sounding and feeling like a top notch instrument. The electronics are very quiet, the neck feels natural for a 5 string and the weight is light comparatively speaking. The equalization offers a wide palette of tonal varieties and there has to be a sound to suit every bass player in this bass, even the most discerning. The low end is tight and expressive while the highs are clear and distinct. The Studio 5 is currently my favorite 5 string bass and I recommend this as a first choice instrument.denekawa

I bought this bass over 7 years ago and to this day I haven't felt the need to buy another bass. I've been on tour multiple times and played this thing all around the United States, and it has never let me down. Not even once. I run my own studio and about 70% of the bands that come in end up using this to record because it sounds better than almost every bass that a band might bring in. I've tuned it down to dropped F#, tuned it up to dropped B (B F# B E A) and it's handled everything, provided some modifications in string size. The only complaint I could possibly have with this gorgeous beast is that for whatever reason, if I rest my thumb on the neck pickup when it play (which is the most comfortable for me) it doesn't project very well on all the strings. It will project well on the lowest 2 or 3 strings, but not the D and G. I've changed the batteries, messed with the tone knobs, used compressors, nothing. No idea why it does this. If I rest my finger on the bridge pickup, then there's no problem, but it's not comfortable for me. If you play with a pick then this will not be an issue. One way or another this bass is the best investment I have ever made. I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not bought this instrument. You will not regret this purchase.B-REX

Over the years I have owned several bass guitars of varying quality and price range, some custom made and others hailed to be a top of the line model. This bass succeeds in playing, sounding and feeling like a top notch instrument. The electronics are very quiet, the neck feels natural for a 5 string and the weight is light comparatively speaking. The equalization offers a wide palette of tonal varieties and there has to be a sound to suit every bass player in this bass, even the most discerning. The low end is tight and expressive while the highs are clear and distinct. The Studio 5 is currently my favorite 5 string bass and I recommend this as a first choice instrument.denekawa

I bought this bass over 7 years ago and to this day I haven't felt the need to buy another bass. I've been on tour multiple times and played this thing all around the United States, and it has never let me down. Not even once. I run my own studio and about 70% of the bands that come in end up using this to record because it sounds better than almost every bass that a band might bring in. I've tuned it down to dropped F#, tuned it up to dropped B (B F# B E A) and it's handled everything, provided some modifications in string size. The only complaint I could possibly have with this gorgeous beast is that for whatever reason, if I rest my thumb on the neck pickup when it play (which is the most comfortable for me) it doesn't project very well on all the strings. It will project well on the lowest 2 or 3 strings, but not the D and G. I've changed the batteries, messed with the tone knobs, used compressors, nothing. No idea why it does this. If I rest my finger on the bridge pickup, then there's no problem, but it's not comfortable for me. If you play with a pick then this will not be an issue. One way or another this bass is the best investment I have ever made. I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not bought this instrument. You will not regret this purchase.B-REX

Came ready to play out of the box. String action was a tad high but a little tweaking with a string gauge and trial/error brought things down to my comfort zone. I really like the ability to switch the pickups from single to dual-coil configurations. The difference is clear and use both settings a lot depending on the song/genre I am playing at the time. I've been playing DR Coated strings for the last year and I found the Ernie Ball strings that came on the bass quite comfortable and good sounding. The neck is very smooth and comfortable. It is wider than my ESP 4 string but narrower than some other 5 strings I've played. The ebony fingerboard is solid and I only have trouble accessing the last fret on the low strings. Overall quality is excellent and I am very happy with bass. You get a hell of a lot of bass for a great price.Raisin'Hell Again

Everything I wanted it to be. Wished I would have got a 5 string sooner. Neck seems wider but, you get used to it almost immediately. Super tones high and low. Very nice quality as I expected. My 1st Schector. Strings low no buzz out of box. Tuning keys are good so far time will tell. Stays in tune like a quality axe should. Very satisfied, getting used to extra string but coming along fast…..loving the LOW B. Not super high end but very nice for the money. Color is sweet, very nice looking bass…. stays in tuneskibert

The Bass has everything I wanted. Tone-wise it is off the chart. Deep, well defined Low End all the way down the Low B, which is nice and tight. It packs beautiful highs as well. The EQ works great and give more tone shaping ability than most in much higher end basses. I like the push pull EMG's but they stay on Dual Coil most of the time. Still, what a powerful pickup. The bass has such a rich sound, that I feel like I can't do it justice. The sky is the limit for this thing. I feel like it can easily put to bed a lot of basses at twice the price. In the looks department, it has a sort of dark elegance that still impresses me everytime I open the case, 2 months after buying it. I fall more and more in love with this Bass. It shows me more and more evryday. Also, I had a question, and Schecter's support was great. I think if you play the Bass it will speak for itself. Anyone thinking of getting a Bass near this range, you may come to regret it if you don't look at this Bass. Nobody wants to realize the one they bought comes in second to one they didn't think about.Red87

Sound: Sound wise, it is great. Very good for soft rock to all genres of metal. Haven't played any other types of music with it yet but the pickups seem very versatile. Features: The active pickups are a plus and sound great. Has all the basic bass controls. Manufacturer Support: Only dealt with schecter in regards to questions a few times in the past. Never had an issue with any of their instruments. Overall: I am a guitar player who needed a bass for my home recording.I'll admit, I am a Shecter fanboy. I have been playing and collecting schecter guitars for a long time. The quality of their instruments are great and for the price they can't be beat.Purchased this for some home recording and I am amazed at the playability and sound.Not being a native bass player I was not sure what to expect. I have played bass before for my home recordings and let me say this bass sounds amazing.Using it with a motu m4 and a 24 volt mod for the active pickups.It has a lot of gain so I have to turn down the input volume on my m4 quite a bit but the sound come through great in my daw.J

I bought this bass 9 months ago and the quality hasn't changed a bit. I've played about 10 gigs with it, I love the look, the feel, and, most importantly, the sound. We play mostly pop punk and the active pickups really give you that meatier bass tone, especially when paired with the right pedal. I bought this bass open box, so there were a couple cosmetic differences (chips/cracks in the gloss), but the electronics work great. One thing I didn't realize is that active pickups require a 9 Volt battery, which I changed about 6 months in. There's a compartment in the back that unscrews and holds that bad boy in there, quick fix, easy peasy. If you're looking for a quality bass to play some rock, this is it. I'd buy it twice if that were a thing.GrizzDaddyUSA

Bought this bass from open box inventory. Musicians Friend had good photos of damage/repairs and when I called with questions they were VERY honest and knowledgeable. After I got the neck adjusted and raised string height slightly to fit my style this is in my opinion a very good playing the bass. It has a thin neck that is smooth and fast playing. I have not had any issues with this bass going out of tune, even after playing pretty hard for hours at a time. Also I like that is somewhat less wide at the nut. Not quite like a jazz bass considerably smaller than my Rickenbacker. EMG pickups are nice and hot, I can get a huge range of tones. The only downside for me is there are no fret markers on the side of the neck. Small white dots would be nice for those of us who are still getting used to a fretless neck. All in all this was a great buy for the price.D minor

Having been a keyboard player all my life with a special appreciation 4 what the bass guitar can do, I decided to find a lefty 5-string and teach myself to play. Lefties are not plentiful, so I felt lucky to find this moderately priced model that has the quality and range of Active Electronics I wanted. It is solid and holds tune and plays easily I think. The neck is the heavy end of the guitar and I may look for a specialized strap to keep the neck up when my right hand is not on the neck. The 18 volt active knobs work as expected. The look of the guitar is very nice and I don't believe it looks plain, rather it is a finished natural Satin that frankly is in Vogue with the better players. All in all I'm perfectly satisfied with the quality of the choice I made. I'll be putting on a set of strings that allow smoother slides and doing a bit of jazz fusion as well as rock and old school R&B. I'm into the tones of Miller / Jaco / Tal / Clarke, etc.Stellan

I played this bass about seven times, and knew I wanted one. The neck has very Fender-like feel to it. The pickups both have three settings, series, split and parallel. In series the sound is loud and powerful, good for heavy rock. In split, the volume is lower, and you will get slight 60 cycle hum with each pickup soloed, but not when they're used together. On parallel, the pickups sound very Fender-ish. The neck pickup alone on parallel has a nice, round and warm P-bass tone. Both pickups on split sound like a 70s Jazz bass. It also has many other tones; you simply have to experiment with the switches. The tuners stay in tune, and it has a good bridge on it. I got the ivory with maple board. It is gorgeous. The fit and finish is extremely good. If you're looking for a bass that has vintage Fender tones, and more, this bass is it. It is worth much more than it sells for. Buy one. You will love it. MikeMike

Sound: I can't think of any way to describe it tonally other than two jazz basses mashed together, with the option to turn one off or turn both on into a series or parallel beast. That's what this bass sounds like tonally, which somehow the double jazz pickup that was in the american series P basses couldn't even seem to perfectly emulate. It's a very impressive sound and the series/single/parallel switch attached to them is where this bass seems almost magical in managing to sound like 3 different basses in one. Going to have to split this section into three to describe it better. Series mode: very much like those double jazz pickups mentioned earlier that are in early 00s american series P basses and certain discontinued warwick models. Single Coil mode: put the pickup selector in the middle and you have a jazz bass plain and simple. That's pretty much the best way to describe this sound. Parallel mode: The final setup provides a very unique sound that lends itself very well to the genre I play. It's a midrange scooped sound that still retains plenty of high and low mid definition and manages to cut very well without sounding muddy like series bass humbuckers can tend to do. The best comparison I can think of for the parallel setup on the BRIDGE pickup is somewhat close to a Warwick Thumb bass with it's very aggressive percussive tone, but instead of a low mid focus it's very high mid heavy. The neck pickup in parallel is it's own sound that I've never heard out of a bass before, and is great for smooth runs and calm basslines. That being said, this bass manages to be the most dynamic bass I've ever played tonally, without a single battery powering it. Very impressive especially considering what you're paying for it. Features: Pickup wiring switching and the unique j-buckers are what makes this bass so special. However, the inability to blend pickups kind of sucks and it could've only been made even better by an active circuit, also with it's own on/off switch but that's something I can do should I ever see the need. Ease of Use: Might not be the best bass if you're after a VERY SPECIFIC sound (ala jazz bass, ibanez lows and highs, warwick low mid growl, musicman midrange bite) and is definitely something that might confuse and scare away people with the 80's-esque switching options, however it makes up for that in how many convincing and unique tones it can produce. Quality: Overall, the instrument is solid. There are two reasons I've taken off stars however: there's a minor cosmetic defect on mine that irks me even though no one has noticed it but me: when the pickguard was mounted, it was actually mounted in such a way that the back side of the pickguard, inbetween the pickups, is lifting up due to the mounting holes being drilled a bit too close to the center of the body. Second one is something more unavoidable due to the combination of a maple fretboard and the instrument being made in indonesia and coming over here to california: sharp fret ends. 40 dollars at a local tech solved it for me within 2 days of owning it, however it's something to consider and I feel it's more inherent of maple fretboards, so the only one that might suffer from this is the Ivory one (which is what I got) Value: In my opinion, best 5 string bass in the sub-1000 range by a mile. Only other contenders for that spot in my mind are the Ibanez BTB options and the Warwick Rockbass Corvette Doublebuck. Manufacturer Support: I did ask about a case and they were very quick to respond with plenty of helpful info on solutions. For those curious, the 5 string variant is ridiculously long (approx 49" from headstock to end of body) so don't expect it to fit in most hard cases. Schecter is yet to make a case so case hunting will be a thing! The Wow Factor: Unreal tone palette and options for this pricerange, extremely hard to beat for the same price. When I first tried this bass I was expecting a 1,000 dollar pricetag. I saw a 649.99 one. Needless to say, I sought it out on zZounds and bought it a few days later LOL. Here's for hoping Schecter continues to use these pickups and puts them in more cutting edge models like the Stiletto, I'd be on the waiting list for one that's for sure. Overall: Surprised to see no one has said much about this bass yet, so here's my takeaway and why I bought one. I'll save my life story for later for the sake of making this a review rather than a story, however I should mention I've never owned let alone played a Schecter bass until now, however I've owned well over a dozen various Ibanez soundgear basses, from the cheapest GSRs to the higher end prestiges.William

I bought this bass on a whim, and I don't think I could be happier. The pickups have a surprising amount of versatility, and the body is surprisingly lightweight. Only downside is a there's JUST a bit too much neck dive. Nothing to make me wish I didn't buy though. I do recording and play live, and this bass sounds spectacular through everything I've plugged it into. 8/10Justin, W

I've had this bass for about 6 or 7 years now and it has absolutely blown me away! I didn't play it much when I first got it bc of the weird transition from 4 to 5 strings but over time I've played it more and more. I love it more every time I play on it! I've used this thing for rock, alt metal , death metal, posthardcore bands, jazz bands, jamming with friends stangers in a bluesy way, I've recorded With it and made YouTube covers with it. It's suited more for rock metal punk abd subgenres but it's versatile. This thing will take thick strings if you want (135 B string), the dadario strings that came on it were great too. This thing has great low end roar but can also sing melodically I play a lot of chords/fragments and tremello with a weird playing style and this thing sounds great! It's my favorite bass, it's the best I've played although I haven't tried many abd my others are lower quality. I play guitar too but am mainly a bassist so I like how the strings sit a little closer together than on others or 4 strings. I've had guitarists ask me what I did to make this bass sound so great and they were blown away when I said nothing just took it out the box! I've only had to intoneate it once so far. It's set up was pretty great out of the box the strings were a bit higher off the neck than I was Used to but once I got used to the action I was glad they put it where it was. Only complaint is that the low b sometimes would make the low b harware rattle and I could feel it skake/vibrate the whole bass (it didn't come through amp or anything. This stopped over time and I think higher string gauges might have helped to smooth this out. Batteries for the active pickups seem to last for quiet awhile. I use this through a boss me50b with compression on and through a nice combo amp that can compete with stacks this bass roars through it. I highly recommend this bass especially to rockers/metalheads. Schecter guitar research totally know what they're doing. Thanks 4 thisBassschecrer

First off let me say I've been playing "P" bass for quite a while. My current model is 24 yrs old. Thought I'd shop around for a replacement. No gigging for me anymore. Last one was July 4, 1973. Then along came children. So now I just sit on the edge of the bed and play along with John Paul Jones. When I found this Schecter Omen Extreme -4, I was deciding between an SG standard, and the Fender Aerodyne. Then I picked up this one, simply because it is bezutiful to look at. What a suprise. The pan knob will switch you from a "P" bass to a "J" bass. Even though the Omen has a 34" scale it plays beautifully. I am not disappointed with this purchase. The shape hints at a Jazz bass which I like, hence the Aerodyne search. Never mind that, this plays sweertly. At this time GC us offering an %18 off sale. You just couldn't go wrong. Only wanting a case, which will be delivered soon.Pops

I haven't been playing long. Bought my first bass in 2020 (Epiphone Thunderbird Goth). Started taking lessons online through BassBuzz (Josh is excellent!), after a few weeks of practicing for a minimum of 2 hours a day, I was able to start learning songs for our Praise Team at Church (we currently had no bassist). I'd take my Epiphone of course. I learned to play sitting down, now it's time to stand, my shoulder was killing me! 2nd week of playing at Church and my tone column failed! I took it to GC to get it fixed and spotted the Schecter hanging on the wall. I picked it up and couldn't believe the difference in the weight (again, I'm a novice), my salesperson explained the difference between active and passive and I knew then that I wanted an active guitar. The Epiphone took two uses of muscles for my left arm, one to hold the neck up and of course the other to go up and down the fretboard. This guitar is so balanced it will stay where you place it from the get go. GC gave me a fair trade on the Epiphone so I did the deal the next day. If you're a beginner or even an experienced player, this guitar can make a tremendous difference with ease and sound. Being a novice,were it not for this guitar I wouldn't have known what to look for without an experts help!Fred W

Beautiful bass, with a slim and fast neck, and the fit and finish is exceptional. Great time, and good variety with the onboard electronics.mikewoz46n2

I primarily play fretless basses, but this one is the exception! It is smooth, crisp, and bold. The tone is unmatchable and I can switch from genre to genre with this! Highly recommend!Lonnie Bon

I needed a "Fender type " bass , as I play primarily Rickenbackers . The P-4 is a great "Precision Type " bass .Excellent tuning machines , great high mass bridge and an OUTSTANDING USA pickup that is INTENSELY loud !!! Before you purchase other "Fender type" basses , you really need to check this out . You will not be disappointed —Fred

Overall: I had a Fender american pro jazz 5 bass and had a hard time playing it. I have short fat fingers and my Fender would just wear me out.I found this bass and tried to buy one they had none. Finally zZounds came up with some and I got my hands on it. Cut the strings off and put a set of low tension LaBalla on her the B string is a .118 they are flats and fun to play.With the narrow nut and the thin C she is more like playing a 4 string fast and smooth and sweet and a growl better than the big Fender. Yes I said it Schecter has hit it out of the park on this one. Thank you so much Schecter and zZounds!Crazy

Have had the Schecter J5 for almost two months now and it still my go to bass. Great J bass with modern features. I have an American Fender Deluxe Jazz V but wanted the 17mm spacing, and flatter radius the Schecter has. I did replace the pickups for hum canceling barts since I prefer the tone and play some noisy stages where hum is an issue, but the stock ones are not bad at all and have a modern J tone in there if that is what you want and the coil-tap was pretty cool and would get you in vintage tone territory. Keep the schecter on your short list if you are in the market for a Jazz style fiver.RickC

First off I love the color of this bass. It also had a great action right out of the box. It's got a solid tone. Totally recommend for anybody that plays for fun or professionally at gigs.Ryan

Overall: I had a Fender american pro jazz 5 bass and had a hard time playing it. I have short fat fingers and my Fender would just wear me out.I found this bass and tried to buy one they had none. Finally zZounds came up with some and I got my hands on it. Cut the strings off and put a set of low tension LaBalla on her the B string is a .118 they are flats and fun to play.With the narrow nut and the thin C she is more like playing a 4 string fast and smooth and sweet and a growl better than the big Fender. Yes I said it Schecter has hit it out of the park on this one. Thank you so much Schecter and zZounds!Crazy

Have had the Schecter J5 for almost two months now and it still my go to bass. Great J bass with modern features. I have an American Fender Deluxe Jazz V but wanted the 17mm spacing, and flatter radius the Schecter has. I did replace the pickups for hum canceling barts since I prefer the tone and play some noisy stages where hum is an issue, but the stock ones are not bad at all and have a modern J tone in there if that is what you want and the coil-tap was pretty cool and would get you in vintage tone territory. Keep the schecter on your short list if you are in the market for a Jazz style fiver.RickC

First off I love the color of this bass. It also had a great action right out of the box. It's got a solid tone. Totally recommend for anybody that plays for fun or professionally at gigs.Ryan

Amazing instrument, cannot put it down. Also can't stop fiddling with the knobs to figure out which tones I like more. That guitar pickup is an interesting edition, but depending on the song its either at 50/50 or totally off for me. This is one of my first expensive instruments, and you can tell it is worth every single penny. Im almost not used to having an instrument of this quality. Also my first shecter. Even if you aren't a fan of the band, check this out. Love it.Joshua