This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I've been playing bass for thirty years now, and during that time I've owned numerous bass guitars and amplifiers in varying combinations, and for the last few years I have been on the lookout for a new bass, specifically a neck-through. I play all styles of music, but for the past nine years I've been an oddity - a fingerstyle punk rock bassist. My last instrument simply didn't have the punch and clarity I needed for this style of music, and when I played the Schecter Stilletto Studio 5, I knew immediately I had found my new guitar.
The picture doesn't do it justice. This is a beautiful instrument, and I get compliments on it everywhere we play. It's very well balanced, so I spend no time supporting the neck, allowing me to play the way I want without interference. The guitar resonates so well I can tune it without plugging it in - I can feel the vibrations clearly in my chest. The fit and finish is flawless (the action is so tight I can slip a dollar bill between the strings and the frets anywhere on the neck, hold it up by the headstock, and the bill will stay in place - no joke. Half of Tampa Bay has seen me do this at some point, and the strings don't buzz at all!) and the preamp/EQ is a monster. I can get any sound I'm looking for out of this guitar with almost no effort.
I could have purchased any bass I wanted, but the fact is that the next closest thing I found was more than three times the price. I know many musicians who own Schecter guitars, and they are all consistently high quality for a great price. Trust me on this - try this one out before you buy anything else.
