Schecter Stiletto Elite-5 5-String

CONSTRUCTION/SCALE: Neck-Thru / 35"

BODY: Mahogany w/ Figured Maple, Very Nice!!

NECK/FINGERBOARD: Multi-Laminate Maple & Walnut /Rosewood

FRETS: 24 Jumbo
INLAYS: 12th fret Diamond
PICKUPS: EMG HZ
ELECTRONICS: Vol/Blend/Active 2-Band EQ (w/ selectable treble frequencies)

BRIDGE: S-Tek
BINDING: Creme (neck/headstock)
TUNERS: Schecter
HARDWARE: Gold
COLOR: Honey Sunburst (HSB)

Could have had a 3 band active EQ, Should have had String thru and still could be modified as it has the correct bridge for it.

I play in a cover band at the moment and we cover a lot of different sounds from "Asia" to "Zepplin" and everything in between, You can dial in whatever sound you need with the EMGs. I converted the preamp to an 18 volt unit (add a battery in series, see the EMG site for instructions, it's not hard.) and The *#@* thing even sounded BETTER! I always wanted to get a Warwick, I cant justify it anymore. I paid 1/4 the price for this Bass.

One tuner is loose (the threads are stripped), still works I'm just going to replace it. The action is alright after setting it up but I believe if the nut was raised a few thousandths it could be better, but for where it's at now it is screaming fast with very little fret buzz. (All basses need to be set for the user so, I didn't ding it for the setup, just the tuner problem and nut height)

Neck Thru, Tough as nails, I play all the time and leave it out of its case @ home on a Hercules stand. Strap locks are solid. No Pot noise, no problems with the input jack yet. Ive always played out with it without backup. Once it's set up I haven't had to redo the setup unless I change to a drastically different string gauge. (I do play 1/2 step down).

Never had to contact the company, should for the tuner though.

Geeze, Ive been playing for almost 30 years and there is NOTHING I dislike about the sound of this Bass. I use a Samson Concert Series wireless, Alesis Nano compressor, an Ampeg SVP-PRO preamp (Boss Bass Chorus in the efx loop)and a Peavey PV1500 Power amp. I run thru a Custom made 4X10 cab and a 2X12 cab.
I never expected to own a Schecter! I would recommend anyone to at least TRY this bass if you have the chance.

2006-07 Made in Korea, 24 fret, 5 String.
Mahogany body with maple top, Vol, blend, bass, treble layout,
2 EMG American made soapbar humbuckers with USA made EMG electronics. 9vt active. Neck is 5 piece maple and walnut. Finish gloss black cherry. Neck-thru design. S-Tek locking bridge, Gotoh tuners, Rosewood Fretboard,neck is of medium girth and width. All hardware is gold. A separate battery compartment would have made it perfect.

I like everything about this bass. I run it through a Fender Bassman 150, an SWR Workingmans 15, or a Hartke Bass Attack Pre-amp/DI.
Sound is rich, full, loud, punchy, and midrange growly. Any sound you want, it's in there.

Set-up was perfect. I actually raised the action a bit and put a set of DR HI-Beams 45-125's on it. I had to file out the B string saddle to make the non-tapered B fit into the saddle. Perfect Fit!

Built Like a Tank. Heavy too.

One of the saddle hex screws was slightly stripped. I called the company and Brian at Schecter was the coolest. He sent me out the whole saddle assembly that goes into the finger style bridge with free wrenches to boot. Best customer service I've ever dealt with.
He sent them out Monday, I should recieve it Thursday or Friday.
I live in Phila, PA. Schecter's in California. If the mail's on the ball I might get it sooner.

Love the Bass, Love the Company and Warranty support.

The specs are covered ad nauseum in other reports, so I won't go into that here.
I *will*, however, reiterate the beauty of this bass: the figured maple is amazing on all of my Schecters. (I actually own three schecter guitars; 007 Elite, C5 and this Stiletto Elite 5. I will continue to buy Schecters (until they start giving them to me)
The Neck through design is very attractive and has a very nice, sturdy feel.

It sounds killer through my Ampeg SVTs. I play mostly aggressive music and it rocks, but it's also buttery smooth during mellow intros.

I bought it new, a factory second because of an almost imperceptible finish burn that occurred presumably as a result of an overzealous final buff job.
The setup was pretty decent, with an easily corrected fret buzz. Intonation was dead on.

I'm actively gigging with both of my Schecter basses, and have had absolutely no problems with them at all.
As you've seen, I don't typically give 10s.

I have had no issues, so as of yet, no opinion.

I've been playing guitar for over 25 years, but just picked up the bass aout a year ago.

I have the Honey Burst finish. It features the S-Tek bridge, EMG HZ pickups, 2-band active EQ, neck binding, dual diamond 12th fret inlays, and gold hardware.

Suits my music style 100%. The pickups are the real deal. It has great and quick action. Every note that I hit on this bass is clear.

Straight from the factory the bass is setup well. I made one minor adjustment. I raised my BEA strings a little to cancel out some fret buzz. Other than that, excellent.

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I've been playing for about 10 years, and I out of all the basses that I've played, for the price of this bass, its a good buy for a neck-thru bass.

I recently purchased 2 Stiletto Elite 5 basses to add to my existing bass arsenal, which includes a Stiletto Studio 5 and a Washburn Taurus 5: for some reason, one of the 2 Elites was a 2005 model, and the other was a 2006 (both in brand new condition and awesome, so their dates-of-manufacture don't matter: HOWEVER, I did discover [see below]that their electronics were slightly different!). Both instruments are assembled in Korea and setup at the Schecter "shop" in California. Both are 35" scale basses with 24 frets, and both are neck-thru body instruments with gloss-finished (one has a honey burst finish, the other a dark cherry--and each is DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS!) mahogany bodies with figured maple tops, 5-piece maple-walnut necks and rosewood fingerboards (the fingerboards have fret and position markers in the creme-colored body binding on the side of the neck, with only a diamond-shaped inlay in the 12th fret on the fingerboard itself). Their body style belongs to what I'd call the "Spector Euro-Style" category of sleek, curvy basses. Each has shiny brass hardware, which includes non-locking Grover tuners, and S-Tek bridges that are designed with the equivalent of a separate bridge for each string. Both have EMG Hz soapbar pickups (passive) with 9-volt active electronics. I ordered the basses with Schecter Diamond-Series hardshell cases (a worthy investment, although it did set me back $100 per instrument). Each also shipped with its own set of allen wrenches. The Elites retail for $899 and would be worth every penny at THAT price. But, like most folks, I got mine for $599 each (not including the cost of the hardshell cases), which is an absolute STEAL.

I play covers in a wide range of musical styles--really, everything from Hendrix to Dave Matthews Band to Steely Dan to Moody Blues--and for this reason I need to produce a rainbow of tones from my basses. The Schecter Elite 5's are quite capable, on their own, of producing each of those tones. Both have 12db+- gain EQ controls for Treble and Bass (unlike the Stiletto Studio, which has a 3rd EQ control for midrange). The 2005 Elite has a dedicated volume control for each of the two EMG Hz soapbar pickups; whereas the 2006 Elite has, instead, a master volume control and a pickup pan control (I don't know which I prefer; however, because the controls on the two basses look, and are positioned, identically, the difference in their functions caused me a bit of confusion at first [especially since Schecter doesn't provide a user's manual with its instruments!]). Each base is a champ, though, whether played in the studio or live.

However, because I shift rapidly between styles from song-to-song, I don't have the time to fine-tune the EQ and pickup controls on my instrument between songs. Consequently, in addition to adjusting the EQ and pickup volume differently on each bass, I string each Elite differently (one is strung with D'Addario Chrome flatwounds and is my "blues, R&B, jazzy" axe; the other is strung with Rotosound black nylon flatwounds and is used for folky, country acoustic songs [my Stiletto Studio 5 is strung with the original Elixir roundwouns, and produces the grit and edge that I need for hard rock songs]). Interestingly, even when they had their original Elixir strings on them, the Elites produced a tangibly different underlying tone than my Stiletto Studio: a little brighter, not quite as warm, with slightly less pronounced midrange and bottom. I conclude that this difference stems from the fact that the Elites have maple tops and are laminated, whereas the Stiletto Studio has a satin finish and bubinga top.

In my experience, Schecter Studio basses typically ship with low action, good intonation, necks that are stable and straight as an arrow, and dead-on pickup adjustment. The Elites were no exception: the only adjustment that I made--which I've made for every Schecter bass that I've owned--was to raise the action on the B, E and A strings (this eliminates that percussive fret noise that young bass players, in particular, adore, but which I am personally not fond of). One of the Elites came with flawed electronics (see below); but, in every other respect, the instruments were impeccable, with flawless finishes, high quality woods, and top-shelf and solid brass hardware. Like Shecter Studio basses in general, the Elites have the construction and material quality of basses 3-to-4-times the $599 price that I paid for them.

These basses are built for the long haul and will easily endure the rigours of live playing. Their hardware, as mentioned, is SOLID, as are their finishes; and, even though I live in a climate with considerable humidity and temperature extremes, I find that, as with my Stiletto Studio 5, as long as I keep the Elites in their hardshell cases, they never seem to require a trussrod adjustment. Because I gig with 3 Schecter basses (I use my passive Washburn Taurus 5 as my designated backup bass), I COULD use them as backups for one another; but I suspect that, as long as I kept fresh batteries in them, I would never have to use them that way. They are not only beautiful, but durable, instruments!

One of the Elites came to me with goofed-up electronics--turning the pickup/volume controls would produce an audible crackling sound. The dealer from whom I purchased the instruments remarked that mine was the first Schecter instrument that he'd sold that had a construction flaw; and, with total cooperation from Schecter, he was able to send the bass back and receive a perfectly-functioning replacement in about 2 weeks. Kudos to Schecter for their speedy response to this issue--clearly quality control is a high priority for them!

I have been playing for a number of years and have used a wide variety of basses: everything from Squire J-Basses to StingRay 5's. Like every Schecter Studio bass that I've played or owned, the Elites are totally comparable in workmanship, sound and playability to far more expensive instruments such as the Peavey Cirrus, the Warwick Thumb or Streamer bass, or the Modulus 5. If either were lost or stolen, I'd replace it in a heart-beat (and, in the case of robbery, severely punish the troglodite who stole it).

I have only three minor quibbles with my Schecter Studio Elites: 1) A midrange EQ control, like the Stiletto Studio has, would be nice (although not essential); 2) It would be ideal if the instruments had 18 volt electronics, as the Stiletto Studio does, since I would then have to replace batteries less frequently; and 3) In a similar vein, whereas the Stiletto Studio 5 houses the batteries in a separate compartment whose cover screws on through brass screw inserts, the Elites have the battery in the electronics compartment, without screw inserts; so that you have to be very careful not to strip the screw holes when you repeatedly replace the compartment cover (I plan on having a wood-working friend of mine put in stainless steel screw inserts to rectify this problem).

For these reasons, the Stiletto Studio 5 (which retails for $949) MIGHT be a slightly better value; although its advantages are counter-balanced by the fact that it's satin finish is not nearly as durable as the glossy finish on the Elites (AND a lot of folks would argue that the Elites are even more good-looking than the Studio). On balance, though, the Elite 5 is a truly excellent and versatile bass that can be had for a price that is far lower than what it could command...highly recommended!

I wrote a review earlier, so I'm just updating everything about a year and a half later. The pickup screws have been an issue. I play very hard on the bass, including hitting the strings with my palm for a percussive touch. After about a year, the top screw on the bridge pickup came out of its socket halfway, and others were coming loose. I ended up having to put them back in with wood glue to keep them from coming out (a warning- the heads strip easily). Also, the little plastic rubber band things that separate the tuner keys and bodies broke on two of the tuners- a big inconvenience because they're now on there only halfway and they slip occasionally. I have had no problem with anything else on the bass, including strap buttons. Just a word of advice- the pickups are not indestructable and should be treated with care. If they come out, I recommend putting them back in with wood glue. The tuners, however, had no reason for the bands to break. These are problems that need consideration, but overall this a great bass. I still love the sound and feel of the guitar, and I still think it's a great buy.

this is a schecter stiletto 5 string bass(neck thru). it has five strings and 24 frets. 2 pickups with an active preamp (bas, treble, and pickup volumes. the top of this bass is flamed maple. s-tek bridge so each string has its own bridge. 35 inch scale for low b clarity.

i play a combination of rock, funk rock, hard rock, reggae, and ambient music. My bass influences are flea, claypool, wooten, bill dickens, and p-nut. i can get pretty close to their tones on this bass. and that isnt bad beign that their basses arent priced any lower than 2 grand. this bass is so quiet. there is no noise whatsoever when my hands not on the strings. this bass is really bright and percussive when everything is turned up. its really close to warwick tone. it can get really warm and fat sounding when you turn off the neck pickup. this bass has the best slap tone and there is not one thing i dislike about the sound.

this bass was set up well out of the box. i havent tampered with the bridge or neck adjustments because i dont need to. the pickups were well adjusted, but i dont like the fact that the pickups are only bolted down with a screw on each side. id feel more comfortable if there were 2 screws on each side. the finish on this bass is so nice. the gold hardware looks like it will hold up for a long time. the overall appearance of this bass is excellent and it is a real eye catcher.

this bass will withstand live playing jsut like any other bass if you take good care of it. the hardware on this bass will hold out for a long time. the finish will probably get banged up a lot if i dont take care of it, but im not an idiot. i can deffinately depend on this bass because it is a quality bass. id use it without a backup but ill have to bring a screwdriver and an extra nine volt battery just in case.

never dealt with them.

ive been playing for about 4 years. id consider myself to be pretty good for the amount of time ive been playing. when i play my bass in my room, i use an ibanez sw 65 amp. and i use that same amp for my school jazz band. but for band practices and whatnot i use my hartke rig which consists of a hartke 3500 head and the vx410 cab. if this bass were stolen or lost i will kick myself for not gettign the insurance on it, then i would buy it again. i love everything about this bass. it plays so smoothely and sounds even smoother. i compared it to the musicman SUB five string and the b string on that bass was too floppy for my liking. i chose this one because the b string had more definition and the tone had more variety than the 2 band musicman. i wouldnt mind this bass having a batter hatch on the back but thats just being picky.

Most of the specs are already listed on the earlier reviews, so in short: Neck thru, 35" scale w/ 24 frets; active EMG hz soapbar pickups, 5 pc laminate neck, honey sunburst laminated top, seperate volume controls for each pickup, bass and treb controls, S-tek bridge (individual bridge for each string; gold hardware, Grover tuners. Korean made. No mid control, but that's ok (amp head takes care of that for me, but that's just me.)

I play mostly contemporary Christian, gospel, and jazz. Sound is perfect for those styles. Since gospel sound draws heavily from R&B, the low end on this bass really comes thru. Plus, bringing up the bridge pickup helps give it a more hi-fi sound for jazz.
My rig is basic: Hartke 3500, Peavey 410TX, Korg DTR1 rack tuner with an ART power conditioner. Will get a volume pedal soon as the Elite 5 does not have a master volume control. I haven't found a sound that I dislike coming out this bass. Way better than the Ibanez BTB405 I traded in to make the final payment for it!

This is strange. When I first tried this bass at the store a month before I bought it, I was blown away by the low action. I put it in layaway immediately. But when I got it home, the E string appears to be hitting a fret (can hear it on the guitar but not so much thru the amp). I'll have it checked out, but it hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for this axe. Pickup height is just right. The finish is flawless. The color is not as "orange" as some others I've seen. Looks great on stage. All of the hardware was tight and feels like it should. Love the neck. my hands are small, so this bass seems much faster than the BTB or the Yamaha RBX765a I used to have.

Haven't had this bass for a long time, but I'm not one of those players who abuse what I work hard for. Never thrown down a tennis racket or a golf club!! I think the finish will last for a long time. I will get straplocks for this bass since the location of the rear stap button is high, the strap can come off easily. Backup? With a kid in college, affording a backup is out of the question!!

Haven't had to use Customer Support yet. Have only had the bass for a couple of weeks

I've been playing off and on for 30 years (more "off" than "on" during that time - late '60's early '70's, then again in the mid '90's). Own a Conn alto sax, Yamaha keyboard, Pro Tools rig. Also the aforementioned Hartke/Peavey combination). I've owned Ibanez, Yamaha and Carvin. Other than the Warwick Neck-Thru Thumb a friend of mine let me used for a month, this is the best playing and best sounding bass under $1000 list price. The neck-thru design is beautiful and great-sounding. I've gone thru 3 basses in the last 4 years trying to find I sound I both like and can afford, and right now, the Schecter is fulfilling all what I ask for in a bass. Don;t let "made in Korea" fool you. Remember...we used to say the same thing about "Made in Japan".

Construction: Neck-Thru
Body: Mahogany/Quilted Maple
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 35"
Inlays: Diamonds On The 12th
Hardware: Gold
Bridge: 'S' Tek
Tuners: Diamond
Binding: Creme: Neck
Frets: 24 Jumbo
Electronics: EMG HZ w/Active 2-Band EQ

In one word "Awesome"
Just about any sound you could think up.
If it lacked anything,a mid tone control would have been a nice touch.
Quiet,no noise,none,nada.....

bought it online from American Musical Supply.
It came in needing a bit of setup.
Raised the strings and adjusted the p'ups and all was good.
This thing is gorgeous.
For the money...Wow

So far so good.
2 months into it and not anything.
One simple 1/4 turn of the truss rod when the warmer weather got here,but that's it.
I don't even bother bringing my second bass to gigs anymore.

none so far.
limited lifetime warranty.

I've only been playing bass for about 6 months now.
My band does mostly covers - classic rock to newer tunes plus some originals.

This bass was constructed in Korea (which rocks, by the way) and was set up in California (which rocks, as we know). It's a five string, neck-through, flame topped, 4 knobed bass machine.

The tuners are gold, the finish is gorgeous, the neck is solid as rock, the inlay is tasteful, and it plays like a charm.

I bought this as my first bass ever. I needed that low-end, without the greazy synth sound, and needed it to do it on-demand, which means I cannot always count on collaborators to drop everything and record. It is also available as a guest bass for just such an emergency. The sound is thick, phat, beautiful, adjustable, dynamic, and simply perfect for me. I'm not a bassist, but after test driving many, many models at Guitar Center, this--in its price range--far out-delivered its competition. It is not easy to sit with, without a strap, but that may be the fault of me, my chair, my mouse, my desk, and all the other studio artifacts surrounding any given record-session. There are no strap locks, so I had to dig into the closet for an older strap not fitted with them.

The playablility is satisfying. I can't stop playing it, and I'm a guitarist. My Tele is jealous. It seems to sound clacky and buzzy when just sitting and practicing unplugged. None of this is apparent in a recording. By boosting the highs on the board and in the channel strip, I hear appropriate highs, but nothing like what it sounds like unplugged. This tells me that the action is light enough to offer easy playability yet the electronics are fashioned to sound like a bass, not a toy.
I may be naive here, but I like the combination of light action without compromising the bass signal.

I beleive it will hold up under pressure. What attracted me to the instrument was the neck-through design. It is more like a weapon than anything. I felt like the scene in Kill Bill, selecting the perfect sword among so many. It felt right, especially in comparison to many of the others in its price range.

Hope this helps.

Not had to deal with customer support.

I'm new to playing the bass, not new to recording it, jamming with it, or desiring one. I don't like the question of what I'd do if it were stolen, because being stolen from sucks period. If it lost or damaged or borrowed extensively, I'd be one upset without-a-bass person.

I have mentioned comparsions: Yamaha, Fender, Ibanez, and lower model Schecters. (Price range contingent.) The Fenders were Mexican, the Ibanezes didn't do it for me, the Yamahas were okay, the four string Schecter was alright, but this was perfect.