One Bass Comes, One Bass Goes

[r_a_smith3530]

I have to tell you, I've been eyeing this bass at my local guitar emporium for weeks. I thought it was extremely sharp looking and it sounded great, but I've got more instruments than I really need, so I could not see adding one more. Also, if I brought another instrument into the house, I might have to move into the garage!

Well, I gave it quite a bit of thought over the past couple of weeks. I certainly would not consider letting go of my pride and joy, the '85 G&L. It is probably the most versatile bass that I own. It does a lot of different sounds really well, has a neck that runs squarely between a P and J bass, and just has a look of utter class, with its semi-gloss Mahogany finish.

Sir Fender Frankenbass also was going nowhere. I am far too attached to let go of it. That P-J combo, in steroid induced Bartolini form, is a drug unto itself, and I am under its spell.

The Stagg acoustic was also out of contention. Its purpose could not be replaced by anything other than another acoustic.

That leaves the two fretless instruments, my modded SX jazz style, and the toofless Peavey Foundation. I really like both of these instruments. The SX gets that great jazz "growl," and the Peavey has a voice all its own, plus one of the fastest necks I've ever played. That all said, I have no real need for a pair of fretless basses, so it came down to one or the other. In the end, the "growl" won out, and the Peavey became trade material.

The new bass is a Schecter Stiletto Custom 4 in natural finish. It is stunningly beautiful, a Mahogany body capped with Flamed Maple and a satin finish. The five piece Maple/Walnut laminate neck should prove extremely stable, and the matching Flame Maple cap on the headstock adds a nice touch. The S-TEK bridge appears quite solid, and it comes stock with Grover tuners. It has EMG HZ pickups and they sound really sweet. The hardware is all gold which gives a real class look combined with the instrument's natural finish. What a surprise I got when I put it in my hard case to take it home. Although the neck is standard 34" scale, the body is almost 3/4 the size of the Peavey. Speaking of the neck, it has 24 frets, so I now have a greater sonic palette to play with.

Yes, I'm quite excited. You'll have to excuse me now, I'm going to play!

[Robert****]

Nice! Sounds like a good score. Maybe throw up some pics? And clips?

I haven't played a bass with EMGs. I don't like the EMG's for guitar I've tried, but it may be a completely different story on a bass.

[oldguy]

It sounds really sweet, Rob! With the body being smaller, is it lighter in weight, or does all that maple give it a good heft?
Pics would be nice
Soundclips, too.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Alright Rob! I wanna see pics too.

[sunvalleylaw]

Cobngrats Rob! I would love to hear some clips and learn more about the difference between PUPs that you mention.

[Tone2TheBone]

We need more bass guitar pics!!!!