Need help w/Bass purchase

[mm2002]

Since I'm far from an expert on Basses, I thought I'd get the pro's opinions. I found this one in a local pawn shop and it plays nice but I don't know anything about them. It's a Schecter "Diamond Series" and has "Elite 5" on the truss rod cover. It appears to be a 3 piece neck-thru and the body looks like mahogany with a quilt maple top & trans red finish, fully bound. All gold hardware. HZ pups. Ser. # 0112355.
Are these decent basses? (he wants $400.00 for it) Where are they made? The thing is gorgeous and plays like butter but I have no idea what they're worth. I damn near bought it but then I thought..nope, knowing my luck the damn thing isn't worth shit! Opinions please?

[mwm70]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

I don't have any experience with them other than dicking around on one in GC seemed like a nice player though.

I prefer neck throughs and you can't go wrong with emgs ever. If I found the right model it appears to have been about 9 bills new.

Hopefully this link will give you an idea of new cost:

http://www.schecterguitars.com/Dpods.htm

Found Info (I think) by:
Enter Diamond Site
Products
Drop Down Menu - Choose A Product: Bottom Option - Past Models

Hope this helps and welcome to the bass side here. [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[AlexL]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

I used to own a Schecter Stiletto Elite four string. Neck through, black cherry, gold hardware, bound neck and headstock, etc. It was absolutely a stellar guitar. I advertised it here, but no one was really interested. I sold it on ebay for 400.00.

Here's the thread, with pics; does it look like this one?

Schecter Stiletto Elite 4 for Sale

The four string versions are great. I was very unimpressed with the five string version however. I found the low B to be very floppy, and the tone from the B string was very poor.

It is hard to get a good five string bass for low $$$. In my opinion, a decent five string is going to run over a grand. Plus you need a good amp to hear the low B clearly.

If you are not much of a bassist, but just want to have a bass around, I would stick with a four string, ESPECIALLY if you are going to play with your fingers; proper right-hand technique for a five string can be tricky to keep the unplayed strings from ringing.

My opinion:
Scour ebay for the a bass like the one in my old thread, don't pay over 425.00 for it, and watch out for people advertising them as used when they are actually factory seconds; those are polluting ebay. But in my opinion, there is no better bass for that price on the market. And I played a lot of them before I bought mine.

BTW, they have killer tone and sustain. The only reason I didn't keep mine is because I didn't want to confuse myself by switching back and forth between 4 and 5 strings.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any other bass questions; I am as big of a gear whore for bass as I am for guitar.


- E.

[AlexL]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

This might be worth inquiring about:

Schecter on ebay


- E.

[mm2002]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

AlexL, great info bro! After reading your post I went back to the pawnshop today and got it. (jewed 'em a little[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]) It's exactly like the one in your thread except it's a 5 string. I actually need a 5 string because a few of the guys I jam with play drop D and it's REAL handy! I've had a chance to play it a bunch tonight and I love it! The control layout offers a ton of variety too. I sold my Charvl Bass recently and have been looking for a 5 string ever since. This isn't a Jackson [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] but I think I like it! It seems to be an extremely high quality instrument for the bucks. A+ to Schecter on this one!
Thanks again for the info!

[AlexL]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

No sweat, Mark - glad I could help.

I really can't say enough about those Schecters. Part of me wishes I wouldn't have gotten rid of mine, but there's no way I'd be as proficient on my fiver as I am if I would have kept it, so it's all good.


- E.

[peabuddy]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

you guys with five strings, i want to know if you use the g string as much as when you played a 4 string.reason i ask is i took an 87 3b and set it up with a low b thru d and didn't really miss it. i only use it for a couple of songs though as the band i'm with tunes mostly standard or half step down. i had a cheap 5 i gave to a friends son for christmas last year and am debateing about getting another quality 5 string. it's just the low b set up bass plays so good i'm not sure it worth it to get a 5 string no more than i am using the low b bass.

[pro-fusion]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

Peabuddy, did you have to modify the nut on your bass to set it up B through D? I would think that would be necessary, since the proper strings for that tuning are considerably thicker than the set you'd normally use for E through G.

I play the G quite a bit on my five-string. The biggest advantage of the five-string is that you can play any traditional four-string part, with the added bonus of "shaking the foundation" when you want to! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[AlexL]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

Yes, I use the high G quite a bit as well as the low B. So restrining a four as BEAD wasn't really a consideration for me.


- E.

[Inearthed]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

Depends really. We have songs where I don't use the B at all, songs where I don't use the G at all, songs where I don't use either, and songs where I use both. Its all about keeping possibilities open during the song writing process.

[thor]

Re: Need help w/Bass purchase

I'm not a fan of the Diamond Series from Schecter. I'm probably in the minority, but I've checked them out and didn't like them. Korean made, they should be cheaper in price then they are. HZ pickups were too midrangey for a bass for my tastes. I've got 13 basses, one of them is a 5 string. It's and old 1987 Gibson V (the V is for 5, not the body V) and it growls nicely. The string spacing is nice and tight, so the neck isn't much wider than a 4 string. Ebony fretboard, mahogany body. It would eat most Schecters and Ibanezes I've played...for breakfast.
That being said, I dont get to play it much because everyone I play with generally is in damn standard tuning... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]