Product: Schecter Stargazer-4 Electric Bass
Company: Schecter Guitar Research
Price Tag: $699
Use: From pop to metal
Yes, we all know that bassists get excited over gear. So feel free to kick, yell, frighten small children and maybe even pop a blood vessel, because this week is dedicated to the four-stringed heroes who hone in on the low end. (And frankly, if you're on your way to the gig, you might be doing that outbursty stuff anyway.)
Schecter, the company known for producing some particularly good-looking guitars, has decided to take an old school look into new light with the Stargazer-4. The curves on the body and head are reminiscent of Rickenbacker's 4000 series, while staying far under the price tag associated with Ric's top-shelf basses.
However, Schecter did not cut any corners while producing this distinct guitar, as it has been critiqued in the past for producing a flat sound. The Stargazer-4's physical allure matches its lovely tone.
The guitar uses the EMG MMHZ on the bridge. This humbucker, or duel-coil design, pulls an incredible amount of gain with low noise and is primarily used as a direct replacement for Music Man bass pickups.
This is accented with an EMG SJHZ 'jazz-style' pickup on the bridge, with a tone blend and an added feature that switches the MMHZ between single and double coil with the push of a button. And since they're EMG pickups, there's nothing but ceramic and steel to grab at the strings.
The bass' sound has the metallic brightness of previous models, but with an active 2-band EQ - providing the flexibility to create the specific sound you're looking for. The artistically designed bridge incorporates a thru-body stringing option that allows players to tailor string tension. This feature is particularly usefulfor drop tuning.
The rosewood fretboard, which is commonly used for its naturally oily properties, keeps fingers moving over the pearl block inlay on 24 jumbo frets. This adds the gliding playability Schecter fans have grown to appreciate.
Making an appearance as notreble.com's Bass of the Week on Aug. 16, there are certainly plenty of eyes on this four-stringer. For a classic-looking model, this bass is not intended to be an imitator.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
