Schecter RIOT-5 5-String Electric Bass

Feature:
Well, a bass built in this fashion SHOULD feature a 35" scale, and this one does not. The 34" scale is fine for E-A-D-G, but the B is FLOPPY! There are some players that really like a loose B string, but I'm not one of those players. :) All due respect, I like my strings nice and tight from one end to the other for optimal string response. Also, the bass only has a two band active pre, and for a bass constructed as this one is, I would expect to see a 3-band. I was highly disappointed when I discovered this...

Quality:
The construction and quality control seemed top notch. The natural matte finish did not show any mistakes in the manufacturing of this product. The bass is well balanced, and it sounds great.

Value:
I would say the value is only average. Don't get me wrong, this is a nice bass, and it does sound good and play good. I'm rating value a "6" because of the disappointment of not having a few key elements that are typically desired with a bass built to this particular standard. There was only a 2-band EQ, not a 3-band with mid control. The string spacing is so narrow, the bass is practically unplayable for big guys like me. The 34" scale yields a floppy, flemsy low B, and that's no good for me. I like the bass, but I would not buy this bass because of these shortcomings.

Desirability:
read "Value"

Sound:
You can't go wrong on tone with the construction of this bass: maple/walnut neck through mahogany body, EMG pups, active pre. Right off the bat, you have good tone. The neck is fast and easy to play. This bass sounds more expensive than it actually is.

Ease of Use:
NARROW STRING SPACING. I have big hands with long, chubby fingers. I play fingerstyle, and I need a little bit of room to dig in when I'm playing. I can see the narrower string spacing being great for pick players, or for people with small hands and skinny fingers. If you have large hands and fingers, though, you definitely want to play this bass BEFORE you buy it to make sure you can deal with the narrow spacing.

Support:
I've never contacted Schector, so I don't know.

Overall:
Traben, Spector, and other top manufacturers are having their basses imported from Asia just like Schector. These basses ARE well designed and well constructed, with good components. Schector simply missed it with this bass, in my opinion, because the competitors are building basses with better components and better design. This bass, for me, is slightly above average for basses in this price point. When I was shopping for my 5-string bass, I played this Schector, along with the Schector Stiletto Custom, Traben Chaos Obsession, Ibanez SR505, Fender American 5-string American Jazz, Warwick Corvette Standard (ash body), and others. Out of all the listed basses, I liked the Traben Choas Obsession the best because it is comparable to this bass, but has 35" scale, 3-band EQ, wide string spacing, and a really innovative bridge design. The Traben was right for me, and I know it was because I played every 5-string bass that I could get my hands on to make sure that it was. All that said, this bass is a nice bass that simply fell short FOR ME. This bass may be perfect for you. Play it and find out.