I will probably use this bass for years to come. The perks that made me buy this bass are the woods used in the construction, body style that is unique, neck-thru design, string-thru bridge, solid built bridge with large saddles, action is nice and low, and has a great low growl to the sound that isn't muddy or dark. I would highly recommend this bass to anyone who likes the thin Ibanez or Yamaha TRB style of necks. This bass has a similar neck thickness but has that "solid" built feel. DO NOT confuse this for the Riot Deluxe!!!! This is the Flagship for Schecter and I feel this has a better feel than the Elite-5 and the Studio-5, both of which are great basses in and of themselves. I think this bass is an easily overlooked model that has great features you would find on basses that cost $1000-$2000, but for half the price. Don't let the price fool you into thinking this is a cheap bass that sounds cheap because it is far from the truth. If I lost this bass or someone stole it I would DEFINITELY buy it again! Although a personal preference, I did change out the EMG EQ for an Aguilar OBP-2.

Sound
The Riot-5 has great lows that aren't muddy. The maple-walnut neck-through design help keep the tone from getting too muddy by adding the upper mids. The mahogany wings add additional "body" to the sound and give it depth for the lows that I feel help round out the overall tone. It doesn't not sound like a Fender J or P Bass but you… read more can get similar sounds with the upper mids and highs that you would want while playing slap or punk styles of music. Other basses that I have played will vibrate throughout the body and neck but this bass is solid as a rock and I have yet to find any "dead" spots on the neck.

Features
The Riot-5 came with the necessary Allen Wrenches and a instrument cable. The input jack has a nice stiff grab on the instrument cable jack and "locks" it in tight so you don't have to deal with a flimsy jack like on many other basses. The Neck-thru design is a feature that I like about this bass. It has a smooth contour at the transition to the body and the lower horn of the body allows you to reach the higher frets with ease. The bridge is solid and it allows you to either string-thru the body or end of the bridge. The bridge saddles are big and solid, which I think is an oversight on many other brands, and are easy to adjust. The Tuning machines are smooth to operate and I have yet to have any problems with them sliding out of tune. Many people complain about the EMG HZ pickups, but I have been getting impressive harmonics from this bass. Although they don't have that extra "zing" you get with active pickups, it still does the job when you wanna slap, pick, pop, or thumb the strings. The EQ is an Active EMG system as well. You DO have the option of moving two selector switches on the bass control that allow you to change the treble frequency. You will have to move them around (either up or down) and play with the settings to get the sound you like. This allows you to dial in the sound you want from your highs. The battery compartment is held in by screws and I wish it was secured by a thumb switch. This is a minor setback but not a deal breaker. It comes with a TUSQ nut and I have yet to have any problems with it. The stock GHS Boomers are good for about a week so order a new set of strings to have on hand when they go dead.

Ease of Use
You can adjust the EQ system from simply turning either the pickup selector, volume, bass, or treble knobs. You also have the option of adjusting the treble frequency by moving the two mini switches on the chipboard located on the bass knob.

Quality
The Riot-5 was ready to play straight out of the box. The action is nice and low without string-buzz. The finish is smooth with no imperfections in the stain or lacquer finish. I give this a 9 because of the dot-inlays. I think Schecter could have matched the rest of the quality of the bass by using Abalone instead of cheap looking plastic.

Value
This bass is a STEAL for the price they are asking. The build quality, woods, and finish are superb. If you don't like the EQ System or the Pickups on the bass you can always change them out....you can't change out the woods used or finish. The control cavity is easy to access from the rear. The wiring is actually organized and not just soldered and pushed inside the cavity. I have played on Fenders, Music Man, ESP, Yamaha, and Ibanez basses before and this is the best feeling bass I have played to date.

The Wow Factor
The headstock is perfect for this bass and is not gaudy like some other brands. The lower horn on the body is unique and sets the bass apart from you traditional looking basses. The color is consistent and there are no dark "splotches" throughout the bass. It is dark enough to highlight the dark walnut strips in the neck and various wood grains in the body. The high gloss finish sets off the beveled curves of the body and deepens the brown stain on this bass.

Musical Background:
Hobbyist, Active Musician

Musical Style:
Rock, Metal, Funk, Alternative read less