Schecter SLS Elite-5

Review: Schecter SLS Elite - modern bass guitar with very variable sound based on inovative pickups and electronics

CONTENTS

Introduction

The main features that have made Schecter SLS Elite-5 high in my list of new 5-string bass candidates include great sound variability, instrument design (neck design and profile, string spacing, etc.) and an overall originality of the instrument. My first choice was Sire Marcus Miller M7 5 2nd Gen (see a separate review), but after several days of testing I decided to return it and ordered this Schecter.

Note: This bass belongs to the Schecter Diamond series, which includes a lot of guitars and basses that are not made in the U.S.A. The affiliation of this family is also indicated on the head of the bass. "SLS" in the name of any Schecter instrument is the abbreviation of "Slim Line Series". This announces that the instrument has a thinner body and especially an ultra-thin neck.

See some pictures of a specific instrument described below (Photo: Pavel Trhon):

The first impression

Pros:

• The bass looks great, the combination of the gloss of the front and the matte rest of the body is mesmerizing.

• At first glance, I do not see any cosmetic defect.

• The neck is straight/evenly curved, with perfectly aligned frets, pleasant matt surface finish, nice fingerboard made of medium quality ebony.

• All screws and bolts are tightened and the instrument is also solidly adjusted, although I think it will need some small additional adjustment (eg neck deflection).

• The bass has a solid sound even "dry".

• The neck is really flat and narrow and in combination with a smaller string spacing offers great comfort when playing.

Cons:

• I found one small defect - insufficiently recessed insert for attaching strings through the body from the back of the instrument. One of the five inserts protrudes slightly above the plane of the body surface. It's just cosmetics, but...

The overall impression

The bass guitar meets my expectations, it looks good, the first impression is overall good.

Adjustment and practical use

Pros:

• The bass could be adjusted very well. I easily adjusted the deflection of the neck, the height of the strings and octaves, all without problems.

• The instrument is very well balanced (almost no neck diving). The neck really reaches quite to the depth of the body, but it really doesn't matter when playing.

• I really appreciate the accessibility and simplicity of adjusting the trossrod. The head of the trossrod is on the body sid of the neck. It is placed in an open cavity in the body and can be adjusted without a wrench. This is really very practical and adjusting the neck curve is a matter of a few seconds, without having to loosen or even take down the strings.

• The matte finish of the neck is pleasant to the hand.

• The neck is really flat and narrow, the strings spacing is only 17 mm and this together allows for a very comfortable playing.

• The bridge allows you to attach the strings both through the body and as standard directly into the bridge. It opens up the possibility of using strings of different lengths. For attachment through the body, it must be super long scale strings, but when attached to the bridge, a standard long scale (34”) can be enough (but e.g. Elixir Long Scale strings are too short).

Cons:

• The height of the strings on the nut is slightly greater than it would seem optimal to me. The nut will therefore need to be adjusted a little. I expected that there would be no DIY necessity with the instrument in this price category.

• And a few little things that I would not even call a negative:

• The edge of the body on which the right hand rests is relatively sharp, there is no bevel or rounding, and it may be a little uncomfortable on the forearm when playing for a long time. The main user should probably be a heavy metal bassist with the bass lowered to his knees, where the edge plays no role.

• It is not possible to get to the 23rd and 24th frets completely comfortably, the recess of the body and its relatively sharp edge prevent this. It is possible, but it's not comfortable.

• Personally, I would swap and maybe change the position of the controls - I automatically expect the volume control closest to the neck and just behind it the sensor ratio control. But here, the closest to the neck is the treble control, then the bass, and only behind them is the volume and blend. I'll get used to it, but maybe I'll think about swapping them.

• The abalone inlays on the side and surface of the fingerboard change their visibility according to the light position and are relatively difficult to see.

Summary of impressions from adjustment and ergonomics

The instrument could be adjusted well, thanks to the profile and dimensions of the neck, the bass is played very comfortably, it is well balanced. The comfort of playing is not really disturbed even by the sharp edges of the body, which I was a little afraid of. The instrument weighs 4.15 kg including strings and battery, so the bass is neither too heavy nor light, just standard. I don't really consider any of the above-mentioned negatives to be a negative, perhaps only the cable could be handled more comfortably.

Sound

The stock strings are Ernie Ball 5 Super Long # 2850 .045 - .130 attached through the body, so I evaluate the sound with these strings.

Pros:

• The sound is very rich on all frequencies, it has suprisingly lot of treble even in humbucker mode.

• The sound of all strings is balanced, the thick "H" is well understood and rings up.

• The sound possibilities are really rich, the differences between the classic, modern and funk settings are significant, the two-band equalizer tone controls are tuned quite specifically (especially the treble correction), but they are in good relation to the sound of the pickups.

• The ability to switch between humbucker and single-coil pickups is useful, and the sound in both of these modes is very useful. In single-coil mode, the internal coils are active, i.e. the coil closer to the bridge on the neck pickup and the coil closer to the neck on the bridge pickup. 

• Even after switching to single-coil pickup, no hum is heard (even when only one pickup is playing).

Note: Choice of an active coil for sigle-coil mode can be changed, but it has to be done by a skilled technician directly on the back side of the pickup.

Cons:

• For me, it's not really a negative, but the sound in the modern and funk settings is really "Hi-Fi". For many uses, this is a desirable feature, but it is true that subjectively perceived bass wood does not "play" much and the sound can be perceived as impersonally electric, blurring any differences between different instruments using the same electrical equipment.

The overall impression of the sound

The sound of the instrument completely met my expectations, but for a unprepared player, the sound of this instrument can be a bit of a surprise and it may take a while for everyone to find their own sound. But I'm sure that everyone will eventually find it. The sound options are really rich. The possibility of switching pickups between single-coil and humbucker mode is practical. The Fishman Fluence typical three-way "voicing" switch brings another sound possibilities, but it is a bit unconventional, almost "modelling" approach that may not suit everyone.

Classic sound mode is really classic to "retro". Mids are distinctive in this mode, but they are tuned in a bit specific, so even this Classic sound has its own individual character. In Modern mode, mids are cut and bass and treble are boosted, but overall it's a different sound character than the simply equalized Classic sound. In Funk mode, mids are further suppressed.

Personally, I wouldn't boost so much on bass and treble in Modern and Funk modes. While playing, I switch between different voicings humbucker and single-coil pickups, and it proved necessary to include a programmable equalizer (Boss EQ-200) in my signal chain, to compensate differences in marginal frequency bands as well as differences in volume of dual-coil pickups compared to single-coil ones.

The second impression

When you start paying attention to hidden details, you will notice the details that are not visible from the outside and which also usually have no effect on usability, sound and other important para,etres of the bass. I would mention two such details:

1. The battery is simply snapped into the appropriate box on the back of the instrument, so you don't have to unclip and snap the connectors on the battery poles, which sometimes resist, when replacing the battery, making changing the battery very convenient. Because the battery needs to be replaced quite often with this bass, I rate this detail positively.

2. Those who like clean work, order and clear arrangement should not look into the electronics cavity. The cavity is filled with a confusing tangle of wires, in which it will be difficult to find a possible bad connection or other problem if it occurs. The cavity is not very nicely made inside and even its protection against unwanted electrical noise does not make a great impression on me. It obviously has no bad effect on the sound, and the use of Fishman Fluence pickups automatically brings with it a large number of wires, but I would still be a bit ashamed of this detail.

Note: I myself have increased the chaos in wires a bit by changing the location of some knobs to make it more convenient for me.

Comparison with Ibanez SRX

In several discussions, it was mentioned that the Schecter SLS is close to Ibanez SRX instruments. Coincidentally, I also own a four-string Ibanez SRX 700, so I can comment on this comparison.

These are really very similar instruments. Both instruments uses neck-through construction, ash body, maple neck reinforced with walnut inserts (Schecter adds one more of padauk wood) and they are very thin and narrow. The only more visible difference between these instruments is that the finish of Ibanez neck is gloss, fitted with a rosewood fingerboard and corresponding to a total scale of 34 ", while the Schecter neck has a satin finish, an ebony fingerboard and a total scale of 35".

More fundamental differences can be found in pickups and electronics: Ibanez is equipped with two passive humbucker pickups with Alnico magnets, without split-coil possibility, in combination with a preamp with two-band active equalizer. Schecter uses two active humbucker pickups with Ceramic magnets and a special coil design, with the possibility of switching the pickups to single-coil mode, in combination with a two-band active corrections and "voicing" switch.

Summary

Both bass guitars are very similar in shape and construction, which results in a truly comparable feeling of how they fit on the body and in the hand. Both instruments are also suitable for players with smaller hands thanks to their extraordinarily thin and narrow necks. However, the sound of these two bass guitars differs quite significantly, the different electrical equipment is fundamentally reflected in the sound. In the first impression of the sound, the overall richness of the tone at higher mids and highs in the Schecter sound stands out quite significantly. Schecter generally produces more "Hi-Fi" sound, especially in the "modern" and "funk" settings, Ibanez sounds somewhere between Schecter's "modern" and "classic" voice. Also, the controls of the two-band active equalizers of the instruments have different effects on the sound, so that by applying them, the sound impression from both of these instruments is even more different. However, this comparison only applies when setting Schecter pickups in humbucker mode. After switching them to single-coil mode, the sound of the Schecter changes even further and the comparison with Ibanez humbuckers no longer makes good sense.

All in all, it makes sense for me to keep both instruments. Both are ergonomically very similar and the transition between them does not mean any big change, but they sound quite significantly different and can therefore complement each other well.

Comparison of my opinion with the marketing slogans of manufacturers and sellers

Slogan No. 1: Sound that overcomes everyone. You've never heard a bass that sounds like this. Fishman Fluence pickups and electronics allow you to set up a completely individual sound for any music genre.

My opinion No. 1: The sound is really super flexible, but the Schecter SLS Elite isn't the only bass that uses Fishman Fluence pickups and electronics, and thanks to the superactive Fishman Fluence concept, all instruments with this electronics seem to sound almost the same. And there are also instruments that offer even greater sound variability (eg the Sire M7 I reviewed). So I wouldn't overdo it with claims about the uniqueness of this instrument in sound flexibility.

Slogan No. 2: Fishman Fluence pickups provide an incredibly clear and concrete tone with an unprecedented frequency range.

My opinion No. 2: Although this motto sounds as a pure marketing, I have to agree with it. I did not enjoy so rich sound of any other instrument, especially in higher harmonics.

Slogan No. 3: It's made for endless life.

My opinion No. 3: The instrument seems to be really well made, made of good materials. Perhaps the resistance of the front of the body (it's just a veneer and not a solid wood top) will be good. I can't evaluate the overall lifespan, but I expect it to be really long.

Slogan No. 4: Maximum playability, super-fast neck, cramps in the hands and a sore back are the past

My opinion No. 4: The neck is really very thin and thanks to that in combination with the satin finish it is really very comfortable in the hand and does not resist fast movements. My back hurts even without a bass on my neck, however, this instrument weighs about 4.2 kg with strings and batteries, which is standard, so my hands are ok and maybe even my back.

Slogan No. 5: No restrictions on playing, great ergonomics, perfect accessibility of the highest positions on the fretboard

My opinion No. 5: In my opinion, ergonomics is rather the weak point of this bass guitar. The highest positions on the fretboard (23rd, 24th fret) can be reached, but not comfortably. The body is not sufficiently cut and does not have rounded or otherwise ergonomically optimized edges. Relatively sharp edges also characterize the design of the whole body, so that even resting your right hand on the upper edge of the instrument is not very comfortable when playing for a long time. I would therefore rather disagree with this slogan.

Slogan No. 6: Extremely stylish instrument, great appearance, unique flat color scheme, premium materials

My opinion No. 6: I admit that I liked some of the other bass guitars in my selection more. I'm not excited about the color transition, I don't like "bursts" in general and I would probably like this bass more in one color. But when I hold the bass in my hand, I like the color design. But maybe it's also because I've already paid a considerable amount for it, so I just want me to like it. No, seriously, the opinion in the design is a purely subjective matter and I really like the bass. The opening of the neck tross rod does not seem beautiful to me yet, but it is practical. What I can't blame is the quality of the materials used, they really look premium, maybe just the material of the binding looks a little "cheaper" up close. But this bass is really recognizable among other instruments.

Summary and conclusion

Schecter SLS Elite is a great instrument with the price (ca 1500 EUR in February 2021) corresponding to the quality. The Fishman Fluence active electronics obscure the individuality of the instrument a bit, but it delivers excellent sound with great variability. Those who like FF electronics can choose from various instruments equipped with this electronics, while Schecter is one of the best choices, especially considering the price (for example, a little cheaper is Cort A4/5 Ultra Ash, but Spector with FF can be twice as expensive). In my opinion, the positive features, starting with the sound and ending with the construction materials and design, significantly exceed the negatives associated mainly with ergonomics, so if there are no hidden defects so far, then I'll keep the bass and look forward to a lot of gigs of all such diverse musical styles in which I am involved.

Specs

In the table below you will find the complete specifications of the bass guitar, including a comparison with other instruments that I have had or have dealt with:

February 2021

Addendum 1: Energy consumption of Fishman Fluence Soapbar Bass pickups

Fishman Fluence Soapbar Bass pickups are active pickups and their energy consumption is noticeably higher than of more common combination of passive pickups with active preamp. I was wondering how long an ordinary 9V battery will last in the bassguitar equipped by Fishman Fluences. I measured the battery voltage after each play and here is the result:

With the flat equalizer on a bass guitar, the usable limit value was 6.5 V, however, even at a voltage of 6.65 V, some distortion began to appear at peaks. I reached the value of 6.65 V after approx. 60 hours of playing. I estimate the error in measuring time at max. 3%. The result exactly matches Fishman's information.

60 hours of playing time is not much and I have to pay much more attention to the condition of the battery than when using my other active bass guitars with passive pickups and active built-in preamps.

Addendum 2: after one year of active use

Updating my knowledge after a year of active use of the Schecter SLS Elite-5 bass guitar will be brief: Playing this bass is still a pleasure for me. There was no defect or hidden negative feature. I also changed a number of different strings on the bass.

The only potential problem to consider when choosing strings is the limitation given by the diameter of the hole in the ferrule for through-the-body string mounting, specifically for B string. All the strings I tested were used without problems, but D'Addario Chromes with 0.132" B string caused some problem. The ball end of B string is really massive, so the string was practically impossible to pass through the ferrule. Although I succeeded by force, the problem arose during the disassembly of the string, which was possible only by ejecting the bowl from the body of the instrument and destruction of the string. Top mounting of B strings is also not easy, so I still prefer through-the-body mounting and I remember on my favorite Accu-Cast B200 bridge on Ibanez SRX-700.

Addendum 3: after two years of active use

Even after two years, my fondness for this instrument has not faded. Nothing has gone wrong with the instrument and it plays great. When playing live with a band, my default voice is Classic. I use the Modern voice only in exceptional cases, e.g. for slap (which for me is a very rarely used playing technique), I have not used the Funk voice yet. What I often use, however, is switching between humbucker and single-coil pickup wirings. This has a significant effect on the sound and allows me to meet the demands of different styles as well as songs in one style.

Note: I use Modern and Funk voices when playing at home, when these sounds are very nice to listen to. However, they are not suitable for normal playing with a rock band, because without the center frequencies they have no chance to assert themselves in the sound of the whole band.

Another thing I still really appreciate is the great approach to setting up the truss rod on its body side. Although I don't experiment much with different strings anymore, I still sometimes find it useful to adjust the neck very quickly and conveniently using any rod, without having to have a key on hand and without having to remove the strings. Great.

A period of experimenting with different strings culminated in identifying the optimal strings for my ears and usage. These are Sadowsky Blue Label strings .045 - .130T, extra long. These strings have a clear and full sound and a surprisingly long life, despite the fact that they are not coated or otherwise specially protected. I also like the tapered design of the B string, so that only the core of the string goes through the bridge, which probably has a positive effect on the sound, but for me it is important that it greatly simplifies the manipulation of the string when its installation. There's only one thing that bothers me about Sadowsky strings, and that's their sloppy packaging. The strings are only supplied individually wrapped in paper bags, which are placed in a plastic bag, but not tightly closed. This not only does not sufficiently protect the strings themselves, but also does not exclude the possibility that a string may be lost during transport and handling. Fortunately, this has not happened to me yet, but some colleagues report such cases. I really don't understand such sloppy packaging.

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