Show Full Spec Comparison
| Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 | SLS Evil Twin-5 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Schecter | Schecter |
| Year: | 2013 | 2019 |
| Configuration: | HH | HH |
| Strings: | 5 | 5 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | South Korea |
| Series: | Stiletto Custom | SLS Elite |
| Colors: | Natural | Black |
| Left-Handed Version: | Yes | Yes |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Mahogany | Swamp Ash |
| Bridge: | S-Tek | Schecter Custom Bass String Thru (or Top Load) |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Neck-Through |
| Tuners: | Schecter | Grover Bass 144 Series |
| Fretboard: | Rosewood | Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Maple/Walnut Multi-ply | Maple/Walnut/Padauk Multi-ply w/ Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods |
| Decoration: | Pearloid Offset Dots | Roman Numerals |
| Scale Size: | 35" | 35" |
| Shape: | Bass Thin "C" | Bass Thin "C" |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.905'' (23mm) | 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.905'' (23mm) |
| Frets: | 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver | 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel |
| Fretboard Radius: | 16" | 16" |
| Nut: | Black Tusq XL | Black Tusq XL |
| Nut Width: | 45mm (1.771'') | 45mm (1.771'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | EMG 40HZ (Humbucker / Passive) | Fishman Fluence Bass Soapbar (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | EMG 40HZ (Humbucker / Passive) | Fishman Fluence Bass Soapbar (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 0 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | None | Coil Split, Multi-Voicing |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 3 | 3 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Gold | Black |
Reasons to Get
Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 over SLS Evil Twin-5
Reasons to Get
Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5 over Stiletto Custom-5
Other Key Differences
Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 vs SLS Evil Twin-5
Shared Features
Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 vs SLS Evil Twin-5
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- High-Quality Frets
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Retainer Bar
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .
Schecter Stiletto Custom-5:
Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5:
Beginner Friendliness
Both meet 3 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first bass to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
Schecter Stiletto Custom-5- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Woods Used in the Schecter Stiletto Custom-5
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Woods Used in the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5
Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.
Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Preamp Circuit
A preamp in an electric bass functions as an electronic circuit that acts as an interface between the bass's pickups and the amplifier. Its main purpose is to amplify and customize the bass's initial signal before it reaches the amplifier, offering enhanced control over factors like tone, volume, and sound attributes. Preamps typically come equipped with tone adjustments, equalization options, and sometimes built-in effects, empowering bass players to fine-tune their sound to suit their personal preferences and the musical environment.
Both basses have a Active preamp.
Active: Unlike passive basses, which rely solely on passive pickups and tone controls, active preamps require a power source, typically a 9-volt battery, to operate. The active preamp offers several advantages, including the ability to boost or cut specific frequencies, resulting in a more versatile and customizable tonal palette. Active basses are favored in genres where precise tonal sculpting and extended tonal options are essential, such as jazz fusion or progressive rock. However, they do require occasional battery replacement or recharging to ensure optimal performance.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Only the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5 comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split, Multi-Voicing.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 compares to the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 is built in Indonesia while the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5 is made in South Korea.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your bass to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
In this case, both have Black Tusq XL nuts. TUSQ nuts are usually the highest quality you can get. Black TUSQs are made from a special slippery material that helps the strings get back to its original position (one of the keys to tune stability).
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
In this comparison, the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5 is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the bass. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Schecter Stiletto Custom-5's are Schecter while the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5's are Grover Bass 144 Series
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a bass is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
The Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
On the other hand, the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5 comes with Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.
Winner: Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Schecter Stiletto Custom-5
- Expensive Wood
- Black Tusq XL Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Active Preamp
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Black Tusq XL Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Coil Split, Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Active Preamp
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in South Korea
- No Weight Relief
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a bass might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a bass feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 45mm (1.771'').
This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 5-string bass. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 35".
This is a scale used for baritones and guitars with more than 6 strings. Since the scale is so long, the tension of the strings will be higher. This means that bending will require a lot more strength than with a shorter scale. However, it also allows you to use really low tunings without causing fret buzz and without needing to increase your string gauge too much.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 and the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most bass fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
Both the Schecter Stiletto Custom-5 and the Schecter SLS Evil Twin-5 have the same fretboard radius of 16". This fretboard radius is really different from Stratocasters, but it's also a lot flatter than Les Paul fingerboards. It'll favor plating single notes over playing chords. This doesn't mean you can't use it for rhythm, but a more curved fretboard offers better playability for chords. Bending and sliding without losing sustain will also be more likely in a flat fretboard like this one.
Fret Size
Both have a XL Jumbo fret size. These are really tall frets made like this so you don't meet any resistance when playing techniques like vibrato, bending, tapping, etc. They should make the guitar easier to play, but you have to be careful not to get the notes out of pitch by pressing down too hard, which might happen since the fretboard will be too low to stop your hand.
