Al Krow

Got my hands on a Stella this morning. I guess that folk who know me will be aware that I'm a bit (ok a lot!) of a skeptic when it comes to compressors, although I did quite like the 'devil's one knob' Spectracomp as I could finally hear a compressor doing something useful / positive to my sound. The Stella is clearly quite a step up from the Spectracomp in its feature set (and a corresponding hike in price). I've a got a fair learning curve to get up to speed with this comp, but my 'day 1' impressions of the Stella are very positive. Subtle but positive impact on tone** is immediately there to hear and in line with expectations of a VCA compressor which are supposedly fast and relatively transparent; really good metering and multi-faceted control including wet / dry mix and side chain filter both of which should aid in preserving a fulsome low end. Already had a BC buddy wanting first dibs on this pedal when I move it on - but I've got a sneaky suspicion I may have finally found "my" comp so it could be a while before he gets his hands permanently on it! ** not yet clear to me is the inherent character of the pedal and how much is down to compression, though!

@WHUFC BASS having been on a crash course about Spector basses since the start of this thread, it seems to me that you've picked up an almost ideally spec'd model! Euro 5LX with EMG BQC pre-amp and soapbar EMG 40J (bridge) and 40P (neck) pickups. Is yours a 35" scale and neck-through also? The EMG 40P5, which turns this into a tasty PJ bass, I think is a 'reverse' P config - I was initially confused by a statement online that it was like a 'Spector or Yamaha' P config. Well actually they are the opposite way around! i.e. reverse P (Spector) and normal P (Yamaha). A reverse P, should provide a slightly tighter low end and warmer treble compared to a normal P, which is another plus. http://www.emgpickups.com/media/productfile/4/0/40_bass_0230-0128rb.pdf

@mangotangoI think I've managed to pin down the make / model of the preamp in our Spector Legend Custom - it's the EMG B30-S which came out in 2004 and would appear to be precursor to WHUFC's much liked and more recent BQC preamp. The description of this I've found on-line is that is: "a 3-band equalizer for bass guitar, which can be retrofitted snugly beneath two tone controls. Both bass and treble equalizers are mounted on a stacked pot, while the mid-range control mounts separately. Bass, treble and mid EQ's offer 12dB and feature a central detente. The new EMG B30-S can be used with either active or passive pickups and is powered by a 9 volt battery." That fits the description of what's on our basses perfectly. Also turns out that our Legend Custom basses are not neck-through but actually set necks

@oZZma great result! But we defo need a better picture of your rig as clear and rich as the higher fret G notes you're now playing! 😀

Did they also tell you that for free? 😄

That's very kind of you to say! You say 'predictably' your band folded; sounds like you've had a bumpy road - really sorry to hear. Hope you manage to get yourself back into something fun soon.

And here's ours from the other thread so you've got them side by side! Any more Prince Kiss covers out there?

Sold Sean 3 stage lights & a kit bag. Super smooth transaction, fast payment and great comms. A pleasure to deal with! Hope you and the band manage to light up your stage act to good effect! Cheers, Bas

Sounds like you're all fingers and thumbs to me! 😁

Nice bit of history. So do the Euro LX models also have sculpted backs?

Hah! Didn't I just ask that? You probably like West Ham and play bass too... 😂

Looking forward to it! Maybe we can have a Kiss-off? 😄

Great work Q. My favourite so far is #19 Take your cue Nothing so far, for me anyway, that touch your best FI patches I'm afraid! But maybe just early days?

One little 'really nice to have' feature which the previous owner didn't point out (maybe because this is a 'standard' feature on all Spectors and also Warwicks?) is the sculpted back, which just helps the bass to 'sit' a little more comfortably on my frame. The only other bass in my herd that has this feature is my Yammy BB NE2, so it came as a very welcome surprise when I realised the Spector had it also. The sculpted back (and seamless neck through) are hopefully visible in this pic:

Oh I do think it's a good piece of kit, particularly at its price point. But the HX is a step up in processing power - made clear to me when comparing the ability of the two with pitch shifting. I won't be using both multis - it will be one or t'other. I've certainly wavered between the two boxes over the past six months as folk will no doubt have seen. Plenty of gigging bassists are very happy with the Zoom multis and don't feel the need for the additional processing power and cost of the HX kit. You've clearly fallen into that camp and no dispute from me that makes very good sense. We'll need to get you contributing some patch ideas to the Zoom thread then - I suspect they will be very good!

You decided on what's going to be taking it's place? Pm me if you want a vgc used Zoom B1X-4, which is likely to get 'Stomped on' in the near future... 😊

So has the B3n been reprieved once more or is it still on 'death row' unsure of its future as an operative (Fahrenheit) 451 pedal? 😉

'Long' for the Chinese civilisation = 1,000 years. For BC'ers, about 6 months? PS the fact that you are already thinking that your new purchase is going to be a keeper does suggest that: Euro 5LX with EMG BQC pre-amp and soapbar EMG 40J (bridge) and 40P (neck) ...is a winning combination. Give me a shout when you are gigging locally in Landern Taaan with it next - love to hear it in action!

Yup the Yammy BB 1025 is passive (you're clearly not spending enough time on the BB thread 😁) - only mainstream active Yammy BB is your 734A (and the 5A) model. Ibby SR Premium is still a staple, great bass and lightweight - but will now be in competition for gigs with the Spector methinks. Lightweight quest for me has really been just to do with cabs - and I'm not going to beat my BF SC on that score, which is why it will be sticking around despite not being in the same league as the Fearless F112. D class heads don't weigh anything and choice of bass has so far been driven more by quality than weight for me. And I'm hoping this Gruv Gear Duo strap will mean relative freedom not to be constrained by bass weight going forward.

Just took my Yammy 1025 (as per the YT clip) - didn't want to be trialling too many new bits of gear in one go, otherwise it would be less clear as to which bit of gear was responsible for the improved clarity and punch! No question that it was down to the Fearless F112 cab The Spector, with its Bubinga wood, is a touch heavier than my other basses and I'm just in the process of sourcing a Gruv Gear Duo strap. Fingers crossed that will remove any barriers to being able to use full weight basses going forward and I'm looking forward to my Spector LC becoming a staple gigging bass.

Be interesting to see how the Barts on the LTs compare to the more traditional EMGs and whether the LTs have moved away from a more familiar 'Spector' sound. Look forward to getting your thoughts following your next acquisition! Give me a shout if you decide, at that point, to move on the bass that started this thread off Two mids instead of mid / treble seems a bit gimmicky to me; not sure what's wrong with bass / mid / treble and the ability to roll treble off (which is great for a Motown vibe). Mid cut is very different to treble roll-off, right? The BQC pre with a semi-para mid seems to nail it and I agree with your earlier comment that it would make good sense for Spector to be fitting BQC pre's as standard, certainly on their higher-end models.

Haha...well if you're going to be mentally stuck in 23 year old synth tech, that's your call. There are a few clips already of the SY-1 on the SY-1 thread that will bring you up to date. I'll best stop the thread hijack now though... 😄

Ah ok cool, so BQC pre to bear in mind to round off a Euro model. Hmmm...sounds to me that me and mangotango may have stumbled on a bit of a collector's item with the limited run 3 band EQ Legend Custom then, but what the EQ model on it actually is I'd be keen to find out!

I'm sure that both the FI and C4 are the more 'capable' synth engines but if you're into ease of use and being able to dial in something quickly and intuitively 'on the fly' then the more user friendly Boss SY-1 may be the better option for you. I'm looking forward to mine landing hopefully in a couple of weeks. Btw - the FI has the 9 presets of the Deep Impact as the first 9 of its 99 stock presets; it's a big step up from its (often ridiculously over-priced!) predecessor!