Eldon Tyrell

Back to Spector. Saw this on Spector's FB page. Killer looking NS4. The guy for whom it was custom built must be one happy guy. Very jealous 😉

Kramer Forum III. Well, not really a Spector even if there is clearly some Spector DNA in it (thanks to Kramer purchasing Spector in 85). Not sure about the headstock, too hair metal-ish for my taste. Well, what can I say, I like the sansamp and the skull in the final photo though 😉

Only if your table is in baby poop brown and from 1977 😉

Spector fans, what’s happening? As you know, the Spector Euro 77 is one of my fav basses. Best neck of all my basses and killer tone (DiMarzio Model P pickup). Just saw that BD has one back in stock and at a great price. Check it out and join the 77 club 😎

Thanks. I like the guy. Good no-nonsense presentation without the usual hard selling BS. The new Pro II sounds indeed slightly more vintage-ish. However, I will go for a used P and put in the pure vintage 63 and some flats. I showed my wife Geddy Lee's big beautiful book of bass (BTW, strong recommendation for everyone's Xmas wishlist. Amazing book!), showed her his P basses and she liked the foam green and Dakota red ones. So, may get one of these if I find a good one.

Wow, this is hilarious. I understand that there are costs for shipping basses over the pond, have local distribution etc and that's why I got used to $=£ prices. However, this is getting ridiculous now 🥴 Definitely buying used!

I hope you are right and that this will be indeed the case (i.e. no German or any other EU country's VAT, only UK VAT and import duties). Depending on where from the EU you then buy from, you could actually safe money as several EU countries have higher VAT: https://taxfoundation.org/vat-rates-europe-2019 However, I am concerned we may end up having to pay BOTH EU's and UK's VAT (plus import duty).

I am sure Fender know their target market quite well and it probably does not consist of mainly TB/BCers 😉 Reminds me of what Sterling "Big Poppa" Ball once said (back in 09): "One thing I will tell you. In order to find a home or niche you have to have segment and position that is product driven. Trying to do everything will assure you a new career in hospitality...."Do you want fries with that?" I wake up every day knowing that I cant make everyone happy...I hope that I can make enough people happy so I can continue to provide for my team and give the world a few extra choices."

.. and still they are going very strong (obviously helped by the pandemic and a large number of new hobbyists but still). https://www.nme.com/news/music/fender-to-sell-more-guitars-in-2020-than-any-other-year-in-history-2750069 They have a very strong brand (quite some people prefer to read Fender on their headstocks instead of XYZ), come up with some "new" and "exciting" new features (i.e., copying what other companies have been offering for quite some time), some "new" names for already existing finishes (e.g., I read on TB that the new dark night finish was already part of the programme (under a different name of course) back in the late 80s/early 90s, rename their product lines every few years (e.g., Am standard - Am Pro - Am Pro II) to make it "fresh", a few tweaks here and there and that's pretty much it. Job done. I also doubt that their target mark is really open to too much innovation and change (Fender Dimension, anyone?). Quite a success story if you think about it. Two iconic models that have been around for 60 (J) and 70 (P) years without too much change apart from some small changes and a lot of marketing blurb. I mean you could put the 2020 Pro II into a music store back in 57 and it would not look displaced. Can't really say that about too many other products. Pretty amazing, don't you think?

Agree, buying used is the way to go!

Ironically, I already had the perfect bass for Motown (esp. with the 63 pickup I have) but I sold it to finance a Spector Forte. I mentioned it in the "Sellers Remorse" thread that this is the only one I should not have sold 😒

Yes, officially announced yesterday, but probably already in store before that

Good point. Should also consider MIJ

Agree. I want it all and I want it now 😎

I like what I am seeing here, especially the one in the middle. Very tempting! I have a Spector with walnut wings and another one on order. Great tonewood in my opinion.

Thanks @hiram.k.hackenbacker I will definitely look into it. You are also right with better looking back than forward. With he upcoming 70th anniversary of the P, I just thought Fender would announce something more vintage-ish on the day they announced the Pro II. I guess that will now happen at (virtual) Namm. Just curious to see what they come up with for the 70th. As I mentioned, I thought of getting a used Standard or Pro and put in the Pure Vintage 63 pickup (that I already have) and some flats. (Washing up) sponges are also already waiting to be used 😉

Interestingly, in this video, we hear "...tone control rolled all the way up: super bright" (1:13) and "when I rolled it all the way off [...] everything was still clear and bright" (1:28) Hmm

Update: Official launch of the Pro II today. New features: newly sculptured neck heel, updated pickup and some new colours. Well, not exactly impressed. I am still looking for my Motown bass but the Pro II won't be it. I guess I'll wait until the 70th anniversary P bass gets released next year (if there will be one). Alternatively, I will probably just get a used Standard or Pro and put the Fender Pure Vintage 63 pickup in it. Official info: https://shop.fender.com/en-GB/electric-basses/precision-bass/american-professional-ii-precision-bass/0193930755.html Lots of videos on YT. One good example showcasing the Dark Night finish:

Interesting topic. Quickly went through the 15 basses I have sold so far or are currently trying to sell and really the only one I think I should have kept is this Fender American Vintage 58 Reissue Precision bass 😞

Maybe one day. Like the great Italian philosopher Rocky Balboa once said: "Ain't nothing over til it's over" 😉

Not sure if it counts as good or bad, maybe as strange (at least to me). A few years ago, I ordered a set of bass strings from Bax. They sent me the wrong set (GHS Bass Boomers 3040) and they only sent me the correct one (GHS Bass Boomers M3045) after I had sent them a photo showing that I had destroyed the wrong set. Bit of a waste 🥴

Hahaha. Believe it or not, these were indeed two of the songs I played (and now play on my Forte) together with Angry Chair, Junkhead, Phantom Limb, Got Me Wrong, No Excuses, Nutshell, Rotten Apple, It Ain't Like That, We Die Young, Stone, Sea of Sorrow and Them Bones. These are actually the only AIC songs I can play because I found tuition videos on YT 😎

200th anniversary post to update you on the Spector Euro LT. The neck was a bit too chunky for my taste. I really prefer the thinner neck on the 77. I recently ordered another Spector Forte (walnut wings, black stain, EMG PJs, Haz 9V) and asked for the thinner neck specs. Consequently, I decided to part with the LT and it is available now from BD where I originally bought it. Whoever goes for it will secure him/herself a cool bass that has only been played a few hours in my living room. Great sounds (the FF pickups are killer), looks and very light. Only 20 were made worldwide, so maybe a collector's item as well.