Spector fans!?!

[lee650]

On 25/08/2022 at 14:39, bigbottomend said:

So the only difference is that a year later they re named the same bass a Euro and put NB in front of the serial ?

There were crossover CRFM with full maple bodies and the crown inlays

 

On 24/08/2022 at 15:24, bigbottomend said:

Just picked this one up yesterday, anyone know what year / model, I think it's a euro4 ?

 

Beautiful bass! It's a CR4FM 😍

Edited August 31, 2022 by lee650

[lee650]

New Bass day!

Always been a fan of spector, ever since I started playing. According to Facebook I got my first 9 years ago, a CR5FM it sounded fantastic,buy eventually moved it on as I found the weight and scale a bit much at the time. I regretted it ever since!

After a bit of recent searching I have today received a Twin of my old Euro, a Euro 5LX-TW in natural.

 

Much lighter than my old one and a shallower neck too. It has the Alder/walnut sandwich with a slightly quilted maple top, with the Tonepump circuit. It has these lovely EMG CS TW pickups, which means that are ceramic and Steel magnets, giving a warmer sound.

They can be coil tapped to single coil with pull switches, although I've found they have a large drop in volume in single coil mode. Using these is cool in that with both pickups on, you can coil tap either pickup and it emphasises the other but sounds tighter than the pickups alone (for example the front pickup is boomy on its own, coil tapping the bridge sounds more like the front pickup, but tighter. The two split coils can be used for quieter mellower tones).

 

Really pleased to have a new Euro and its a great counterpart to my Euro4 which is more aggressive.

 

A picture came on Facebook today, posing with my CR5FM and my baby daughter Cora, so we decided to recreate it 🤣 my thanks to Mr Travis for putting the two together.

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by lee650

[AndyTravis]

@lee650ace work, ace basses…(miss that amber chronically) - Cora is mint.

 

Sorry we didn’t do more time in Morecambe this summer.

 

see you October sweet cheeks x

[Paulhauser]

6 hours ago, lee650 said:

 

They can be coil tapped to single coil with pull switches, although I've found they have a large drop in volume in single coil mode. 

 

Congratulations for  the NSD!

 I really like the TW pickups and the volume drop issue is almost nonexistent with the X series TW which I have replaced the original TW with in my Euro 5lx. So the potential combinations are much more usable Sounds better for my ears, too.

[lee650]

44 minutes ago, Paulhauser said:

 

Congratulations for  the NSD!

 I really like the TW pickups and the volume drop issue is almost nonexistent with the X series TW which I have replaced the original TW with in my Euro 5lx. So the potential combinations are much more usable Sounds better for my ears, too.

Thanks Paul

I may consider replacing them,I've been tempted to do the same with my 4lx as well.

[Paulhauser]

59 minutes ago, lee650 said:

Thanks Paul

I may consider replacing them,I've been tempted to do the same with my 4lx as well.

I hold the X series EMGs in very high esteem, I have 4 Spectors that I swapped X series in. Truth be told some of those swaps weren't only for non-X to X but for other reasons, too like having a PJ setup in 40's housing. In case of my 40TW to TWX the change was very nocieable (and not only when using the coil tap)  just as when I swapped the 40DC to DCX in my NS-5XL. The X series seem to have more dynamics and the sound is more open for the lack of a better word. 

[cetera]

On 31/08/2022 at 21:10, Paulhauser said:

Well then, finally I got this. Proper NSD thread will follow but for now this would do. Spector Euro 5 Classic, ridiculously  good craftsmanship and sounds great, too 😀

Congrats! Love the double J pickups on these.... !

[cetera]

Duplicate post

Edited September 5, 2022 by cetera
Duplicate post

[cetera]

On 01/09/2022 at 00:33, lee650 said:

 

 

Congrats on the new Spector!

 

LOVE these two pics.... what a lovely idea

 

[Woodinblack]

On 01/09/2022 at 00:33, lee650 said:

New Bass day!

Always been a fan of spector, ever since I started playing. According to Facebook I got my first 9 years ago, a CR5FM it sounded fantastic,buy eventually moved it on as I found the weight and scale a bit much at the time. I regretted it ever since!

After a bit of recent searching I have today received a Twin of my old Euro, a Euro 5LX-TW in natural.

 

Congrats on the new bass - don't have to worry about saving the green one for you any more!

[Paulhauser]

3 hours ago, cetera said:

Congrats! Love the double J pickups on these.... !

Thanks! Have you tried any of these 5rs? (I think you got a red classic 4 but not sure) I never had a JJ Spector, the coil tapped TW's come close but the positions are different. I quite love how this JJ sounds, still has the Spector vibe but a bit different than my other Spectors. And the low B is massive!

[cetera]

28 minutes ago, Paulhauser said:

Thanks! Have you tried any of these 5rs? (I think you got a red classic 4 but not sure) I never had a JJ Spector, the coil tapped TW's come close but the positions are different. I quite love how this JJ sounds, still has the Spector vibe but a bit different than my other Spectors. And the low B is massive!

That's right, I have a red Euro Classic 4 with PJ set up. I don't play fivers....

 

I have an NS-JAR though which has twin J's. Sounds great....!

[geofio]

On 16/05/2022 at 17:20, TheDaivisch said:

Quick shot of my 3 on the wall,  Euro Bolt in Metalic Blue sparkle, 2004 Legend in Amber Maple top, NS2000 from 1999 neck is incredible on that one, neck through in Translucent Red.  They all sound different with them all having their own pickups and preamps.  replaced the hardware on the NS2000 & Legend. The Euro Bolt can be made to sound really aggressive depending on the setting of the tone pump, all enjoyable to play.

 

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by geofio

[andy67]

49 minutes ago, geofio said:

 

Totally love the LT4 I bought from you  

Edited September 5, 2022 by andy67

[geofio]

Nice one Andy, that was a great bass, some tone from it. and it looks not too bad too lol.

[andy67]

4 minutes ago, geofio said:

Nice one Andy, that was a great bass, some tone from it. and it looks not too bad too lol.

It is the first bass I've owned since my old Yamaha mk1 TRB5 that ticked all the boxes. Looks great and sound sublime  I love the pup/preamp combo as is really dark for me.

[CookPassBabtridge]

Anyone else seen the purple Forte that Bass Direct have in at the moment? If I had a spare £4.6k I’d be all over it, what a lovely bass and spec. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

2 minutes ago, CookPassBabtridge said:

Anyone else seen the purple Forte that Bass Direct have in at the moment? If I had a spare £4.6k I’d be all over it, what a lovely bass and spec. 

 

Looks great but the price is pretty high. For comparison, only last year I paid 1k less for a Forte with EMGs, Haz and a gloss finish (this one has a matte finish).

[cetera]

Apart from the lack of crown inlays I'm not quite sure what makes it a Forte rather than an NS2 (with 18v Haz). Beautiful bass (my fave colour!) but I'm done paying that sort of money for any instrument....

[Eldon Tyrell]

1 minute ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

 

Looks great but the price is pretty high. For comparison, only last year I paid 1k less for a Forte with EMGs, Haz and a gloss finish (this one has a matte finish).

 

Ok, I checked BD's website, and this is actually a NS-2 without crown inlays, no fancy top and with a matte finish. Some time ago, over at TB, a retailer mentioned that Spector stopped making Fortes, so that's why it is officially a NS-2 even though it looks like a Forte (and it also explains the higher price).

 

[CookPassBabtridge]

2 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

 

Looks great but the price is pretty high. For comparison, only last year I paid 1k less for a Forte with EMGs, Haz and a gloss finish (this one has a matte finish).

Yeah I wasn’t going to say but I did think it was a bit pricy too. Closest comparison I have is I enquired about a USA NS bolt-on 2-3 years ago and the quote was around 1k cheaper than this. Admittedly that’s a little while ago now and prices are going up for pretty much everything.

 

1 minute ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

 

Ok, I checked BD's website, and this is actually a NS-2 without crown inlays, no fancy top and with a matte finish. Some time ago, over at TB, a retailer mentioned that Spector stopped making Fortes, so that's why it is officially a NS-2 even though it looks like a Forte (and it also explains the higher price).

 

Ah ha, that makes sense. I was surprised that you’d be able to spec these kind of extras on a Forte given it would effectively make it an NS. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

2 minutes ago, cetera said:

Apart from the lack of crown inlays I'm not quite sure what makes it a Forte rather than an NS2 (with 18v Haz). Beautiful bass (my fave colour!) but I'm done paying that sort of money for any instrument....

Originally the Fortes really were no-frills NS-2. They first came in matte black only (some other colours got added later), no crown inlays, no fancy wood tops and no Haz (OBP-2 instead). However, after some time, the boundaries started to blur and you could get Fortes with the Haz (I got two Fortes with the Haz - one 9V, one 18V), crown inlays and even gloss finish (like mine). Only fancy wood tops were officially off limits and still separating Fortes from NS-2s. However, I remember reading over at TB that someone got a Forte with a fancy top too. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

1 minute ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Originally the Fortes really were no-frills NS-2. They first came in matte black only (some other colours got added later), no crown inlays, no fancy wood tops and no Haz (OBP-2 instead). However, after some time, the boundaries started to blur and you could get Fortes with the Haz (I got two Fortes with the Haz - one 9V, one 18V)

BTW, my previous Forte with the Haz 18V is back on BD. It was my no-frills NS-4. I bought it in 2020 but sold it after some time via BD. Someone bought it then but is now selling it again via BD. It is a great bass, but I am not a fan of matte finishes. I have no affiliation with BD or the seller, don't even know who (s)he is. Here is the link:

https://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Spector_USA_Forte_4_2.html 

[mattbass6]

32 minutes ago, CookPassBabtridge said:

Anyone else seen the purple Forte that Bass Direct have in at the moment? If I had a spare £4.6k I’d be all over it, what a lovely bass and spec. 

I actually think is an NS-2. If you look at the back of the headstock, it says NS-2. I have 2 Forte’s and yes the prices have risen a lot, but not by that much. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

2 minutes ago, mattbass6 said:

I actually think is an NS-2. If you look at the back of the headstock, it says NS-2. I have 2 Forte’s and yes the prices have risen a lot, but not by that much. 

A bit earlier, I posted a photo of the headstock, and it is indeed a NS-2. However, the specs sound indeed more like a Forte, but I don't think Spector is making any Fortes anymore (as I said, according to a US retailer who is taking Spector orders). So, if someone wants a no-frills NS-2, you cannot go down the Forte route anymore and will have to get a lower specced NS-2 with the much higher price tag. Sad but true.