Spector fans!?!

[Sean]

This...

...is now on the bench ready to be set up tomorrow morning.

[Sean]

I'll tell the whole story of this next week. Fascinating day out. But as a sneak preview, when I first touched this Euro LX today, it was like coming home.

[attackbass]

Anyone here with a euro lt5 changed the pickups and preamp out for soapbar EMG P and J pickups and the LHZ preamp?

 

Don't really have a problem with the bass other than the tone seems very round whenever I heat it back in a live mix. When I hear the emg haz basses the seem to have the more classic emg sound.

[Sean]

On 08/05/2024 at 16:07, Paulhauser said:

I have to love how the Japaneese always getting some extra limited run / one off Czech Spectors like this one 

Spector Euro 5 RST PJ with darkglass preamp

 

 

Also in 4 string version

 

 

What's the process for getting special orders of Euro models, then?

[Paulhauser]

2 hours ago, Sean said:

 

What's the process for getting special orders of Euro models, then?

@cetera has arranged a special order of Euros a few years back through Bass Direct. I believe the Czech shop does not do individual one-offs, a shop or a country distributors has to come up with numbers enough to warrant a special run.

These that I have linked were  arranged by the japanese importer / distributor Kyoritsu. 

[Sean]

On 04/01/2025 at 20:12, Paulhauser said:

@cetera has arranged a special order of Euros a few years back through Bass Direct. I believe the Czech shop does not do individual one-offs, a shop or a country distributors has to come up with numbers enough to warrant a special run.

These that I have linked were  arranged by the japanese importer / distributor Kyoritsu. 

The 2018 zebra Euro LX that I have has a sticker on it of a German distributor. Was it a special run or a standard option for 2018?

[Paulhauser]

On 09/01/2025 at 03:07, Sean said:

The 2018 zebra Euro LX that I have has a sticker on it of a German distributor. Was it a special run or a standard option for 2018?

Two "exotic" tops have been standard option on Euros since the mid-late 00's: poplar burl and zebrawood. The other  (non-exotic) top options were flamed or quilted maple, coloured or natural. 

 

[Sean]

Here's a good one (I hope)...

 

We know the difference between the Euro and the Euro LX Czech instruments, but what I'd like to know is, why the change?

 

Solid maple wings (Euro pre-'04) will have a different tone to alder/walnut/maple sandwich (Euro LX) but was this done for tonal reasons, product differentiation, construction or tooling reasons, lack of suitable sized chunks of qualifying maple lumber, cost, aesthetics, a mixture of reasons????

 

 

 

 

[Woodinblack]

Well, weight might be a decider!

[Eldon Tyrell]

 

[Sean]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Well, weight might be a decider!

Yes, it could be but I'm not totally convinced based on this rough logic:

We go from 2 blocks of maple to, let's say a sandwich of maple/walnut/alder, the walnut is the same density as the maple and it's 40% maple, 10% walnut, 50% alder roughly, I'm giving alder the benefit. Alder is 67% the density of maple. We've reduced 15% just on the wings. I reckon 6-8oz. Meanwhile US instruments are still being made with full maple.

Is that 6-8oz worth it? I don't know but it does turn a 9lb 12oz bass into a 9lb 4oz bass. Is that going to meet whatever the business need was at the time?

 

Can @cetera shed any light on why the change happened?

Edited January 31 by Sean

[Sean]

1 hour ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

 

~300 USA Spector instruments per year? I feel slightly ill having sold one in the past. I had no idea they were that thin on the ground 🤫

 

[ezbass]

26 minutes ago, Sean said:

~300 USA Spector instruments per year? I feel slightly ill having sold one in the past. I had no idea they were that thin on the ground 🤫

 

There it is again, the BC motto - shouldn’t have sold it. Yup, it stings like a genetic combo of nettles and wasps.  

[Eldon Tyrell]

Several Spectors in action:

 

[Killerfridge]

1 hour ago, Sean said:

~300 USA Spector instruments per year? I feel slightly ill having sold one in the past. I had no idea they were that thin on the ground 🤫

 

People seem to forget that USA Spector are a proper boutique, much like F bass, Ken Smith, or Fodera. They've just managed to capitalize on their success much better

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, Killerfridge said:

People seem to forget that USA Spector are a proper boutique,

 

I am sure they don't when they see the price

[bakerster135]

2 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Several Spectors in action:

 

The Wimbish at 0:31 and the lateral fade NS-2 straight after it sound the best of the bunch to me! Assuming that Wimbish has the tonepump considering it's a Euro? Very close to the NS-2 to my ear though, just a bit more flab and not quite as grindy...Good to see Frank Bello in the background! 

[Eldon Tyrell]

11 hours ago, bakerster135 said:

The Wimbish at 0:31 and the lateral fade NS-2 straight after it sound the best of the bunch to me! Assuming that Wimbish has the tonepump considering it's a Euro? Very close to the NS-2 to my ear though, just a bit more flab and not quite as grindy...Good to see Frank Bello in the background! 

The new Wimbish signature bass comes with the new Spector Legacy Preamp instead of the Tonepump. Maybe that explains why it sounded similar to the NS2.

[bagsieblue]

16 hours ago, Sean said:

Yes, it could be but I'm not totally convinced based on this rough logic:

We go from 2 blocks of maple to, let's say a sandwich of maple/walnut/alder, the walnut is the same density as the maple and it's 40% maple, 10% walnut, 50% alder roughly, I'm giving alder the benefit. Alder is 67% the density of maple. We've reduced 15% just on the wings. I reckon 6-8oz. Meanwhile US instruments are still being made with full maple.

Is that 6-8oz worth it? I don't know but it does turn a 9lb 12oz bass into a 9lb 4oz bass. Is that going to meet whatever the business need was at the time?

 

Can @cetera shed any light on why the change happened?

 

I've read that the change was due to tonal reasons.

USA Maple and European maple not sounding similar enough, so they settled on the walnut sandwich as the closest tonal option.

[Eldon Tyrell]

7 minutes ago, bagsieblue said:

 

I've read that the change was due to tonal reasons.

USA Maple and European maple not sounding similar enough, so they settled on the walnut sandwich as the closest tonal option.

I was not aware that there is a tonal difference between US and EU maple. Well, every day is a school day, I guess.

For example, who knew that there is a difference between an African and European swallow either? 😁

 

[bagsieblue]

1 minute ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

I was not aware that there is a tonal difference between US and EU maple. Well, every day is a school day, I guess.

For example, who knew that there is a difference between an African and European swallow either? 😁

 

 

Yep - I'd say its a bit of nonsense / black magic.

 

Some on Talkbass say that the early euros were made with shipments of USA Maple so they sound like USA Spectors  (preamps differences nonewithstanding of course)