Spector Greatness

[Al Krow]

Haha - if you're bringing amps into the mix when discussing 'pure bass' tone, then I'm going to start saying things like pedals and cabs!!

And yup, tone wood / neck through would lurk at the bottom of the list of the magnificent seven: strings, pups, EQ, woods, amp, cab, pedals in terms of impact on overall sound but right at the top for impact on appearance and wow factor. 

And speaking of resonance, let's face it, a bass has more emotional resonance and connection with us bassists than any other single part of our signal chain - it's the one bit of kit we actually hold and play!

Edited August 12, 2019 by Al Krow

[mangotango]

13 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Thanks gents - if @Mastodon2 is correct that they are going to "sound broadly similar" that's actually a great starting point. 

I'm a bit more relaxed about Asian made basses - after all Apple make their phones in China. And Samsung, also Korean, aren't exactly a pants outfit!

The one I'm looking at also has EMG HZ pups but the EMG B30 3 band preamp. I'm a bit of fan of 3 band EQs so that's a big plus. It's Bubinga so it's likely to be heavy but, combined with the neck through, should have good sustain. Provided it's 10 lbs / 4.5kg or less, then it could be a good entry point to the world of Spector basses for me. Hopefully won't have the same negative impression that the NS 2000 had on @WHUFC BASS! But worst case, as @ahpook has just posted, that could be solved with a pup upgrade, if needed.

As previously discussed...if you fancy giving the Legend Custom a spin, I'd be happy to pop round with mine sometime. Plus there's the Spectorcore fretless....

[Al Krow]

28 minutes ago, mangotango said:

As previously discussed...if you fancy giving the Legend Custom a spin, I'd be happy to pop round with mine sometime. Plus there's the Spectorcore fretless....

Thanks - much appreciated. I'm actually 'viewing' a Legend Custom tonight (entirely your fault btw for getting me interested in looking at these! 😁) and which is part of the reason of my urgent canvassing of opinion from the wider Spector BC community! 

If you have chance to pop yours on the scales - I'd be really interested to know what it weighs in at?

[Al Krow]

Hope the OP doesn't mind me, as a fellow WHU fan, crashing his party too much with my own first Spector!  

This one won't have the greatness of his, but for the price I'm hoping it will be a bit of a Legend. It was a little bit 'love at first sight' when I picked this one up earlier this evening from a fellow BCer on the other side of the Thames. Maple core with Bubinga outer layer which means the overall weight is substantial at 10.5 lbs, but it feels very well balanced and not 'heavy' to wear. Neck through and 3 band EQ. Been a bit a of a journey getting me here but, I have to admit, I'm really chuffed at finally having joined this particular club  

Edited August 13, 2019 by Al Krow

[WHUFC BASS]

Nice one mate! That looks top drawer! I love the matt finish on it, looks really good. What's your impression of the sound of it  ?

[bassfan]

10 minutes ago, WHUFC BASS said:

Nice one mate! That looks top drawer! I love the matt finish on it, looks really good. What's your impression of the sound of it  ?

+ 1 on the matt finish! 👍🏻

[Al Krow]

35 minutes ago, WHUFC BASS said:

What's your impression of the sound of it  ?

So day 0.2 of ownership, you're not really expecting me to say anything but slightly gushy tonight are you? 😁

[WHUFC BASS]

Dude ... you need to crank that amp up and give it a blast. If the neighbours complain, it's a keeper ! 😂

[Al Krow]

47 minutes ago, WHUFC BASS said:

What's your impression of the sound of it  ?

Ok, more seriously and trying to be objective...

Core tone is throaty / punchy which is something I like a lot as the foundation 'sound'.

The neck pup, in particular has a 'fulsome' low end which I suspect is going to sound just great cranked up in a band mix.

Separate volume controls for each pup allow you to blend, although when one pup is set at full the other doesn't really cut in until the volume is set to 7/10 so it's not a particularly 'detailed' blend - more in some ways like having a selector switch. 

3 band EQ is pretty decent & combine with the VV controls for the pups => I'm really liking the tonal palette / variety that this bass brings to the party.

I can very easily this becoming a staple gigging bass of mine and it will get its first outing at rehearsal Thursday night and hopefully then gigged on Saturday. 

[Al Krow]

The bass did come with a set of black knobs and a brass bridge to complement the tonal variety, so to follow on from @cetera's red inlays Q, would you:

a) leave the set up as is?

b) switch the gold knobs --> black? 

c) as (b) but swap the bridge back to brass?

d) completely bling out and keep the gold knobs and add a brass bridge?! 

[bassfan]

D... matching hardware tuners/knobs/bridge it’s not fully blinged until it has lights!! 😂

[WHUFC BASS]

Might be worth investing in some fretboard decals like these too:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oval-Crown-MOP-Fretboard-Markers-Vinyl-Inlay-Stickers-Decal-Set-for-ANY-BASS/110579837645?epid=1731859574&hash=item19bf126acd:g:2P8AAOSw-7RVCKeJ

[Al Krow]

14 minutes ago, WHUFC BASS said:

Might be worth investing in some fretboard decals like these too:

Or maybe spend the money on a beer and Brick Lane curry instead? ... 😄 

[WHUFC BASS]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Or maybe spend the money on a beer and Brick Lane curry instead? ... 😄 

The voice of reason will always shine through! 😂

Good shout, although Brick Lane is overrated a bit i find.

[mangotango]

1 hour ago, WHUFC BASS said:

The voice of reason will always shine through! 😂

Good shout, although Brick Lane is overrated a bit i find.

Agreed. Nowadays, whenever I go, it's full of tourists and pished-up City types*. 

The Lahore Kebab House used to be a favourite, although I understand that too is nothing special nowadays. Which is a shame, really.

So, never mind the Bass Bash - who's going to organise the BassChat Curry night?

 

* no I'm not, hardly ever nowadays in fact.

[mangotango]

20 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Thanks - much appreciated. I'm actually 'viewing' a Legend Custom tonight (entirely your fault btw for getting me interested in looking at these! 😁) and which is part of the reason of my urgent canvassing of opinion from the wider Spector BC community! 

If you have chance to pop yours on the scales - I'd be really interested to know what it weighs in at?

Entirely my fault? I couldn't possibly take all of the credit......

It's an honour and a privilege. My work here is done.

Will weigh mine tonight and let you know. And, wish you well to play that new Legend.  Go brass on the bridge, IMHO.

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, mangotango said:

Entirely my fault? I couldn't possibly take all of the credit......

It's an honour and a privilege. My work here is done.

Will weigh mine tonight and let you know. And, wish you well to play that new Legend.  Go brass on the bridge, IMHO.

Tbf I've been thinking about getting a Spector for a while - they have a great reputation and, with their neck through, elegant body plus 24 easily accessible frets, head turning good looks. 

But I've struggled to find a neck through 5er with a 3 band EQ, so when you spoke glowingly about the Spector Legend Custom model, which I'd not come across before and which ticked both those boxes, and I recalled seeing one in the FS in vgc for a reasonable price, combined with you freeing up a space on my bass rack, the stars clearly were aligned! 

So entirely your fault? Possibly not. Major culprit? Yup! 😂 

In terms of a London BCers curry with beers - great idea! I think you sound like the man to make that happen! 

Edited August 14, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

On 12/08/2019 at 20:34, WHUFC BASS said:

I can only compare it to the Korean NS2000 (which was a neck through) which I had years ago. The construction on the NS2000 was very good, but it was really heavy (probably due to it being all maple construction). When I say it was heavy, I mean it was HEAVY ... must have been at least 12lbs. The sound from such a heavy bass was pretty weak (even though it had passive EMG HZ pickups and an EMG BTS pre-amp). It did put me off Spectors for a while until I heard what the Euro sounded like. Chalk and cheese was the phrase that sprung to mind.

Spent a pleasant couple of hours getting my SLC-5 set up tonight - previous owner liked his action set quite high, particularly on the E and B strings so I lowered these and also managed to sort the intonation.

Back of my mind and my biggest concern was your earlier comment about the sound being weak on your NS2000 and this putting you off Spectors for a while. I mentioned yesterday my first impression that the neck pup has a fulsome low end and generally good output; the neck pup, on the other hand, was definitely a bit 'thinner' when I tried the bass out last night but pretty easily sorted this evening by my raising the bridge pup height to be closer to the strings. End result: great to have the more aggressive bridge pup now punching its weight!

Just spotted that Mrs Krow has finished watching an episode of Poldark on iPlayer, so my turn to ditch the headphones and crank the noise up! 😀 

Update: since spent a good hour working through material for the weekend gig. Initial sense that this was going be tonally versatile, which is something I really appreciate in my basses, has already been totally borne out. It has a tonal range that goes from neck pup solo'd with treble rolled off for Motown, via a smooth, sweeter, slightly mid-cut with both pups engaged for sitting comfortable in the mix, through to a raunchy bridge pup to cut through the mix for modern rock that can be made even more aggressive (should you ever want!) with a touch of mid-boost. And it's a pleasure to play with a very comfortable neck.

Although it's only a little heavier than my Yammys, my shoulder was definitely feeling it by the end of the session! I think I'm going to need to invest in a double shoulder strap - any of you guys got one that you're using you can recommend? If that deals with the slightly heavier weight, this bass is likely to be a keeper that I'm sure I'm going to want to regularly gig. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

Right OP, enough from me hijacking your thread! Tell us a bit more about how you are getting on with yours?!  

[WHUFC BASS]

I'm loving it. I've cleaned the fretboard with Crimson Guitars Fretboard Restorative which is 100% better than lemon oil and put new strings on it. It could do with a slight tweak on the truss rod but nothing major at all. Please really nicely and it's got a slightly slimmer neck than my other Euro 5LX which also has a matt finish on the neck. The gloss finish in no way makes it feel slower at all. It's also a lighter bass too.

The sound really is something else though. The EMG pickups and pre-amp make this thing sound killer. The perfect combination of punch, clarity and bottom end. I've only used it at home through my Ashdown AAA practice amp so can't wait to fire it up through the Ampeg SVT3 and the 6x10.

[krispn]

Did I hear somewhere years ago Spector use slightly different string gauges as standard over the more common 45-125 sets?

[Al Krow]

Spector Strings

3 hours ago, krispn said:

Did I hear somewhere years ago Spector use slightly different string gauges as standard over the more common 45-125 sets?

Mine have been strung with Rotosound Swing Bass RS665LD steels which I think are 45-130 which are 4 months or so old. Might just swap over my D'Addario EXL 170-5 (45 - 130) nickels from my Yammy P35 when I get that restrung with flats.

I'd also be interested to hear what Spector are using as standard?

7 hours ago, WHUFC BASS said:

I'm loving it. I've cleaned the fretboard with Crimson Guitars Fretboard Restorative which is 100% better than lemon oil and put new strings on it. It could do with a slight tweak on the truss rod but nothing major at all.

Have you got a preferred set of strings for your Spectors? 

Thanks for the tip-off of about the Crimson Restorative btw - whereabouts are you sourcing yours?

Ditto re slight tweak on the truss rod, in my case to see if I can get a flatter neck and thereby further lower the action. But I suspect that can wait and I can sort at the same time as applying a bit of Crimson and swapping the strings over!  

Edited August 15, 2019 by Al Krow

[WHUFC BASS]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Spector Strings

Mine have been strung with Rotosound Swing Bass RS665LD steels which I think are 45-130 which are 4 months or so old. Might just swap over my D'Addario EXL 170-5 (45 - 130) nickels from my Yammy P35 when I get that restrung with flats.

I'd also be interested to hear what Spector are using as standard?

Have you got a preferred set of strings for your Spectors? 

Thanks for the tip-off of about the Crimson Restorative btw - whereabouts are you sourcing yours?

Ditto re slight tweak on the truss rod, in my case to see if I can get a flatter neck and thereby further lower the action. But I suspect that can wait and I can sort at the same time as applying a bit of Crimson and swapping the strings over!  

Firstly, the Crimson Guitars Frettboard Restorative really is the best thing you can clean your fretboard with BAR NONE. Not only does it really clean your fretboard (far more so than lemon oil) it also conditions it and as it made with all natural ingredients, your not messing with any harmful chemicals. It's about the same price as lemon oil too and comes with two bottles. One bottle opens up the pores slightly on the fretboard and the second cleans and conditions the fretboard. I thought the fretboard on the new Spector looked pretty clean until I put some of this stuff on it, holy crap - there was a LOT of dirt on there!

https://crimsonguitars.com/store/fretboard-cleaner-restorative/

Strings

Currently I've got a set of Dean Markley SR2000 strings (45-125) and they're really nice. They have the tapered ball end which suits the Spector locking bridge perfectly. It's the first time I"ve tried these and they're not bad at all although they wouldn't be my first choice but if I saw a new set going cheap I'd recommend them to anyone.

The Spectors I've seen (Euros only) come with D'addario Pro Steels which really are a great standard string for use on any bass. I'd recommend them for any bass. If you can afford it, the D'addario NYXL strings are even better. Superb strings with a great tone. The holy grail of bass strings for me are DR Hi-Beams which (when I can afford them) I always go for. They're just so bright and last a hell of a long time. They also compliment the Spector sound perfectly.

As much as I hate to bash a British company, Rotosounds really don't do it for me which is a real shame as they're a local (Kent) British company with a history and heritage that NO other string company can boast. However, I just find their strings rough and they don't stay bright for any considerable time. I've got a set on my other Euro 5XL and they're dead already after just one month which is a real shame. I'm not saying they're the worst strings out there - not by a long chalk but they don't do a set to rival D'addarios or the Hi-Beams.

[Al Krow]

@WHUFC BASS - thanks for that. Very helpful.

Interesting you say that about the Rotosounds. I was surprised to find that the strings on mine were < 4 months old, I had assumed they were a fair bit older; but that certainly ties in with your comment about short shelf life. Good that D'Addarios get your vote of confidence for use on Spectors as that is likely what I will be swapping to.

[WHUFC BASS]

5 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@WHUFC BASS - thanks for that. Very helpful.

Interesting you say that about the Rotosounds. I was surprised to find that the strings on mine were < 4 months old, I had assumed they were a fair bit older; but that certainly ties in with your comment about short shelf life. Good that D'Addarios get your vote of confidence for use on Spectors as that is likely what I will be swapping to.

No probs. I'd go for the Pro-Steels rather than the Nickel strings (although they're not bad). If you can afford a few more shekels I'd get a set of DR Hi-Beams, you'll really be surprised at how good they are.