NBD - Spector Euro LX5 Natural

[Sean]

I've been missing my NS5-XL and I found this Euro. It's a peach. I love an oiled Spector and this 20 year old example is really nice. I'll do some better pictures over the weekend to show the amazing figuring on the maple neck.

 

It's light too. I'll weigh it tomorrow.

 

I restrung it 40-60-80-105-145 and it is like death from the sky through the 400+ and the Barefaced cabs. Perfect.

 

It's scheduled for a refit with an LHZ-03 and new EMG 40P5 + 40J pickups 😇

 

 

Edited Friday at 21:54 by Sean

[Owen]

Yeah, we will be needing more pictures. I owned one of those once. I probably should still own it. Ho hum. 

[Veils]

Looks like an absolute doozy, would love to see more pics, but congrats on a fine new steed.

[Sean]

I promised photos but the weather has been amazing and I've been out riding and coaching all weekend on what I recently realised is probably the motorcycle equivalent of a Spector.

 

More on that soon but I'm at home tomorrow so will be taking some photos of my Spector collection. It's not going to take me as long as certain members  I could mention @cetera but from little acorns, eh?

 

Update: It’s raining here and not very photogenicky in the garden this morning. I’ll wait for the sun to come out.

Edited Monday at 10:17 by Sean

[cetera]

On 07/03/2025 at 21:53, Sean said:

It's scheduled for a refit with an LHZ-03 and new EMG 40P5 + 40J pickups 😇

 

 

Very nice!
If that's a DC in the bridge just upgrade the neck to the P version 1st and then see if you like it combined with the DC in the bridge. Many people do..... so it might save you money on the J in the bridge.

[Sean]

It's been on the bench this morning to steam out a couple of "soft dents" and to put more Monty's Instrument Food on it.

 

I've left the saddles in this tilted up configuration. I've never seen them set up like that before but the action and intonation only needed a couple of small tweaks, so I went with it. 

 

It's an instrument that has been used for 20 years but it's been looked after nicely. There are a couple of spots that need a little colour rubbing in from where hands/forearms have put wear on it (advice welcome on products to use)  The "forearm wing" area has a slightly ribbed texture that follows the flame grain pattern, mainly above the bridge pickup, which must be down to sweat/skin reacting with the softer parts of the wood grain over 20 years. It's very slight and only perceptible by touch. These are techy-geek observations rather than whinges, instrument patina can be fascinating to understand.

 

This was a bargain in anyone's book.  It has real history, feel and vibe in a way that my virgin (never-played case queen) 2018 Euro LX 4 just hasn't; that bass is effectively NOS (new old stock).

 

 

Edited Monday at 13:10 by Sean

[Sean]

I've been playing this all afternoon. it's rapidly becoming my GOAT. It's lighter than the NS5-XL I had, that was '05 too.

@cetera' s recommendation of keeping the bridge DC is making sense.

An hour or so ago, I switched to the Amber Euro4 with the LHZ-03 and it feels like a toy compared to this (in a good way obviously). This 5 has that acoustic resonance without being plugged in that people talk about.  Through the "house rig" (MarkBass head plus BF TWO10 with an HX Stomp), it's just gorgeous and every note on every string and fret rings out.

 

For those that don't like Spector, it's got a Spector neck profile, it's got a long reach and an overly hot preamp. It's an LHZ-03 and a 40P5 away from being a signature instrument to my taste 😆

 

 

[Sean]

On the scale she's 4.55kg. That's pretty light for such a weapon of a thing. I read that some of the new chambered ones are coming in under 4kg, but this is the lightest of around 5 or 6 of these that I've held or owned over the years.

Edited yesterday at 15:13 by Sean