SPECTOR® Club - Part 50

[delucajohn2000]

Ah, I love pre talk when I had my Euro 5LX with the BQC and the DC's, I just loved that tone. There is something about that combo in the Euro 5LX that I totally loved but I have to admit, the BQC doesn't sound as good in my NS-JH5 to my ears. It's much better than the OBP-1 that came in the bass....man that thing was awful. Maybe it's because the pickup in that bass is a TW instead of a DC and I will admit, the TW pickups are not my favorite but I left it in there since the bass has a J pickup so I wanted the option of being able to have a J/J setup.

I am thinking about an OBP-3 now but I still haven't completely made up my mind for that bass. It definitely is a different beast and I love the feel of it but I just need to get the sound to where I want it for my taste.

[smadder]

Originally Posted by steamthief

JP and smadder, have you tried Celebrex for pain?

After I blew out my achilles tendon, post-op they gave me hydrocodone, which did nothing for the pain and, as an added bonus, bound me up something fierce. After a sleepless, agonizing night in the hospital, after I complained the following morning my surgeon gave me some samples of non-opiate Celebrex, which helped a whole lot to actually alleviate the pain. I filled a script shortly thereafter.

Nope! But I see my gastro surgeon on Monday and that is now on the list to ask him about. Thanks man!

[JPSBassist]

Originally Posted by Fat240

JP can you tell me what the main differences in the US haz and the haz copy are? I have a Kramer with an original US haz and one with a newer US haz. I have a TP equipped euro a Spector 18v in my Rebop, and a BQC equipped Euro. I have had experience with the OBP and BTC with other basses. Each one is different and is great in it's own situation, even the old 9v vs. the new 9v is a big difference to my ear. I prefer the older. So I have been wanting to locate a haz copy to compare and see if it is a useful tone or a waste of time.

OK. This is a fun one.

The "Haz" as it is called... it was designed by Stuart Spector in 1979. He built the first one, the second one and the third one himself. And he decided, "this is nuts." So he took the blueprints to a friend, Mr. Henry Zajac. Henry founded, owns and runs "Haz Laboratories". And his degree is in engineering with a focus in sound tech. Henry would also work with Ned Steinberger in developing the proprietary circuit for Ned's famous headless bass.

Just so that you all know, "Haz" is a simple and quick abbreviation of the two circuits made for Spector by HazLabs... but this abbreviation is not a fond one at Spector. Because you're talking about Stuart's circuit. Not one that Henry designed.

So the proper names are the Spector USA 18v and the Spector USA 9v Tone Circuits.

The design of the original 1979 circuit has changed over the years. Mainly, a few of the original components have changed by necessity as the contractor/company that made them either folded/closed or were purchased by another company and that part was changed or discontinued.

The original on-board pots that were specifically designed to fit onto a non-conductive substrate material... or the board design that Stuart developed for the Spector USA 9v Circuit.... these have changed a couple of times.

The 18v circuit is a different design, using JFET tech. It's a newer design meant to eliminate some of the inherent complications of the older, solid state 9v system. So for this little dive into the Spector circuit history ocean we're only talking about the original 9v USA design, the Kramer copy, made in both Japan (for a short period) and Korea. And the Mighty Mite (which many do not know, are the left over Spector copies from the Samick period of NS-2A construction during the last year of Kramer's operations).

OK, so here you go:

1979-1986: First Gen or Brooklyn Spector USA 9v Tone Circuit.
Used a dedicated pot system and 1/4 inch plug insert that was prone to burn-out. Also, a common problem was the battery connector would/could be broken off the board if you were not careful in how you inserted/detached the battery.

The growl and grit of the USA circuit comes from banks or rows of OpAmps which are used to handle the over-saturation issue inherent in the OpAmp design. This creates an overdriven/distortion quality to the circuit without the use of an overdrive or distortion circuit. The outcome of handling the over-sat weakness most circuits of this time suffer from produces an articulate yet growly/aggressive/gritty tone that cuts through the mix.

1986-1991: 2nd Gen or Kramer-Era Spector USA 9v Tone Circuit. Battery clips were included on the board. A new vendor for the pots was chosen. A new jack design was included.

NS-2A 9v PASSIVE CIRCUIT DESIGN: Originally built in Japan. Eventually moved to a Korean Contractor. NOT designed to power active pickups. Totally different pot system 500K pots used. Different non-conductive substrate design (BT-Epoxy VS FR-4). Staged OpAmp system used for USA circuit is reduced here. Fewer OpAmps needed in the array. The signal output from passive pickups doesn't require them.

MIGHTY MITE MM114: When Kramer was nearing the end of its life and needed to juggle vendors to keep production moving forward, they stopped using their Korean contractor for the building of the NS-2A and moved to Samick. This new circuit design was meant to replace the original design of the NS-2A circuit. When Kramer folded, a number... my sources say a couple of hundred... of the MM114 circuits were still around. Although loosely based on Stuart's design, the end result was not the same as what most Spector owners would expect. These were weaker, less growly circuits.

To the best of my knowledge, the Mighty Mite MM114 has been sold out and no more are available. Someone might want to try and order one. I've heard they're all gone. This is NOT anything close to the Spector USA 9v Circuit.

The Modern Spector 9v USA Tone Circuit - 3rd Gen and 4th Gen: There was a shortage of USA circuits a few years ago and Stuart was unsure if they were going to continue to be able to make them. The company that made the special pots that went onto the circuit board design of the Spector Circuit went out of business (or stopped making them... I'm not clear on which is the case... they just stopped being available).

No new USA Circuits could be built until a replacement pot was found. Stuart and Henry finally found a company that made a pot that would work with some modifications. The circuit was redesigned for these pots and production started again.

The last change (4th Gen) came about when EMG developed their new quick connect pickup system. Henry redesigned the posts on the circuit to quickly/easily fit stripped wires without the need to solder them.

------------------------------------------------

The changes over the years have been small, but necessary. And yes, these changes have created what equates to a tonal difference between the 1st Gen and 4th Gen boards.

In essence the design remains unchanged. The pots are different. There are small changes to some of the other components and different manufacturers have been used for the source of the OpAmp modules through the years as some makers changed their design or stopped offering certain configurations.

------------------------------------------------

The most desired (for purists) tone for the NS-2 comes from the Brooklyn models and the original Brooklyn Circuits.

The most commonly heard, most commonly sought after tone (Mike Starr, Gene Simmons (unmasked), Eddie Jackson, Doug Wimbish, Ian Hill, etc...) is the Kramer-Era models.

The most stable and best built circuits are the ones being produced today.

------------------------------------------------

It has been my experience in comparing the many different historical and modern USA Spectors that I've been very fortunate enough to have access to, that the Kramer Circuits are very strong regarding output.

I have GuitarRig5Pro set up on my computer with a set of Pre-Sets I've developed for things like Chorus, Distortion, etc... And the input levels/output levels, EQ, etc... everything is set for one of my basses. Example: Studio Chorus-The Black Pearl.

When I use these presets with the basses they are intended for, they don't clip, they don't blow levels out. etc...

Kramer Era NS-2 #1579, The Lava Bass... that bass's output was 30% hotter than the Black Pearl's. I could plug it into ANY of the presets for the Pearl and it would clip, blow out, etc...

That bass has a typical Kramer Era Spector USA 9v Circuit.

It's just that some things have changed over the years.

Today's circuits are more balanced, more tame. They have growl and depending on the application (for instance The Blue Dream's dual J pups have bark and bite that the Pearl just doesn't have) they can sound very different.

That's my whole Circuit history. A quick rundown. I didn't review my notes. This is top of my head.

I may have some of the facts wrong... I might have mixed up the substrate materials... anyway... it doesn't matter. The Korean circuits use a different substrate than the USA. LOL. It's all the same. I'm not sure that really equates to anything regarding tone.

[JPSBassist]

Originally Posted by delucajohn2000

Maybe it's because the pickup in that bass is a TW instead of a DC and I will admit, the TW pickups are not my favorite but I left it in there since the bass has a J pickup so I wanted the option of being able to have a J/J setup.

I'm sincerely not a dual humbucker fan. Too bombastic, not enough punch for me.

The TWs are awful sounding in dual mode compared to the DC models to me. At least that's what my ears hear.

The TWs sound best in single mode. I kept my Euro4LX-TW-35 in single mode all the time. Loved that bass as a dual J (basically what you get in single mode with those pups), and hated it in dual mode. It sounded murky to me that way.

Drop dual DCs into it and it's a different game. Deep and powerful, but articulate and clear.

I think the BQC was designed to power humbuckers. And you're going to like the Aguilar better... You may even like the 18v OBP-2 option.

[worshiprocker]

Hey Patrick, not to question your knowledge at all but I owned a Samick made NS2A and a MM114 and they were no where near the same circuit. Not only physically were they different, but tonally they were also.

The samick preamp was a smaller circuit board that was a square

The MM114 resembles the current 9v in shape and size of the circuit board.

Also the Might Mite sight recommended using active pups with it (although I'm not sure how accurate their site is lol)

Am I misunderstanding or maybe there were multiple "Samick Era" circuits?

[worshiprocker]

man I'm wide awake... wish I could get some sleep tho.. lol let's talk spector!

[JPSBassist]

Originally Posted by worshiprocker

Hey Patrick, not to question your knowledge at all but I owned a Samick made NS2A and a MM114 and they were no where near the same circuit. Not only physically were they different, but tonally they were also.

The samick preamp was a smaller circuit board that was a square

The MM114 resembles the current 9v in shape and size of the circuit board.

Also the Might Mite sight recommended using active pups with it (although I'm not sure how accurate their site is lol)

Am I misunderstanding or maybe there were multiple "Samick Era" circuits?

It's very possible. I was told that the MM114 was designed for the Samick NS-2A. But perhaps it took a while for that to happen and some alternate circuit was used... which would explain your bass's circuit board.

And not to go back and beat a dead horse... but so many strange things went on that last year at Kramer where Spector was concerned. There's no telling.

Stuart left early 1990. Kramer didn't officially fail until 1991 in January. So there was 9 or so months that Stuart wasn't involved with Kramer or Spector at all.

[worshiprocker]

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

It's very possible. I was told that the MM114 was designed for the Samick NS-2A. But perhaps it took a while for that to happen and some alternate circuit was used... which would explain your bass's circuit board.

And not to go back and beat a dead horse... but so many strange things went on that last year at Kramer where Spector was concerned. There's no telling.

Stuart left early 1990. Kramer didn't officially fail until 1991 in January. So there was 9 or so months that Stuart wasn't involved with Kramer or Spector at all.

ya... so I just remember that the samick NS-2A had a different shape routed electronics area too.. I was just curious, I'm a firm believer in the modern TonePumps... its my go to

[Zitch]

Originally Posted by smadder

The EMG BQC system is the most flexible one out there, but is a bit on the dry side. Aguilars are warmer and gooey (in a good way) but not as flexible in the midrange or treble. The Tone Pump for me has always been tricky for me, so I forgo them entirely (I have to emphasize that this is just my experience - some guys like Donny and Grendle can make them sound incredible). If I can't have a USA 9v or 18v, I put in an EMG BQC. If you're interested in one, shoot me a OM. It was professionally installed and uninstalled and comes with all of the hardware, quick-connect cables, and knobs. You can download the instructions and specs from the EMG site. They usually go for $120-$130 new, I'm selling mine for $65 shipped USPS priority mail with a tracking #.

Shout if you're interested! Some guys that have used them and liked them are John Deluca, Jamie Florin, and Chris Loe. And of course, Alex Webster

Thanks for the offer bro, i dont quite think thats what im after, but thats a killer price and i appreciate you takin the time to offer it up.

Originally Posted by Basstovsky

Big +1 there.

In my experience the aguilar is very "natural" sounding and really lets the bass and pickup tone shine through, while the BQC allows for THE most tone flexibility out there, the mid frequency sweep is probably the best there is. The US 9V circuit gives you the best growl with some grit, and the 18V is one of the cleanest and most articulate circuits I've ever heard, but those two are very expensive.

For the best bang for your buck, the Aguilar will be more tame and clean, the BQC will get you any tone with plenty of punch.

Yeah I think 18 volts is going to be the main part of the equation.

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

See... here's where I'm not going to agree with Steve. And no offense. Sincerely...

I have tried the EMG BQC in a couple of basses and it seems to not have the growl or bark that I like.

In probably what comes down to a playing or music genre difference between us, I find that the TP when tamed with the volume output trim pot is a very aggressive, yet flexible circuit.

Outside of the OBP-3, which when I spoke with Dave Boonshoft, owner of Aguilar about it, come to find out it's a mixture of the warm, analog tone that you get with OpAmps and it has the clean and articulate JFET circuit, both running inside the same pre-amp.

I really was impressed with how close the OBP-2 @ 18v sounds to the Spector USA 18v circuit.

And of course the USA 9v circuit is that growly, gritty gold standard.

For myself, and honestly you're in a tough place because you're not really going to know what a circuit is going to sound like in your bass until you put it there, the Smadder setup isn't really an option I'd ever go for. Even in the Alex Webster I had, which sincerely I really didn't play because I'm not a 5-string guy, I find it much easier to dial in the tone I'm looking for with the OBP-3. And most of the time I've been playing USA Bolt-Ons and they're setup for 9v.

Run the OBP-3 at 18v and you'll have headroom, warmth, articulation and the ability to overdrive it with clarity.

My $$$ would be on the OBP-3 @ 18v if you don't want to go for the USA 9v or USA 18v Spector circuits.

I think your spot on with the obp3. You know man this is why i love you, im a nobody in the bass playing world, dont even play out anymore, just rock my basses when imnot taking care of my wife and soon to be 2 kids and love everything about bass, and you take the time to answer my questions as though I were Doug Whimbish or one of your other endorsing artists, thats class.

Originally Posted by worshiprocker

I have never played the aggie or emg bqc. But I have heard that Alex Webster has a surprising clean tone. I attribute that to running DCs at 18v. I have only ever used the EMG BT circuit and I couldn't stand it. So again my vote is for aggie OBP-3. If clean, hifi and borderline sterile is what you are going for (not a bad thing) than EMG is the way to go. I'll keep rocking the tonepump tho.... Such sweet sweet tone

Ive got the tonepump in my rebop and love it, it doesnt cut enough treb though to get that old school motown thump though imo, it is a great pre though.

Originally Posted by brotherbassj

I'd like to chime in. Before I got into Spectors I had decided that the Aguilar OBP-3 was the greatest pre ever.....Steve turned me onto the BQC. I find them usable, but prefer the Spector USA 18 volt circuit over it in my Spectors. I like a big round organic bass tone.

I have gotten personal experience with the USA 9 volt circuit recently. I find it to be a little too grindy and gritty for my taste, however it does well live cutting in a mix. It works well in a two guitar situation when you need to punch through those guitars with distortion that try to creep down into your frequencies! Lol

For my three piece cover band, the 18 volt USA circuit really works well as it covers some extra ground and fills some holes in the wall of sound we are trying to produce, especially when the singer drops Rythym to play lead.

All in all.....if I were to pick one pre, that I would try in any bass.....at 18 volts with any pickups. I think I would still go with the Aguilar OBP-3. Having said that....I'm not a high mids guy. I like a wall of air moving past me. Keep that in mind and digest my thoughts with that in mind......

Agreed

[JeffplaysBass]

Originally Posted by LimaGuy

Jeff,

Check this map below
See the (A) that is Easter Island.



He will also be going to Torres Del Paine. Which is the furthest tip of where there humans can go in South America.

Man, I wanted to go for a bike ride to it....too far!!!..

[JeffplaysBass]

Originally Posted by Fat240

Started working on the Stringed Conspiracy album art. He's doing a decent job on my ugly mug. Looking forward to seeing the completed picture.

One thing for sure you can't make any basses on Easter Island.

Nice pic Mike!!...looking forward to a future pic of yours.

[JeffplaysBass]

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

Yeah... I'd be all over this if it was a 4.
Stuart only made 18 4-string SSD SD-4 models.
They are SUPER rare.

Ed Roman had one for a while on his website. Which I suppose his daughter has taken over the business since he passed away last year.

But it is no longer listed. The only Spector that is listed there anymore is one I hope they're stuck with for all of eternity because it's an abomination... And it IS NOT NS-2 #11. Which doesn't exist anyway... LOL.

It's an early model NS-1 that's been modified and is being passed off as an early NS-2. I feature this bass on the Official Spector Company Website here: http://www.spectorguitars.com/models/brooklyn.html under the featured model spotlight to the left under the navigation bar.

Anyway... the SSD SD-4 is a rare bass and anyone who gets one is very lucky.

The tobacco burst one on this page http://www.spectorguitars.com/models/ssd.html belongs to Todd Cooke. The natural one at the top is PJ Rubal's and the red one in the middle... I don't know who has it. This was taken from a high-resolution scan of the first SSD brochure Stuart created back in the mid-1990's.

These are some really cool basses. And their backs are more bowl-like, scooped out than curved like the NS. I really dig them.

NICE PIC!!!

[JeffplaysBass]

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

I had a couple of large-gauge needles stuck into my spine yesterday morning...

And they gave me the same medication that Michael Jackson's in-house doc, Conrad Murray, was giving him for sleep.

Which is sad because that stuff is nothing to play with.

Other than talking to Sam last night for a while and getting a shower (after taping a plastic "window" over my incisions) today... I've pretty much been wasted and don't really recall much of the last 30 or so hours. LOL.

I'm sick of laying down so I'm doing some lightweight surfing and getting caught up here.

Thanks again to everybody who had something nice to say and wished me a safe and speedy recovery.

I do this again next week and then start physical therapy after the New Year. So one day at a time. You know?

Good Luck Bro!!!...ooh and by the way are you Harrison Ford's stunt double?..You resemble him a little.

[JeffplaysBass]

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

????

The difference in shapes between the USA Bolt-On models and the Legends compared to the standard NS-Body neck-thru models isn't about cost.

It's about balance. By not shaping down the bodies and leaving the extra wood in the shapes it adds mass. The bodies are heavier. This is done to assist with reducing neck-dive issues.

That explains why they balance so GREAT!!!...Thanks for the info!..

[JeffplaysBass]

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

This is KILLER LOOKING!
How does she sound?
Nice purchase! That looks like a USA SSD NS-4 really. Great wings on it!

Thanks Patrick....With the EMG pre-amp its not as growly as my other basses but Cleaner...something different than the US 9 but I wont be replacing it anytime soon...It's Vol,Blend,treb and Bass(maybe not in that order) but I really like the center spot like the US 9 Volt...Set Vol to max and others in center. Very happy with the purchase.

[JeffplaysBass]

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

Omer looked like he needed a bass in those photos.

I started with a Forte. But you know... he's on an island in the summer (since that is south of the equator... it's summer there).

So I decided to hook him up with something more festive.

WOW!!!....hehe....Good one!!

[smadder]

Patrick, I always wanted to know the history of the Spector circuits and I honestly read your post 3 times straight. That is absolutely fascinating to me. It is my absolute favorite preamp and I have tried everything under the sun. It's so cool that they had so many iterations. The "rescue dog" Czech SSD that is currently undergoing it's final stage of lacquer before getting the poly gloss back on the headstock face - this guy is just a genius tech/luthier) is one of the rarest versions of all those made outside the USA from what I've heard. I can't wait till she's back up and running to hear how great it sounds. He even cleaned the circuit board meticulously, there's no rust in the solder joints, no dust buildup, and he used braided shielded cable for all the wiring - nice thick stuff. I can't wait to hear it and wanted to know if you know of any more special facts about the Czech era SSDs that were made (many without serial numbers, including mine) with the US 9v copy. If you know, could you tell us about it? I know it's like asking for story time, but I really mean it. It would be fascinating to know more about that small branch of the Spector tree, if you know what I mean.

Hope you're getting a bit better. Are you able to sleep or is the pain keeping you up? I just hope you're getting a bit of rest. Sorry - Jewish mother time

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

OK. This is a fun one.

The "Haz" as it is called... it was designed by Stuart Spector in 1979. He built the first one, the second one and the third one himself. And he decided, "this is nuts." So he took the blueprints to a friend, Mr. Henry Zajac. Henry founded, owns and runs "Haz Laboratories". And his degree is in engineering with a focus in sound tech. Henry would also work with Ned Steinberger in developing the proprietary circuit for Ned's famous headless bass.

Just so that you all know, "Haz" is a simple and quick abbreviation of the two circuits made for Spector by HazLabs... but this abbreviation is not a fond one at Spector. Because you're talking about Stuart's circuit. Not one that Henry designed.

So the proper names are the Spector USA 18v and the Spector USA 9v Tone Circuits.

The design of the original 1979 circuit has changed over the years. Mainly, a few of the original components have changed by necessity as the contractor/company that made them either folded/closed or were purchased by another company and that part was changed or discontinued.

The original on-board pots that were specifically designed to fit onto a non-conductive substrate material... or the board design that Stuart developed for the Spector USA 9v Circuit.... these have changed a couple of times.

The 18v circuit is a different design, using JFET tech. It's a newer design meant to eliminate some of the inherent complications of the older, solid state 9v system. So for this little dive into the Spector circuit history ocean we're only talking about the original 9v USA design, the Kramer copy, made in both Japan (for a short period) and Korea. And the Mighty Mite (which many do not know, are the left over Spector copies from the Samick period of NS-2A construction during the last year of Kramer's operations).

OK, so here you go:

1979-1986: First Gen or Brooklyn Spector USA 9v Tone Circuit.
Used a dedicated pot system and 1/4 inch plug insert that was prone to burn-out. Also, a common problem was the battery connector would/could be broken off the board if you were not careful in how you inserted/detached the battery.

The growl and grit of the USA circuit comes from banks or rows of OpAmps which are used to handle the over-saturation issue inherent in the OpAmp design. This creates an overdriven/distortion quality to the circuit without the use of an overdrive or distortion circuit. The outcome of handling the over-sat weakness most circuits of this time suffer from produces an articulate yet growly/aggressive/gritty tone that cuts through the mix.

1986-1991: 2nd Gen or Kramer-Era Spector USA 9v Tone Circuit. Battery clips were included on the board. A new vendor for the pots was chosen. A new jack design was included.

NS-2A 9v PASSIVE CIRCUIT DESIGN: Originally built in Japan. Eventually moved to a Korean Contractor. NOT designed to power active pickups. Totally different pot system 500K pots used. Different non-conductive substrate design (BT-Epoxy VS FR-4). Staged OpAmp system used for USA circuit is reduced here. Fewer OpAmps needed in the array. The signal output from passive pickups doesn't require them.

MIGHTY MITE MM114: When Kramer was nearing the end of its life and needed to juggle vendors to keep production moving forward, they stopped using their Korean contractor for the building of the NS-2A and moved to Samick. This new circuit design was meant to replace the original design of the NS-2A circuit. When Kramer folded, a number... my sources say a couple of hundred... of the MM114 circuits were still around. Although loosely based on Stuart's design, the end result was not the same as what most Spector owners would expect. These were weaker, less growly circuits.

To the best of my knowledge, the Mighty Mite MM114 has been sold out and no more are available. Someone might want to try and order one. I've heard they're all gone. This is NOT anything close to the Spector USA 9v Circuit.

The Modern Spector 9v USA Tone Circuit - 3rd Gen and 4th Gen: There was a shortage of USA circuits a few years ago and Stuart was unsure if they were going to continue to be able to make them. The company that made the special pots that went onto the circuit board design of the Spector Circuit went out of business (or stopped making them... I'm not clear on which is the case... they just stopped being available).

No new USA Circuits could be built until a replacement pot was found. Stuart and Henry finally found a company that made a pot that would work with some modifications. The circuit was redesigned for these pots and production started again.

The last change (4th Gen) came about when EMG developed their new quick connect pickup system. Henry redesigned the posts on the circuit to quickly/easily fit stripped wires without the need to solder them.

------------------------------------------------

The changes over the years have been small, but necessary. And yes, these changes have created what equates to a tonal difference between the 1st Gen and 4th Gen boards.

In essence the design remains unchanged. The pots are different. There are small changes to some of the other components and different manufacturers have been used for the source of the OpAmp modules through the years as some makers changed their design or stopped offering certain configurations.

------------------------------------------------

The most desired (for purists) tone for the NS-2 comes from the Brooklyn models and the original Brooklyn Circuits.

The most commonly heard, most commonly sought after tone (Mike Starr, Gene Simmons (unmasked), Eddie Jackson, Doug Wimbish, Ian Hill, etc...) is the Kramer-Era models.

The most stable and best built circuits are the ones being produced today.

------------------------------------------------

It has been my experience in comparing the many different historical and modern USA Spectors that I've been very fortunate enough to have access to, that the Kramer Circuits are very strong regarding output.

I have GuitarRig5Pro set up on my computer with a set of Pre-Sets I've developed for things like Chorus, Distortion, etc... And the input levels/output levels, EQ, etc... everything is set for one of my basses. Example: Studio Chorus-The Black Pearl.

When I use these presets with the basses they are intended for, they don't clip, they don't blow levels out. etc...

Kramer Era NS-2 #1579, The Lava Bass... that bass's output was 30% hotter than the Black Pearl's. I could plug it into ANY of the presets for the Pearl and it would clip, blow out, etc...

That bass has a typical Kramer Era Spector USA 9v Circuit.

It's just that some things have changed over the years.

Today's circuits are more balanced, more tame. They have growl and depending on the application (for instance The Blue Dream's dual J pups have bark and bite that the Pearl just doesn't have) they can sound very different.

That's my whole Circuit history. A quick rundown. I didn't review my notes. This is top of my head.

I may have some of the facts wrong... I might have mixed up the substrate materials... anyway... it doesn't matter. The Korean circuits use a different substrate than the USA. LOL. It's all the same. I'm not sure that really equates to anything regarding tone.

[Basstovsky]

Well I've been promising tone comparison clips so I finally stopped procrastinating and uploaded them. All clips are recorded with no EQing or effects of any kind to give the most accurate representation of the tone there is, so there is finger noise, etc. I tried to use a riff that has a lot of range to it, that's why all tracks have the name "Acrophobia" in them.

I repeat it 4 times each clip, once with both pickups full on, then with only the neck pickup, then with only the bridge pickup, then with both pickups full on with a pick (keep in mind I don't use a pick very often!). They all have very similar or identical strings, and I tried to keep the output of the basses at the same level, so they are very clean sounding for the purpose of tone comparison, but by no means are they this tame when I normally play them!

http://soundcloud.com/christovsk/ns-...crophobia-test

http://soundcloud.com/christovsk/ns2...crophobia-test

http://soundcloud.com/christovsk/ns2...18v-acrophobia

Also, these are the basses used just for reference:

[smadder]

Hey John Deluca! All this pre amp talk got me wanting to fiddle with the BQC in the "Chris" bass. I had started noticing lately that the treble was a little to hard to tame and the cut wasn't cutting enough, so I needed to widen the band so that the high end was broader and less focused/powerful. Didn't you have to do that with your USA bolt-on 5 (not sure of the model designation for it , I apologize).

So I just got finished running through all the iterations of the dip switches and landed on the left one being down and the right being up. Now when I have all controls set flat, they really sound flat and when I start manipulating the tone knobs, the treble is so much more pleasant to the ear and it's much more controllable in terms of it's broader range. Again, not in a warm Aggie way, but in a very clear, precise, hearing all of the note sort of way that's just EMGs. The clarity of note definition that Spector pres get so well, but without that awesome grit and grind and warmth that Spector adds. But it now gets that definition that the Spectors nail very, very well.

And I won't even go into the fully sweepable mid. I wish there was a way to make a version of this that was a US 9v with a few of these tonal options... that would be something.

Anyway, just wanted you to know that you were right: taking the time to get your treble center frequency set, you take a gigantic leap towards where you want your tone to be and it makes the BQC a much better chameleon.

Like Jamie F. once said "I could take a USA 9v based NS-2 to a rock or funk gig and it would be beyond perfect. Nothing could beat it, but I could take my Euro LX4 with a BQC to any kind of show anywhere no matter what the music called for." I feel like that's the best description possible of the EMG BQC as it applies to a neck-through NS style bass. In a Jazz (where they are super popular) they sound even better. As I said before, If you want something that's got a lot of different qualities and flexibility, but not a lot of warmth and a tendency towards broader frequencies and more powerful pickup staging. It gives you great note definition, clarity and a lean towards power and brightness, but it lacks the warmth and grind/growl/extended harmonic content that the Spetcor US circuits pick up so well.

That's why I feel it's a great pre to get if you are unhappy with the TP or even an EMG BT circuit from older CRFMs and are planning to get into a US 9v, but need something better, workable and good that is also affordable and that you won't lose your shirt over when you sell it after it gets replaced by the 9v.

Hopefully, that all made sense.

[iceboxbass]

Originally Posted by dukeisdog

Need this shirt with5 tuners!!

+1!!!

Originally Posted by dukeisdog

Another +1

I love playing my Spector on stage, I always seem to have someone talk to me after a set about either my bass or rig. Not too many Spectors out here in Winnipeg, either. I'm the only one ive seen gigging a Euro, though I have seen a few legends out there too.

I guess if I had a really nice USA id wanna use it mainly for at home/studio, but they're too nice and sound WAY too good compared to my other basses to just leave it at home.

I'm really glad that I play in bass guitar friendly environments so I can safely play my USA Spectors in public. They're made to be played!

Originally Posted by dukeisdog

It just wouldn't make sense to have the 4 banger version of it only owning 5ers.

+1!