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Originally Posted by brotherbassj  The thought process of what you speak of in coupling imagination, especially auditory imagination and actual practical build is fascinating. I cant comprehend how one would actualize this. I would love to hear about the trials and errors of building the first Spector USA 9 volt circuit we refer to as "the Haz" sometimes. |
The "Haz"... yeah... it would probably make Stuart and PJ both really happy if people stopped referring to it as that. Not that Henry @ Haz isn't a great guy. It's simply he didn't design the circuit. So it's not his. And therefore it's not really a "Haz", it's a Spector.
I know this really grates PJ because I learned quickly myself to never call it that... LOL.
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Originally Posted by brotherbassj Maybe someone could interview Mr. Spector himself about this? I bet there was some serious trial and error! And I mean that comment about trial and error with much respect. |
He and I have spoken briefly about this. And yes... a bunch of trial and error.
And no worries. Stuart is one of the most grounded, down-to-earth guys you will ever meet. He's very straight-forward and matter-of-fact about things.
He's also never one to gloss over the trials of the past. He'll admit if something he thought was a great idea ended up being not-so-great. He's mentioned all the difficulties he had with finished in the Brooklyn Era. Which is why I think he pays so much attention to the finish/stain quality now.
What is sometimes hard for me (and other people like most of you who are fascinated with Stuart's journey) is that he is a forward-thinking person. He doesn't live in the past and really, thinking putting too much effort focusing on it is a waste of time.
He honestly didn't understand why I wanted to spend so much time diving into the distant past of his history for the websites. I mean, logically he gets it, but that's not how he thinks. So he was pretty adamant at first that I not spend any amount of time creating the "tome" of his past that I have.
I put all that time in on my own time. The history I dug up has been something that was a pet project of mine. Not Spector's. And I'm glad I did.
It just cements how cool Stuart is and how magical his basses and guitars are.
I think about things like what if when Billy Thomas asked Stuart if he wanted to join him to look at the equipment for sale at the cabinet shop were Ned Steinberger worked?
What if Stuart had never talked to Ned and invited him to join the Brooklyn Woodworker's Co-Op?
The NS-Bass would never have been born.
This is what I love about history. What seemed like a pretty friendly and nice thing to do, invite a soon-to-be unemployed fellow woodworker to join your co-op, would change your life and his, and the lives of countless others.
It's heavy stuff to contemplate.
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Originally Posted by brotherbassj |
Yeah... I've often wondered why use the circuit board design that he did.
But when you look at the introduction to the history of the company I wrote, it makes sense.
Stuart became a Luthier without any training. He had no pre-conceived ideas about what he was doing. At first he wanted to make a guitar for himself.
Then he wanted to make something that sounded different than anything else out there. Something that would sit better in the mix than the options available.
I think because he never did any apprentice work, like with Gibson or Fender or where ever you went to learn these things... he wasn't trying to build something based on what had been done before.
He really had a blank slate to create something new.
And really, it was Ned that would take that to a place no one had ever gone by inventing the headless bass that he did.
I think Stuart's being in the right place (NYC) at the right time (when music was really exploding new technology was changing the soundscape of musical expression) with the right skills (he's got amazing hearing and a mind for music) with the right open-minded attitude.
