Sting's Spector

[winterburn69]

Not sure if this should go in "Basses" or "Bassists" since it's about a bassist's bass, but "Basses" gets alot more traffic. Please move to the appropriate sub-forum if needed.

Sting's Spector: used on the 1983 Synchronicity tour, therefore it would have to be a Brooklyn Spector as it was like two years before Kramer bought Spector. I don't think he used it after the tour.

I'm assuming it has all the regular Spector stuff about it, EMG active pickups, Hazlab 9 volt preamp, etc. Certainly looks & sounds like it, that thing has a great tone.

My questions are; 1, what's up with the bridge? kinda looks like a Badass, definitely not a regular über-fancy looking Spector bridge.

And 2, what's up with the bridge pickup? Never seen that on a Spector.

And 3, IMO, it's a damn shame it's sitting in the "Rock & Roll" hall of fame. That place is an abomination of what an institution honoring rock should be. It ignores influential acts and instead inducts (mostly) crap and and musicians that aren't even rock. I'd like to see it shut down and stop all this silly RRHOF induction business. It should be getting played, and no pictures allowed? That sounds more like a prison, not a museum. I could complain about them all day, like they induct some goofball that's been in the RHCP for like two years, but ignore the people in GN'R that have been in the band longer than the people that got inducted!

On a side note. This thread was NOT started to complain about the RRHOF. I guess it just happens when it's mentioned

Sorry guys, but I'd also like following comments to be about Sting's Spector if possible.

[millahh]

Could it be a big chunk of foam used as a mute, rather than a funky bridge pickup? As near as I can tell, the bridge pup is a normal J style.

[Clearwave]

100% sure that's a chunk of foam.

I do that quite a bit.....a little messy looking..
....but its on a Sting Bass!

[jmattbassplaya]

It honestly looks like tape to me.

[winterburn69]

Wow. I seriously never considered it being a piece of foam... :/

[TC2112]

The bridge looks like a Badass because it's a Badass bridge. Says so in big letters in the picture. I agree that it's just a normal J PUP at the bridge with a foam mute. You can kind of see it here Spector Club - Part 14

Sting plays with a pick and always did a bunch of palm muting on the Police stuff, so it's easy to see why he would use it.

[awilkie84]

That's an older NS-2 with a standard J p-up and a foam mute that's been taped down.

[bassfreakah]

Its super cool whatever it is.

[IronLung1986]

Originally Posted by TC2112

Sting plays with a pick and always did a bunch of palm muting on the Police stuff, so it's easy to see why he would use it.

i usually see him playing thumbstyle. it looks like he's using a pick but it's actually thumb and occasionally fingers.

[PhatBasstard]

Originally Posted by IronLung1986

i usually see him playing thumbstyle. it looks like he's using a pick but it's actually thumb and occasionally fingers.

Mostly now,
but back then it WAS a pick and he still uses one occasionally.

[Caca de Kick]

Originally Posted by winterburn69

1, what's up with the bridge? kinda looks like a Badass, definitely not a regular über-fancy looking Spector bridge.

Your observation is correct. The early Spectors used a Badass bridge before the big signature bridge came out.

Sting used to play with a pick alot in The police.

[IronLung1986]

Originally Posted by PhatBasstard

Mostly now,
but back then it WAS a pick and he still uses one occasionally.

oh I see! well now I know

[Davo-London]

In a way it's really odd as a Sting bass in the RRHOF since Sting is synonymous with 50's and 60's Fenders both fretted and fretless.

Davo

[Clearwave]

Originally Posted by Davo-London

In a way it's really odd as a Sting bass in the RRHOF since Sting is synonymous with 50's and 60's Fenders both fretted and fretless.

Davo

I guess he sent them a bass he wasn't using......

That bass was pretty visible in the short period he played it....the synchronicity tour

I have a fender sting bass. It's odd fender markets that bass as if it's what he played it during the police. I know he bought his 1954 p bass in 1981 for a video, but he didn't start giging with it until 1995.

I guess he used it in 2010 for the police reunion tour.

[PhatBasstard]

Originally Posted by Davo-London

In a way it's really odd as a Sting bass in the RRHOF since Sting is synonymous with 50's and 60's Fenders both fretted and fretless.

Davo

Because of the Synchronicity concert, I'm sure the white NS2 is by far his most recognizable bass to the general public.

But back before then it was mostly various Ibanez Musician and Studio models. He also toured the whole Ghosts In The Machine tour with a Steinberger.

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by Clearwave

I guess he sent them a bass he wasn't using......

That bass was pretty visible in the short period he played it....the synchronicity tour

I have a fender sting bass. It's odd fender markets that bass as if it's what he played it during the police. I know he bought his 1954 p bass in 1981 for a video, but he didn't start giging with it until 1995.

I guess he used it in 2010 for the police reunion tour.

The story of him buying the old P in 1981 is a commonly quoted false fact. He actually bought it in 1994 when doing the rerecording and video of Demolition Man for the movie of the same name. People often think it was for the original Police Demolition Man recording in 1981, but it's not - it was for the rerecording/new video as a solo artist. Also, while it's a '54 style P, it's actually a 1957 model.

On topic, it's a cool bass, but I don't like the mute he added.

[Clearwave]

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

The story of him buying the old P in 1981 is a commonly quoted false fact. He actually bought it in 1994 when doing the rerecording and video of Demolition Man for the movie of the same name. People often think it was for the original Police Demolition Man recording in 1981, but it's not - it was for the rerecording/new video as a solo artist. Also, while it's a '54 style P, it's actually a 1957 model.

On topic, it's a cool bass, but I don't like the mute he added.

Ah Ha, Very cool. That makes perfect sense! I thought the 1981 thing didn't add up.

[Clearwave]

Here's the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqxRgls-OEE

That's the earliest i've seen him with that bass.

[awilkie84]

Originally Posted by Davo-London

In a way it's really odd as a Sting bass in the RRHOF since Sting is synonymous with 50's and 60's Fenders both fretted and fretless.

Davo

Sting played Spectors for YEARS with the Police. It wasn't until going solo that the Fenders became the big thing with him.

[KPJ]

Originally Posted by PhatBasstard

Because of the Synchronicity concert, I'm sure the white NS2 is by far his most recognizable bass to the general public.

But back before then it was mostly various Ibanez Musician and Studio models. He also toured the whole Ghosts In The Machine tour with a Steinberger.

Agree. Anyone around way back then (LOL) would link the Spector to Sting.