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Found a Spector bass at a local pawn store.

Metalbasspro

Metalbasspro

Feb 9, 2009
1,848
922
WA state
#1
Found the same bass as this one in the photo. It's used in good condition with EMG's. I did not plug it in but the tone just from the bass itself was classic spector as heard on early Alice in Chains songs. Because my new cover band is playing two so far AIC songs and maybe more since our singer is well suited to the songs and my Jackson does not come close in tone I am thinking about buying their bass. Where does it fit in on the Spector food chain? Low end, mid range bass?

They want 150.00 for it. How does that sound? I plan to swing by and ask em if they will come down 25 dollars.
Spector.jpg
 
#2
That looks like the old Performer series made in China about 10 or 12 years ago. It has nothing to do with real Spectors except the name; it's a bolt-on neck, with a completely different pickup setup (those are EMG "Select" high impedance pickups made in Korea) and a totally different preamp.

It's about the lowest on the Spector totem-pole; they were closed out at Guitar Center ages ago for about $200 in New Orleans.

If you like it, go for it...but it's not a "classic Spector" in any way. I'd say it's worth $100 in mint condition tops.
 
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#4
This bass will not produce "the Spector sound." Everything about it's construction, pickups, and electronics is different. Squier Strats still have the same type of pickups, electronics, and construction as any other Strat. In that Chinese Spector product, those passive EMG pseudo-soapbars are not going to sound like an active low impedance P/J setup in a neck-through solid maple real Spector no matter WHAT you do.
 
#6
Spectors do have a "sound." However, since they use different flavors of EMG's and various preamps, there is some wiggle room. An active bass with dual humbuckers and fresh strings ought to be able to get into the same family of tone, even if you can't quite nail that sound. With a pickup and preamp upgrade, you can get even closer. When you think you are getting close, though, don't go listen to a "real" Spector because it might burst your bubble.

That is a cheap bass. It might be a good bass, though. If it is a good bass, they are asking a fair price; anything that you can get knocked off of the price is a bonus.
 
#8
ggoat!!! said:
This bass will not produce "the Spector sound." Everything about it's construction, pickups, and electronics is different. Squier Strats still have the same type of pickups, electronics, and construction as any other Strat. In that Chinese Spector product, those passive EMG pseudo-soapbars are not going to sound like an active low impedance P/J setup in a neck-through solid maple real Spector no matter WHAT you do.
Click to expand...
Metalbasspro said:
I guess I will have to plug it in and listen. Sounded like a Spector when I picked on it without an Amp. Sounded a lot more like one then my Jackson.

How about the Korean Made Spectors?
Click to expand...

Not quite...though the pickups and preamp in this entry level import are nothing like the classic neck-thru NS-2, the construction shares a lot of similarities with a bolt-on NS-2.

The way the bass sounds unplugged is the most important part and if this particular one has 'that' sound to you acoustically, changing the pickups and preamp to whatever flavor you prefer is always an option; throw a Darkglass Tone Capsule and some active EMG's in and it'll be a monster plugged in.

If it's in great shape and you love the way it plays, seems like a decent way to spend $100 as a platform to find your ideal pickup and preamp combination ;)
 
#15

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