Help me customize my Spector Euro4LX

Tops and finishes and hardware color are all personal preference.

I really like the Soapbars on my US NS4 and it is my favorite of my 4. If I were ordering a new Euro4LX, I would go with that option.

I think the tonepump sounds fine but I don't like boost only. I just modded a used Euro 4lx and went EMG BTS. I'm sure the 3 band would be quite versatile. To me the biggest difference is whether you want boost only or boost/cut.

 

If you go zebra or poplar, consider how that might affect the tone and talk to some guys that have those tops. My bubinga topped euro sounds great but a little different from my maple topped ones. It is really thick and punchy but doesn't have quite the top end growl of most Spectors. Not sure how the poplar and zebrawood ones sound comparitively but something to consider beyond ashetics.

 

Keep in mind that it isn't a thin top like on other basses on a Euro. Your top is as thick as the wood on the back with that thin stripe of walnut in between so it really does make a difference.

 

As far as my preferences, I like gloss white, blueburst and the zebrano or spalted. I'm not a big fan of that poplar top for whatever reason. Just my 2 cents. I'm not a big gold hardware guy but they are part of the classic Spector look. If you look at my refinned Euro that I switched to black hardware, you'll notice it really changes the look of the bass. Once again, these are all strictly personal preferences.

If you look at my bubinga top one, you can see how that top is thick like the back, so I'd imagine that a zebrano or poplar top one will have some unique characteristics in tone. May be subtle or may be more drastic, hard to say. Maybe try calling a store like Bass Emporium that stocks a lot of Spectors and they could give you their 2 cents on the differences they've noticed?

 

Contact PJ Rubal of Spector Customer Service and ask him the tone differences between the wood choices and models overall. He was 100% correct in answering my questions and helped me pick out two excellent Spector Basses.

http://www.spectorbass.com/contact.html

I also suggest going to www.basscentral.com and check out what they have for Spector's. They have several used models along with many new ones most likely less than what they go for straight from Spector. You don't get a choice on the pre-amp that is installed there and the other extras you brought up however......

With a 5 string and the G-string, well, if a song calls for it, you can use it. If you are truly looking for a 4 string bass that just goes low, then by all means do it. If you want to use this bass in more styles than metal, the G - string can come in handy. Good luck.

 

Burl or Spalted Maple are my choices for top wood.

 

tried a spalted maple USA spector 5 strings with humbuckers, and it was pretty stunning, look and sound. I'd go zebrawood or spalted maple

 

+10000. As for the other options, you've pretty much made the best decisions you could have especially on the BQC system pre. I'd probably go with the PJ pup over the DCs though, because I like the tone they give me a bit more.

 

win!

 

The 35" scale causing more fatigue? I don't think you will have an issue unless you are holding the bass incorrectly.

The Hip Shot detuner is quite helpful is you want to tune on the fly. 5 string's tuned BEADG has one obvious flaw - if you need to hit open low notes during the bass riff. Think of Pantera's "Walk" and playing that on bass. It is a heck of a lot easier to play with an open D on the 4th string than the D on the 5th string (3rd fret). There are several slides and other thigns to throw in.

Believe it or not, the 35" scale adds more tension to the strings which allows you to tune lower without so much string flop. If you have tuned a 34" scale down, most of them have a floppier string feel. The extra inch long scale actually helps that. So you will have tighter feeling strings - which can be a good or bad thing depending on what you want.

As for setups, a neck and string adjustment needs to be done when the seasons change. At least that is how it is for me in the Chicago area. Honestly though, it is not that hard to do it on Spectors, but will be a little cimbersome and time consuming. The nice thing though, once you set it, it stays like that for a good length of time (3 months on average). I suggest doing it yourself so you can set the bass to your playing style and not to what someone else thinks you should have.

IME, I used to have the Spector Euro 5LX with the Spalted Maple Top and it was terrible. The bass was cold and lifeless sounding and I ended up getting rid of it fast. From what I hear, the top woods are making a difference in the tones.

 

My experience with the Spalted Maple top and Alder back Euro 5 LX was a bad one, but should not be taken as the truth. I have had better experiences with the Alder and Maple bodies in the Neck-Thru series.

I have a Euro 5LX with Padauk wings (only about 6 of these made since they were the prototype model) and I have a USA NS5XL with a Redwood top and Walnut back. Both basses have the maple neck-thru body. Both basses are warm sounding, thick and make finger style playing incredible. They don't growl like a Jazz or P bass will, but armed with roundwounds and a pick, you can get a good pick attack sound going. Pick up blending can help a lot in this situation...

 

Weird, the one I tried was a USA import model, I cannot say for sure what the wood at the back was, but iirc it looked like alder, or maybe a pretty bright walnut. The bass was anything but lifeless. Very organic and reactive to playing style, very rich sound, and not glassy as I sometimes hear in youtube demos. The only thing I didn't like was the plastic knobs that looked like they were taken from a decommissioned russian submarine. A bit cheeky for a £2,400 bass! Great instrument...

 

Do you have any clips?[/QUOTE]

Nope, sorry! Let's just say the frequency range from 200hz to 500hz was really lacking. It was a strange bass for sure, but I hope I just got my hands on a bad one and the rest are good. From what other Spector users on here say....the rest are good!