Actually I bought this last month...
I've been looking for the right bass to drop in a NOS set of Lane Poor pickups I've been holding on to for years. I was on Reverb and spotted this. Spector NS Pulse 5-string. Looked good. Wasn't too expensive. True, it wasn't a USA or Euro Spector but it's still a Spector, it's going to be good.
The trouble is, it turns out I just don't like it. That's what you get when you shop online.
Some specs:
: 3-piece sandblasted ash body
: 3-piece roasted maple bolt-on neck
: 24 fret Macassar ebony fingerboard
: 35" scale
: Spector locking bridge, ~16.65mm string spacing
: EMG 40DC pickups
: Spector Tone Pump Jr 9v preamp. Vol/Vol/Bass boost/Treble boost
What I don't like: The string spacing. It's super tight and it's uncomfortable to play. My Ibanez 5 string has a slightly smaller 16.5mm spacing but somehow it feels wider than the Spector.
I don't like the large gap between the G string and the body caused by the curved body. I'm expecting my fingers to touch the body but they get air. instead. It's weird and uncomfortable and I don't like it.
I don't like the preamp. The bass is a gain monster. I have 2 different amps (SWR Workingman combo and Fender Bassman 500 head + cab) and even when using the padded inputs this bass clips the input with preamp flat and minimal volume. Super super hot bass! The preamp is noisy and hissy and muddy sounding. I can not get a tone I like from this bass. None of that Spector growl, just tubby low end farts and harsh scraping highs.
The thing I least like, and what soured the bass for me from the start is in that last photo. The big gouge in the fretboard at the second fret. You can't see it in that picture, but it's also scratched from under the fret, wrapping around the B-string side of the board. The scratch on top is causing chipping and flaking on the board. I can slide the blade of a screwdriver or a fingernail under it.
This bass was sold on Reverb as brand new & factory/mint condition from a reputable music store and a top tier Spector dealer, so I expected they would have decent customer service and take it back as a return. Wrong. They claimed the scratched and chipped fingerboard was just excess glue runoff from the fret that would easily wipe off if I bothered to try. That is NOT glue. Reverb customer service took my side and instructed the seller to provide a prepaid shipping label within X amount of days. They did not and blocked me on Reverb. So now I'm stuck with this stupid thing.
I've been looking for the right bass to drop in a NOS set of Lane Poor pickups I've been holding on to for years. I was on Reverb and spotted this. Spector NS Pulse 5-string. Looked good. Wasn't too expensive. True, it wasn't a USA or Euro Spector but it's still a Spector, it's going to be good.
The trouble is, it turns out I just don't like it. That's what you get when you shop online.
Some specs:
: 3-piece sandblasted ash body
: 3-piece roasted maple bolt-on neck
: 24 fret Macassar ebony fingerboard
: 35" scale
: Spector locking bridge, ~16.65mm string spacing
: EMG 40DC pickups
: Spector Tone Pump Jr 9v preamp. Vol/Vol/Bass boost/Treble boost
What I don't like: The string spacing. It's super tight and it's uncomfortable to play. My Ibanez 5 string has a slightly smaller 16.5mm spacing but somehow it feels wider than the Spector.
I don't like the large gap between the G string and the body caused by the curved body. I'm expecting my fingers to touch the body but they get air. instead. It's weird and uncomfortable and I don't like it.
I don't like the preamp. The bass is a gain monster. I have 2 different amps (SWR Workingman combo and Fender Bassman 500 head + cab) and even when using the padded inputs this bass clips the input with preamp flat and minimal volume. Super super hot bass! The preamp is noisy and hissy and muddy sounding. I can not get a tone I like from this bass. None of that Spector growl, just tubby low end farts and harsh scraping highs.
The thing I least like, and what soured the bass for me from the start is in that last photo. The big gouge in the fretboard at the second fret. You can't see it in that picture, but it's also scratched from under the fret, wrapping around the B-string side of the board. The scratch on top is causing chipping and flaking on the board. I can slide the blade of a screwdriver or a fingernail under it.
This bass was sold on Reverb as brand new & factory/mint condition from a reputable music store and a top tier Spector dealer, so I expected they would have decent customer service and take it back as a return. Wrong. They claimed the scratched and chipped fingerboard was just excess glue runoff from the fret that would easily wipe off if I bothered to try. That is NOT glue. Reverb customer service took my side and instructed the seller to provide a prepaid shipping label within X amount of days. They did not and blocked me on Reverb. So now I'm stuck with this stupid thing.
The other bass is great. I'll have to make a topic on that one, if I can ever put it down long enough.
