Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
SPEAR BASS..DOES ANYONE OWN ONE?
- Thread starter Richard G
- Start date
i had one a while ago. greenburst jazz bass with three pickups (p, jazz,mm). not an amazing bass but nice for the money. would need new pickups & electronics. could be a decent bass with some upgrades. i remember it being pretty light. it had a nice satin finish, tinted neck.
I bought mine off ebay for an unbelievable price about three months ago. Great tone and punch. The woods are excellent, set up perfect right out of the box, it has an upward angled input plug just under the strap peg, active-passive switch, mute switch, the volume is stacked, with the passive tone control behind the volume, very light, sits very balanced (that wierd knarley horn is very stable and well placed), massive string thru bridge, gold hardware, and I could go on and on.
Many of my bassplayer friends are very impressed after they play it. It's not an Alembic, but close. The neck is like a Jazz Bass, the active electronics are powerful, and it has an abalone naked lady on the fret board, fret dot markers on the side, and the ebay supplier allowed for a return.
Many players would rather play before buying, and everyone has different tastes, but for me, this was the deal of the decade. For a photo of the axe in action, here's the url to my music site. (having a problem posting it here)
Link Removed
Tony D
Link RemovedLink Removed
Many of my bassplayer friends are very impressed after they play it. It's not an Alembic, but close. The neck is like a Jazz Bass, the active electronics are powerful, and it has an abalone naked lady on the fret board, fret dot markers on the side, and the ebay supplier allowed for a return.
Many players would rather play before buying, and everyone has different tastes, but for me, this was the deal of the decade. For a photo of the axe in action, here's the url to my music site. (having a problem posting it here)
Link Removed
Tony D
Link RemovedLink Removed
These basses are rare as hen's teeth. The only one left on ebay was one a seller got at a previous NAMM show, and it just expired. I bought mine for 300 bucks + 40 shipping. At the time the other seller wanted close to 800 with free shipping. I contacted the factory and they have no national distributor. I could go on about all the features, but I think instead I will go to harmony central and post a review. Good luck.
Spear S1-SP
I can't figure out how to post a review on Harmony Central. If anyone knows the trick, let me know.
I can't figure out how to post a review on Harmony Central. If anyone knows the trick, let me know.
That S1-SP body style is just not for me, a bit too odd - but I like the V-STD. Now if you could actually find them somewhere online U.S.-based to purchase one!
The body of the S1-SP looks a lot more radical in photos than it does live. The S1 colored models Richard posted are flame maple with black hardware and no naked lady, and as you can see, they make both models in a 5 string.( I feel GAS coming on) I have a 5 string Schecter Omen Extreme which does the job for me, and I already own too many basses, but I love the idea of an active-passive switch.
I hate it when the battery goes in the middle of a set! Which reminds me, changing out batteries in the S1 requires no unscrewing, just unclipping. The best active change out I've seen was in the Carvin active-passive basses, where you don't have to mess with the snaps at all.
One thing about the active-passive. When the active electronics are set on their center point, you can't tell much of a difference switching back and forth, but tweaking the actives after that, man oh man! I've had this bass a while, and am still discovering new sounds and tones on both settings.
Here's the Schecter
I hate it when the battery goes in the middle of a set! Which reminds me, changing out batteries in the S1 requires no unscrewing, just unclipping. The best active change out I've seen was in the Carvin active-passive basses, where you don't have to mess with the snaps at all.
One thing about the active-passive. When the active electronics are set on their center point, you can't tell much of a difference switching back and forth, but tweaking the actives after that, man oh man! I've had this bass a while, and am still discovering new sounds and tones on both settings.
Here's the Schecter
Attachments
For me, it's that knarley upper horn on the S1-SP - just too overstated for my tastes.
Spear definitely seems worth looking at though - if you can find them here in the U.S.
Spear definitely seems worth looking at though - if you can find them here in the U.S.
Spear Bass: update
I just went on ebay and that NAMM S1-SP is back up with a reserve bid that no one has hit yet. Also, if you go to ebay and put in spear bass (musical instruments) you'll see what's available. There is a model S2 up from the UK which doesn't have the wierd horn, but no active-passive switch. There doesn't seem to be many other places Spear basses are sold. Good luck and happy hunting.
Oh yeah, it also has the graphite nut, 24 jumbo frets, and the S2 has the flamed maple with real good photos.
I just went on ebay and that NAMM S1-SP is back up with a reserve bid that no one has hit yet. Also, if you go to ebay and put in spear bass (musical instruments) you'll see what's available. There is a model S2 up from the UK which doesn't have the wierd horn, but no active-passive switch. There doesn't seem to be many other places Spear basses are sold. Good luck and happy hunting.
Oh yeah, it also has the graphite nut, 24 jumbo frets, and the S2 has the flamed maple with real good photos.
I had one of these (the Flex.) The neck was so soft, you could bottom the strings out with very little pressure.
This is true. I met Hank Lee of Spear Guitars at NAMM this year and he confirmed ha has no US distributor. Anyone wanna go into the distribution biz?
I sat in with TDBass' Spear last night. Once you get over the look (!), the thing is very well balanced, light, and has all the attributes you'd expect from a neck thru - sustain, no dead spots, etc. I couldn't really judge the sound too well - I was playing thru a beat BXR combo WAY too loudly for the amp. A steal for $300.
re. The Creature's post. That BSR 100 is not my rig. Belongs to the bassist who played that gig. I know what The Creature has in his arsenal (ask him sometime), so he knows his axes. I knew he liked it when I saw where he went on solo time ;>)
A youthful bassist informed me my spear bass looked a lot like what a German custom luthier is putting out, Jens Ritter. The Ritters are light years ahead of the spear, but they share many design traits.
Ritters are custom made to order and start at around 8k and go up.
I'll try to post pix of the two basses. On the left, a Ritter Okon 5 string, on the right the NAMM show Spear S1-SP from ebay.
Ritters are custom made to order and start at around 8k and go up.
I'll try to post pix of the two basses. On the left, a Ritter Okon 5 string, on the right the NAMM show Spear S1-SP from ebay.
