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SPECTOR® Club - Part 25

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#501
LimaGuy said:
Great that they let you use the 12% off coupon they usually dont do that on used models. But you deserved it after paying all the NJ Turnpike tolls. ;)

Your bass is probably very similar to the one that Mr.Bassie720 owns. His is refinished but the original finish was a oil matte finish with basic maple wings.

You will get a decent growl just from the EMG Pre, but the Tonepump or Haz ofcourse will give you some more grit and growl. Also dont forget about the Mightymite MM114 Haz copy which you can get for around $60.
Click to expand...

Work pays for the tolls and gas. Based on what I'll get for mileage, this will get payed for too! Thanks work! I didn't expect them to give me the coupon either, but I figured I'd ask and I'm glad I did.

I was looking at the MM114 earlier, and for the price I can't complain. It's probably the smarter move on this bass anyways. I really don't want to drop $350 on a hazlab, but I think that's the tone I'm going for.

I'm sure it's been talked about 1000's of times, but can anybody give me a run down of what the different pres sound like?
 
#502
iceboxbass said:
Frankly I don't see why ANYONE is allures by rounds. :confused:
They're clanky, rougher on your frets, FB and your fingers.
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I went through a period where I thought the same thing.

Flatwounds give me a deeper tone.
Flatwounds won't eat my frets.
Flatwounds are how a bass should sound.

I bought flats for all of my basses. They had a great sound to them in my bed room, but live, they were terrible. The sound guy asked me at church what I did to my bass because it was "dead" sounding.

For the gigs that I do, flats just don't work well for me and aren't what I want to hear. I have learned to control roundwound clank with technique. Also, if I need that low end thud, I can get it with technique. Flats however will not sound like rounds no matter what technique you use, so really they limit your tonal palette, IMO.

Also, a bass is designed to be played and used. It's a tool. Rounds may wear the frets some, but that's no reason not to use them. Playing the bass may wear or scratch your finish as well, so be careful! :D

iceboxbass said:
Too bright...might as well play a six guitard! But then...I see mostly former guitards use rounds on basses. And you have to replace them more often! I want my basses to sound like a bass! But to each their own...:p
Click to expand...

I guess most Spector artist as well as bassist are just trying to be guitarist then. Even your inspiration for playing Spector, Doug Wimbish, is a rounds user. :p
 
#503
I've played rounds the past 12 years. I like the sizzle when I dig in. And the clank can be controleld with technique and can also be covered up if you spend time EQ'ing and not just plug and play. Music evolves and so does instruments and strings and pickups and preamps. If our instrument the bass never evolved then we would still be playing double's along side acoustics guitars. Imagine the world without Spector... without one mans vision that has inspired thousands of musicians to change the way they see bass guitars and take it to another level. Rounds are no different. Some folks like'em, some folks dont. I think a Bass sounds more like a Bass when rounds a aboard IMO. Flats sound weak to my ears unless played with swing jazz or soloing. But in a band setting they sound weak, thuddy, muddy, and easiely lost in the mix. But I will say that flats sound unique when solo'd and played with the right technique they can be thick and full of tone. And this is just my.10 and only my opinion here. Everyone has their own style and Im never one to say their way is wrong becasue its not my way. Flats are just not for me, thats all. But you can NOT tell me my bass doesnt sound like a bass when I use rounds, making a statement like that is shallow minded. There is a bigger picture in the music world we ALL dabble in.

Okay I'll get off my soap box this morning, another cup of coffee for me sounds fantastic! Its all good, and its all just Friday morning conversation. ;)
 
#504
bassgod0dmw said:
Work pays for the tolls and gas. Based on what I'll get for mileage, this will get payed for too! Thanks work! I didn't expect them to give me the coupon either, but I figured I'd ask and I'm glad I did.

I was looking at the MM114 earlier, and for the price I can't complain. It's probably the smarter move on this bass anyways. I really don't want to drop $350 on a hazlab, but I think that's the tone I'm going for.

I'm sure it's been talked about 1000's of times, but can anybody give me a run down of what the different pres sound like?
Click to expand...


As soon as i finish getting one my Spector basses refinished I'm going to do a TP/MM114/HazLab comparison since i'll have all of them. I can tell you that the TP is gritty and growly and compared to the MM114....i think the MM114 is growly, but it is not as gritty as the TP is.
 
#505
silvertripper said:
Music evolves and so does instruments and strings and pickups and preamps. If our instrument the bass never evolved then we would still be playing double's along side acoustics guitars.
Click to expand...

That's somewhat how I feel. If I wanted my bass to sound like an upright, I'd use flats or an upright. I want more than thud, so I use rounds. That's what works for me and I'm far from a guitarist or Geddy Lee/Chris Squire/John Entwhistle like bassist.
 
#506
bassgod0dmw said:
Work pays for the tolls and gas. Based on what I'll get for mileage, this will get payed for too! Thanks work! I didn't expect them to give me the coupon either, but I figured I'd ask and I'm glad I did.

I was looking at the MM114 earlier, and for the price I can't complain. It's probably the smarter move on this bass anyways. I really don't want to drop $350 on a hazlab, but I think that's the tone I'm going for.

I'm sure it's been talked about 1000's of times, but can anybody give me a run down of what the different pres sound like?
Click to expand...

I have the same bass that came with the EMG pre. I wasn't a fan. I put a Haz copy from an NS-2A I found on ebay and it woke it right up. Sound is about 95% of a US NS-2. And that missing 5% could be the wood or the alloy versus brass bridge.
I was going to go the MM114 (?) route, but just happened to come across the NS-2A pre.

Great deal on that bass!!! :hyper:
 
#507
Me personally, I love the piano-like zing of roundwounds...but I get where you're coming from. I love flats on fretless. But everyone likes different tone....Henry Ford's concept of having any car you want as long as it was black didn't last very long either, though....
 
#508
I use rounds on my Spector since I really like the bright, snappy zing. I figure a modern bass should should have a modern string. Now when the band I'm in does the old Motown stuff I switch to my 70's hollowbody with 5 year old flats on it. It sounds very authentic. Now if I don't bring the hollowbody to the gig then I can cop the old school sound with palm muting and using my thumb instead of my fingers. Anyway, to each his own.
 
#510
dukeisdog said:
I posted a few pages back but never got a response.

I ordered a new tone pump with trimpot but it only comes with 2 pots. I'm not sure if I'll do the installation myself (I might), but what other pots will I need to make this go smoothly? This is my first time replacing a preamp and I appreciate all of the help!

Thanks guys
Click to expand...

It comes with the bass and treb pots attached. You can go vol/vol or vol/ blend. I believe the vol pots are 25k , not 100% if the blend pot is 25, 50, or 100k though.
 
#511
loend68 said:
I have the same bass that came with the EMG pre. I wasn't a fan. I put a Haz copy from an NS-2A I found on ebay and it woke it right up. Sound is about 95% of a US NS-2. And that missing 5% could be the wood or the alloy versus brass bridge.
I was going to go the MM114 (?) route, but just happened to come across the NS-2A pre.

Great deal on that bass!!! :hyper:
Click to expand...

I think I'll go for the MM114. If I hate it I can always go back, sell it, and get something else. I'm going to play with the EMG pre for a little while first...
 
#512
bassgiant15 said:
As soon as i finish getting one my Spector basses refinished I'm going to do a TP/MM114/HazLab comparison since i'll have all of them. I can tell you that the TP is gritty and growly and compared to the MM114....i think the MM114 is growly, but it is not as gritty as the TP is.
Click to expand...

+1

I have both. I prefer the pump at 18v going for that same type of tone. The pump is a little more flexable imo as it growls at just about every setting, but you can use the trim pot to adjust how hot you want it going into the amp (handy with tube pre's). The mm sounds good though, a little more like queensryche though.
 
#513
bassgod0dmw said:
I think I'll go for the MM114. If I hate it I can always go back, sell it, and get something else. I'm going to play with the EMG pre for a little while first...
Click to expand...

There's a few pumps up for sale here now I believe. I had the emg and it sounded good till I played the others. Then it got tossed quick. Lol

Note : to install the mm pre your going to have to make the control knob holes bigger (drill or reamer). No need with the pump. Some don't care to tool on the bass.
 
#514
Rick Blanc said:
I use rounds on my Spector since I really like the bright, snappy zing. I figure a modern bass should should have a modern string. Now when the band I'm in does the old Motown stuff I switch to my 70's hollowbody with 5 year old flats on it. It sounds very authentic. Now if I don't bring the hollowbody to the gig then I can cop the old school sound with palm muting and using my thumb instead of my fingers. Anyway, to each his own.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. :)
 
#515
Rick Blanc said:
I use rounds on my Spector since I really like the bright, snappy zing. I figure a modern bass should should have a modern string. Now when the band I'm in does the old Motown stuff I switch to my 70's hollowbody with 5 year old flats on it. It sounds very authentic. Now if I don't bring the hollowbody to the gig then I can cop the old school sound with palm muting and using my thumb instead of my fingers. Anyway, to each his own.
Click to expand...

+1

To the "Spector tone " is more similar to a 20ft grand piano on steroids than any double bass or old motown tracks. But hey its all good if your not playing a Spector, your just not playing :)
 
#517
LimaGuy said:
duke,

If you are just switching from the old Tonepump to the new Tonepump. I think you can do it on your own. (As long as you think you can handle the soldering iron)

Take a look at this diagram. I will PM you with some advice in about an hour. :bassist:

You can keep the exisiting Vol-Vol Pots and just remove and replace the Tonepump and the 2 Tonepump Pots.

TonePump-1.gif
Click to expand...

Have any of you guys that have installed tone pumps noticed the bass and treble pots are reversed using this diagram. On the Haz and Haz clone preamps, the bass pot is towards the front and the treble pot is at the rear. When I installed my tone pump, this was the first thing I noticed and I switched around the pots thinking I made a mistake. But.........I noticed on the spector webpage that the USA and the Euro tone pots are reversed. That's just a strange inconsistency.
 
#519
grendle said:
Note : to install the mm pre your going to have to make the control knob holes bigger (drill or reamer). No need with the pump. Some don't care to tool on the bass.
Click to expand...

Yea no doubt about the drilling part... I just installed a OBP3 and needed to make 3 holes larger to fit the pots Im using. Talk about stress headache! And Im a tool guy I use'em all the time, but drilling out the holes in my Euro to make them larger made me sweat a little for sure. Not recommended for someone who doesnt have (a.) fresh sharp drill bits (b) some experience using a drill to confidently drill holes. If drilling out holes make sure to drill from the top side down, not from the cavity side to the top. And I most definately NEVER recommend drilling a new hole entirely. Thats just crazy kookoo talk right there!
 
#520
Been using round wounds on my basses since I bought my Rick in '73. Even in college when I was earning extra money playing old school country western on a BC Rich Mockingbird. Got some funny looks on the bass (LOL) but never a complaint on the sound. Much easier to take away tone then to add it. IMHO
 
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