SPECTOR® Club - Part 25

[grendle]

Sounds fast! Nobody likes rocking a log when they play. The thinnest neck I have is on the NS-2O. Probably the thinnest neck I have on ANY of my 4 string instruments (including the Musicman Stingray/Michael Tobias Design 434/ and Fernandes Tremor Deluxe). The only thing that felt close was the Geddy I used to own.

Got any sound clips of the Green Monster? Would love to hear it. \m/

The dougie neck is like the 3rd fret on the geddy but the same all the way up. Were recording some stuff at the moment and should have some clips soon.

 

[rockstarbassist]

Turn the bass and treb boost way down (almost cut, or maybe cut a little) on the bass. That will give you the nice mid growl. Add the low end back in with the eq after its recorded. The bass boost will get overpowering real quick on these basses and works best in a live setting rather than in the studio. Keep it flat focus on the tone in the mids and you'll be fine , it will not be what you want to hear when your recording through the headphones but it IS there. That's why your having a woffy overpowering issue. If that doesn't work fire the engineer (seriously) and get someone who knows how to record.

I actually had the levels on that bass set at flat (it's the 18V preamp) but to be honest, I think the biggest issue was the fact that the strings were
1. DR DDT's (not known for uber brightness and clarity lol)
2. had been on that bass about 8 months
I pretty much go for that "hear the winding in the string" tone when possible, and honestly I haven't taken brownie back into the studio since then. I've spent countless hours behind the board with him, and so I know he's competent with tracking, and it really was a lil woofy. He mixes very drum and bass heavy, but the way that bass tracks even "flat", really does dominate the gats... Anyway, I'll try that "all the way off" technique too along with a fresh set of Ernie Balls and I'm thinking that will help a lot.

 

[evanatch]

I scored a great deal on a Spector Performer 4 a few weeks ago. Got it virtually brand new at a pawn shop for $200.

I know it's their cheapest, entry-level bass, but I don't give a damn. It sounds frikkin awesome and plays great.

The Performers are really underrated basses, IMO. My Performer DLX 5 replaced my Japanese Fender Aerodyne as my main bass and is about half the cost.

 

[grendle]

I actually had the levels on that bass set at flat (it's the 18V preamp) but to be honest, I think the biggest issue was the fact that the strings were
1. DR DDT's (not known for uber brightness and clarity lol)
2. had been on that bass about 8 months
I pretty much go for that "hear the winding in the string" tone when possible, and honestly I haven't taken brownie back into the studio since then. I've spent countless hours behind the board with him, and so I know he's competent with tracking, and it really was a lil woofy. He mixes very drum and bass heavy, but the way that bass tracks even "flat", really does dominate the gats... Anyway, I'll try that "all the way off" technique too along with a fresh set of Ernie Balls and I'm thinking that will help a lot.

Go DR high beams. Might actually have to cut the bass. They are mean beasts . Even with the bass cut you can still eq all that bass and then some back in the mix . Just sounds like sh** through the headphones lol.

 

[rockstarbassist]

Go DR high beams. Might actually have to cut the bass. They are mean beasts . Even with the bass cut you can still eq all that bass and then some back in the mix . Just sounds like sh** through the headphones lol.

Haha I actually record open-air through the monitors. His mixing room is actually very well treated so it's a pretty clean listening/tracking environment! I just go in through an 85 and then we take that clean signal and then reamp through a Mesa Dual Recto+412 for some bite.

it was also the first time I got to really test out an Empirical Labs....
I think I'm just gonna get one of those and add a power amp and go from there!

 

[jarrod cunningham]

Well , as always , get my tax return and both basses I wanted have sold .... Looking for a euro 5 for under a grand . No green or purple .

 

[rockstarbassist]

Well , as always , get my tax return and both basses I wanted have sold .... Looking for a euro 5 for under a grand . No green or purple .

would a 4 do ya? in blue? affordable!

 

[delucajohn2000]

Aren't the ReBop's more shaped neck and body-wise like the NS stuff? I don't know that I've ever even played one haha.

Honestly, I've never had a Rebop. The Body is rounded like an NS. John has both and could weigh in on them.

I had the MK custom and it was handsdown WAY nicer than the ordinary legend classic. It had a very neutral sound, not overpowering at all.

You rang?

Yes, I do have an older Rebop before they came out with the DLX model so it doesn't have the crown inlays. The body is curved like an NS body but the neck is definitely different than the neck-thru of my Euro 5LX. It seems to be a bit flatter on the back but I am not sure if the newer ones are like that or if all Rebops are like this since it's really the only one I have ever played. The neck is very fast on that bass.

The EMG Hz's might help you out but since it might have the non-trim Tonepump, that might make it a bit over powering. You mentioned your friend might have one so you might want to check what Pre it has. The older ones also had OBP-1's in them for a short amount of time so it might have that in there as well.

 

[Clearwave]

Turn the bass and treb boost way down (almost cut, or maybe cut a little) on the bass. That will give you the nice mid growl. Add the low end back in with the eq after its recorded. The bass boost will get overpowering real quick on these basses and works best in a live setting rather than in the studio. Keep it flat focus on the tone in the mids and you'll be fine , it will not be what you want to hear when your recording through the headphones but it IS there. That's why your having a woffy overpowering issue. If that doesn't work fire the engineer (seriously) and get someone who knows how to record.

+1

 

[iceboxbass]

Turn the bass and treb boost way down (almost cut, or maybe cut a little) on the bass. That will give you the nice mid growl. Add the low end back in with the eq after its recorded. The bass boost will get overpowering real quick on these basses and works best in a live setting rather than in the studio. Keep it flat focus on the tone in the mids and you'll be fine , it will not be what you want to hear when your recording through the headphones but it IS there. That's why your having a woffy overpowering issue. If that doesn't work fire the engineer (seriously) and get someone who knows how to record.

Thanks grendle for that tid bit of info. I've not done studio recording before and I'll be doing some soon this year. I'll remember this.

 

[rockstarbassist]

Thanks grendle for that tid bit of info. I've not done studio recording before and I'll be doing some soon this year. I'll remember this.

i always record "flat" on the onboard pre as is, but maybe a cut was actually in order

also, make sure and restring and intonate right before tracking. and that doesn't go just for you (i've had to teach my guitards a lot haha)

 

[worshiprocker]

Very nice rig! How's that Spector sound thru the 2 410?!

Heavenly! its gritty... I'm barely pushing it and I'm wicked loud... cuts through the mix nicely... sealed cabs, GK growl, and Spector Growl.... winning

Its very responsive to touch also... we have one song where I do a lot of arpeggios and they clean up nicely

Is that the 1001 head?

700rb-ii I opted for the lower wattage so I can drive the amp to get the GK growl..... and its PLENTY loud

I scored a great deal on a Spector Performer 4 a few weeks ago. Got it virtually brand new at a pawn shop for $200.

I know it's their cheapest, entry-level bass, but I don't give a damn. It sounds frikkin awesome and plays great.

Those are great basses!! congrats...

 

[iceboxbass]

i always record "flat" on the onboard pre as is, but maybe a cut was actually in order

also, make sure and restring and intonate right before tracking. and that doesn't go just for you (i've had to teach my guitards a lot haha)

Hey rockstarbassist! Thank you! Much appreciated!

I know what you mean about the guitards:scowl:...in our church band one of the guitarist was going flat within the first song during rehearsal... man it was just killing me. I really don't like to tell other musicians how to manage their own gear but I couldn't take it after a while. Found out the strings hadn't been changed since new and they were nylon! And she was afraid to change them, never did it before. So I told her to bring in the new strings and I'd be happy to change them for her. Haha It was worth my sanity.

 

[rockstarbassist]

Hey rockstarbassist! Thank you! Much appreciated!

I know what you mean about the guitards:scowl:...in our church band one of the guitarist was going flat within the first song during rehearsal... man it was just killing me. I really don't like to tell other musicians how to manage their own gear but I couldn't take it after a while. Found out the strings hadn't been changed since new and they were nylon! And she was afraid to change them, never did it before. So I told her to bring in the new strings and I'd be happy to change them for her. Haha It was worth my sanity.

My singer always says I take too much credit for our band, but not really... lol
I've basically built BOTH of their rigs- going from strings, pedals, pedalboards, racks, cables, AMPS+CABS, you name it, they have changed their setups and bought what I've told them to since I joined haha. I have no idea how they managed before but at least that's past us now...

 

[iceboxbass]

Heavenly! its gritty... I'm barely pushing it and I'm wicked loud... cuts through the mix nicely... sealed cabs, GK growl, and Spector Growl.... winning

Its very responsive to touch also... we have one song where I do a lot of arpeggios and they clean up nicely


700rb-ii I opted for the lower wattage so I can drive the amp to get the GK growl..... and its PLENTY loud


Those are great basses!! congrats...

Awesome! I'd love to hear a track sometime with you playing that rig!

 

[iceboxbass]

My singer always says I take too much credit for our band, but not really... lol
I've basically built BOTH of their rigs- going from strings, pedals, pedalboards, racks, cables, AMPS+CABS, you name it, they have changed their setups and bought what I've told them to since I joined haha. I have no idea how they managed before but at least that's past us now...

That's pretty cool! You evidently have a life time of experience and they realized that and they listened to you. I wish I would've listened to experience when I was in high school...but years later, I'm listening now.

 

[JPSBassist]

I spent today getting it cleaned up, getting the neck relief set correctly (for some odd reason it had minor back-bow and a really low action), got a new set of Dogal Jaco Ultrapiatte Carbon flatwound strings on it and MAN AM I IN LOVE WITH THIS BASS!

I've never pretended to be a Jazz Bass guy... and yet a bolt-on neck with the standard Spector neck profile and EMG DC pups instead of J pups... and the powerful EMG BQC 3-band circuit (set at 9v on this bass), this thing is a tonal powerhouse with an amazing agility and life that I just don't expect to get when I pick up a traditional body bass.

Personally... it's the best solution for me... meaning the Coda's neck is too skinny and the sound is Jazzy, not growly and Spector-ish... that's NOT the case with the B.O.B. A neck like on the NS-2JA-R (but slightly wider at the nut like a standard NS-Bass) and growly, deep and powerful.

I'll record some samples sometime in the next few days.

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[corsa]

That all sounds about normal. You can switch the front and rear connections if it puts the knobs where you prefer them. Not changing pot values isn't really about being lazy. The haz I believe uses custom 25k pots which are next to impossible to find, custom length solid shaft ( the ones on the Spector online store may work). The copy uses 100 k pots if I'm not mistaken. The 100k pots work fine but will give you more extremes at the max settings. The treb pot actually becomes useful that way if you like zingy new string sounds. Just increase the treb when the strings start to die. The pots on the Spector site weren't available until a year or 2 ago I believe.

Thanks grendle - sounds like I'm in business then.

Any ideas on a schematic or pcb legend?

 

[chrisloe]

If that doesn't work fire the engineer (seriously) and get someone who knows how to record.

^ this, + 100. Don't mean to sound like a dick, but seriously, we are talking about Brownie here. It was good enough to play (and record?) with Pantera but he can't get a good sound? I would try a couple of things, but I never had a problem with my Spectors in a studio.

 

[JeffplaysBass]

Nice! Is that yours? Serial number?

Yeah got it last month from New Jersey guitar and bass. i believe its #814...one of the last ones before the Spector bridge.