SPECTOR® Club - Part 33

[String Cheesus]

Sweet!!!

thank ya sir!

 

[iceboxbass]

Here's a cover of Freddie Washington's bass line on Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen. NS-2A, flat EQ, P pickup soloed, into Apogee Jam, into iPhone Garageband. Used the 'Clean' amp with a little mid-scoop and slight compression. Then looped it in Audacity. I think it came out a little distorted.

Still, not bad for 30 mins work, lol.

http://soundcloud.com/spectorbass/forget-me-nots

Sounded good!

 

[LimaGuy]

Check this out. This is the NS-2 Buckeye I mentioned before. Here is the official listing.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f126/woodstock-spector-ns-2-w-buckeye-burl-top-ebony-board-884841/

I have a feeling GAS is going to run really high on this one.

 

[smadder]

Sounded good!

+1

Amazing. The Apogee Jam seems like a fantastic tool. I want to try and find one for less than $99. That's so cool to have a portable recording studio and all you need is your phone, a small device a few cables and a bass. Technology is so awesome sometimes you have to stop and marvel at what's possible even compared to just 5 years ago. And now I sound old.

Great playing too, BTW!!

 

[smadder]

Just picked up a jive Ns2a. It's sweet and sounds good....but I just don't like it! Am I crazy?

No. But I'm curious as to what's turning you off about it. If it's just the tone, swapping out the electronics really makes a huge difference. The Spector pickups are adequate but EMGs make a very noticeable difference.

 

[smadder]

Check this out. This is the NS-2 Buckeye I mentioned before. Here is the official listing.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f126/woodstock-spector-ns-2-w-buckeye-burl-top-ebony-board-884841/

I have a feeling GAS is going to run really high on this one.

Wow. That's just stunning.

 

[grendle]

Man a lot to read after three glasses of wine....so You are selling 2 and getting another one?

1.5 is the dougie!

 

[String Cheesus]

No. But I'm curious as to what's turning you off about it. If it's just the tone, swapping out the electronics really makes a huge difference. The Spector pickups are adequate but EMGs make a very noticeable difference.

The feel and the tone. Just not feeling it

 

[JeffplaysBass]

Ah! You may be the "other guy" Beaver mentioned when he said he had two coming in soon. Soon being relative, obviously.

It's actually a South Parked Magneto icon. I'm a comic book geek just to add insult to injury But then we wouldn't be playing Spectors without the wonders of electromagnetism, so maybe there is some significance to it...

Cool!!!...I think I am the "other,other" guy...mine is coming from up north.

 

[sumgruuvz]

Just picked up a jive Ns2a. It's sweet and sounds good....but I just don't like it! Am I crazy?

sweet!

Check this out. This is the NS-2 Buckeye I mentioned before. Here is the official listing.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f126/woodstock-spector-ns-2-w-buckeye-burl-top-ebony-board-884841/

I have a feeling GAS is going to run really high on this one.

man that is one beautiful bass!

 

[JeffplaysBass]

Just picked up a jive Ns2a. It's sweet and sounds good....but I just don't like it! Am I crazy?

First thing take out those spector pickups and put some Emgs...than maybe try either Emg to Tonepump preamp...it ill make it a different beast.

 

[worshiprocker]

Just picked up a jive Ns2a. It's sweet and sounds good....but I just don't like it! Am I crazy?

First thing take out those spector pickups and put some Emgs...than maybe try either Emg to Tonepump preamp...it ill make it a different beast.

^^^^ this!!

Got the pups in the Rex... left the BT in there for now. Only problem is that the volume pots are solid shaft and bigger. Anyone know what size knobs I need?

 

[smadder]

1.5 is the dougie!

Cool. I know we'll know for sure when it shows up and we can see the back of the headstock. No matter what I'll post pics.

 

[smadder]

Cool!!!...I think I am the "other,other" guy...mine is coming from up north.

You're getting a white NS-2? That's just awesome. It'll sound insane. The US bridge alone makes such a difference - all that brass... plus all that maple... and the Haz Lab... just the whole thing is insane. So anything else custom on it besides the finish?

 

[String Cheesus]

Not just the tone......the body just feels different than my crfm or JAR. I know it's suppose to be curved and identical to the ns-2 body, but just feels bigger. Makes me sad too.....I love white basses!

 

[smadder]

Got the pups in the Rex... left the BT in there for now. Only problem is that the volume pots are solid shaft and bigger. Anyone know what size knobs I need?

EMG pots are 8mm diameter.

 

[worshiprocker]

Not just the tone......the body just feels different than my crfm or JAR. I know it's suppose to be curved and identical to the ns-2 body, but just feels bigger. Makes me sad too.....I love white basses!

the Jar body
feels "thinner" than the neck through models....

 

[iceboxbass]

Hey folks.

So my name's Steve and I'm the guy who was trying to move the reconditioned white NS-2A a few weeks back and out of ignorance had priced it way beyond what is reasonable for the market. Chris and Patrick really helped me out a ton in teaching me about the Spector market, the culture surrounding the instruments, and Chris even took the bass off my hands for a bit before deciding it just wasn't quite right for him. I did end up immediately selling it to a gentleman named Mike before I even got the bass back from Chris and was able to re-direct UPS to get it to him on Monday and after sitting with it for a day or so he's completely in love (you can read the feedback from scootbass1).

I recently did a bunch of computer work in exchange for a couple of LX basses from Amazon and a little cash: one brand new LX4 in a black cherry flame top finish (great figuring), one ultra amber quilt-top LX5 with TWs (which looks like it was a return that got knocked down in price, but then I talked to PJ and found out some cool history - read on). I also sold off my very old Tobias to a local guy to help with the bills, the basses and to get some other bass stuff taken care of.

The guy couldn't afford to pay me entirely in cash but had a lot of Amazon credit, so he bought these two basses that were already discounted and then had an additional 15% taken off (plus I threw in some of my Tobias money). I think the LX4 was just NOS and the LX5 was a return (but found out differently from PJ - again, read on). But they were priced at $1500 for the 4 and $1700 for the 5. That's pretty great for "new" LX models, so that's what I went with. I had to get in touch with PJ about them because the 4 didn't come with the accessories pouch and the 5 was equipped with Dunlop strap locks instead of Schaller and also didn't have the accessories package. He said that the LX5 was one that he had given to EMG and Dunlop at the NAMM show this past January to use as a booth bass and they equipped it with their own straplocks. He particularly remembered the model being an ultra amber LX5 with TWs. I thought it was neat to get the history on this seemingly random bass off of Amazon.

I am having the pickups in the 4 changed to PJ-X's and 40DCs in the 5. I just sold both Tone Pump rigs here on TB and they should be getting to the guys who bought them today. I'm putting in a three knob EMG BTC system (vol/bal/staked bass & treble) and EXB circuit in each. I discovered in the NS-2A that these X series pickups are just amazing, especially in the Spector 4 string configuration. And I know it's heretical, but the BTC/EXB combo sounds as good as the Haz Lab (to my ears of course, all things being subjective).

I will keep and play both for a short while, but then will have to sell them to keep hacking away at the medical debt. What I did do though with some of the cash, is put a down payment on an incoming white Euro LX from BC. Beaver said it's got the 1.5" nut width, so I guess that means it's an alternate finish Ian Hill? Whatever the case, I've wanted a white Spector ever since I started playing when I was 14 and first saw Eddie Jackson and heard him live opening for Metallica. What a tone. So I'll re-equip it with my preferred pickups and electronics and sell the original Tone Pumps here for $1,200 (kidding). But I'll finally have my dream bass and I'm really excited about that. I wish I could have held on to the NS-2A, but the timing just didn't work out (if the computer work had come up just a bit sooner, I could have kept it). I don't know why white Spectors are so cool, but they're just the best looking instruments I've ever seen. And I've really fallen in love with the Spector tone. I love the variation that my personal choice in pickups and pre-amp provides, but it still sounds like a Spector, just more Spector-ish. Especially with the EXB circuit. That knob is an incredible tone shaper.

I've found reading this thread has helped me understand so much about the history of the basses, resources that are available, and that there is a lot of support to be had. So even though I only occasionally lurk on TB, I'd really like to join the Spector Club and try to take a shot at being a part of the community. So if someone could give me a number, as soon as I get the basses back on Friday, I'll put pics up. And since as of right now they are only temporary for me until I get my white one, please feel free to let me know if you'd be interested in taking either of them off my hands. I'm putting the stock photos up until I get mine back then I can put better shots up with my iPhone camera.

Welcome to the club!!! Awesome story! Awesome basses! Glad you decided to come join us!

 

[cjmodulus]

Way to lay down the bass lines! I can hear you very well!

Thanks ice!

 

[PhatBasstard]

I'm no expert by any strecth but I think the Euro's come with 40CS's. At least the 5 and 6 string models do.

Ok yeah you're right. I couldn't remember what those were called!

Not quite......
These are actually the TW's, not the CS's.
True, in humbucking mode the TW's spec out like the CS's,
but the true CS's are not coil splitable (and only have 2 coils where the TW's actually have 3).

Here's where the confusion may lie:
Spector calls the TW's "CS-TW's" on their site.
Not sure why they do this as even EMG does not. Simply TW's (probably to avoid the confusion we have here).
As far as the humbucker soapbars go it's: DC or CS or TW.