It's like I told you earlier, Patrick... all I can see is The Black Pearl. Even when it isn't in the picture.
Alls you see is the black pearl , for me its the water cured redwood that makes me grow 6 inches
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.
SPECTOR® Club - Part 38
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
- Start date
-
- Tags
- club
- Status
Alls you see is the black pearl , for me its the water cured redwood that makes me grow 6 inches
Me too but it's there in a big way. I'll try and shoot a photo of it.
And the glue on the fingerboard is pretty intense in places. To the point that if this wasn't such a new guitar (about 2.5 years old) and given the pristine condition otherwise, I'd have sworn that someone did a sloppy refret job.
Lee, both sound amazing and I know you were going for a string comparison, but what really got me was how great the US 9v preamp sounds. And what's also VERY interesting is that with a set of 40DCs matched with the EMG BQC system, you can get very, very, very close to that tone, and then you can dial in a ton of other sweet spots as well.
The smadder setup is good for funk, Rock, Neo-Soul, fusion, and any other place where you need it to be crystal clear in the highs and lows and really put out a hi-fi tone (and it works so well in that capacity in a Spector so much more than any other bass I've ever put that combo in), but the Spector 9 & 18v circuits definitely have a thing of their own that I love. It's going to be cool to have the US 18v in my Forte 5 and a smadder in the JAR. I'm gonna wait and see what I do to the incoming white Wimbish neck LX, but the TP will definitely come out. I know many of us love it, but I just can't get into it. But the US pre's are heavenly. I'm thinking maybe a BQC in the Wimbish neck LX that's coming so that way out of three basses I have different tonal options across the board and I'll be able to get close to the US 9v tone with the BQC.
I know nothing is the US 9v pre except the 9v pre, but the BQC comes damn close.
The smadder setup is good for funk, Rock, Neo-Soul, fusion, and any other place where you need it to be crystal clear in the highs and lows and really put out a hi-fi tone (and it works so well in that capacity in a Spector so much more than any other bass I've ever put that combo in), but the Spector 9 & 18v circuits definitely have a thing of their own that I love. It's going to be cool to have the US 18v in my Forte 5 and a smadder in the JAR. I'm gonna wait and see what I do to the incoming white Wimbish neck LX, but the TP will definitely come out. I know many of us love it, but I just can't get into it. But the US pre's are heavenly. I'm thinking maybe a BQC in the Wimbish neck LX that's coming so that way out of three basses I have different tonal options across the board and I'll be able to get close to the US 9v tone with the BQC.
I know nothing is the US 9v pre except the 9v pre, but the BQC comes damn close.
These recordings, for as cool as they are for comparo, really do not capture the magic of the USA 9V live and plugged into a big, honking mega amp pushing some air. I mean, I can get my Euro to sound VERY similar to the USA 9V on recordings and I'm certainly no recording guru like some on here.
There's just some magic that's not transferred over when recorded. USA 9V peeps, am I way off or do you guys hear the gooeyness that it oozes live a bit more?
There's just some magic that's not transferred over when recorded. USA 9V peeps, am I way off or do you guys hear the gooeyness that it oozes live a bit more?
I know... I mean before I got my office humidifier I noticed a slight contracting of the Black Pearl's neck this past winter. But a few days in a properly humidified room and I didn't feel the sharp fret edges any more.
When you look at the attached photos... I just don't see what else it could be. I've NEVER seen that amount of fret glue on any USA (or other series) Spector that hasn't been tampered with. And this guitar is mint. Only two years old. So a refet job makes no sense.
And added with the body finish ripples. Which you can't miss in the right light. I have to come to the conclusion this guitar got cooked in its case at some point.
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
And as these photos show... the ripples are significant. They're pretty big waves.
- Oct 19, 2010
- 1,751
- 1,949
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Spector Bass / Darkglass Electronics / Tsunami Cables
Agreed 100%!!!
That's the best way to put it! When I am at the jam space or play live, I sometimes get amazed by how incredible the USA 9V sounds through an amp. Well said sir!
Owww! I think you're right - I think this guitar baked in a car trunk for a few days, or in a poorly ventilated hot closet for a few months...
Alls you see is the black pearl , for me its the water cured redwood that makes me grow 6 inches
That's six inches tall of course... right
?
Yikes! It definitely got put in a microwave oven (car trunk). I've never seen excess glue that bad and I've seen my fair share of cooked instruments. Eesh. Are you gonna keep it or return it? I forgot if it was a GC or SA purchase...
guys im really starting to get the sas for a usa ns-2 or euro lx4 peacock blueim going to start a fund for her. which do you guys think would be better? is the usa worth the extra money? or should i get a euro and throw the 9v haz in it?
I'd go is far as to say get an earlier, non LX Euro with solid figured maple wings used and then spring for a 9v US pre. You'll save a ton and except for the bridge, it'll be so close to a US that you wouldn't notice. But that's just me - I love saving money and I also love those early Euros with all maple wings.
- Sep 20, 2008
- 3,369
- 38
- Disclosures
- Jim Dunlop USA, King Kong Cases, Golden Eagle Energy Drink
nice. so do you think the maple is that bigger of a difference on the euro, steve?
smadder said:
Or you could get a CRFM (maybe even an SS one with crown inlays) and then swap the pre. They have a solid brass bridge. I own a CRFM 5 and plan on getting an 18v within the next year. They're typically less then an LX, too. Just harder to find.
To me there's a difference. When the bass is all maple except for the fretboard, you get a very cutting tone. It's where a lot of that Spector signature "grunt" comes from. The LXs can vary depending on what "top" you get. I put that in quotes because the top on a Euro LX is about 1/2 of the entire wing on each half of the bass. So if you pick a figured maple top on an LX, you are getting as close to an all-maple tone as you can. But the LXs having the other half comprised of alder evens out that cutting tone a bit (not in a bad way) and also makes the bass lighter. But NSCRFM and pre-LX Euros are very popular because of that all maple tone. It's really just a matter of taste. I like the LXs as much as the earlier all-maple Czech models, but if you want to get as close to a USA bass as possible, a used all maple winged Czech model is the best way to go. This is just my opinion of course.. everyone has different ears and some people have really big ears and can tell the differences much much more distinctively than I can.
Nope. I'm OK with the finish ripples, which once they're created they don't ever go away unless you strip the finish, sand it again and refinish.
The neck is actually in perfect condition. The frets may be a little unstable, but honestly they seem fine. I can send it back to Saugerties for a refret if the frets come loose. I checked their height and everything is seated correctly.
Since this is a SOLID rosewood neck, I assume what appears to be a lot of glue is simply a result of the really oily nature of a solid rosewood neck. The neck is actually in perfect shape.
The guitar sounds and plays amazing. I stripped it down, conditioned the neck, conditioned/waxed/polished the body, put her back together and put a fresh set of strings on her and it sounds amazing. The action with a little tweak of the bridge is now perfect.
Nope. I think I'm going to keep her. If nothing else I can always use her as my travel/beat around/etc... guitar. And I am all about letting guitarists try it out to see if they like it. So I'll feel better about using this one as a demo guitar.
It was a Guitar Center purchase and I can return it if I want. But the rest of the guitar is in great shape. It's got top-of-the-line electronics (Seymour Duncan USA pups), and the insides (control cavity) look good. So I'd rather it gotten hot and dry than cold and damp.
I think it's already well on it's way to be rehabilitated as far as the wood being properly hydrated. The neck was good after soaking it in the Dunlop fingerboard conditioner.
I may put some Behlen fingerboard oil (real heavy-duty stuff that luthiers use) this weekend. I'm waiting to hear back from the NY Workshop if this is something they recommend.
I think in all I got a great guitar. It just needs a little TLC.
worshiprocker
Tonepump Junkie
- Aug 12, 2011
- 4,683
- 1,782
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Spector Basses
I would lean to agree with smadder on the maple being better. Maple bass,brass bridge and gloss finish will produce the best tone in my opinion. The legend x (my next bass) is all maple. My Rex is all maple and my crfm is all maple. Nothing cuts like the crfm, so they are probably different grades of wood.
well my ns-94 is all maple so maybe i can throw in a 9v haz and my search is over. lol. i get what you guys are saying. ill definitely keep "maple" in mind when i search
A lot of what I love about my korean spectors (NS20004, NS20005, NS-2A) is the all-maple contruction, no fancy figured anything, just straight maple, simple, and great tone 
- Status
