SPECTOR® Club - Part 47

[Mr.Bassie720]

I think I read something a few months ago on the Spector site about all the new matte finishes being a more durable poly coat than the previous oil hand-rub they used before. I'd imagine that a gloss vs a matte would sound the same, given it's the same material, just buffed vs unbuffed.

EDIT: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] First part of the FAQ page.

Great info!

Ping, er...I mean DING!

I don't mean this in a malicious way, but I would challenge anyone here to take the blind Ping test. Everything else being equal, you would not be able to tell. I'd bet YOUR Spector on it. I'm kidding of course, but it would be next to impossible to discern a difference. Truth. I like em both.! Like I said, unplugged I can hear a slight difference. Lee and Lima have both. Do you guys notice a difference?

 

[bunkaroo]

Great info!





I don't mean this in a malicious way, but I would challenge anyone here to take the blind Ping test. Everything else being equal, you would not be able to tell. I'd bet YOUR Spector on it. I'm kidding of course, but it would be next to impossible to discern a difference. Truth. I like em both.! Like I said, unplugged I can hear a slight difference. Lee and Lima have both. Do you guys notice a difference?

It's funny how the eyes connect to the ears that way.

For me the bottom line is, how does it sound in a band mix? That's the whole point for me.

 

[JPSBassist]

Great info!

I don't mean this in a malicious way, but I would challenge anyone here to take the blind Ping test. Everything else being equal, you would not be able to tell. I'd bet YOUR Spector on it. I'm kidding of course, but it would be next to impossible to discern a difference. Truth. I like em both.! Like I said, unplugged I can hear a slight difference. Lee and Lima have both. Do you guys notice a difference?

Stuart gave me the info on the finishes.
Basically the hand rubbed oil is just that. It's an oil. Designed to preserve the wood and prevent it from drying out. It doesn't really offer a lot in the way of protection.

The polyurethane finish is a polymer and does create a synthetic layer or coat of bonded atoms which penetrate the grain and protect the outer layers of the wood.

They look similar because they are both matte in nature. But they are not. The Poly coat is far better in the long run for your bass.

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As far as the tonal differences between those and the high gloss. The two matte finishes, hand rubbed oil and the poly coat... I would imagine that since neither really change the hardness of the wood then they'd sound pretty much the same.

The gloss poly coat, on the other hand, is a hardened polymerized synthetic shell that is harder than the wood it protects and therefore will affect the tone, making the high-end of the frequencies more apparent. Some call this "brighter" or "punchier". And you play a matte Spector next to a gloss finished model and you can hear a difference in the higher areas of the notes.

---------------

For me, I choose the high-gloss finishes not because of their tonal properties, but because they offer the best protection for your bass long term. You can take a dent to a high-poly finish that would gouge the grain on a matte poly or oil finished model.

It's about protecting my investment to me.

 

[delucajohn2000]

Great info!

I don't mean this in a malicious way, but I would challenge anyone here to take the blind Ping test. Everything else being equal, you would not be able to tell. I'd bet YOUR Spector on it. I'm kidding of course, but it would be next to impossible to discern a difference. Truth. I like em both.! Like I said, unplugged I can hear a slight difference. Lee and Lima have both. Do you guys notice a difference?

I would love to see the results of these. Let's see how these so called experts do Me, I will just enjoy playing my cool Spector's and not complaining about them or other peoples bases.

When I think of ping, I think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr0JaXfKj68

 

[bunkaroo]

When I think of Ping, I think of this guy:

 

[worshiprocker]

Great info!
I don't mean this in a malicious way, but I would challenge anyone here to take the blind Ping test. Everything else being equal, you would not be able to tell. I'd bet YOUR Spector on it. I'm kidding of course, but it would be next to impossible to discern a difference. Truth. I like em both.! Like I said, unplugged I can hear a slight difference. Lee and Lima have both. Do you guys notice a difference?

difference in the matte vs gloss maybe not... but oil vs gloss... even my drummer could tell the difference. I actually here more "ping" on the refin CRFM than the stock one too.. not a lot, but I notice... that is why that bass resides with someone new

 

[awilkie84]

I think this argument belongs with the "How much does a wood/finish affect an amplified tone?"
I can see it acoustically affecting it, but how will it affect a tone that's derived from the magnetic field properties of the pick-up when wood/finish is non-magnetic?

 

[Trailight]

Well, I am thrilled to share the news with everyone:
This morning I woke up to a number of good news e-mails one of which will be shared by someone else later on but the best news for me was:

As of this morning I am officially endorsed by Spector Basses!! I've been in a state of awe and haven't been able to verbalize things properly until now (maybe still a bit impaired).
So for now, I'd like to thank PJ Rubal for accepting me to the great family of Spector and very importantly, I want to thank Sam for kicking my @$$ and giving me the confidence to get this going!
This is definitely an incredible landmark in my life and I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of such a great group of people.

So, thank you PJ for accepting me into the family, Sam for the support and Stuart for creating the most incredible, most transcending basses in the world!

 

[bunkaroo]

Well, I am thrilled to share the news with everyone:
This morning I woke up to a number of good news e-mails one of which will be shared by someone else later on but the best news for me was:

As of this morning I am officially endorsed by Spector Basses!! I've been in a state of awe and haven't been able to verbalize things properly until now (maybe still a bit impaired).
So for now, I'd like to thank PJ Rubal for accepting me to the great family of Spector and very importantly, I want to thank Sam for kicking my @$$ and giving me the confidence to get this going!
This is definitely an incredible landmark in my life and I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of such a great group of people.

So, thank you PJ for accepting me into the family, Sam for the support and Stuart for creating the most incredible, most transcending basses in the world!

Congrats dude!

I've been waiting to make the announcement myself, as I was waiting for a decent pic for the Spector site and our album to be finished, but I am in that club as well.

 

[ThatBassistDude]

So I got a question Spector guys, I've been gassing for a Spector for years, and finally got one a few months ago. (legend custom bubinga with PJ pups) Its absolutely beautiful and incredibly comfortable. But I just can't get a tone I like out of it. No matter how much time I spend tone tweaking, it always sounds fake/ weak/ boring. Then I switch to my jazz bass I get all the tone I want. I really want to get the tone that Mic Todd (Coheed and Cambria) has on the last supper show, but I just can't get it at all. Any tips for me?

 

[Trailight]

Congrats dude!

I've been waiting to make the announcement myself, as I was waiting for a decent pic for the Spector site and our album to be finished, but I am in that club as well.

Congrats to you too then!

 

[awilkie84]

So I got a question Spector guys, I've been gassing for a Spector for years, and finally got one a few months ago. (legend custom bubinga with PJ pups) Its absolutely beautiful and incredibly comfortable. But I just can't get a tone I like out of it. No matter how much time I spend tone tweaking, it always sounds fake/ weak/ boring. Then I switch to my jazz bass I get all the tone I want. I really want to get the tone that Mic Todd (Coheed and Cambria) has on the last supper show, but I just can't get it at all. Any tips for me?

I'm not sure what P/J setup it has, but maybe look at changing to a more traditional sounding set with passive tone controls? Or, maybe an EMG BQC?

 

[bunkaroo]

I'm not familiar with that C&C show but I thought he was using a Euro. You might want to look at a preamp swap. Tone Pumps are usually for sale fairly frequently.

 

[ThatBassistDude]

So I got a question Spector guys, I've been gassing for a Spector for years, and finally got one a few months ago. (legend custom bubinga with PJ pups) Its absolutely beautiful and incredibly comfortable. But I just can't get a tone I like out of it. No matter how much time I spend tone tweaking, it always sounds fake/ weak/ boring. Then I switch to my jazz bass I get all the tone I want. I really want to get the tone that Mic Todd (Coheed and Cambria) has on the last supper show, but I just can't get it at all. Any tips for me?

Here's the tone I'm Going for... http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EbGCefIB8nY

And I can get that sound almost exact with my jazz bass (modern player) but I want so bad to love this Spector. The amp I'm using is a MarkBass TTE500 and Ampeg 610hlf if anyone cares.

 

[bunkaroo]

Congrats to you too then!

Thanks man. Mine has been in the works for a little while - I'm pretty picky about photos so I kept putting off posting about it until I had a good promo shot. I took some with the band in August but thought I looked like **** LOL. I've recently lost about 20 lbs so time to take pics again!

PJ has been great to deal with for sure.

 

[worshiprocker]

Well, I am thrilled to share the news with everyone:
This morning I woke up to a number of good news e-mails one of which will be shared by someone else later on but the best news for me was:

As of this morning I am officially endorsed by Spector Basses!! I've been in a state of awe and haven't been able to verbalize things properly until now (maybe still a bit impaired).
So for now, I'd like to thank PJ Rubal for accepting me to the great family of Spector and very importantly, I want to thank Sam for kicking my @$$ and giving me the confidence to get this going!
This is definitely an incredible landmark in my life and I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of such a great group of people.

So, thank you PJ for accepting me into the family, Sam for the support and Stuart for creating the most incredible, most transcending basses in the world!

Congrats dude!

I've been waiting to make the announcement myself, as I was waiting for a decent pic for the Spector site and our album to be finished, but I am in that club as well.

Congrats guys!!!

 

[anton72]

Just been at Nickelback gig here in Moscow. Mike Kroeger was rotating 3 Spectors during the show. I must admit his signature passive M5 does not cut through... The active NS-5XL he was also playing did it miles better. And the vocalist would better not talk between songs, he's much better with singing than talking)))

 

[awilkie84]

Just been at Nickelback gig here in Moscow. Mike Kroeger was rotating 3 Spectors during the show. I must admit his signature passive M5 does not cut through... The active NS-5XL he was also playing did it miles better. And the vocalist would better not talk between songs, he's much better with singing than talking)))

That's funny, cuz all of his basses are passive EMG-HZ equipped. They even have passive tone controls.
I've never known Mike's tone to really cut through, either. He just fills up the low end & lets you hear that rumbling root.
I love his tone & setup, personally.

 

[husky123]

Congrats Omer and Bunk!

 

[5string_phunk]

Well, I am thrilled to share the news with everyone:
This morning I woke up to a number of good news e-mails one of which will be shared by someone else later on but the best news for me was:

As of this morning I am officially endorsed by Spector Basses!! I've been in a state of awe and haven't been able to verbalize things properly until now (maybe still a bit impaired).
So for now, I'd like to thank PJ Rubal for accepting me to the great family of Spector and very importantly, I want to thank Sam for kicking my @$$ and giving me the confidence to get this going!
This is definitely an incredible landmark in my life and I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of such a great group of people.

So, thank you PJ for accepting me into the family, Sam for the support and Stuart for creating the most incredible, most transcending basses in the world!

Congrats dude!

I've been waiting to make the announcement myself, as I was waiting for a decent pic for the Spector site and our album to be finished, but I am in that club as well.

AWESOME!!! Congrats to you both!!!