Here's a question that pops into my head from time-to-time.
Some of Spector's endorsing artists choose to play Legends or Performers.
Some of these people are big names, or are touring all over the world (Red Jane, the dude from Staind, etc).
What would drive an artist to use an "inferior" instrument when they have options like the Euro or USAs available to them?
This is a good question... it's been a while... since anyone asked it. LOL. "It's been a while" A Staind reference.
OK. In all seriousness.
There are several ways of looking at this.
First, I know a bunch of those artists who are touring with Legends and ReBops who have USA models at home for Studio work. Many simply feel their USA Spectors are to beautiful, too unique, to put through the rough and tumble world of touring.
Then there's cost. Guys like Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch... they play aggressively. They have aggressive fans... and when you can get the tone out of a Rex-Pro or Legend that you need... why not take three or four of those on the road and not worry about if they get messed up.
Dirty Ray of Bret Michaels Band once raised his bass in salutation at the end of a song not realizing there were steel industrial ceiling fans above him and he decapitated his Rex at the 3rd fret. What was so killer about this, besides the horrible noise it made, was that PJ Rubal was in the audience watching.
Then you have guys like Johnny April who actually prefer bolt-on neck basses with passive pickups. Not everyone is into active pups. And not everyone wants a bass with sustain that last days.
So I know for a fact that Johnny once bought an NS-5XL and after a week sent it back and turned around and bought several more Legends. He said it made more sense to have 4 or 5 spare Legends than one NS-5XL. He didn't like the change in the neck, the weight, etc... he prefers the Legend.
Cost savings, tone and features (bolt-on necks, passive pups, or in the case of Jane Bass, all passive, no circuit even which is what she prefers), the fact that Legends are easy to replace and are more cost logical if you need to replace them.
This is why Spector makes the lines they do.
The Performer is sincerely meant to be a really nicely made entry-level (beginner-student) bass. It's not designed or built to be a pro bass. Not to say you can't use one for gigs, etc...
But they're all passive and they're designed with the beginner and/or the bassist on a tight budget.
The Legends and Pro-Series are true, industry tested and proven, professional musician level instruments which simply offer an entry into that sort of quality and playability at a really reasonable price.
The Europe Series is nothing more than a production-level version of the Woodstock stuff. Made with slightly cheaper materials (but still better than many bass makers use), and put together (by hand) assembly line style... they are amazing basses for the price and are designed to be the more affordable stand-in for the USA models.
I've been to Billy Sherwood's house and studio here in LA and he has a couple of Brooklyn Era NS-2s, including the ONLY 8-string Stuart has ever made... that thing is awesome. And he tours exclusively with Euro models.
Mike Rodden from Hinder has a BEAUTIFUL Water Cured Redwood NS-5XL... but you'll never see it on tour. He takes Euro5LX models out.
So many of Spector's Artists actually have USA models but don't tour with them.
It's a great question... What I'd say, and I say this because I believe it (I've got my Korean-Made NS-2A fretless in my lap as I write this), is that a Spector is a Spector. And they are all designed and approved by Stuart to meet the highest standards. So don't think of the Professional Series as lesser basses and the Euro and USA... just think of them as a different option which allows for great tone at a better price and the guilt-free feeling that if you destroy one while you're on tour... or the airline looses it, etc... you are not loosing a work of art (which is what you'd be loosing if you toured with USA models).
If I was a touring bassist... I'd play Euros or Legends on the road for sure.
