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SPECTOR® Club - Part 57

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#621
husky123 said:
NICE! Yo Donny, tell me how you have the EQ and Drive set. I'm sure these boys won't mind a little amp derail.:D
Click to expand...

Well It very well may change while in a band setting but a quick tweak got me here:

sub bass:3
bass: 6
Low Mid: 7
mid: 5
hi mid: 7.5
treble: 5
Drive: 4

active input off ... I like this, normally I have to run a pad from my spectors.

This is bass into amp... not using my pedal board
 
#622
I just bought my 3rd Spector yesterday, a Euro LX4, to join my Legend Classis and NS2000/5
677a79bab179d7770ef8285c1a5ad387_zps6ffbc6a0.jpg

Do I have enough Spectors to join the club?
 
#624
Just a little FYI.

This happened to me this weekend with my NS-2A... my fretless.

The single action truss rod in the NS-2A uses a Fender-Style rod with a Philips head bolt.

If the bolt freezes, be very careful, the bolt is made of die-cast metal of all things and will tear open.

Now... if this happens, carefully try to release the tension off the truss rod and remove the bolt.

You can get a replacement bolt from Stew-Mac or Allparts. The thread on mine appears to be 10/32. Again, Fender uses this thread standard.

That's the easy way to fix the problem. There's nothing wrong with the truss rod. It's the tension nut that broke.

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

After conferring with Stuart I've decided to try and replace the entire rod with a new modern double-action rod.

The issue is that the rods for the NS-2A are 25.5" in length.

Spector uses 24" rods now and has for some time. 24" is more of a standard these days.

I found a 25" double action rod on the market and am going to see if it works.

If it does, this is a way for you to upgrade the single action rod with a more difficult tension nut to a modern double-action rod with the standard 4mm hex nut.

I'll keep you all posted on how this turns out.

Worst case I'll replace the nut and leave the existing truss rod in the neck.

Link Removed
 
#625
JPSBassist said:
I find the tone to be very different than the neck-thru models.

The main differences are the body wood and the circuit.

The NS-4H2 has a mahogany body with a top of either figured maple or an exotic wood like Redwood Burl (not the same was Water Cured Redwood) or Buckeye Burl or Flamed Walnut.

The OBP-3 is a great sounding circuit. Not a lot different than the USA 18v circuit. Like all of the Aguilar circuits, the OBP-3 is very clean. Which in one way is really good if you want to be able to color the tone of the bass with effects/pedals or in post (in the studio).

It won't have the aggressive growly/dirty tone the Euro4LX-TW has.

The good thing is I think the USA Bolt-Ons are the most versatile Spectors made. They have the sort of tone you can do a lot of different things with.

Good examples are my friends Jason Raso (note he is playing the NS-2J which is the NS-4H2 with two J pickups... it's called the NS-2J by tradition but could easily be called the NS-4J2)

Their lead singer also plays a Spector ARC6 USA Electric Guitar.

So the application of what the USA Bolt-On models can be used for covers the entire spectrum of music really.

The traditional Spector-Made circuits provide the quintessential Spector Tone. The USA Bolt-Ons are less colored and more open to tonal variation.

If you want a USA Bolt-On with the traditional Spector Tone, you can order a new NS-2 Bolt-On and upgrade the circuit to the USA 9v Spector Circuit. That will give you a growly beast of a bass. The NS-2 Bolt-On is new for 2013.

I played the one at the NAMM Show and it has a tone more like the Neck-Thru NS-2... it also has P/J pickups.
Click to expand...


Hey Patrick, would you say the bolt-on is the better pick for a fretless? I know the one PJ put together for Colin Edwin was a bolt-on and I've ordered mine to be very similar to that bass. I've always been curious as to how the Spector "growl" would translate to a fretless. It seems to me based on what you've said about the bolt-ons with an OBP-3, that combo would serve a fretless the best. I thought about getting a Euro neck-thru fretless but I don't think you can do the MM pickups on any Euro, just the Rebop-MM though I could be mistaken. Plus I could only get the NAMM green on a US model.
 
#630
JPSBassist said:
Just a little FYI.

This happened to me this weekend with my NS-2A... my fretless.

The single action truss rod in the NS-2A uses a Fender-Style rod with a Philips head bolt.

If the bolt freezes, be very careful, the bolt is made of die-cast metal of all things and will tear open.

Now... if this happens, carefully try to release the tension off the truss rod and remove the bolt.

You can get a replacement bolt from Stew-Mac or Allparts. The thread on mine appears to be 10/32. Again, Fender uses this thread standard.

That's the easy way to fix the problem. There's nothing wrong with the truss rod. It's the tension nut that broke.

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

After conferring with Stuart I've decided to try and replace the entire rod with a new modern double-action rod.

The issue is that the rods for the NS-2A are 25.5" in length.

Spector uses 24" rods now and has for some time. 24" is more of a standard these days.

I found a 25" double action rod on the market and am going to see if it works.

If it does, this is a way for you to upgrade the single action rod with a more difficult tension nut to a modern double-action rod with the standard 4mm hex nut.

I'll keep you all posted on how this turns out.

Worst case I'll replace the nut and leave the existing truss rod in the neck.

Link Removed
Click to expand...

Good info. It's got me thinking about the limited action on my ReBop 5DLX's truss rod. I've already shimmed it with a washer, but it still feels like it's not adjusting. Any ideas as to what can be done & how to do it?
 
#631
bunkaroo said:
Hey Patrick, would you say the bolt-on is the better pick for a fretless? I know the one PJ put together for Colin Edwin was a bolt-on and I've ordered mine to be very similar to that bass. I've always been curious as to how the Spector "growl" would translate to a fretless. It seems to me based on what you've said about the bolt-ons with an OBP-3, that combo would serve a fretless the best. I thought about getting a Euro neck-thru fretless but I don't think you can do the MM pickups on any Euro, just the Rebop-MM though I could be mistaken. Plus I could only get the NAMM green on a US model.
Click to expand...

Actually the only USA fretless models I've seen (that were new) were Bolt-Ons. And yes, the Bolt-Ons make great fretless basses.

Disclaimer: I feel that fretless is a discipline of its own... that being said I am no fretless bassist myself. The frets help me keep the notes where they belong. LOL.

My NS-2A is a fretless and it currently has the TonePump in it. I've got it turned down to about 35-40% output and with a slight chorus that bass sounds sick.

Some of the great synth bass tones from the 1980's are what I try and chase with that bass. And it gets close... think "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin or a great true fretless tone is "Sunset Grill" by Don Henley.

I think either way you're good with a Spector Fretless. I think the growly nature of the Spector circuit lends itself well to a fretless tone.
 
#632
awilkie84 said:
Good info. It's got me thinking about the limited action on my ReBop 5DLX's truss rod. I've already shimmed it with a washer, but it still feels like it's not adjusting. Any ideas as to what can be done & how to do it?
Click to expand...

Truss rods scare most musicians (guitarists also share the fear)...

You have to be OK with two simple things... a set of really skinny needle nose pliers and removing and then reinstalling the nut of your bass.

And you have to be patient.

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

How old is your ReBop?

What gauge strings are you using?

What is the typical humidity/moisture-dryness you're dealing with?

Some questions to help me understand your bass... that's all.

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

To remove a truss rod:

  1. take the strings off your bass.
  2. loosen the truss until the nut moves freely with no tension (with a double action this is a small space, once you move past it you'll feel the tension start to climb again).
  3. remove the bass's nut.

To remove your bass's nut:

  1. You'll need acetone (nail polish remover) and a q-tip.
  2. Very carefully run a q-tip that is moist *but not dripping) with acetone over the joint between the nut and the headstock. Don't use it on the side with the fingerboard. It's not good for the wood of your fingerboard.
  3. Let it sit for a few minutes and then see (by carefully applying a little pressure to the nut, pressing downwards (towards the fingerboard) if the nut comes lose of comes off.
  4. If the nut breaks free, be very careful to ensure it doesn't crack or break the fingerboard as it comes loose.
  5. If it doesn't move, apply more acetone and wait and try again.

Once the nut is free and the truss rod is relaxed:

  1. This is going to sound silly, but if the truss rod is loose inside the route in the neck, carefully stand and turn your bass upside down... headstock towards the floor.
  2. With some of the older import Spectors the rods are not padded inside the route and will come out far enough you can get a good grip on them with a set of pliers.
  3. If it doesn't budge, no worries. Turn your bass right side up or place it on the workspace you're using (I always recommend you have a sturdy/stable table to work on.
  4. You'll need to get that set of fine needle-nose pliers and carefully attempt to pull the rod out.
  5. You shouldn't have to pull hard to get it to come free.
  6. If it is acting hung up on something, check it again to make sure it's not still engaged.
  7. I tell people to be careful mainly because doing this isn't going to hurt the neck of your bass or damage the truss rod (unless it's still engaged and you try to force it out). I say be careful because metal tools that close to your headstock can give it a good gash or dent if you slip.
  8. VERY IMPORANT! Make note of the orientation of your truss rod as you pull it out. This is so if you have to put this same truss rod back in you can remember which way it goes.

Before putting the new truss rod in, compare the two rods side by side.

Are they the same length?
Are they the same diameter?

If everything looks good place the new rod in the neck with the orientation according to whatever instructions came with the rod.

  1. To put your nut back on, make sure all of the old glue has been removed from the bass's neck/headstock joint (where the nut rests) and from the nut itself.
  2. Then check the placement of the nut to ensure you know exactly where you are going to place it.
  3. You're going to have to superglue it back into place.
  4. Remember how difficult (or easy) it was to take off and know that less is more when putting a nut in place.
  5. The pressure of the strings pressing down into the nut's slots against the neck will do a great job holding the nut in place.
  6. You just want a little glue to ensure when you are taking the strings off to change them that the nut doesn't fall off and get lost or damaged.
  7. I use just two drops of crazy/super glue and find it's more than enough to do the job.
  8. I place the drops at the 1/3 and 2/3 position on the bottom of the nut.
  9. Let the glue dry and then string it up and adjust the truss rod.

Some things to listen for when adjusting a new truss for the first time.

  1. Cracking sounds... not good. You want to make sure you're not over-tightening the truss.
  2. New truss rods are stronger, so less adjustment should be needed to get the relief/backbow needed to set the action of your bass.

This is how I do a truss rod replacement.
I'll document this with my NS-2A as I go through this process a little later this week.
 
#633
worshiprocker said:
Well It very well may change while in a band setting but a quick tweak got me here:

sub bass:3
bass: 6
Low Mid: 7
mid: 5
hi mid: 7.5
treble: 5
Drive: 4

active input off ... I like this, normally I have to run a pad from my spectors.

This is bass into amp... not using my pedal board
Click to expand...

Where is the volume at? I cranked mine most of the time but that might be too loud, i used it like a pre and post..........you will want to experiment.......bring your sub bass up to 5 and shake some walls......seriously its a moving experience......some nights on huge stages I took mine up to 6.5! I believe the amp you now have is the best hands down, lead sled out there. I don't think there is a current solid state amp that could change my mind Donny! Welcome to POWER and headroom........
 
#634
brotherbassj said:
Where is the volume at? I cranked mine most of the time but that might be too loud, i used it like a pre and post..........you will want to experiment.......bring your sub bass up to 5 and shake some walls......seriously its a moving experience......some nights on huge stages I took mine up to 6.5! I believe the amp you now have is the best hands down, lead sled out there. I don't think there is a current solid state amp that could change my mind Donny! Welcome to POWER and headroom........
Click to expand...

well I was at home with my son right next to it.. LOL volume was only as high as 1. I will crank it later today

Thanks Jamie, this amp is your and Lee's fault... so far I'm happy
 
#635
worshiprocker said:
well I was at home with my son right next to it.. LOL volume was only as high as 1. I will crank it later today

Thanks Jamie, this amp is your and Lee's fault... so far I'm happy
Click to expand...

Dont worry......if you dont like it it can come to my house........listen.....can you hear the power riff.........Rex and Pantera.......Phil singing..........."POWER......SUCH POWER!!!" I believe "a new level" has been reached!
 
#636
I'm joining this club, I suppose.

I've ordered a Legend Classic 5 in black cherry from the local music store. Now its just a matter of waiting.

(Considering my other bass is an Ovation ABG, I can't freaking wait!)

Eventually I'd like to upgrade to an American built Spector, but for now this will definitely work.
 
#638
JPSBassist said:
Truss rods scare most musicians (guitarists also share the fear)...

You have to be OK with two simple things... a set of really skinny needle nose pliers and removing and then reinstalling the nut of your bass.

And you have to be patient.

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

How old is your ReBop?

What gauge strings are you using?

What is the typical humidity/moisture-dryness you're dealing with?

Some questions to help me understand your bass... that's all.

-------------------------------------
Click to expand...

Wow! A book! lol

I've had the nut off of it before, hence how I put the washer in to shim it. I also had to grind down where the nut had been compressed by the previous owner.

My ReBop's a 2006.
I use DR Sunbeam 45-125 strings.
The average humidity here is rough to gauge. Here's a quote from a weather site:

The relative humidity typically ranges from 46% (comfortable) to 99% (very humid) over the course of the year, rarely dropping below 31% (comfortable) and reaching as high as 100% (very humid).

The air is driest around July 26, at which time the relative humidity drops below 53% (mildly humid) three days out of four; it is most humid around January 12, exceeding 99% (very humid) three days out of four.
relative_humidity_percent_pct.png
Click to expand...
 
#639
worshiprocker said:
b1500 has arrived... quick run through at the house impression..... WOW this sounds great, the cab likes the extra wattage, my bass loves the extra wattage, no practice before our next show since we are going to see Adrenaline Mob and our buddies in Nothing More (check them out)... so its debut voyage will be at a show... that's how I roll lol
Click to expand...

Congrats Donnie!
In the words of our buddy Jeff,

TO WAR!!!

:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#640
arock0627 said:
I'm joining this club, I suppose.

I've ordered a Legend Classic 5 in black cherry from the local music store. Now its just a matter of waiting.

(Considering my other bass is an Ovation ABG, I can't freaking wait!)

Eventually I'd like to upgrade to an American built Spector, but for now this will definitely work.
Click to expand...

Congrats on the Legend! When you get it, post a picture & send a PM to TraceBassPlayer requesting a club member number.
 
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