SPECTOR® Club - Part 70

[iceboxbass]

I put a ZoomH1 up on stage with me last Saturday to critique myself. Here's a short clip. I think I've just about got the Spector tone now.

This is just one of my hired gun gigs. Not my project. The the mix ain't so hot but I was only trying to hear what I was doing anyway. It's pretty much just me, the singer and the percussionist, you can't really hear the drums or guitar.

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Killer Jeff!

 

[johnsonabq]

KILLER tone Jeff! Just tons of punch and clarity, way better than the tone on Sublime's original recording IMO, great pocket too

I dig it.

Sounds great Jeff!

bass sounds great Jeff!
I did not know that you player in a cover band with Julio Iglesias though, that is fantastic!

Uh the bass really sounds nice man. Good playing also, very tight.
may i ask you how you got that Spector sound? Anything specific or just the right gun and good playing?

I'm at work with a set of nasty speakers but the bass tone was in the range of 'killer Jeff'....very nice!

Killer Jeff!

Thanks guys!

I'll start taking the H1 to rehearsals for my main project and see if I can get something to post. Much better band.

 

[CBNJ]

Thanks guys!

I'll start taking the H1 to rehearsals for my main project and see if I can get something to post. Much better band.

Nice playing!

 

[Jimmy Stump]

Hey Spector gang, looking for a little help here. I had a Euro 4LX which I stupidly let go, and am considering getting back on the Spector train.

I have my eye on a NS2-JA-R '83 Reissue. Wondering what to expect from the 2 'J' pickups vs the P/J split of the Euro? Also wondering what a reasonable price is to pay for a used one?

 

[spector_boogie]

I had the J reissue and it was a pretty slick bass. It was nice. The neck felt a bit thinner and faster to me; with the JJ pickups and EMG pre it's a very punchy bass without as much lows of the PJ. It probably wouldn't be my #1 but I can see it working for a lot of other folks. I'd like one in the stable again eventually.

 

[Jimmy Stump]

I had the J reissue and it was a pretty slick bass. It was nice. The neck felt a bit thinner and faster to me; with the JJ pickups and EMG pre it's a very punchy bass without as much lows of the PJ. It probably wouldn't be my #1 but I can see it working for a lot of other folks. I'd like one in the stable again eventually.

thanks for the reply. How does the EMG pre compare to the Tone Pump? To be honest, the tone pump sounded a bit harsh to me.

I'm interested in the JJ combination because my favorite tones seem to come out of Jazz basses.

Any opinions on price for a used one?

 

[AdamR]

I think the EMG pre is cleaner then the Pump. I personally like the tome pump but I have the trim pot turned way down to about 30% because it hits the front end of my amps way to hard otherwise.

Ive seen the reissues for as low as $800

 

[sumgruuvz]

I really miss these type of gigs. I think I'm going to join a cover band on the side.

The reason I love being in a weekend warrior cover band

 

[Holdsg]

Agree on all counts. I recently picked up one of the NS-2JARs, and since I usually don't like jazz basses, I was worried I wouldn't like this one, but I do like it. The active EMGs sound very stout, but yes, the EMG pre is just a bit tamer than the Tone Pump (which I also turn down to about 40% so I dont have to change the EQ much on my amp when I play other basses in my collection), but still a very powerful EQ, and strong low-end, just not the monster low-end that the TP paired with the P pickup has.

The only thing I am getting used to is my JJ has the widest neck of any of my 4-string spectors (my other 2 have the 1.5" neck), but since I also have a 1.65" Lakland Jazz, its not something I have difficulty adjusting to.

And there's just something sexy about White Spectors, wouldn't you agree?

 

[awilkie84]

I think the EMG pre is cleaner then the Pump. I personally like the tome pump but I have the trim pot turned way down to about 30% because it hits the front end of my amps way to hard otherwise.

Ive seen the reissues for as low as $800

This being said, a non-trim TonePump is overly ballsy. Great tone...but it's LOUD. It's the only active pre-amp that's required me to step down more than 12dB.

 

[AdamR]

This being said, a non-trim TonePump is overly ballsy. Great tone...but it's LOUD. It's the only active pre-amp that's required me to step down more than 12dB.

Even with my Tone Pump down to 30% I have to use the pad on both my GK amps. It would probably be amazing through some tubes though.

 

[Fat240]

A friend has a photography business in OC MD. He has been doing time lapse and is using some of my tracks for his work. Pretty cool stuff. Here is two clips that he did a sunset and sunrise. This is the 86 white Brooklyn with Monique preamp direct in Analogman Chorus and MXR Carbon Copy. Nothing else.

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[Torn Bassist]

I really miss these type of gigs. I think I'm going to join a cover band on the side.

The reason I love being in a weekend warrior cover band

Being in a cover band learning songs has lead me to want to use the Scotts bass lessons so I can break away and focus a little more time on improving my skills...not saying that I'm not learning some cool stuff from these tunes but I guess I just need a little extra push rather than just another dang cover song! lol

 

[puremetal33]

Speaking about cover bands, I'm in a situation right now where the musicians at work want to learn some songs for the company holiday party in December. It's just for fun and I like hanging out with all of them as people outside work, the issue I'm having is, the list of suggested songs is just really, really lame. Nothing that even remotely rocks. We have a keyboard/synth player in the mix so I've suggested stuff like Deep Purple, Dio, etc just to get something that'll get the heart rate up on the setlist to no avail. I'd have no problem playing songs I really dislike if it were a paying gig (though I do have exceptions for that, LOL), but it kind of sucks the fun out of the "just for fun" project. If I'm taking one for the team playing Pearl Jam (one of my least favorite bands ever, but YMMV) at least give me a couple songs with some b*lls! LOL.

But hey, at least I'm going to sound great

 

[Holdsg]

don't they know when you have a guy named puremetal playing bass, they can't do no stinkin' Pearl Jam? Might as well be playin' Billy Jean!

 

[puremetal33]

don't they know when you have a guy named puremetal playing bass, they can't do no stinkin' Pearl Jam? Might as well be playin' Billy Jean!

I like Billy Jean actually, just no Pearl Jam! LOL

 

[worshiprocker]

Being in a cover band learning songs has lead me to want to use the Scotts bass lessons so I can break away and focus a little more time on improving my skills...not saying that I'm not learning some cool stuff from these tunes but I guess I just need a little extra push rather than just another dang cover song! lol

I understand this too. When my primary gig was playing for a church band (basically a cover band), you can get stale because you are playing the same style of music. I always loved when we played a funk or gospel song because that is my weakest area of playing. So I always enjoyed that

 

[Fat240]

Being in a cover band learning songs has lead me to want to use the Scotts bass lessons so I can break away and focus a little more time on improving my skills...not saying that I'm not learning some cool stuff from these tunes but I guess I just need a little extra push rather than just another dang cover song! lol

I didn't realize how lacking my skills were till I stopped playing other peoples music. I'd rather draw my own pictures using other people techniques than copy someone else's picture trying to incorporate my own.

Speaking about cover bands, I'm in a situation right now where the musicians at work want to learn some songs for the company holiday party in December. It's just for fun and I like hanging out with all of them as people outside work, the issue I'm having is, the list of suggested songs is just really, really lame. Nothing that even remotely rocks. We have a keyboard/synth player in the mix so I've suggested stuff like Deep Purple, Dio, etc just to get something that'll get the heart rate up on the setlist to no avail. I'd have no problem playing songs I really dislike if it were a paying gig (though I do have exceptions for that, LOL), but it kind of sucks the fun out of the "just for fun" project. If I'm taking one for the team playing Pearl Jam (one of my least favorite bands ever, but YMMV) at least give me a couple songs with some b*lls! LOL.

But hey, at least I'm going to sound great

That is a issue also trying to find the right guys to play the covers that are interesting and fun is a hard task. A lot of bands here play all the same crap and if you suggest anything they can't learn in five minutes is taboo. I like to play covers in the original project I have going on and I think all bands should create their own music to complement the covers. Guys that I have played in cover bands in are mostly in it for the status vs. the music. Just my experience, create good music and you will have no draw to play covers unless it is a tribute or something you respect. Tribute bands are cool though just not a fan of jukebox bands. Enough of that, too sensitive a topic for some.

 

[Torn Bassist]

Speaking about cover bands, I'm in a situation right now where the musicians at work want to learn some songs for the company holiday party in December. It's just for fun and I like hanging out with all of them as people outside work, the issue I'm having is, the list of suggested songs is just really, really lame. Nothing that even remotely rocks. We have a keyboard/synth player in the mix so I've suggested stuff like Deep Purple, Dio, etc just to get something that'll get the heart rate up on the setlist to no avail. I'd have no problem playing songs I really dislike if it were a paying gig (though I do have exceptions for that, LOL), but it kind of sucks the fun out of the "just for fun" project. If I'm taking one for the team playing Pearl Jam (one of my least favorite bands ever, but YMMV) at least give me a couple songs with some b*lls! LOL.

But hey, at least I'm going to sound great

You might tell them to listen to the classic rock station and then ask if you can trade your Deep Purple and Dio idea in for at least a Rainbow tune (D.P. mixed with Dio equals Raindow...lol).

 

[puremetal33]

You might tell them to listen to the classic rock station and then ask if you can trade your Deep Purple and Dio idea in for at least a Rainbow tune (D.P. mixed with Dio equals Raindow...lol).

Yep, and I happen to LOVE me some Rainbow. Just using those as examples since they were rockin tunes that involve keys as well. I'm good with most anything you'd hear on the classic rock station (although now that classic rock stations are playing stuff like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, there's exceptions I'm sure).