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SPECTOR® Club - Part 76

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#41
Spfairchild said:
Dudes and dudettes,
Thanks for all the Spector info and help so far. A happy coincidence has occurred and now I'm looking at possibly buying a used US-made NS-6H2, instead of buying a new Euro6LX. It's kind of a tough choice, many factors to consider - not least of which is having a lifetime warranty if I go for the Euro.

You guys have helped me with my questions on neck thickness, and so far I gather from the insight of the group that in general the Euro necks are thinner from front to back than their US counterparts (we've talked neck-through models only, so far). But where do the US-made bolt-ons fit into this equation? Are they as chunky as the US neck throughs, slimmer like the Euros, or somewhere between?

So one of the main differences between the NS-6H2 and the Euro6LX is the body shaping, correct? I read that the US one has less contouring, but where? Is the body just as arched as the Euro's? The US bolt-ons seem to have better fret access on the treble side, so that's cool. Also digging the Hipshot bridge with the adjustable spacing, which is generally kind of a must for me. And I likely would have put an OBP-3 in there to have midrange control, as I've done with all my basses. So there are a lot of positives there.

Any comparisons folks can draw between these two models would be welcome! I just spent an hour listening to peoples' Youtube videos of NS-6H2/5H2s. This particular one has a pau ferro board, maple neck, mahogany back and quilted maple top. Things I like in a bass are:

-Good at many different styles/tonalities. Versatility.
-lightweight.
-bright and aggressive acoustically, or at least not dull acoustically and capable of that modern zingy sound when plugged in without a ton of EQing.
-good balance when standing and sitting
-a sleek, slim neck (but maybe not so slim that it has stability issues - been there!)

Thanks once again!
Click to expand...
As far as the bolt-on bodies are concerned,
the Rebops, NS-JR, NS2 bolt-on and NS-JAR's are very much like an NS2 as far as rounded contours and body curve.
The US bolt-on's, like the one you are considering, while far and above in quality are (body) shaped much more like a Legend (Classic). Slightly flatter with less curve.

One other consideration: The bolt-on body 6 will be about the same size (width) as the 4 string as they just make the neck pocket wider for the 5 or 6 string neck.
A neck thru 6 will be considerably wider as they all use the same body wings, but are obviously glued on to wider neck planks on the 5 and 6 strings, making the overall body wider.
This is what made me move back to a (highly modified and upgraded) Legend 6 from my former Euro 6. The smaller, lighter body just felt a lot better.
If I ever update to a US 6 it will probably be a bolt-on for this reason.
 
#42
yeldarb69 said:
In with the only spector i have left.As soon as i get my other hardware back from being oxidized,this chrome hardware will possibly be available.I will not seperate the bridge and tuners and they will not come cheap.PM me for details.
URL]
Click to expand...

Man, that is good news - I am very interested.

PM sent....:bassist:
 
#43
Hey all, it's been a long time since I was last here, though I do occasionally lurk every now and then.

Anyway, I'm wanting to know what mods are commonplace for Spectors these days? In particular, I'm interested in replacing the bridge for the Spector Rebop 5 that I have, since it is utter garbage, but I'm also interested in maybe new pickups, lighter tuners, strap pin positioning, etc.

Whatever suggestions you guys can think of, fire them at me!
 
#44
Just finished up a music filled 'Valentine's Day' weekend, played the Ultraviolet Friday and then the Black Cherry NS2 last night....the only thing missing is a Coda P-bass! lol
 

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#45
Thanks PhatBasstard! I did some more Google image searching and got a good feel for the difference in body contouring. Anyone have personal experience with the differences between the NS-(X)H2, NS-(X)XL and Euro(X)LX necks as far as front to back depth or thickness goes?
 
#46
While I have not had an issue with any of the Spector necks I have played the necks on my NS-5H2's seem to be thinner and faster playing (IMHO of course). The Spector neck feels much better than the EBMM SR5 that I used to play.
And in regards to your warranty concerns the USA Spector lifetime warranty is non-transferable. Good luck!
 
#48
Jasonger said:
While I have not had an issue with any of the Spector necks I have played the necks on my NS-5H2's seem to be thinner and faster playing (IMHO of course). The Spector neck feels much better than the EBMM SR5 that I used to play.
And in regards to your warranty concerns I think the USA Spector lifetime warranty is transferable. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Warranties on all Spector basses are only to the original purchaser. Just thought you should know.
 
#49
Torn Bassist said:
Just finished up a music filled 'Valentine's Day' weekend, played the Ultraviolet Friday and then the Black Cherry NS2 last night....the only thing missing is a Coda P-bass! lol
Click to expand...


That Ultraviolet is off the charts!
Such a gorgeous instrument!
 
#50
Current family.
These 3 allow me to cover every type of gig since I can mimic very realistic 8 and 12 string bass (as well as most other common effects and synth. Plus a Clevinger EUB) with my self designed effects setup.
th_BassFamily2_zpsdd28d3f3.jpg
 
#52
Torn Bassist said:
Thank You very much Joey, this bass was used by Spector at the 2013 NAMM show and plays like a dream! It can be seen on the Spector Facebook page in the photos.
Click to expand...


Yes, I've stared at this bass for hours from last years NAMM. Stunning!
 
#58
Spfairchild said:
Dudes and dudettes,
Thanks for all the Spector info and help so far. A happy coincidence has occurred and now I'm looking at possibly buying a used US-made NS-6H2, instead of buying a new Euro6LX. It's kind of a tough choice, many factors to consider - not least of which is having a lifetime warranty if I go for the Euro.

You guys have helped me with my questions on neck thickness, and so far I gather from the insight of the group that in general the Euro necks are thinner from front to back than their US counterparts (we've talked neck-through models only, so far). But where do the US-made bolt-ons fit into this equation? Are they as chunky as the US neck throughs, slimmer like the Euros, or somewhere between?

So one of the main differences between the NS-6H2 and the Euro6LX is the body shaping, correct? I read that the US one has less contouring, but where? Is the body just as arched as the Euro's? The US bolt-ons seem to have better fret access on the treble side, so that's cool. Also digging the Hipshot bridge with the adjustable spacing, which is generally kind of a must for me. And I likely would have put an OBP-3 in there to have midrange control, as I've done with all my basses. So there are a lot of positives there.

Any comparisons folks can draw between these two models would be welcome! I just spent an hour listening to peoples' Youtube videos of NS-6H2/5H2s. This particular one has a pau ferro board, maple neck, mahogany back and quilted maple top. Things I like in a bass are:

-Good at many different styles/tonalities. Versatility.
-lightweight.
-bright and aggressive acoustically, or at least not dull acoustically and capable of that modern zingy sound when plugged in without a ton of EQing.
-good balance when standing and sitting
-a sleek, slim neck (but maybe not so slim that it has stability issues - been there!)

Thanks once again!
Click to expand...

I have to pretty strongly disagree with the generalized "Euro's have thinner necks than USA's" statement...my Brooklyn NS-2 and SSD NS-4 definitely have thinner necks than either of the Euro4-LX's that I've had, and my Forte 5 had a thinner neck than my Euro5-LX as well.

That being said, the Euro4 (successor to the CRFM and predecessor to the Euro4-LX) that I owned briefly definitely had the thinnest neck of any bass I've ever owned, though it may have been reshaped before the aftermarket refinish it had.

As far as the bolt-on bass go, the NS-2J-AR that I have and the SE-1 (special addition NS-2J bolt on) that I had both had chunkier necks than any of my neck through Spectors; another thing to consider with the bolt on basses is the necks get considerably wider as they go towards the heel, while the neck through basses only get slightly wider.

The bolt-on will also be a slightly lighter bass.

So, for your main points:

-Good at many different styles/tonalities. Versatility. All Spectors are very versatile

-lightweight. bolt on will be lighter than neck-through

-bright and aggressive acoustically, or at least not dull acoustically and capable of that modern zingy sound when plugged in without a ton of EQing. I find all Spectors to be at least slightly aggressive by design, and EMG's are the benchmark for 'modern/zingy'

-good balance when standing and sitting All Spectors I've ever played are supremely well balanced sitting or standing, aside from the Rex which neck dives a bit while standing due to the button placement

-a sleek, slim neck (but maybe not so slim that it has stability issues - been there!) In my experience the neck through basses have thinner necks, but for a particularly sleek/slim feel you'd want one made with the shaved/thin/Webster/Hill neck option

I tried to make my reply as long as your original post, think I succeeded? :hiding:
 
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