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SPECTOR® Owners Club

#65,141
thespoon said:
Yes, it sounds honky and LOUD. Like a over-driven, very hotly wound bass. Sort of like what would happen if pots with too high a value were employed. :laugh:

Yes, I have tried. No response from PJ on this bass.
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The preamp does not appear to have a trim pot to adjust the gain. Early versions of the Tone Pump, assuming that's what this is, lacked this feature resulting in a very hot signal which sounded distorted.
 
#65,144
iceboxbass said:
Tomorrow I'll be gigging my ole Forte 5 that I just got back. First time in 5+ years since the last time I've gigged with it. Sounded great during practice with my band on Wednesday.
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That's great! The Forte's truly are amazing basses for the money! I just did some recording with my Forte 5W, and to say that the bass sounds KILLER would be an understatement! I still have a little bit of euphoria going over it! I swapped the bridge pickup out with an EMG 40DC, 40P5 in the neck, and US 9V HAZ pre, total bass tone bliss! I hope to post some samples soon
 
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#65,145
dpaul said:
That's great! The Forte's truly are amazing basses for the money! I just did some recording with my Forte 5W, and to say that the bass sounds KILLER would be an understatement! I still have a little bit of euphoria going over it! I swapped the bridge pickup out with an EMG 40DC, 40P5 in the neck, and US 9V HAZ pre, total bass tone bliss! I hope to post some samples soon
Click to expand...

How do you compare the wide spacing of the strings, at the bridge, to the standard Spector spacing at the bridge for a five string bass? And, how much wider does it feel overall, when playing on the neck with the wide spacing? I would definitely be interested in trying out a bass with the wide spacing. That would probably feel closer to the string spacing of a four string bass. I got used to it, but I'm not crazy about the .66" spacing, at the bridge, for a standard Spector five string bass.
 
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#65,146
jack7265 said:
How do you compare the wide spacing of the strings, at the bridge, to the standard Spector spacing at the bridge for a five string bass? And, how much wider does it feel overall, when playing on the neck with the wide spacing? I would definitely be interested in trying out a bass with the wide spacing. That would probably feel closer to the string spacing of a four string bass. I got used to it, but I'm not crazy about the .66" spacing, at the bridge, for a standard Spector five string bass.
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The string spacing on my Forte 5W at the bridge is .75 (19mm), as compared to .66 (17.5mm) on the standard Spector 5 string spacing. I custom ordered this option for the same reason you mentioned, because it's closer to the spacing on a 4 string. I love it, I played Lakland 5's for a while, and I always loved the feel of their necks, flat and wide. I wanted a Spector 5'er with the same neck feel. I asked PJ for the wide string spacing and the shaved neck profile. The bass is exactly what I wanted, it is so comfortable and plays like a dream! The wide string spacing makes a BIG difference! The neck feels like a Lakland (except neck-thru), but the bass plays and sounds like a Spector! If you are thinking about ordering one, I would not hesitate, for me at least, it is the perfect 5 string.
 
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#65,147
bobunit said:
The preamp does not appear to have a trim pot to adjust the gain. Early versions of the Tone Pump, assuming that's what this is, lacked this feature resulting in a very hot signal which sounded distorted.
Click to expand...

The label (sorry it is not evident in the photo) says: Tone Pump Jr.. Serial number on headstock implies it is a 2009 vintage instrument.

Perhaps Junior shares the Senior's traits.

A conversion to all active, via an EMG transplant, and totally eliminating the Spector electronics, may be the easiest solution. Albeit an expensive one, relative to the cost of the bass unit.

And... probably ending up with something that sounds nothing like a Spector. :sour:
 
#65,148
thespoon said:
The label (sorry it is not evident in the photo) says: Tone Pump Jr.. Serial number on headstock implies it is a 2009 vintage instrument.

Perhaps Junior shares the Senior's traits.

A conversion to all active, via an EMG transplant, and totally eliminating the Spector electronics, may be the easiest solution. Albeit an expensive one, relative to the cost of the bass unit.

And... probably ending up with something that sounds nothing like a Spector. :sour:
Click to expand...
Personally, I would gut the electronics. If you keep your eye out, you can usually find a real Tonepump and EMG pickups used for a decent price. The upgrades will make a world of difference and sound much closer to the Spector sound.
 
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#65,150
dpaul said:
The string spacing on my Forte 5W at the bridge is .75 (19mm), as compared to .66 (17.5mm) on the standard Spector 5 string spacing. I custom ordered this option for the same reason you mentioned, because it's closer to the spacing on a 4 string. I love it, I played Lakland 5's for a while, and I always loved the feel of their necks, flat and wide. I wanted a Spector 5'er with the same neck feel. I asked PJ for the wide string spacing and the shaved neck profile. The bass is exactly what I wanted, it is so comfortable and plays like a dream! The wide string spacing makes a BIG difference! The neck feels like a Lakland (except neck-thru), but the bass plays and sounds like a Spector! If you are thinking about ordering one, I would not hesitate, for me at least, it is the perfect 5 string.
Click to expand...

Too bad you don't live a bit closer. I would definitely like to try out yours. And, as nice as yours looks, I wouldn't mind having one just like it. Thanks for the feedback.
 
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#65,151
Hi everyone, looks like I finally found Spector page! Thought I would say hi and share my beloved Spector NS-2B bass. I'm not quite sure what year it is from, but whenever it was they did a great job. I was subject to a fretless conversion before I bought it and the electronics were replaced with EMGs. I'm not sure if the pre-amp was replaced as well but from what I have found out the knobs have different functions from their original intentions. It is one of the prettiest basses I have seen and the sound is to die for. They aren't the world's best pictures but I hope they do the trick.
Front.jpg
Back.jpg
Serial Number.jpg
 
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#65,153
Aweiss96 said:
Hi everyone, looks like I finally found Spector page! Thought I would say hi and share my beloved Spector NS-2B bass. I'm not quite sure what year it is from, but whenever it was they did a great job. I was subject to a fretless conversion before I bought it and the electronics were replaced with EMGs. I'm not sure if the pre-amp was replaced as well but from what I have found out the knobs have different functions from their original intentions. It is one of the prettiest basses I have seen and the sound is to die for. They aren't the world's best pictures but I hope they do the trick.View attachment 2859019 View attachment 2859020 View attachment 2859021
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Very nice, gorgeous blue color!
 
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#65,157
dpaul said:
Personally, I would gut the electronics. The upgrades will make a world of difference and sound much closer to the Spector sound.
Click to expand...

Just thought I would add, an $800 (new) bass with throw-away electronics truly is a first-world purchase.

Or, as some ex-spouses might say: "The body better be worth it, because the rest is not". ;)
 
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#65,159
thespoon said:
Just thought I would add, an $800 (new) bass with throw-away electronics truly is a first-world purchase.

Or, as some ex-spouses might say: "The body better be worth it, because the rest is not". ;)
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Well, Ive bought NS-2A's for around $300 - $400, spent $100 - $150 upgrading electronics, and you wouldn't be able to tell them apart sound wise from $4000 NS-2's. It's about knowing what to look for.
 
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#65,160
thespoon said:
Just thought I would add, an $800 (new) bass with throw-away electronics truly is a first-world purchase.

Or, as some ex-spouses might say: "The body better be worth it, because the rest is not". ;)
Click to expand...

I put a set of Lindy Fralin PJ pickups, SNCpre mini-HAZ and Hipshot Ultralite tuners in a 2004 Legend 4. I bought the bass for $350. I put about $500 into the upgrade. I wouldn't put $500 into a bass if the bass wasn't worth it. That might give you an idea of what I think about the body of a Legend 4...:thumbsup:
 
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