On fire hey Zinger!!! Hehe.A Spector should do the trick. They're pretty nice, I hear.
I chuckled
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I chuckled
Love that pre.. night and day from the tone pump 2.
----- Bass -----effect
SW1SW2
off off highest frequency
on off higher frequency
off on higher frequency
on on original NS2 setting
---- Treble ----effect
SW3 SW4
off off highest frequency
on off higher frequency
off on higher frequency
on on original NS2 setting
Here is my 2007 NS2 that I got back in September, it was originally natural clear but I had it refinished in trans purple and I think it came out great!!
Very nice refinish, looks like it could have been factory
How were they able to keep the signature on the back of the headstock ?
- Apr 14, 2022
- 372
- 2,102
- Disclosures
- Owner of LRWMedia, manufacturer of LHZ vintage bass preamps.
I got my first Spector (Rebop 5 DLX with narrow pickup spacing) in 2008 and struggled with it for 2 years before I noticed the pickup spacing difference. All my other basses have a large space between the neck and bridge pickup, and I tend to play with my EQ in the bass flat and do all my EQ on amp. Loved the Spector look and feel, but it always sounded very midrange-forward. Made it difficult when changing basses during a gig because of how different it sounded.
I found out later that this is why a lot of player nearly dime the bass and treble on these Spectors: to get that low bass out of it because it is almost like having two bridge pickups... There's just not as much low bass since the neck pickup is closer to the bridge.
But here's the cool thing. When the EQ is dimed, the Bass tone is big, authoritative, and articulate! Once I realized that the Rebop really came out of the cage with the EQ dimed. It doesn't sound as loose or flabby as the other basses with the wider set. For me, I am hooked. I love the sound of that narrow pickup placement, particularly with EMG active PJ pickups.
So it's been a couple of weeks since I got my Skyler Acord model and I was initially very impressed with most of the bass, but underwhelmed by the electronics. So I decided to drop in my special recipe of Spector electronics and see where it got me. The LHZ preamp was a given. Big thanks to @AgingEngineer for getting it out to me as quickly as he did. Next, I went on Reverb and tried to find a used 40P5. I was originally going to combine it with a 40DC since I have 3 of them in my parts drawer. The only used pickup I could find came as a set with a 40P5 and a 40CS for a little under what a brand new 40P5 would sell for. I have the 40P5/40TW combo in a couple of my basses and I really like it, so I figured what the hell - the only thing I lose is the single coil mode.
So with the new electronics, how do I feel? This bass is everything I would have wanted right now. The quality of the construction and the feel of the neck match the tone I'm getting. I couldn't be happier! The bass compares favorably with my Euros and the Alex Webster profile neck is super comfy! I'm still trying to figure out the fretboard wood. They say it's rosewood but it must be tinted black because it looks like ebony. Not sure how to tell - if anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. I'm also digging the flamed maple veneer on the back. It looks nice and I haven't seen it on any other SA's. Makes me think this might be an early production model since the serial number points to 2020.
So with the new electronics, how do I feel? This bass is everything I would have wanted right now. The quality of the construction and the feel of the neck match the tone I'm getting. I couldn't be happier! The bass compares favorably with my Euros and the Alex Webster profile neck is super comfy! I'm still trying to figure out the fretboard wood. They say it's rosewood but it must be tinted black because it looks like ebony. Not sure how to tell - if anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. I'm also digging the flamed maple veneer on the back. It looks nice and I haven't seen it on any other SA's. Makes me think this might be an early production model since the serial number points to 2020.
How are you finding the 24th fret access? I seem to hit either the horn or the body trying to get my pinky to the last fret.
From pictures it seems as if every other spector has at least 2 frets of clearance before the body is at the same place as the fret but I don't have another spector to compare.
- Apr 14, 2022
- 372
- 2,102
- Disclosures
- Owner of LRWMedia, manufacturer of LHZ vintage bass preamps.
Right now my only Spectors are a pair of Rebops from 2006 and 2008, both which have thick chunky necks. Originally they felt like tree trunks, but I am completely at home with them now. I liked the thinner neck profile on some older basses I'd had in the past, but it always seemed --notably when playing outdoor gigs in varying weather-- that my Spectors kept their tuning whereas the other basses would drift and require tuning adjustments.
I'd always assumed that a meatier neck helped with that stability, but it could also just be other other guitars were just not of the same quality level. Do you notice any difference between the thinner profile and thicker necks when it comes to tuning stability?
My tree truck Forte holds well but honestly my far thinner necked Dingwalls hold best. Primarily the wenge necks. I think wood selection and construction is more key then mass.
My 1.5" NS-2 Wimbish Thin Neck is as stable as my 1969 1.75" Fender Telecaster Bass. So is my 1.45" Sadowsky MetroLine Will Lee. Graphite or carbon fiber truss tension rods play a part. Clever construction can equal mass.
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I haven't noticed any difference at all. In fact, I had an NS2000/5 that I owned for over 20 years and I think I adjusted the truss rod 3 times over the course of ownership. I do think there's a very slight difference in stability between the neck thru's and the bolt ons. I seem to have to adjust the bolt ons minimally more often than the neck thru's, but we're still talking once or twice a year. I think it's more because the bolt ons don't have the gloss finish weatherproofing the neck.
Question for those of you that have both Euros and a USA P/J:
Is it just me, or are the Euro pups raised much closer to the strings than the NS2? The output is actually about the same, despite the pickups being a lot lower. For reference, my Euros have regular EMG PJs, and my NS2 has PJX.
Is it just me, or are the Euro pups raised much closer to the strings than the NS2? The output is actually about the same, despite the pickups being a lot lower. For reference, my Euros have regular EMG PJs, and my NS2 has PJX.
The Euros has bigger gaps (more raised fingerboard) between the strings and the body than the US NS2 hence the more raised pickups.
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