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SPECTOR® Owners Club

#1,801
As a NS2A owner I will say they are great basses. Mine doesn't play quite as well as the new Euro I played down at BassNW, but close. For over 20 years older and 1/3 the price I can live with that. Mine has a Haz copy and sounds AWESOME!:bassist: But it also has a tonepump in it before and that sounded great as well. If one of them grabs you, get it.
 
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#1,803
Rod Harder said:
The Samick era basses are great basses as well, just a slightly different bass in a couple of cosmetic details, and you should not get too caught up in the minutia of the model. If you like it, and it sounds good and plays well buy it. I guarantee you'll not regret it. Spector basses are all great, but I have to warn you that your lust for more Spectors will only get worse.

If you look I've also edited the original reply, the white bass also looks to be a similar era build, judging from the control knob layout, even though the control cavity is different. Again, many mutations of the same bass.

There is probably someone here that can add more to this conversation, however it's no less a Spector if that's any concern at all.
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I don't think the cavity's different. It seems to have the same ledge. It just doesn't look as apparent, because of the paint colour.
 
#1,806
If anyone else has any thoughts on this subject, please let me know. I'm not at all interested in the red one, but I'd be open to the white one if there is a reason why it's better (As I mentioned, I couldn't dial it in because of control confusion, and it's a bit yellowed. But I like white basses.). I'm really interested in the black one, so anything you know would be appreciated.

But I don't want to completely hijack the thread. My Q4Pro is fine, but damn, that NS-2A...

ETA: Also, it sounded like Flea's RHCP sounds. I can't seem to get my bass to do that.
 
#1,808
Does anyone know what on earth this nut is supposed to be turned with? It looks like I could do it with a really big flathead screwdriver, but the nut is really stripped so I didn't want to unevenly stress it.
IMG_0088.jpg
 
#1,810
waynesworld said:
If anyone else has any thoughts on this subject, please let me know. I'm not at all interested in the red one, but I'd be open to the white one if there is a reason why it's better (As I mentioned, I couldn't dial it in because of control confusion, and it's a bit yellowed. But I like white basses.). I'm really interested in the black one, so anything you know would be appreciated.

But I don't want to completely hijack the thread. My Q4Pro is fine, but damn, that NS-2A...

ETA: Also, it sounded like Flea's RHCP sounds. I can't seem to get my bass to do that.
Click to expand...

It looks like a 3-band EMG preamp. If the pickups are EMG as well as opposed to the passive Spector pickups, you can definitely get gnarly tones out of it like Flea did with his NS-2 bass (EMG's and Spector 9V preamp). It isn't original electronics, but if you like the sound, go for it!

In the condition it is in I dunno if I'd pay $500 for it, but I think if you can talk them down a little under the $500 price its still going to be a nice bass, and you can change the pickups/preamp later if you eventually decide you'd prefer something else, white neck-through Spectors are nice, and the NS-2A is a great bang-for-your-buck bass.
 
#1,812
Basstovsky said:
It looks like a 3-band EMG preamp. If the pickups are EMG as well as opposed to the passive Spector pickups, you can definitely get gnarly tones out of it like Flea did with his NS-2 bass (EMG's and Spector 9V preamp). It isn't original electronics, but if you like the sound, go for it!

In the condition it is in I dunno if I'd pay $500 for it, but I think if you can talk them down a little under the $500 price its still going to be a nice bass, and you can change the pickups/preamp later if you eventually decide you'd prefer something else, white neck-through Spectors are nice, and the NS-2A is a great bang-for-your-buck bass.
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Pups on the white one are definitely Spector. It's a really confusing bass, to me.
 
#1,813
waynesworld said:
If anyone else has any thoughts on this subject, please let me know. I'm not at all interested in the red one, but I'd be open to the white one if there is a reason why it's better (As I mentioned, I couldn't dial it in because of control confusion, and it's a bit yellowed. But I like white basses.). I'm really interested in the black one, so anything you know would be appreciated.

But I don't want to completely hijack the thread. My Q4Pro is fine, but damn, that NS-2A...

ETA: Also, it sounded like Flea's RHCP sounds. I can't seem to get my bass to do that.
Click to expand...
Here is a family picture with the 1987 NS2A (Blue Stain), if you look at the knobs they are in a similar pattern as the NS2 basses and my bass has the full Haz circuit panel that has the battery clip attached as well as the battery plug-in clip. The Samick NS2A has an offset drilling pattern and was built in the later part of 1990.
Spector family1.JPG
 
#1,814
LagBox said:
Does anyone know what on earth this nut is supposed to be turned with? It looks like I could do it with a really big flathead screwdriver, but the nut is really stripped so I didn't want to unevenly stress it.
View attachment 420795
Click to expand...
I have seen guys take a large Phillips tip and grind the tip down flat which allows it to rest inside, you will want to make sure it grabs all four sides snug and then remove the nut for replacement.
 
#1,815
waynesworld said:
Pups on the white one are definitely Spector. It's a really confusing bass, to me.
Click to expand...

Don't be confused, remember that the bass is probably 23-24 years old, and probably 80% of the Spector NS2A basses still around are loaded with aftermarket preamps.
Lots of players, including myself have tried several different preamps in their NS2A basses. For instance, I've had the OBP-1, HAZ clone, non trim tonepump and EMG BTS preamps in my bass in the 26 years I've had mine. Not surprising that the bass you're looking at has a non stock preamp.
The Spector pickups in the NS2A are good, passive EMG made pickups.
The (what looks to be) EMG preamp in the bass is probably a 3 band fixed frequency circuit. If you aren't crazy about the preamp in this bass, remember that a Spector tonepump or EMG BTS preamp will cost you less than $100.
Which bass plays better, and which do you like better? Buy that one, you can easily swap pickups and preamps in search of the tone you hear in your head.
 
#1,817
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