Spector basses - are we paying for name and design or what

could be just preferences...

 

I play a 2006 Spector Euro 5 LX. My other bass is a 2006 Fender American Series Precision. While I like both basses, the Spector would be the one to keep if I had to choose one. This is because I feel that it's the better built bass with better feel and playability to it. Was it worth about twice what I paid for the P-bass? To me, Yes. It has what I expect from an instrument at that price.

It could just be that you're losing your desire for Spector basses. It happens. Something else catches you eyes and ears, which makes the GAS set in. It's all part of growing / changing as a musician.

 

Considering I've never paid more than 600 for any of my Spectors, and every other bass that I see at that price range (with some exceptions) look like poo, sound like poo or are just not my style (I'm not a Fender guy) I will opt to stay with my Spectors.

 

i dont like the look of my spector that much anymore but the thing plays like butter and i love it.

warwicks to have a very diffirent feel to them. if you like how the wick feels, id have to say go with that. they are both very nice basses you cant really go wrong.

 

The wood and electronics and build quality are the main differences to make it more expensive. I think the Rockbass is good but the wood from a Euro, Maple in most cases, is better. The fretwork on the Euro seems to be a lot better but it probably depends on the individual bass. I think its really comparing apples to oranges. The Euro should probably be compared to a Warwick Corvette or something like that and the Rockbass to a Spector Legend or Performer which are the lower end ones. But hey if you get the same enjoyment from a Rockbass as a Euro, buy the Rockbass and save a ton of cash!

 

You are paying for lots of extras buying a Spector Euro over a Rockbass. First off, neck-thru construction is more time-consuming and expensive to build than bolt-on. Build quality and QC have very high standards. The labor involved is also more expensive than Korean-built Rockbasses. The Euro is more on par, in terms of quality and construction, with German Warwicks and are priced accordingly.

I have not play any USA Spectors, but given the 2 Euros I own and the 3-4 Euros I played before I bought the 2 I have, I can't imagine how the quality could get much better. I think Spector, Warwick(German ones, not Rockbass), Lakland Skyline, G&L, and Musicman are alone at the top of the food chain when it comes to quality in mass-produced basses. You pay a price for that quality, and its worth it in the long run to most who shell out for those basses.

Perhaps, as has been earlier suggested, the Spector feel and sound are not for you. You should definitely check out other options if that's the case. Maybe you are a Warwick guy, try a Vette Std or FNA and see what you think. They are on par with Spector Euros IMO, but they do not sound the same. Or maybe that Rockbass is the right bass for you; get it, sell the Spector, and use the leftover money to upgrade your rig...or just put it in your pocket. But, as others have said and I concur, Spectors are definitely not overpriced.

 

I have a 1989 neck-through Kramer/Spector bass that was made in the USA and it is definitely better than the Spector Euros that I have tried. The high end Warwicks are similar to Spector but the necks are much thicker on the Warwicks that I have tried compared to my Kramer/Spector.

 

MR. anton99...you are WRONG....Rockbasses shouldn´t even be called Warwicks, they do not even compare to Spector Euros in terms of build quality and attention to detail (c´mon Brass nut vs. Plastic nut, etc...), and by the way, something you said raises suspicion, "spector euro soft feeling"...please, i hope that you´re kidding. And sound wise, to each it´s own, but a Rockbass definitely does not sound better than a Spector Euro, not in a milllion years, I think you might be trolling.

 

i know what you mean about your Made in Usa Kramer/Spector compared to the Euros and those to Warwicks....yada-yada-yada, but this guy is not talking about regular Warwicks, he is talking about Rockbasses... for God's Sake

 

definitively

 

Let me preface this with saying I've owned over 20 basses over the years.

Of course this is preference. But I have to admit when I dished out almost $2000 last year for a Euro Spector I was highly disappointed in the playability and sound. I tried really really hard to love this bass but ended up selling it to fund another purchase (and could only get $1000 out of it!). Now the build quality/fit/finish etc was AS GOOD as any USA Spector I have seen. Top notch for sure. Probably one of the most beautiful basses I've seen. In the end just not for me. Now I just recently acquired an ATK and can't stop playing it, not as nice quality but the playability and sound works. Go figure

 

If you ever experienced the customer support/ service you get from PJ Rubal, you would understand what makes Spector what it is. I like the basses very much too! So does every sound tech and studio engineer I've worked with. Wife thinks they are sexy (I need all the help I can get!)

 

I'll halfway agree with you. I've owned a NS-2 and a few NS-2A's and they all played and sounded great and my Euro 4 plays just as good. My one big problem with the Euro 4 is the Tonepump. It isn't versatile at all and way too thin sounding. I think Stuart and company messed up with this preamp. The old Hazlabs were so much more versatile but were only 9v and they weren't hot at all. When you set everything flat, you got a nice piano like clarity, but when you boosted the lows and mids, it got growly to down right earth-shaking fat. I'll be swapping the Tonepump for an Aggie soon. Oh...they're definitely worth the money, IMHO!

 

I currently own a German Warwick Corvette Bubinga 4 string, and have owned 4 Warwick Rockbasses.

In my opinion the Rockbasses are certainly worthy of the Warwick name. They don't sound the same as their German brethren - that's for sure. The timbers used in production of each line are quite different, and the German Warwicks tend to sound quite distinctive.

Having said that - I will say that the fit and finish / overall quality of the four Rockbasses I've owned have been excellent. They were all excellent sounding, great playing instruments.

I won't attempt to make a comparison between Rockbasses and Spectors, as I haven't owned a Spector or spent any significant time playing one (aside from a few quick tests in stores).



As for the...

...Here's a pic of my excellent Warwick Rockbass Fretless Corvette with lovely Tiger Stripe Ebony fingerboard, and the very same "Just-a-Nut" used on the German Warwick basses.

 

hmm,. would i trade a spector for 2 rockbasses? nah.

for 3? nah.... not even for four maybe..
5 maybe.... i'll sell it all again and hopefully be able to buy another spector =p
but everyone has their own preferences

 

I completely agree.
I think the only overpriced Spectors are the US made. Euro Spectors are great basses and don`t see why just an exotic top (US model) adds more than $2500 in the final price

 

You could say the same thing about lots of basses. I am not sure what you are getting at. The Rebops are also built in the CR. They have no maple top, a bolt-on neck, and EMG HZs instead of active EMGs. But the Rebop is still a very high quality bass, even though they are far less expensive than the Euro LX. So I don't think Spector is charging you more for the name and design, since the name and body shape are essentially the same on both basses. The Euro LX is obviously more expensive to build, and its reflected in the price. A Warwick with similar features is almost $1000 more expensive than the Euro LX, so I don't think that Spector is overcharging for what they give you.

I know that its all opinion, but I don't understand how you can be coming to this conclusion. Weak attack? Are you sure the batteries aren't dead in yours? I guess I don't understand what kind of "attack" you are looking for.

The only thing I can think of is that the tone of the bass isn't for you. Which is fine. No one bass is good for everyone. But, I don't think you are drawing the right conclusion by saying that "I don't like bass X, I like the tone of bass Y better and bass Y is cheaper, therefore bass X is overpriced".

For example, before I got my Spectors, I sold an EBMM Bongo 5 and bought a Fender Jaguar. The Jaguar had a tone closer to what I was looking for. But that has no bearing on the quality on the Bongo, in fact the Bongo is a better bass from a quality standpoint. It just wasn't the tone I wanted. That doesn't make it overpriced.