• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Spector Club - Part 16

Status
Not open for further replies.
#441
grendle said:
There ya go. I always thought aggie made the 18v circuit. When did haz start making them? do they still use aggi as well?

I should have been a little clearer on the voltages, I was refering to just the voltage to the pickups not the working voltage of the pre. Just from experience playing around over the years with emg's.

Good to always get it straight from the man!
Click to expand...

The USA 18v circuit has always been made by HazLabs. Stuart started including dual humbuckers and the 18v USA Circuit during the SSD days back in the early 1990's. That's why the original NS-5 models (Kramer) had dual J pups and the USA 9v circuit... it wasn't until after Kramer's demise that Stuart started building NS-2 (called the NS-4 during the SSD days) and the NS-5 with other options such as seen here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Note that there are three pup configurations and two circuit options for the NS-4. The NS-5 has three circuit configurations...

The last one (with 5 knobs) being the Piezo bridge with the 18v circuit.

Since 1979 the ONLY circuits used in SPECTOR Neck-Thru USA Series basses have been the HazLab-made 9v and 18v circuits made specifically for SPECTOR. Not that other circuits haven't been installed at the request of the person ordering the bass. Rex Brown orders his USA SPECTORs with the TonePump in them... Mike Kroeger wants NO active circuit in his basses... etc...

Aguilar's OBP line of preamps can all be wired for 9v or 18v... but to my knowledge SPECTOR has never wired them for anything but 9v. Again, there may be one or two special orders where the purchaser requested something different... so when I speak I mean in general as per the price-list stock options.
 
#444
All this talk about nuts....

The nut on my NS20004 is gold colored, but the gold finish is starting to wear off and looks to be gray underneath, I thought the metal nuts were brass? The rest of the hardware on this bass is black (bridge, tuners) so perhaps this nut is not stock and was added later? Not sure what it is made of, but open strings sound much closer to fretted strings than on my other basses.
 
#445
JPSBassist said:
The USA 18v circuit has always been made by HazLabs. Stuart started including dual humbuckers and the 18v USA Circuit during the SSD days back in the early 1990's. That's why the original NS-5 models (Kramer) had dual J pups and the USA 9v circuit... it wasn't until after Kramer's demise that Stuart started building NS-2 (called the NS-4 during the SSD days) and the NS-5 with other options such as seen here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Note that there are three pup configurations and two circuit options for the NS-4. The NS-5 has three circuit configurations...

The last one (with 5 knobs) being the Piezo bridge with the 18v circuit.

Since 1979 the ONLY circuits used in SPECTOR Neck-Thru USA Series basses have been the HazLab-made 9v and 18v circuits made specifically for SPECTOR. Not that other circuits haven't been installed at the request of the person ordering the bass. Rex Brown orders his USA SPECTORs with the TonePump in them... Mike Kroeger wants NO active circuit in his basses... etc...
Click to expand...

Wow! I figured Rex would have order his USA models with the USA circuit. So he likes the TP better or prefers it?

Sorry, I'm a big Rex fan!!!!
 
#447
JPSBassist said:
The USA 18v circuit has always been made by HazLabs. Stuart started including dual humbuckers and the 18v USA Circuit during the SSD days back in the early 1990's. That's why the original NS-5 models (Kramer) had dual J pups and the USA 9v circuit... it wasn't until after Kramer's demise that Stuart started building NS-2 (called the NS-4 during the SSD days) and the NS-5 with other options such as seen here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Note that there are three pup configurations and two circuit options for the NS-4. The NS-5 has three circuit configurations...

The last one (with 5 knobs) being the Piezo bridge with the 18v circuit.

Since 1979 the ONLY circuits used in SPECTOR Neck-Thru USA Series basses have been the HazLab-made 9v and 18v circuits made specifically for SPECTOR. Not that other circuits haven't been installed at the request of the person ordering the bass. Rex Brown orders his USA SPECTORs with the TonePump in them... Mike Kroeger wants NO active circuit in his basses... etc...

Aguilar's OBP line of preamps can all be wired for 9v or 18v... but to my knowledge SPECTOR has never wired them for anything but 9v. Again, there may be one or two special orders where the purchaser requested something different... so when I speak I mean in general as per the price-list stock options.
Click to expand...

Cool.

I found a "care and feeding manual for your Spector" that lists all of the euro's and all of the ns2-j and ns-jh variants as having the obp-1. Which obviously isn't correct lol. It does say the obp is a 9v but uses a voltage doubler to get 18v . Cool info though. I always thought the 3 knob US circuit was aggi. Sorry for any miss info.
 
#448
JPSBassist said:
The difference with the knobs is a minor thing... the three knobs of the 18v model have a stacked bass/treble knob so in reality it's pretty much the same setup as the USA 9v.
One knob for overall volume, one knob for blend, one for bass and one for treble.
Click to expand...

I was looking at my NS-4 and I was wondering if there was a reason for having the 3 knobs instead of the 4 like on the 9 Volt Hazlab? Seems to me you could have the 4 knobs and have them be interchangeable. if they were, I might switch out to the 9 volt system, but I am not about to drill a hole in my bass to do it.

I have the 18 volt in my NS-4 and had a USA 9 volt Hazlab put into my Doug Wimbish signature (Gone now) and they sounded similar, but I have to say I did like the sound of the 9 volt system a little better. Had more of the "Spector" sound. Don't get me wrong, my ns-4 sounds incredible, but my next bass will have the 9 volt Haz.
 
#451
My friend who manages the Best Buy instrument store in Fargo texted me today to let me know that Best Buy is now carrying Spector. He wasn't sure how they will be stocking the stores yet, but if you live close to a best buy with a musical instrument section, Spectors could be on the way...
 
#452
Basstovsky said:
All this talk about nuts....

The nut on my NS20004 is gold colored, but the gold finish is starting to wear off and looks to be gray underneath, I thought the metal nuts were brass? The rest of the hardware on this bass is black (bridge, tuners) so perhaps this nut is not stock and was added later? Not sure what it is made of, but open strings sound much closer to fretted strings than on my other basses.
Click to expand...
I seem to recall that the Euros/NS-2A/NS-2000 "brass nuts" are not solid brass nuts but a brass/zinc alloy... like the Euros bridge.
Only the Americans have solid brass nuts......
 
#453
chrisloe said:
My friend who manages the Best Buy instrument store in Fargo texted me today to let me know that Best Buy is now carrying Spector. He wasn't sure how they will be stocking the stores yet, but if you live close to a best buy with a musical instrument section, Spectors could be on the way...
Click to expand...

Wow! I wonder if they'll stock Re-Bops & Euros or just Performers & Legends...
 
#454
chrisloe said:
My friend who manages the Best Buy instrument store in Fargo texted me today to let me know that Best Buy is now carrying Spector. He wasn't sure how they will be stocking the stores yet, but if you live close to a best buy with a musical instrument section, Spectors could be on the way...
Click to expand...

That is odd yet cool. The Princeton, NJ store is only 15 minutes from me and they have a whole music section so it will be interesting to see which models they stock.
 
#455
chrisloe said:
My friend who manages the Best Buy instrument store in Fargo texted me today to let me know that Best Buy is now carrying Spector. He wasn't sure how they will be stocking the stores yet, but if you live close to a best buy with a musical instrument section, Spectors could be on the way...
Click to expand...

Our Best Buys here in Vancouver are a joke. They stock about 1/4 of what I've seen stocked in the Seattle store.
I heard that they may bring some instruments here....but I'm not sure as to when or if they would.
The music section at the BB Seattle store looks almost better than out big retailer Long and Mcquade.
 
#456
chrisloe said:
My friend who manages the Best Buy instrument store in Fargo texted me today to let me know that Best Buy is now carrying Spector. He wasn't sure how they will be stocking the stores yet, but if you live close to a best buy with a musical instrument section, Spectors could be on the way...
Click to expand...

jay440 said:
Wow! I wonder if they'll stock Re-Bops & Euros or just Performers & Legends...
Click to expand...

delucajohn2000 said:
That is odd yet cool. The Princeton, NJ store is only 15 minutes from me and they have a whole music section so it will be interesting to see which models they stock.
Click to expand...

Looking at their website it appears they will be stocking everything except the USA series.

Probably anything handled by the
Hanser Music Group The new North American distributor for Spector import instruments (Performer, Professional, Europe Series)

Invalid Link Removed

With Electronics, Best Buy sometimes just carries some Sku's online and not in stores.

But atleast at this point we know they have access to the (Performer, Professional, Europe Series)

I have a feeling there may be some people applying for Best Buy Credit Cards Soon. :hiding:
 
#457
I Just wrote a review on the Euro4 LX model on the Best Buy site.

That was part of my job when I worked in the electronics industry so I just had to do it. :D

It can take 72 hours to post, but I am sure it will be approved, it was a great review. :bassist:
 
#458
Anyone inthe new hampshire area.
Looks like this seller finally listed his NS-2A for a good price. $350

This was around for months in the 700+ range.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#460
chrisloe said:
I have the 18 volt in my NS-4 and had a USA 9 volt Hazlab put into my Doug Wimbish signature (Gone now) and they sounded similar, but I have to say I did like the sound of the 9 volt system a little better. Had more of the "Spector" sound. Don't get me wrong, my ns-4 sounds incredible, but my next bass will have the 9 volt Haz.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. I prefer the sound out of my NS-2 better than my NS-4. It is more growly and gritty... the sound I fell in love with.

As much as I love my NS-4, the sound is a little too clean at times... my NS-2 has growl without trying. Sometimes I have to coax the EQ settings on the NS-4 to get the growl.
So no worries. I feel the same way.

So much so that I've made up my mind that I'm only ordering USA models with the 9v USA Circuit from now on... regardless of the pups or number of strings.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back