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I'll try to take a better pic very soon 
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Looks like someone dropped it out of a 4th story window into oncoming traffic!
yeah... how do you post something like that and not share a story?
i should have my first spector in the next week or so and here it is. i plan on getting to know it well but i do have some questions.
this is going to show my ignorance... it has passive EMG's but a preamp? what makes pups active or passive? what's the advantage/disadvantage to having active pups?
i think it was fretless guy who said there are some EMG's that are humbuckers, but designed to sound like a PJ setup. does anyone have any experience with them?
what about the preamp? you all talk about the haz lab... is there an aftermarket haz lab? or a schematic for it so i could make my own?
as i said, i'm going to take my time and get to know it... but i want to learn and keep my options open. and the questions stem from all the sounds i know and love from spectors coming from the 90's and every pic i've seen the players have a PJ pup setup.
thanks for your help. and i can't tell y'all how happy i am to be a part of the club. not for the number, but for the bass
Passive EMG HZ pickups are under rated as far as I am concerned. They have a ceramic and steel magnet core that makes them sound warmer than active EMGs but still retain the super clean EMG tone. Passive pickups do not have the preamp built into the pickup cover like active pickups do. The active electronics on the bass you are getting are out side of the pickup but inside of the cavity of the bass. This can be the best of both worlds. The humbucker shape allows them to put different coils into one shape housing. One of my basses has a P shape pickup pattern in one housing and a single J magnet in the other housing even though they look the same. Your bass should have two J coils in each housing giving you an actual humbucker. If you so choose you can coil tap these pickups to make it like a Jazz bass but this will require a mod. As far as the Hazlab pre amp goes I remember my korean version being a bit warmer than I like. I am sure you could find one or build one but truth be told I think there are already better sounding after market units available IMHO. This may be why no one has built them on a larger scale. Hope this helps.
thank you. that info is very helpful. i do have a follow-up/clarification question... if i understand correctly, active pups have a preamp built into the pups? does this mean that basses with active pups do not have a preamp in the bass cavity? and would mine (although passive pups) act as an active system? sorry, that's more than one question.
the possibility of splitting the coils and have single J pups is interesting to me. that's what my current bass has - and i really like the tones i'm getting from it. thanks for that bit of info.
last question - what preamps do you guys use and why?
- Jan 23, 2008
- 960
- 7
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Spector Basses
It's my understanding that the pre in active pups shapes your tone initially (the pups "sound") and then the pre in you control cavity shapes it further (boost/cut the low/mid/high).
Yes your system will still be active because the Tone Pump is active (requires external power ie. a 9v), but your pups won't have as much output, which depending on your view, could be good or bad.
There are Fishman pre-amps in my ABGs, a Tone Pump Jr. in my Legend and an Aguilar OBP-3 in my NS-5H2. Why? Because that's what they came with, but I really like the OBP-3.
Yes your system will still be active because the Tone Pump is active (requires external power ie. a 9v), but your pups won't have as much output, which depending on your view, could be good or bad.
There are Fishman pre-amps in my ABGs, a Tone Pump Jr. in my Legend and an Aguilar OBP-3 in my NS-5H2. Why? Because that's what they came with, but I really like the OBP-3.
thank you. that info is very helpful. i do have a follow-up/clarification question... if i understand correctly, active pups have a preamp built into the pups? does this mean that basses with active pups do not have a preamp in the bass cavity? and would mine (although passive pups) act as an active system? sorry, that's more than one question.
the possibility of splitting the coils and have single J pups is interesting to me. that's what my current bass has - and i really like the tones i'm getting from it. thanks for that bit of info.
last question - what preamps do you guys use and why?
Two of my basses have active pickups and also an active onboard preamp for bass and treble control as well. So yes you can have both.
I like the tone pump ok. Rolled off is flat and boost sparingly. I also like the EMG BTC or BTS setups. Both are clean and do a good job.
I'm thinking of getting the EMG BQC system for my Spector Q6 Pro. Anyone out there have any knowledge or experience with it? My understanding is that it is pretty much the same as a BTS, but with midrange control.
OK guys i need some QUICK advise.....
I found a 1999 Spector NS5xl at a local shop,the bass is in really good shape for it's age.
The price is 1350.00 with a Spector case.Is this a good price or should i pass on this.
Bass is on hold for me for 2 days.
I found a 1999 Spector NS5xl at a local shop,the bass is in really good shape for it's age.
The price is 1350.00 with a Spector case.Is this a good price or should i pass on this.
Bass is on hold for me for 2 days.
- Jan 23, 2008
- 960
- 7
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Spector Basses
Considering that NS5XLs are USA NTs, I would say "DEAR GOD YES!"
If you meant NS5LX, it's near the top of what I think of as the price range of used Euros. If it plays well and feels good in your hands, then you should consider it.
I had the same thoughts but i never even looked at the prices on used USA's knowing that they would be pretty high.Looks like i'll work on this.
+1, everything I've wanted to say about EMG HZs but have been too lazy to do so. I'm retrofitting Aguilar OBP-3SK/PPs into my Spectors but leaving the HZs for now (the plan is to eventually have a Nordstrand Big Single/Aguilar OBP-3 setup in my ReBops for the Ultimate "Spector/Jazz on Steroids" tone, but money is tight for 3 sets of custom EMG-sized Nordy pups right now) as they are indeed warmer than the typical EMGs which is a tone I like as a listener but not as a player.
EMG Js are... well, EMG Jazz-sized pickups. Typically very clean and "modern" like most EMGs, but I believe they do (or use to) make a set of "Vintage Js" with exposed pole-pieces that are voiced to sound much more like vintage pups than EMG's standard J-type.
The TW line are Double-Coil pickups that have a Single-Coil underneath one side, and can be switched to the SC to give the sound of J-pickups (you can't "cut" the coils of EMG pups, but this is their method of essentially doing the same thing). I've heard great things about the TWs, and if I were to install EMGs in my Spectors I'd likely go for those.
Thanks alot for the information. So i'm still confused a bit, what kind of pickups were used back then in the bolt on spectors? Have the EMGs been avaible in 83?
I've read everything about the preamps used throughout the years but couldnt find information about the pickups.
- Jan 23, 2008
- 960
- 7
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Spector Basses
There are TWs in my USA BO and I love them. The ability to change the coil configuration plus an Aguilar OBP-3 makes the USA BO's electronics package amazingly versatile.
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