I don't see a circuit in there.
If you have EMG pups then it looks to me as if the 9v is powering them. But it looks passive in the electronics dept.
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Spector Club - Part 9
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
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I don't see a circuit in there.
If you have EMG pups then it looks to me as if the 9v is powering them. But it looks passive in the electronics dept.
ok, So the 18v USA Spector pre has the battery compartment and the 9v one doesn't...
Was the 18v pre what would come in the 1998 to 2001 model NS-2J or...? if I am looking at one like this below,
with the separate battery compartment, would that indicate an 18 volt or is there no real way to know without opening the back plate?
Was the 18v pre what would come in the 1998 to 2001 model NS-2J or...? if I am looking at one like this below,
with the separate battery compartment, would that indicate an 18 volt or is there no real way to know without opening the back plate?
Ah. That makes sense.
My first SPECTOR was a Q4-Pro and it had a similar style tone circuit. A little square board attached to a pot.
You can't make that out in those photos...
ok, So the 18v USA Spector pre has the battery compartment and the 9v one doesn't...
Was the 18v pre what would come in the 1998 to 2001 model NS-2J or...? if I am looking at one like this below,
with the separate battery compartment, would that indicate an 18 volt or is there no real way to know without opening the back plate?
You're gonna want to smack me.
The whole thing I stated about the 9v battery being inside the compartment and the 18v being another "battery" compartment outside the standard compartment...
Only applies to the Neck-Thru models.
The photo you show above is a 9v Bolt-On. And the bolt-on USA models have little plastic flip-out battery holders routed into the body in front of the main circuit compartment.
Just like the USA 18v systems. But in the photo you posted... there's only one battery in there.
The USA Neck-thru models with 18v systems don't have the flip out deal... it's a routed chamber with a screw on cover that holds two batteries side-by-side.
Sorry. I know all of this gets confusing.
That's ok. Confuse us, that's why we ask...
No, JK.There seems to be so many differences in each model from year to year, one has to be on their toes when shopping around to be sure what you might buy is what you think it is.
I, for one, appreciate all your time, patience, expertise, and help trying to answer or explain all the questions and info for us.
Hehe.
Two sessions with my new NS-5H2 so far and it rocks.
Sadly I haven't had time, or rather the right light, to take better pics of it.
I very slowly start to wrap my head about the bazillions of sounds in this thing.
But up to now I couldn't quite wrap my head, or rather my ears around the OPB3. That thing just has too many possibilities
At the moment I settled to: Neck PU Full not splitted, Bridge PU half, not splitted, Bass boosted a little (about 1/8th the way), treble flat, mids boosted a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit.
Does anyone know some other cool settings I should try?
Oh and: please welcome two new club members: Bailey182 and DirtyB!.
Two sessions with my new NS-5H2 so far and it rocks.
Sadly I haven't had time, or rather the right light, to take better pics of it.
I very slowly start to wrap my head about the bazillions of sounds in this thing.
But up to now I couldn't quite wrap my head, or rather my ears around the OPB3. That thing just has too many possibilities
At the moment I settled to: Neck PU Full not splitted, Bridge PU half, not splitted, Bass boosted a little (about 1/8th the way), treble flat, mids boosted a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit.
Does anyone know some other cool settings I should try?
Oh and: please welcome two new club members: Bailey182 and DirtyB!
.
^^^ BOOO on the no pics...
Welcome Bailey182 and DirtyB!
As far as settings, there are just toooooo many to tell you about.
Welcome Bailey182 and DirtyB!
As far as settings, there are just toooooo many to tell you about.
Actually, Garry Tallent's bass is very similar except for one small detail... it's a short-scale bass.
The Garry Tallent Signature Model is a J/J 9v Bolt-On USA SPECTOR® with a 30 3/8" scale. 22 frets. The entire bass is only 42" long. The strings thread through the back of the body through the Hipshot bridge.
You can order the short scale USA Bolt-on with humbuckers or a P/J setup and in different colors as the "Shorty" model. But if you want the dual J/J model in all black... it's a Garry Tallent model.
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rockstarbassist
Inactive
ok, So the 18v USA Spector pre has the battery compartment and the 9v one doesn't...
Was the 18v pre what would come in the 1998 to 2001 model NS-2J or...? if I am looking at one like this below,
with the separate battery compartment, would that indicate an 18 volt or is there no real way to know without opening the back plate?
Like J.P.S. showed a page before, based on battery compartment size (99.9% of the time) you can tell how many batteries could reasonably fit in the "additional" cavity. My NS-5XL has a two-screw plate b/c it's gotta be larger and fit 2x9V batteries in there. Those single flip-out compartments are usually a dead giveaway for a single 9V preamp. I don't know that I've ever seen dual flip-out compartments on a Spector, like I have on EB/MM and others, but I'm sure if you pressed it COULD be an option- but again, with two compartments that's pretty easily ID'able as an 18V setup.
I will go on the record to say that as J.P.S. and others have mentioned, the 18V really does give you a cleaner, fuller tone (even when you boost both the Bass and Treble tone circuits like I do) whereas the 9V circuit is darker, and more growly/aggressive. It's not something you would always notice unless you play them back to back like I do. And the option to have both is really cool.
rockstarbassist
Inactive
That's right! I always forgot there was something different about his J/J and now that I think about it, it was the short-scale option/design.
Just to throw a spanner into the mix, here's the back of my NS-2J. It is a 9v setup, but I just converted to 18v last night.
Cool.
I actually think I would prefer the 9v in a JJ pup setup. I like the growly bass more than the piano but, I also dig that funky slapbass ,too - which I think the NS-2J would be great for.
I think I can get both with a 9v pre and a JJ setup depending on how I dial in the preamp.
My main concern is that (I have heard) it (NS-2J) "sounds like a piano" and that's all I've heard. But I know the tonal range on the Spectors and can't see getting only a piano out of it...
I suppose if I want more growl than the 9v will give, I can use the Digitech BP200 I have.
It has preset modelers that take my Legend 4 so far into growl it scares the dog
That's what I was saying earlier, there are so many differences in each line... shakey_slim's NS-2J does not have the battery door, the NS-2J in the pic I posted does, Spector's website says models are 2002-2009. His is a 98 and the one I posted is a 2000. Sooo
ingThe deal with mine is that it is #006, essentially a prototype for the 2nd generation NS-2J.
I know that #008 is the identical twin for my bass, and it has the battery door.
I know that #008 is the identical twin for my bass, and it has the battery door.
That's what I was saying earlier, there are so many differences in each line... shakey_slim's NS-2J does not have the battery door, the NS-2J in the pic I posted does, Spector's website says models are 2002-2009. His is a 98 and the one I posted is a 2000. Sooo
The truth is that Stuart experiments with new things from time-to-time to see if they help/improve the design.
The one model he is very reluctant to ever change is the NS-2. Basically because there is a tradition there. Since the bridge change in 1983 (from the Leo Quan to the USA-Spector Bridge), the NS-2 hasn't changed. I mean you can get different tops, etc... as wood becomes available. And he switched tuners from Schaller to Gotoh back in the 1990's... but the body, tone-circuit are basically the same since 1979.
The bolt-on bass line is newer. So he's been much more willing to experiment. The body is now different than the original, traditional NS-Body basses.
The battery door was added I think, and I could be wrong, because he decided he liked the mahogany body for the bolt-on more than the maple. So he wanted to add a way to easily access the battery without having to have someone unscrew/screw into the wood body. Thus the battery door option was added.
The birdseye maple fingerboard option was an experiement and it was so well recieved that it immediately became an option.
So unless you have had to learn the stuff that I have (to be able to build and maintain the SPECTOR website), it's VERY hard to know the ins and outs of a model line.
Heck, questions on the Europe Series models I defer to Phat. He really knows his stuff where the Czech models are concerned.
I guess at the end of the day... it's all good because it's all SPECTOR.
So, if I saw that natural one (shakey_slim posted) for sale w/out the battery box, I would be questioning "what" it really is given the info available.
It LOOKS like an NS-2J in the front but not in the back.?? 
Not knowing it was a prototype...
Begging the question - Did some one modify a Legend or something else into this? Did they do a really good fill job in the Pup area and put in J pups and what is it REALLY worth now, is it worth more or less now that it isn't what it WAS before.
I have been scouring Craigslist, eBay, etc for Spector basses to get an idea of what I want. I have seen people listing Performers as Professionals, Pros as Euro's, NS-2A's as NS-2s, etc.
Sometimes it's obviously not (depending on your level of familiarity with Spector) what they say it is. I'm not eeeeven near JPS's level, but I can spot a lot of misrepresented Spectors as I look around the usual "for sale" sites.
I mean, If you didn't know better, you might "fall for" an NS-2 in the the few pics and a description from the seller, buy it for say $1400 and have a $400 NS-2A. I have seen a couple 2As with all gold hardware, which may have been home-brewed with those Gold Plating kits people use on car parts.
Don't get me wrong I'm NOT complaining about anything.
I am just trying to understand and get to know my FAVORITE bass builders line of products and how to tell which is which.
Some are marked as i.e. "NS-2J", some just a have serial number on the headstock or cavity plate, under the cavity plate, no serial #, etc...
It LOOKS like an NS-2J in the front
but not in the back.?? Not knowing it was a prototype...Begging the question - Did some one modify a Legend or something else into this? Did they do a really good fill job in the Pup area and put in J pups and what is it REALLY worth now, is it worth more or less now that it isn't what it WAS before.
I have been scouring Craigslist, eBay, etc for Spector basses to get an idea of what I want. I have seen people listing Performers as Professionals, Pros as Euro's, NS-2A's as NS-2s, etc.
Sometimes it's obviously not (depending on your level of familiarity with Spector) what they say it is. I'm not eeeeven near JPS's level, but I can spot a lot of misrepresented Spectors as I look around the usual "for sale" sites.I mean, If you didn't know better, you might "fall for" an NS-2 in the the few pics and a description from the seller, buy it for say $1400 and have a $400 NS-2A. I have seen a couple 2As with all gold hardware, which may have been home-brewed with those Gold Plating kits people use on car parts.
Don't get me wrong I'm NOT complaining about anything.
I am just trying to understand and get to know my FAVORITE bass builders line of products and how to tell which is which.
Some are marked as i.e. "NS-2J", some just a have serial number on the headstock or cavity plate, under the cavity plate, no serial #, etc...
The truth is that Stuart experiments with new things from time-to-time to see if they help/improve the design.
The one model he is very reluctant to ever change is the NS-2. Basically because there is a tradition there. Since the bridge change in 1983 (from the Leo Quan to the USA-Spector Bridge), the NS-2 hasn't changed. I mean you can get different tops, etc... as wood becomes available. And he switched tuners from Schaller to Gotoh back in the 1990's... but the body, tone-circuit are basically the same since 1979.
The bolt-on bass line is newer. So he's been much more willing to experiment. The body is now different than the original, traditional NS-Body basses.
The battery door was added I think, and I could be wrong, because he decided he liked the mahogany body for the bolt-on more than the maple. So he wanted to add a way to easily access the battery without having to have someone unscrew/screw into the wood body. Thus the battery door option was added.
The birdseye maple fingerboard option was an experiement and it was so well recieved that it immediately became an option.
So unless you have had to learn the stuff that I have (to be able to build and maintain the SPECTOR website), it's VERY hard to know the ins and outs of a model line.
Heck, questions on the Europe Series models I defer to Phat. He really knows his stuff where the Czech models are concerned.
I guess at the end of the day... it's all good because it's all SPECTOR.
I'd love to have the battery door! For quick change out and not having to take out 6-8 screws just to change the battery. I think that's a great change!
Yeah, all NS-95 models were SSD. They have a more mellow sound than the Euros in my opinion. I notice many guys swap out the pickups and pre amps in other models like the NS-2A. To me this thing is perfect. I wouldn't change a thing.
abstractart06 said:
Yeah my bad...right on, I love the tone of my NS-95! I wouldn't change a thing about it! Matter of fact...now my NS-2A sits in it's case...before it was my main axe! Lol
. The NS-95 plays as great as the NS-2A plus++++++++++++++!!!!!!!!!I really love how the mids sound so clear and warm.
.....err trigger.
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