Spector Club - Part 9

[Christian Waiau]

I've done this to most of my earlier Spectors over the years because they kept going bad. The only way is to route a big enough hole for the normal jack and then cover it with one of those small, Les Paul style jack plates (you may have to reshape it a little due to the Spector's curvature).

However, my 4 most recent Spectors still have the barrel jack working fine. Why? Because I discovered, years ago, that using a right angled plug puts far less stress on them. Back when I used to use straight plugs (and changing out many barrel jacks) I had them (barrel jacks) fail in as little as a few weeks. The ones I have now have lasted for years with the right angle plugs.

it hasnt gone bad... but i kinda like using the EMG quick clips... and I kinda like the "fit"... not a big deal really but I was just wondering if there was some kind of trick to do it without routing

 

[PhatBasstard]

+10 on the 90 degree angle plugs!!!!!!

Absolutely!
They're better against stress and fail far less than straight jacks because of it....even if you don't have barrel jacks.

This was a pain in the a$$ on my Legend. I had to switch the jack to a normal one. Not because it failed, but because, for some reason, Spector uses some kind of recessed jack on the Legends that makes it sit below the wood's surface plane. A right angle plug can't insert all the way because of it.
I've seen these on a couple other brands of basses (imports). A very short sighted design.

 

[iceboxbass]

I have a longer tool for that....
Do you need a longer tool?

All I have is an Allen wrench...I've been thinking about looking for a specialized tool to adjust the neck.

This just in...

Lita Ford and PJ Farley have teamed up and are giving away one (1) Europe Series NS-2JA-R in natural maple gloss finish to a single winner at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, MD. on Saturday, May 14th.

The retail value of this bass is $2,099.99

All you have to do is go to the Lita Ford Merch booth and sign up.

That's all the details I have. The official press release is here:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

This giveaway is being handled by Lita Ford and PJ Farley. SPECTOR® is supplying the guitar.

Makes me wish I live closer to Maryland!

So I'm just about to pull the trigger on a Euro 5lx but I have one last question. I've been playing 34 inch scale bolt on 5 stringers for the last ten or twelve years. The one thing they seem to have in common is the dead spot on the G string around the fifth fret. Luckily both my SR5's didn't suffer this affliction. Do the neck through 35 inch Spectors have this issue? If not is there anything I should be on the look out for.

Thanks

I've not had any problems with any dead spots on any 4 Spectors I've owned...bolt-ons and neck-thru's. Pull the trigger Man!!

I've done this to most of my earlier Spectors over the years because they kept going bad. The only way is to route a big enough hole for the normal jack and then cover it with one of those small, Les Paul style jack plates (you may have to reshape it a little due to the Spector's curvature).

However, my 4 most recent Spectors still have the barrel jack working fine. Why? Because I discovered, years ago, that using a right angled plug puts far less stress on them. Back when I used to use straight plugs (and changing out many barrel jacks) I had them (barrel jacks) fail in as little as a few weeks. The ones I have now have lasted for years with the right angle plugs.

I've been thinking about going with 90o angled cords...better get on it!

 

[PhatBasstard]

it hasnt gone bad... but i kinda like using the EMG quick clips... and I kinda like the "fit"... not a big deal really but I was just wondering if there was some kind of trick to do it without routing

My jacks are soldered. Your's are on some kind of "Quick Clip"?!

 

[Tracebassplayer]

What about those magnetic pop-off jacks I see around???

 

[Tracebassplayer]

All I have is an Allen wrench...I've been thinking about looking for a specialized tool to adjust the neck.

I have a set of Allen wrenches that are 12" long, swivel tipped, and T handled.
Perfect for HS accessed truss rods, remove the screws, slide the plate over and you have easy access with plenty of tool to avoid marring the finish...
unless you're clumsy

 

[PhatBasstard]

What about those magnetic pop-off jacks I see around???

A good idea on paper....
Until you accidentally lose your signal because of a small, inadvertant tug. Or worse yet, that small, inadvertant tug not only dissconnects you, but is enough to make the plug piece pop out and roll under the SVT cab (or similar). So the band gives you the evil eye while you're on the floor trying to recover it for the rest of the tune.

I can do without that.

 

[iceboxbass]

I have a set of Allen wrenches that are 12" long, swivel tipped, and T handled.
Perfect for HS accessed truss rods, remove the screws, slide the plate over and you have easy access with plenty of tool to avoid marring the finish...
unless you're clumsy

I'll checkout Lowe's tomorrow for a set of those. I'm going to buy a set of Dremel grinding stones to mod my NS-2A to BEAD.
And no...I'm not clumsy...quite skilled with the hands. I used to be an aircraft inspector/repair tech back a few years ago. Plus woodworking is a passion of mine. Thanks for the tip!

 

[iceboxbass]

A good idea on paper....
Until you accidentally lose your signal because of a small, inadvertant tug. Or worse yet, that small, inadvertant tug not only dissconnects you, but is enough to make the plug piece pop out and roll under the SVT cab (or similar). So the band gives you the evil eye while you're on the floor trying to recover it for the rest of the tune.

I can do without that.

Hehehehe! Me too!

 

[Tracebassplayer]

And no...I'm not clumsy...quite skilled with the hands. I used to be an aircraft inspector/repair tech back a few years ago. Plus woodworking is a passion of mine. Thanks for the tip!

Oh, wait, I did NOT mean you personally. I apologize for that misprint. ?
I should have said "Unless one is clumsy" or "Chum-Lee" like.. LOL

 

[pickles]

This is not an issue with the 35" scale Neck-thru SPECTOR models. That "dead spot" on the G string is common with some 34" bolt-ons for some reason.

Stuart seems to think it's an issue with the amount of rigidity in the neck. Something he addressed with the way he designed the Coda's neck... the Coda doesn't have the classic G-dead-spots that other J bolt-ons do.

I've never heard anyone complain about any dead spots on a Neck-thru SPECTOR.

Every wood necked bass, and even some graphite neck basses have dead spots, its just a matter of how severe. I've had plenty of neck throughs (including the NS-5P I had!) that had a shy note on the G. I've had fantastic, A+ in every other way, $4000+ list price basses that had terrible dead spots. For many people its no issue, they don't mind or they never play those notes except for quick pop accents ... for people like me that it bothers you have two options:

1) try before you buy

2) buy and flip until you find the one you like

Saying this is a phenomenon that Spectors, or neck throughs, or 35" scale basses are immune to is just not correct.

 

[Tracebassplayer]

Spector Specific...
I have a set of 5 gold Schallers of a Euro 5... they are too small for my NS-2J (Gotoh GB7E)... wanted gold ones to do a two-tone...
I didn't know/think and I didn't ask if they were compatible..... oops
Now I gotta go look for gold Gotohs....

 

[JPSBassist]

Every wood necked bass, and even some graphite neck basses have dead spots, its just a matter of how severe.

Saying this is a phenomenon that Spectors, or neck throughs, or 35" scale basses are immune to is just not correct.

I'm juggling a dozen things today and I find that I don't always communicate as thoroughly as I should when rushed.

Sorry.

The dead spots are much less noticable (thus my saying I haven't found them to be an issue) with the 35" scale neck-thru 5-string SPECTORs I've tried...

In comparison to the 34" scale 5-string Steinberger I owned... which had a notable dead G-spot (had to do it).

And the Coda when compared to many J bolts out there... I've had many J players say it's got the best G-string sound of any J they've tried.

I can't hear any dead spots on my USA NS-4... there is a slight one on my Euro4LX... and My NS-2A fretless sounds great. Haven't found one that I can clearly hear yet on it.
..........

So, in summary... yes, the G-string dead note(s) is an issue that comes with the bass territory. But based on what I've seen and heard with my experiences with manufacturers ranging from Fender to Ibanez, Steinberger, Spector, MTD, Fodera and MusicMan... those two variables appear to be key in minimizing the issue: longer scale and neck rigidity (such as found on a neck-thru).

Sorry if it sounded as if I was saying SPECTORs are immune to what is commonly accepted as something any bass with a G-String suffers from.

Perhaps they should all switch to standard bikini bottoms or thongs. G-Strings are gross anyway.

 

[JPSBassist]

Spector Specific...
I have a set of 5 gold Schallers of a Euro 5... they are too small for my NS-2J (Gotoh GB7E)... wanted gold ones to do a two-tone...
I didn't know/think and I didn't ask if they were compatible..... oops
Now I gotta go look for gold Gotohs....

The shaft on Schallers is smaller. The turn ratio is also smaller.

Yeah... that's something I learned when I wanted to put some GB-7's on one of my Euro models last year.

 

[Tracebassplayer]

The shaft on Schallers is smaller. The turn ratio is also smaller.

Yeah... that's something I learned when I wanted to put some GB-7's on one of my Euro models last year.

trade ya?

 

[iceboxbass]

Oh, wait, I did NOT mean you personally. I apologize for that misprint. ?
I should have said "Unless one is clumsy" or "Chum-Lee" like.. LOL

No worries mate! I don't take things people say personally, learned that a long time ago.

Every wood necked bass, and even some graphite neck basses have dead spots, its just a matter of how severe. I've had plenty of neck throughs (including the NS-5P I had!) that had a shy note on the G. I've had fantastic, A+ in every other way, $4000+ list price basses that had terrible dead spots. For many people its no issue, they don't mind or they never play those notes except for quick pop accents ... for people like me that it bothers you have two options:

1) try before you buy

2) buy and flip until you find the one you like

Saying this is a phenomenon that Spectors, or neck throughs, or 35" scale basses are immune to is just not correct.

Probably so...either I've not played all the frets on my 4 Spector basses (which is quite possible) or it's been hardly noticeable. I did notice on my new/old stock (1st owner) NS-95 with the original 18 yr. old rounds there was a noticeable quiet fret at about the 19th fret on the A string but of course I changed out the strings to my favs, GHS SS FW, and did a complete neck/string setup and the problem was resolved. I must confess though...I really don't play on the G string hardly at all thus is why I'm customizing (as Phat would say) my NS-2A to BEAD I'm more of a low end player and that's why I've gravitated to the 5r. I've owned 34" & 35" scale, 4 & 5 string Spectors. LOVE these Spector basses!!! They may not be perfect...but they're awfully close to it! IMHO

Spector Specific...
I have a set of 5 gold Schallers of a Euro 5... they are too small for my NS-2J (Gotoh GB7E)... wanted gold ones to do a two-tone...
I didn't know/think and I didn't ask if they were compatible..... oops
Now I gotta go look for gold Gotohs....

Yeah I was thinking of trimming my Amber burst NS-2A in gold...thought it'd bring out the highlights.

I'm juggling a dozen things today and I find that I don't always communicate as thoroughly as I should when rushed.

Sorry.

The dead spots are much less noticable (thus my saying I haven't found them to be an issue) with the 35" scale neck-thru 5-string SPECTORs I've tried...

In comparison to the 34" scale 5-string Steinberger I owned... which had a notable dead G-spot (had to do it).

And the Coda when compared to many J bolts out there... I've had many J players say it's got the best G-string sound of any J they've tried.

I can't hear any dead spots on my USA NS-4... there is a slight one on my Euro4LX... and My NS-2A fretless sounds great. Haven't found one that I can clearly hear yet on it.
..........

So, in summary... yes, the G-string dead note(s) is an issue that comes with the bass territory. But based on what I've seen and heard with my experiences with manufacturers ranging from Fender to Ibanez, Steinberger, Spector, MTD, Fodera and MusicMan... those two variables appear to be key in minimizing the issue: longer scale and neck rigidity (such as found on a neck-thru).

Sorry if it sounded as if I was saying SPECTORs are immune to what is commonly accepted as something any bass with a G-String suffers from.

Perhaps they should all switch to standard bikini bottoms or thongs. G-Strings are gross anyway.

+1 LOL on the G-Spot & G-Strings pun!

The shaft on Schallers is smaller. The turn ratio is also smaller.

Yeah... that's something I learned when I wanted to put some GB-7's on one of my Euro models last year.

Good to know about Schaller's turn ratio. Thanks!

 

[FunkySpoo]

Thanks for the GSpot replies.

Anyway the trigger has been pulled. Got it from Bass Central Should be here mid weekish. Here are the Pics of it from their site.

I now have to get ready to watch the CAPS kick some RANGER BUTT

 

[Antny]

Thanks for the GSpot replies.

Anyway the trigger has been pulled. Got it from Bass Central Should be here mid weekish. Here are the Pics of it from their site.

I now have to get ready to watch the CAPS kick some RANGER BUTT

BOOOOOOO!!!!!! BOOOOOO! Go Rangers!!!!!

 

[Jasonger]

You guys see this beauty?
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[iceboxbass]

Rick Blanc...That's a gorgeous bass! Congrats!