Thats a wonderful sounding bass. I think I might prefer the sound of the models with two humbuckers. I like the way both of them are nice and close to bridge, it makes for a wonderfully focused sounding bass. I've just put my Spector away after an hour of playing it. I don't think I've ever had a bass that was so much fun to play and so satisfying. Also, with the tone pump, I've never had a bass that is so easy to get a great sound from. I'm definitely a fan of having individual volume controls for each pickup.
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Spector or Warwick
- Thread starter reverb508
- Start date
Thats a wonderful sounding bass. I think I might prefer the sound of the models with two humbuckers. I like the way both of them are nice and close to bridge, it makes for a wonderfully focused sounding bass. I've just put my Spector away after an hour of playing it. I don't think I've ever had a bass that was so much fun to play and so satisfying. Also, with the tone pump, I've never had a bass that is so easy to get a great sound from. I'm definitely a fan of having individual volume controls for each pickup.
i've always liked spectors more. warwicks have always looked pretty nice but once i get them in my hands i hate them. feel wise spector is far superior. for me anyway
I'll admit I used to have huge GAS for a Warick. I was under the mistaken belief they'd be amazing. However, when I played a few I hated them. Some Thumbs are decent enough if you're not having to stand up and you don't mind that tone.
If you're going to get a warwick, get a Thumb or Streamer, II I like more, and the Jazzman, some like it, I don't. Sounds too round, no attack.
Spectors are ridiculously clean if you want them to be. You can nail a lot of different sounds, but if you get a Spector get one with active EMGs, not that HZ crap.
My spector is actually a czech made model that was lower end at the time, but it came active with active pups too. It makes a gorgeous sound. Makes the perfect bass for recording and live use. Warwicks get too muddy and lost.
Spectors are ridiculously clean if you want them to be. You can nail a lot of different sounds, but if you get a Spector get one with active EMGs, not that HZ crap.
My spector is actually a czech made model that was lower end at the time, but it came active with active pups too. It makes a gorgeous sound. Makes the perfect bass for recording and live use. Warwicks get too muddy and lost.
My Spector has the HZ's and while I orginally wanted to upgrade the pickups, when I actually played the bass and listened to it, I wondered why I would need to. It certainly doesn't lack anything, it sounds superb! I don't even think that EMG Selects are that bad. They're not great, but I have a bass with them in and they get a great growly, burpy tone out of it!
HZ's suck by themselves I've heard but I'm sure the Spector pre-amp destroys. I've heard it's very aggressive but versatile.
+1
I've never heard HZ's through anything other than a Tone Pump (that I recall). The tone pump is very versatile, but more than just being versatile, I find it's also, crucially, very useable.
With my amp's EQ turned off, or run flat, I find it impossible, no matter how I set the Tone Pump, no matter what blend of pickups I use, I can't create a tone that is unuable. Bridge tones are burpy without ever being too thin, neck pickup tones that are fat and round but not farty or flabby. It is a very agressive sounding preamp, and it makes for a very aggressive sounding bass, but we're talking growling and articulate, which is what I like.
The tonepump versatile?!!!
I TOTALLY disagree. I've never had a pre that was as unusable as the Tonepump. I'd rather have no pre at all. First of all, it's boost only with just bass and treble. It completely sucks your midrange out when you touch the bass and treble knobs. It's output is ridiculously hot. For anyone who thinks the tonepump is versatile, I suggest slapping an EMG BQC or Aggie OBP-3 in their Spector. THEN you'll get versatile. The tonepump is aggressive. I suppose that's what it's designed for and that's about all it does. In my opinion, the tonepump is the weakest part of Spectors. Try one that's been modded with a better pre or one of the old Spectors with a Hazlab pre and you'll hear the difference.
I haven't played a Spector, I can only talk about the Warwick Corvette and Thumb.
The Corvette is the best-value mid-price bass I ever owned, and I was very sorry to see it go (to appease the tax man, sadly). Although mine had Barts in it - I never heard it with the stock pickups.
My Thumb is a 91 thru-neck model, before they ramped up production and machined everything, so it's got the 2-band EQ and MEC pickups. It has the patent Warwick sound in buckets - if you like that sound then buy one. Growly mids til the cows come home, lovely cutting slap tone with just the front pup. Sets up nice and low and the neck dive is negligible. It doesn't balance like a Jazz but it will hang horizontally all day.
The big issue with the Thumb is the length of the top horn, so strap one on and decide whether you can live with that before you buy. The Streamer doesn't have that issue (because it's a Spector clone
)
The Corvette is the best-value mid-price bass I ever owned, and I was very sorry to see it go (to appease the tax man, sadly). Although mine had Barts in it - I never heard it with the stock pickups.
My Thumb is a 91 thru-neck model, before they ramped up production and machined everything, so it's got the 2-band EQ and MEC pickups. It has the patent Warwick sound in buckets - if you like that sound then buy one. Growly mids til the cows come home, lovely cutting slap tone with just the front pup. Sets up nice and low and the neck dive is negligible. It doesn't balance like a Jazz but it will hang horizontally all day.
The big issue with the Thumb is the length of the top horn, so strap one on and decide whether you can live with that before you buy. The Streamer doesn't have that issue (because it's a Spector clone
)
The tonepump versatile?!!!
I TOTALLY disagree. I've never had a pre that was as unusable as the Tonepump. I'd rather have no pre at all. First of all, it's boost only with just bass and treble. It completely sucks your midrange out when you touch the bass and treble knobs. It's output is ridiculously hot. For anyone who thinks the tonepump is versatile, I suggest slapping an EMG BQC or Aggie OBP-3 in their Spector. THEN you'll get versatile. The tonepump is aggressive. I supposed that's what it's designed for and that's about all it does. In my opinion, the tonepump is the weakest part of Spectors. Try one that's been modded with a better pre or one of the old Spectors with a Hazlab pre and you'll hear the difference.
+1
Personally, I'm not digging the Tonepump. The Hazlabs + EMG's just killed! Heck the Hazlabs and the Spector pups sounded great. The only thing it lacked was headroom, but it just dripped with tone.
The Tonepump has to be adjusted in small increments or else it'll just frustrate you. It's not bad sounding, but it's not my cup of tea.
''Jonas Hellborg's bass is miles away from everything else that Warwick build. It's price tag is also exorbitant. Apologies for my late reply though, I was too busy laughing at your attempt at typing coherently.''
And Jack Bruce's thumb is built like a fender (sarcasm). Do you find it easier to read if i type queens english? dus u not 'stand the speak of yooth gramps? - sorry cheap shot,
I would just like to point a few things out:
1, my music taste and the music i perform as a professional and semi-professional musician is more varied than my selection of boxers over the week (topman, calvin klein and bhs etc)
2, i would not go near nu metal with warwick even if i was payed in warwicks
3, I can type, spell, and annunciate all forms expression perfectly acceptably when both sober and not, but it is a hell of alot quicker just to type what comes to my fingers which happens to be a jumble of txt talk and proper words, but I assumed people that could use the internet could decypher a slightly obscure vocab.
Peace out x
And Jack Bruce's thumb is built like a fender (sarcasm). Do you find it easier to read if i type queens english? dus u not 'stand the speak of yooth gramps? - sorry cheap shot,
I would just like to point a few things out:
1, my music taste and the music i perform as a professional and semi-professional musician is more varied than my selection of boxers over the week (topman, calvin klein and bhs etc)
2, i would not go near nu metal with warwick even if i was payed in warwicks
3, I can type, spell, and annunciate all forms expression perfectly acceptably when both sober and not, but it is a hell of alot quicker just to type what comes to my fingers which happens to be a jumble of txt talk and proper words, but I assumed people that could use the internet could decypher a slightly obscure vocab.
Peace out x
Well let me rephrase. HZ's don't necessarily suck. Spectors that come with them have a decent sound, but to me active EMG pickups sound MUUUUUCCCCCHHHH better. I mean in every way. My bass is before they made the tonepump (it's a czech model) and it just sounds sick man. Spectors are a better sounding bass over Warwicks in my own opinion but then again, Warwicks have their signature sound that a lot of people just love. Even I GAS'd for one (a spector thumb) but I decided I liked my Spector more in the end.
The tonepump versatile?!!!
I TOTALLY disagree. I've never had a pre that was as unusable as the Tonepump. I'd rather have no pre at all. First of all, it's boost only with just bass and treble. It completely sucks your midrange out when you touch the bass and treble knobs. It's output is ridiculously hot. For anyone who thinks the tonepump is versatile, I suggest slapping an EMG BQC or Aggie OBP-3 in their Spector. THEN you'll get versatile. The tonepump is aggressive. I suppose that's what it's designed for and that's about all it does. In my opinion, the tonepump is the weakest part of Spectors. Try one that's been modded with a better pre or one of the old Spectors with a Hazlab pre and you'll hear the difference.
+1 Not a fan of the Tonepump.
More bass output than anyone could possibly stand to hear and nasally treble to the point of nausea.
This is why I recommend dropping in a different Pre.
Both basses come with the Tonepump though.
The best way to get a non-Tonepump bass is to get an early 2000s Czech Spector model. My Spector came with the EMG BTS pre and I prefer it to the Tonepump equipped Spectors I've played. I find it far more versatile/user-friendly than the Tonepump, but I am not a fan of boost-only pres in general. Boost/cut is far more usable IMO.
Thats not to say the Tonepump is bad-sounding, it sounds fine. Its just easier to dial in your tone with a different pre and I do think the EMG pre sounds a little better.
I had to double check... that sucks - they make you go USA for a different Pre!!!
I very much agree with that. A good friend has an LX 5 string and the preamp is just ridiculous. Just waaaaay too much bass. Very touchy too. The smallest adjustment made a huge difference. Nicely made bass though. If I had one I'd probably replace the preamp.
I gigged with a US NS2J and it was light and very playable and the preamp controlled things the way you expected it to. It was just too bright and crispy. Wasn't bad, just not my sound.
To me the sound and feel of a Spector and Warwick are too different. There is the similar (or same on some models)body shape and they both have necks and strings. The sound and feel is very different. Playing them for yourself is the only way to know what you like. I always wanted a Ric. I bought one, had it for a month and traded it. It wasn't a bad bass it just wasn't for me.
Not that any of this helps you actually decide,
Andy
- Apr 3, 2003
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not a big fan of the Spector 5's - has that 35" scale; if I wanted that, I'd go Lakland myself, but I guess that's why I would go for the 'wick.
Both are good enough.
If you don't wanna spend so much for a Streamer $$ which is amazing then go for the Corvette Bubinga.
Never regret it!
If you don't wanna spend so much for a Streamer $$ which is amazing then go for the Corvette Bubinga.
Never regret it!
