The new Doug Wimbish Spector

[DaveParker39]

It's good to see the USA shop putting out a DW model that is more similar to his actual basses.

The price is on the high side, but I guess you're paying for the special pickups and/or the unique 5 string features.

It would be cool if they would update the Euro model too (new pickups, additional colors).

 

[Les Fret]

I just don't get people with no intention or interest in a brand posting to complain about their pricing (or make some other negative comments)

I guess they wouldn’t complain if the basses were more affordable to them and not so out of reach. That’s the whole thing, richer people don’t complain about it because they can afford them.

 

[HubbardsFate]

I guess they wouldn’t complain if the basses were more affordable to them and not so out of reach. That’s the whole thing, richer people don’t complain about it because they can afford them.

OOOOHHHH, burn!!

I'd probably fall under the classification of "complainer" with my original post in this thread. But in all honesty, if someone wants, and can afford, a bass that costs this much, more power to 'em. There's boutique/boutique-ish makes and models of basses that I wouldn't mind owning (Surine and Linc Luthier off the top of my head), and maybe I even will one day, and I hope nobody on here would have a (real) problem with that. And at the end of the day, I will be the first to say that a company can charge however much they want for their product(s); their customer base will then decide if they are willing to pay for it. That's Business 101, I guess?

Also, I'll go out on a limb here and say that, in all likelihood, the majority of people on TB are, for lack of a better term "working-class folk": we have jobs, we have a vehicle(s), we pay our bills, maybe some, most, or even all of us have some money tucked away in the bank...but yeah, there's probably very few on here who could be classified as "rich", and who could throw $6000 USD/$9000 CAD at a bass without a second thought.

There have been times in my life where I've had enough money socked away that I could have bought a high-end bass (or two) without really hurting myself financially. Instead, here's an example of what I did buy (in 2016): a minty Peavey TL-Five, shipped in an aluminum flight case, at a total cost (even after shipping, duties, etc.) of just a hair over $500 CAD.

As a working-class guy who, frankly, grew up kinda poor, I'll go for bargains like that TL-Five all day. I buy used pretty much exclusively at this point; it's been twelve years since I bought a bass brand new, and that was an Ibanez ATK 200; not exactly a bank-breaker. Hell, I'm so frugal (AKA cheap) that even if I won a major lottery, I'd still be on the 'Bay, TB, and Reverb (not to mention visiting the occasional pawn shop and/or perusing local classifieds) trying to score decent used basses at decent prices...not even joking...old habits die hard!

I admittedly have never owned, and don't know much, about Spectors. I will say that I don't see much about this Doug Wimbish model that differentiates it from most of Spector's other offerings, certainly not for the price differential...but I emphasized the word "see" because yes, I'm mostly going on aesthetics at this point.

I have a co-worker whose bought-brand-new, newish BMW is in the shop getting a wicked oil leak fixed, while I have been driving my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe (bought in 2018 for $8800 CAD, with 125, 000 kms on the odo) with nary an issue. I don't know how much of an apples/oranges thing that is (comparing vehicles to basses), but screw it...

 

[Relayer71]

I guess they wouldn’t complain if the basses were more affordable to them and not so out of reach. That’s the whole thing, richer people don’t complain about it because they can afford them.

To clarify: I don't mean one shouldn't ever complain about price. I was referring to people with obviously no interest whatsoever in a brand posting negative comments, including those about price.

I'll use an example so as not to call anyone out: Someone posts about a new limited edition Gibson bass and poster TBasser71 posts: "I don't care for Gibson basses. I tried an EB in 1978 and I hated it. And what are they thinking with that price? Lol, I can buy 30 Squiers for that money."

This person is clearly never going to buy a Gibson, doesn't like them, has no interest in them. So why bother saying anything at all? This is different from, "That Gibson looks cool! I'd love one, but no way I'd pay that much".

I want to like Rics, but don't like the way they feel. So, why would I complain about them in a thread announcing some new model if I don't ever plan on getting one? And I don't go into Alembic threads to complain about their prices when I already know that's how they roll, except maybe to lament that I can't afford one (Stanley Clarke bass is on my GAS list).

I didn't intend my post to read, "peasants, stay out!" . I'm not rich - if I were, I'd own a roomful of super custom Spectors, a few Foderas, a couple of Wals. And a Harley Benton I'd gig with because then I could think to myself on stage, "Ha! The joke's on YOU, audience! You should see the rest of my collection!"

As for "out of reach", that's why Spector has the Euro and other models.

 

[Relayer71]

But in all honesty, if someone wants, and can afford, a bass that costs this much, more power to 'em. And at the end of the day, I will be the first to say that a company can charge however much they want for their product(s); their customer base will then decide if they are willing to pay for it. That's Business 101, I guess?

This is a good attitude to have about it. I get annoyed by comments like (I'm paraphrasing), "Pffft, you can get the same thing in a $400 Ibby". First, that's absolutely not true, though I won't get into specifics, but I will say if that were true, Spector (and other boutique builders) wouldn't be in business and we'd all be playing $400 basses.

I admittedly have never owned, and don't know much, about Spectors. I will say that I don't see much about this Doug Wimbish model that differentiates it from most of Spector's other offerings, certainly not for the price differential...but I emphasized the word "see" because yes, I'm mostly going on aesthetics at this point.

This is the same price range as any standard US Spector shop build. You can find some that are a little lower, and some A LOT higher, depending on specs.

Maybe you're talking about their Euro line which is made in the Czech Republic? Those are in the $3000 range and many think are on par with the U.S. basses.

As for difference, this one is supposedly an exact copy of Wimbish's Spector (neck dimensions, volute shape, custom EMGs, unique prototype headstock on fiver). It's available in the original color that is nicer, showing the quilted maple, as well as others like the one that was linked to here.

 

[g-dude]

This is a good attitude to have about it. I get annoyed by comments like (I'm paraphrasing), "Pffft, you can get the same thing in a $400 Ibby". First, that's absolutely not true, though I won't get into specifics, but I will say if that were true, Spector (and other boutique builders) wouldn't be in business and we'd all be playing $400 basses.



This is the same price range as any standard US Spector shop build. You can find some that are a little lower, and some A LOT higher, depending on specs.

Maybe you're talking about their Euro line which is made in the Czech Republic? Those are in the $3000 range and many think are on par with the U.S. basses.

Manufacturing labor rates in the Czech Republic are about half of what they are in the USA, and at the same time they aren’t cranking them out in huge quantities.

It really is a sweet spot in terms of being able to get something that is less of a commodity product than your average Chinese or Indonesian made instrument, produced in a country that has labor and environmental standards that aren’t objectionable which doesn’t represent a geopolitical threat, and saving some money.

 

[Bass Viking]

It doesn’t bother me that people are complaining about the high price. The reality is that nowadays the gap between boutiques and less expensive imports is much smaller than it used to be. But I agree that comparing a $400 Ibanez to a $6000 Spector is a stretch.

 

[AgingEngineer]

Dumb question, but do the are the custom EMG pickups on the Doug Wimbish models have the standard EMG quick disconnect plugs on the back, or are the wires potted? The wires are soldered to standard pots, and the cables do no look like the standard EMG plug-in pickup cables.