Nibody

Considering buyind a Dave Ellefson signature EMG set for my "FrankenSpector" 5 string. It comprises of a 40DC and a 40CS. Does anyone have any experience of this combination, worth getting or not? It's going to be coupled with a Mickahlic Designs BP-4 (basicaly a TonePump before Spector buys them and sticks their logo and premium on top) which is taking a long time to get here from the Czech Republic. Finger hovering over the pay £169 button. Or would I be better going for, say, a pair of DC's or some other combination. Option three is to stay on the passive side and buy a single HZ (I already have via ebay a sole EMG-SSD and I believe they are pretty much a SSD)?

Oddly enough I was talking to a chap at Andertons about this - they say it is legit but purely a test site and "non functional" as there is currently only a sole distributer /supplier for EMG in the UK. Dont quote me though - he may be wrong.

Well its ALMOST black in the right light. And Almost complete..

It's a really subtle one - Ive seen some that are really OTT. Just ordered a BP-4 preamp from Petr Michalík in Czechoslovakia to drop in it (the original Tone Pump). Lovelly guy, very helpful. Was lucky the old Warwick bridge just about fitted as even the fender typr bridges on the legends and performers are a propriatary size 😲

I remember sitting in a friends studio when he was recording a band using one of these - to good effect. But not strictly as a taraditional bass guitar - somewhere between bass and baritone guitar using chordal stuff. Fancied one myself but not enough to buy one.

Thanks. Ive put together quite a few P basses and Jazz's but this was a challenge just getting parts to fit - stupid things like the ferrules on the neck screws. And plastic parts are a nightmare to get - truss rod cover is stocked by three sellers - 2 in the states, one in (I think) Korea. One of the 2 US suppliers didnt ship outside of the US, the other wanted around £30 postage on a £16 bit of plastic. No one stocked the backplate.. or neck screws/ferrules... Using the Artec soapbars with an Artec SE-2 active circuit - sounds pretty nice. Also have the option to tap the coils giving it two single coils if I want to in the future. Be nice to drop some EMG's and one of the pre-amps made by the guy in Czechoslovakia who made the original TonePumps for Spector at some time in the future. Was also hoping to have a gotoh bridge paired with the tuners but they dont do a 5 string version of the 201 as far as I can see,

And done. FINALY . Last few parts arrived, neck fitted, strung up and I love it. Was destined to end up being smashed but it will now be played. At some point I will sort the truss rod cover properly and invest in a set of EMG’s but for now I’m done

how does it not fold on itself under tension with all those slices out of it??

Im seriously thinking of downsizing - If my project Spector floats my boat I may have to make a difficult decision. I love my Vampyre but its heavy and I don't use it much these days - of all the basses I own its in the best condition and must likely to sell but I love it to bits visually and soundwise. I have sold basses I have loved before (my 76 p, my Epiphone TBird Pro, my 2013 FSR Pbass..) that I still regret geting rid of to this day.

After much printing resizing measuring and a bit of jigsaw action managed to rough a truss rod cover and backplate. Still not 100% happy with the truss rod cover so may at some point have to bite the bullet and buy one from the states.

And just to clarify Its going to be a blank truss rod cover - just want one the right shape

Got to have the beak headstock. My friend Trev has an Alembic Spyder but I hate the headstock (Prawn Fork)

I like a Buzzard.. not enough to pay 800 notes for a copy though.

As you can see from the new build section I'm in the process of restoring/rebuilding a Spector Performer Classic 5. Im really struggling to get hold of a rear cover and truss rod cover (truss rod covers are seemingly only available from two US suppliers and it costs more to post than the item itself to buy!). Would anyone with a performer 5 be willing to trace their ttruss rod cover and backplate so I can make a template? I already have some black pickguard material I can cut it from.

Well that’s the Artec pickups arrived. Debating wether to use the preamp I’ve ordered or one of the two Artec active eq’s Ive accumulates. Have a tele style recessed jack holder incoming and waiting for neck screws and ferrules (the ferrules I bought blind are two small and the associated screws too big)

Best I can ascertain is the body was going to be a Spector Performer Classic - it has the curved body shape but is a bolt on (the Legends were neck through I believe). There are a few flaws on the finish - next to the bridge rout the conductive paint had run towards the hole for the pots. Also a few dinks and finish chips so its easy to see why it was rejected - but its nothing MAJOR. Cant get a control cavity plate for love or money, the one place that stocks them is out of stock and can only get a truss cover from the states. Obviously as the neck was a factory second (they had cut the maple larger than the rosewood so there was a lip of about 0.5 mm both sides of the neck) and again there were some minor blemishes. But its not things you notice unless looking really close.

Body and tuners now arrived

A good few months ago I cane across two Spector 5 string bolt on necks on ebay for not very much money. After some minor work (tidying and scraping mostly) Kept one the other replaced the neck on a Warwick Rockbass Streamer Standard which I ended up selling. After much waiting and looking (and considering making my own body) the same seller advertised another Spector factory reject - a 5 string body in Holoflash. Cant stretch to a set of EMG40HZ or DC so a pair of Artec Superpower soapbars will suffice for now - ordered from https://tlcguitargoods.com . Also an Activator2 Jfet onboard pre-amp from https://www.guitar-repairs.co.uk Have used one of these before with pleasing results. New set of Gotoh tuners to boot, and a Warwick 5 string fender size bridge (should fit fine) left over from my Rockbass Streamer LX's conversion to a two piece bridge. Have been wanting a Spector for ages but funds were never to hand so Im looking forward to this.

Sattelite cherry SG copy. Was a nice guitar. My guitarist at the time poo pooed it as it was "a cheap copy" and would "sound crap". Bought for £30 at a car boot on a whim, sold for £150 from memory on ebay.

I hit this point previously about 20 years ago and sold up. The only bass I kept was my XS-4. Sold a 76 p bass for peanuts and also an early 90's TE combo. We are quite techncal (one third of the band is a very talented synth guy who also handles the drums side) so I am using a Royal Blood type rig and have been pouring in cash I dont really have to perfect it. This is/was my last "hoorah" but with band issues and life issues (have a disabled kid that I am main carer for so lets say I am not exactly Rockafella when it comes to cash) I have found myself thinking "What the F**K do you think you are doing" whilst simultaneously the current band situation is not exactly providing a positive answer to that question.

Thats me at the moment. Getting too old for this crud. Every hurdle that could be put in a bands way from relationship problems to illness.. you name it we've hit it. On paper Im in a very privelidged position - contacts I could only have dreamed of when I was starting out, a band consisting of basicaly pro studio and mastering engineers, two albums worth of demo stuff that is mindblowingly better than anything I have writen in the past.. access to a top end studio to record our first track with a bloody great engineer and studio downtime for rehersals.. a bloody good videographer for video.. you name it. But a bit like the Hollies song "King midas In Reverse" - every time we start moving forward something happens and any advances turn to dust before our eyes. I remember Phil Lynott once describing thin Lizzy as "it it wasnt for bad luck we'd have none at all". Got to the point now picking up a bass has become a chore. I have fallen out of love with playing and have developed massive self doubt. GAH. Rant over. But seriously I am considering sticking the whole ruddy lot on ebay and saying sod it.

Looks like one of the Gear4Music ones