Jonesy

As a newb to Spector this could be a silly question, but here goes...

Why do a lot of 4 string models come with PJ pups and then you get to the 5 string of the same model and they have humbuckers?

37 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

Hi everyone. I'm starting to look for a Spector, really wanting that classic Spector sound (Rex Brown, Mike Starr) and a decent quality model. Which would be the models to go for?

Is the Rebop any good? There seems to be quite a few for sale but I can't find much info about them. Should I spend the extra for an NS Pulse or Euro LX?

I was asking a similar sort of thing in another thread recently and the general consensus seemed to be, if you want that Spector sound then a Pulse is a good mixture of price point/tone/quality. Especially if you whack a Haz preamp clone in it. I'm not sure what the differences are between the I and II apart from the finish and QMT though.

And no idea if it's worth paying extra for the Euro.

On 16/05/2025 at 16:49, Mudpup said:

Total bargain and a great seller...

That does look gorgeous, really like the finish on it. Aaaand I'll be down in Gunnislake visiting Chris over the summer......

I think I've got a Pulse on my brain now though, unless having a go on your Warwick changes my mind!

You don't see much MIJ G&L gear, unfortunately. I saw an ASAT last year and was gutted to miss out on it. 

18 minutes ago, Jack said:

I liked my Spector Pulse so much that I recently sold my Spector Euro. Whenever I fancied playing a Spector it was always the Pulse and never the Euro. They really are excellent basses. So too was the Euro mind, just that I liked the P/J over the MM. FWIW I paid £500 for my Pulse in the correct ultra violet and I sold my Euro for £750, so there are Spectors out there in your price range.

100% agree that ultra violet is the correct colour for a Pulse!

8 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

I'm going to go left field with my usual reasonably priced choice. Slightly radical looks, great build quality, excellent balance, lovely clean sounding preamp, seven piece laminate neck, roasted maple fingerboard and serious playability for the money - Cort Artisan Space Bass 4. I've had both the 5 and the 4 now, and the 4-string version is still blowing me away with it's speedy neck'd playability and portability.

 

Oh, and you can have a brand new one for just over £600. What's not to like?

Yeah, but maybe its that cheap because they forgot to include the headstock. How much are they to pick up as an aftermarket accessory?

They do look cool, but I'm not sure I'm ready for headless just yet!

6 minutes ago, Mudpup said:

As luck would have it I just happen to have a Spector Pulse 2 with the LHZ Hazlab clone preamp sitting in the front room and we're overdue a visit....I'll bring it over 🙂

 

In fact I'll bring all 3 active basses over for you if you want - so thats a German Warwick Proline and my trusty old Zon. They're all different flavours of awesome activeness.

 

Add a Cort A4 Plus to your list as well - stunning bass for the money

Ah, I thought only the Warwick and the Zon survived your cull! That sound like a plan, lemme know what biscuits you want and lets sort a date 😃

I almost gave you a shout about the Cort after you raving about it, then I saw in the classifieds that you moved it on and it has since changed hands again.

9 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

A used Spector NS Pulse might be your best bet if you want a "proper" specced Spector within budget. Reverse P at the neck, EMGs and the Tonepump pre, made in Korea still I think.

Ah, I think you answered my question as I was typing it! If a Pulse II is the sweet spot for best value/most spector sounding out of the non US models then I'll keep an eye out.

What's the difference between the Pulse I and II? They both look to have the same pups, pre amp and woods for the body, neck and fingerboard. Is it just the finish and QM top? 

6 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

Add a bit to your budget and you could order this today:

https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/spector-ns-pulse-ii-4-black-stain-matte/

That does look pretty - have added it to the list!

I've seen that Spector video loads and would be lying if I said it's not partially responsible for said GAS attack! 

The only issue is I'm not sure how close the Spectors within my budget will sound to the full fat USA ones. So, I guess my question to any Spector aficionados is - what's the model to look out for within my budget that sounds the best/most like the US ones?  

30 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

Ideally you need to play a lot of basses to nail down what will suit you.

 

I would add MTD Kingston Z series, high end Ibanez (pref with Nordstrands) and German Warwicks to your list, all of which can be had used for your budget.

Very true, the problem is I have no idea where to start! Thanks for those suggestions, I'll check them out 😃

11 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Do Yamaha BBs look too Precisiony, if not def worth checking out.

Yammy's are OK to look at, my brain will just have to get over the fact that they also make calculators and boat engines!

I haven't got anything against the Precision shape, it's just bonus points will be awarded for something that didn't look too traditional. 

I'd look at the Player Plus PJ and Charvel San Dimas, although from reading around I'd be better off with a Sire. Only issue there is their PJ's look fairly trad  and no funky colours are available.

11 hours ago, merello said:

I had a Spector Legend....for the price it played well and sounded great live!

Ah cool! Which one did you have? I'm trying to figure out what the best ones in this series are. Some seem to come with Bart's and different preamps etc. Are the early ones made on Korea? Do you know if they're any better?

11 hours ago, Misdee said:

A  used Yamaha 1024/X isn't active but it's within your budget if you can find one and it sounds modern, not much like a Fender at all. It really does have the thickness of tone that the best active basses have, too. It will certainly challenge something like an SB1000 for that in-your-face upfront bass sound that was so popular at one time.

 

I suppose nowadays when  bass players refer to "modern" basses it's a bit complicated because what that mainly means is what used to be modern back in the old days, that being the late 1970's to the late 1990's. I've been getting into that sound again recently. It's long overdue a revival. In modern times ie post millennium traditional "retro"style basses and tones have dominated. Modern basses have been considered old-fashioned, if that makes sense.

Yeah, completely agree there. Odd isn't it, when I say modern I mean something that sounds like it's 40 year old, not 70! 

11 hours ago, Machines said:

What exactly is it in the active sound you want ? An active Fender Jazz and something like a Spector with EMG humbuckers will sound very different.

Good point.

I suppose it started off the back of listening to Alice in Chains, Pantera and Fugazi - so Spector PJ or MM humbuckers are the general wheelhouse I'm after, although I'd be happy with other humbuckers. 

1 hour ago, tauzero said:

Preferences for neck profile, through neck or bolt-on? Push the boat out and go headless? There's Cort and Hohner as well as your list, and you might even find a Shuker at a bargain price.

I don't really have any preference when it comes how the neck is attached.

I'm fairly flexible on profile too, not to fussed on radius. I'm happy on my Jazz with its 38mm neck and Rick with its 44mm neck. If it is on the chunkier side at the nut then ideally it'd be slimmer back to front, rather than a baseball bat, just to keep things manageable. 

In an ideal world the neck will be glossed or painted, but it's not a deal breaker.

I've seen a Fender Player Plus PJ, which very much looks like a P bass, but is acceptable as it's a metallic snot green. No idea what they're like though and I've read mixed things.

I've also seen a Sterling 34 in seafoam sparkle that is pretty tempting.

Headless might be a bit too far, one step at a time, eh? 

14 hours ago, Beedster said:

 

Love that pic @BaggyMan 👍

 

And in answer to your question.....

 

Modulus Sonic Hammer

Fretless Ric 4003

Lakland Decade

 

 

 

 

I've had an eye out for a Decade for ages and they don't come up too often. There's Skyline on FB now, but it's the active model. I think that's the first one I've seen in about 7-8 years

Well, GAS being GAS and all.......

I think it may be time for a change in the stable and I've got a hankering for something active and modern sounding/looking. All of my basses have been traditional looking and passive and I've got a bit of a GAS driven inclination to try something new. I've just got a hold of a fretless Aria SB1000 and (although it's not really modern in the whole grand scheme of things) I'm starting to change my mind on active basses, so am on the look out for something active. Problem is I've never really looked into brands like Ibanez, Warwick, Spector, even Music Man etc because I've always thought they weren't for me, so I know nout about them. And this is where you guys come in 😃

So, I'm asking the collective brain of BC to help me find a new bass.

Budget wise I'd say somewhere in-between £300-800

Happy to go 2nd hand

Zero preference on pups/preamp

4 strings

Fretted 

Ideally it won't look like a P bass

In my head I'm thinking of a Spector, but don't really know enough about their product range to know what to look out for and what's the best bet when looking for budget vs features etc. Is the performer line worth looking at - I know it doesn't have the reverse P's and will have a cheaper preamp etc. The Legend line has some older models that are classic and customs, newer ones have reverse P's - any recommendations there?

Happy to look outside of Spector's too, so feel free to chuck some recommendations my way!

And another one for the 2nd hand Harley Benton idea. They're decent basses, less of a lottery and you wouldn't need to upgrade anything.

Just had a look on FB and there's one in Shotts listed as a Harley Brenton for £80. There's about 4 others within 40km of Edinburgh, all under £90, but the HB would be my pick.

Hullo! 

That sort of thing def goes on (who doesn't love nerding out over gear and a cuppa?) and I'm sure a Warwick fan will be along to help out sooner or later.

It might be worth asking, or linking to this thread in the Warwick thread over in the gear gallery.....

Good luck!

Lovely basses and HUGE pups! Enjoy the new toy, they're really underrated and a joy to play/hear.

11 hours ago, Hellzero said:

That smile on your face says it all @Ben Jamin... 😊👌🏻👍🏻

Was about to say the same thing! Having recently picked up a fretless, I know that smile on your face after sliding the harmonic. Maybe we'll grow out of it one day (I hope not!)

I was just listening to Fugazi today too, what an awesome band and Joe is an underrated bass player, love his lines.

Add Break to your list, top tune.

12 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said:

 

Many moons ago I took mine off and polished it with Brasso.  Looked awesome!

 

Ohh, of course! I'll see if I can give it a go, thanks!

Just out of interest to anyone with a brass bridge......... have you ever had a go at removing the green oxidation from hardware? 

I'll have to check with the owner first and don't want to make it too shiny, but it is a bit grubby

I'm fairly sure it's a Sb1000 anyway, it definitely fretless 😂

So, it's not really a new bass day. It's more like I've become it's custodian since the owner picked up a Tony Franklin fretless. 

So it's mine to enjoy for the time being, and enjoying it I have been. The neck is lovely and fairly straight all the way down (as in little taper to it), it's really resonant unplugged and sounds great. Speaking of sounds, I'm still getting used to the circuitry and all of the tone shaping options, which are almost as alien to me as not having frets. I have to play it with headphones for the time being just to save the house hearing my bum notes.

6 hours ago, Dood said:

 

 

If I can find it, there used to be a website with every model described in detail years ago, but I haven’t seen it for a while.

This one doesn't have details on all of the MIJ models (though I could have sworn it had most models at some point), but it does have specs for the reissue series P's and a few J's:

https://japanfender.wordpress.com/

Had our first jam with the blues band since our drummer passed away in May. It was amazing to be back in a room making noise with the band again, but it did feel a bit weird playing with someone else behind the skins. Still, roll on the next jam! 

The Epiphone Classic and Vintage Pro Tbirds are great basses. I had a hankering for a Tbird and heard great things about the Classic Pro's when they first came out, watched a few vids on YouTube and, GAS being GAS, had to have one. I headed to a shop to try one out and fell in love immediately, neck profile was lovely, it looked the business and sounded HUGE. Just out of curiosity, I picked up the Gibson model out at the time and the Epiphone was miles ahead - fit , finish, sound, feel were all better on the Epi. The only thing that felt better on the full fat Gibson was the tuners, but you don't play those and the Epi ones weren't bad at all (just the Gibson ones felt smoother, but the Epi ones always held tune).

I sold it a few years ago and it's the only bass I miss.

The people in Wunjo are brilliant - enjoy your new toy!!