WHUFC BASS

I've always been intrigued by these basses. They get rave reviews but they go for next to nothing in the USA which surprises me as they're USA made and look really well made basses. Peavey build quality is great when it comes to guitars, so their basses shouldn't be any different. Maybe one day I'll pick one up for the right price.

Nice bass dude ... congrats! I'm gonna buck the trend here and say that I quite like the red crown inlays - I'm not sure about the glittery paint finish ! 😂 I must admit, I'm a big fan of the Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) Signature Spector and all the red on that so the red inlays are fine by me.

I must admit, when I first saw it I thought the same too. I thought he was going to start talking about Hobbits and stuff at any moment!

For anyone interested in the Crimson Guitars Fretboard Restorative and Cleaner, there's some blurb about it on here from the manufacturers:

No probs. I'd go for the Pro-Steels rather than the Nickel strings (although they're not bad). If you can afford a few more shekels I'd get a set of DR Hi-Beams, you'll really be surprised at how good they are.

Firstly, the Crimson Guitars Frettboard Restorative really is the best thing you can clean your fretboard with BAR NONE. Not only does it really clean your fretboard (far more so than lemon oil) it also conditions it and as it made with all natural ingredients, your not messing with any harmful chemicals. It's about the same price as lemon oil too and comes with two bottles. One bottle opens up the pores slightly on the fretboard and the second cleans and conditions the fretboard. I thought the fretboard on the new Spector looked pretty clean until I put some of this stuff on it, holy crap - there was a LOT of dirt on there! https://crimsonguitars.com/store/fretboard-cleaner-restorative/ Strings Currently I've got a set of Dean Markley SR2000 strings (45-125) and they're really nice. They have the tapered ball end which suits the Spector locking bridge perfectly. It's the first time I"ve tried these and they're not bad at all although they wouldn't be my first choice but if I saw a new set going cheap I'd recommend them to anyone. The Spectors I've seen (Euros only) come with D'addario Pro Steels which really are a great standard string for use on any bass. I'd recommend them for any bass. If you can afford it, the D'addario NYXL strings are even better. Superb strings with a great tone. The holy grail of bass strings for me are DR Hi-Beams which (when I can afford them) I always go for. They're just so bright and last a hell of a long time. They also compliment the Spector sound perfectly. As much as I hate to bash a British company, Rotosounds really don't do it for me which is a real shame as they're a local (Kent) British company with a history and heritage that NO other string company can boast. However, I just find their strings rough and they don't stay bright for any considerable time. I've got a set on my other Euro 5XL and they're dead already after just one month which is a real shame. I'm not saying they're the worst strings out there - not by a long chalk but they don't do a set to rival D'addarios or the Hi-Beams.

I'm loving it. I've cleaned the fretboard with Crimson Guitars Fretboard Restorative which is 100% better than lemon oil and put new strings on it. It could do with a slight tweak on the truss rod but nothing major at all. Please really nicely and it's got a slightly slimmer neck than my other Euro 5LX which also has a matt finish on the neck. The gloss finish in no way makes it feel slower at all. It's also a lighter bass too. The sound really is something else though. The EMG pickups and pre-amp make this thing sound killer. The perfect combination of punch, clarity and bottom end. I've only used it at home through my Ashdown AAA practice amp so can't wait to fire it up through the Ampeg SVT3 and the 6x10.

The voice of reason will always shine through! 😂 Good shout, although Brick Lane is overrated a bit i find.

Might be worth investing in some fretboard decals like these too: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oval-Crown-MOP-Fretboard-Markers-Vinyl-Inlay-Stickers-Decal-Set-for-ANY-BASS/110579837645?epid=1731859574&hash=item19bf126acd:g:2P8AAOSw-7RVCKeJ

Dude ... you need to crank that amp up and give it a blast. If the neighbours complain, it's a keeper ! 😂

Nice one mate! That looks top drawer! I love the matt finish on it, looks really good. What's your impression of the sound of it ?

Yeah my other Euro is a natural colour in a matt finish. I think mine dates from 2013.

The whole neck-through equals more sustain thing is another one that gets me. I'm not sure as a bass player that more sustain is particular useful, or desirable in some cases. It's certainly not as important as resonance. I've had neck through basses (the NS2000 being one example) that weren't anywhere near as resonant as some bolt-ons that I've owned. I do prefer neck through designs as they just appear sturdier and look nicer (not to mention can provide easier access to the upper frets if that's what you're after). You're definitely right about the pickups, eq and stings being the most important factors in tone (not to mention amplifier choice). IMO the wood choices are way down on the list. The more expensive woods just enhance the aesthetics of an instrument IMO more than anything else - something that Stuart Spector has eluded to when describing the differences between the USA and Czech made instruments.

If you've got an EMG pre installed already that's a great starting point. If you install active pickups then that'll improve the tone a LOT. There's a whole debate about the wood construction and whether it affects the tone of an electric guitar (and bass) or not that could go on ad-infinitum and easily fill another thread on here. Some say the type of wood does affect the sound, others say it doesn't. I'm not going to comment on that here but Bubinga is said to have the following characteristics: Bubinga has reddish and bronze-like colors, with a tone similar to Indian rosewood. It is a bit denser than rosewood, which may contribute to its great sustain and clarity. Provides sustain and note separation with warm even tones, bright midrange, and a sparkle across the entire spectrum. If you're of the school of thought that thinks wood affects tone then that's what you'll be (supposedly) getting to start off with.

The Euros come in matt black and I think matt blue for some models. Not aware of any other models but happy to be corrected on that. I think they do custom colours too so if someone has ordered a matt finish bass and is selling it then that's the only way you'll get a matt finish.

I can only compare it to the Korean NS2000 (which was a neck through) which I had years ago. The construction on the NS2000 was very good, but it was really heavy (probably due to it being all maple construction). When I say it was heavy, I mean it was HEAVY ... must have been at least 12lbs. The sound from such a heavy bass was pretty weak (even though it had passive EMG HZ pickups and an EMG BTS pre-amp). It did put me off Spectors for a while until I heard what the Euro sounded like. Chalk and cheese was the phrase that sprung to mind.

Hmm ... that's hardly "weight relief" if that is an accurate weight ! No info on the Spector site about the weight either : http://www.spectorbass.com/Euro4LT

The neck on the Doug Wimbish is probably the best 4-string neck I have ever played on any bass ever (and believe me, I've owned a hell of a lot in my time). It's just perfect, the right combination of width and depth. It really is a fantastic bass. I noticed the same on the Anderton's site too. The spec is also wrong on a couple of their ads as well. They also claimed they'd beat any genuine price but when I found a Spector cheaper than theirs, they refused saying the offer didn't extend to Spector basses ... Grrrr !!! The Doug Wimbish is way lighter than 8lbs and this new one of mine can't be any more than 8lbs. I'll admit that my other one is a lot heavier, nearer 10lbs or more. They're doing a new Euro LT series for 2019 that has "weight relief" applied to them (I can only think that means they're chambered or the alder used is lighter - they don't say on their site). Check out the second bass down: http://www.spectorbass.com/EuroSeries

This particular 5LX has had the Tone Pump removed and an EMG BTQ pre installed, however my other 5LX has the Tone Pump and as you say, it was incorrectly set up. The output was waaaaay too hot and it was causing clipping on all my amps. This may have been the reason the previous owner sold it on and I had to open it up and turn the trim pot down to make the signal output lower. Now it's really nice. The official blurb on the Tone Pump describes it as bass and treble boost now which is a much more accurate description. The real downside for me regarding the Tone Pump is the lack of centre detente which would be really useful as a reference point. Comparing the two basses, the sound is completely different. At the moment, I prefer the EMG pre-amp as having that mid boost is great and gives much more tonal variety. That being said, the Tone Pump in my Doug Wimbish 4LX is really suited to a PJ setup and sounds fantastic.

That's what sold it to me. You'd should hear what it sounds like with new strings ... it's insane! Ha ... ! I knew we'd lose but not in the way we did. This has more than made up for it !

Here's a clip of the previous owner playing some Rush on it ... sounds amazing and believe me, these strings were as dead as a door nail when I got the bass ..

Got this delivered today. Its a Euro 5LX with EMG BQC pre-amp and soapbar EMG 40J (bridge) and 40P (neck) pickups. Holy crap this thing is great. Lighter than my other Euro 5LX and much more tonal variation than the Tone Pump. Got a gig on Sunday so will be giving it a blast through the Ampeg

Is it me or does that top horn look like a massive golden dildo ?