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NBD - Spector Euro 4 LT LE - Mike Inez Tribute Bass


Eldon Tyrell
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Not sure what happened here. I had written a loooong text accompanying the phots but that somehow did not show up. Not cool. 

Now I have to do it all over again. 😡 

I finally found some time to take some photos and create this post for my new Spector Euro 4 LT LE. It is a "LE" as it comes with the Fishman Fluence pickups and the Fishman preamp (instead of the Bartolini and DG combo for the normal LTs). It also has a cool finish (Black Fade Gloss) and only 50 were made. I decided to make it an even more limited edition by having the neck pickup replaced with the Mike Inez Fishman Fluence Legacy Series pickup. As a big AIC fan, I now have both a Mike Starr (Euro 4 LE with EMG PJs and Haz 9V) and a Mike Inez tribute bass.

The bass looks and sounds killer. It is also very light. The neck, unfortunately, is a bit too chunky for my taste, especially in comparison to the neck on the 77, which is still my favourite Spector neck. The tuners are probably light weight ones but feel a bit flimsy. The saddles and the sides of the bridge also feel a bit plasticky. Anyway, it sounds and looks great 🤩

Well, as the bass was not exactly cheap (plus the costs for the Mike Inez pickup), I will have to part with at least one of my Spector Forte basses when this pandemic is over. Good news is that my loss will be someone else's gain as both are in "as new" condition (one is just a month old) 🙂 

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Cool bass, congratulations. Not much info on the net about this one, what is the top wood? Back seems like it is ash...

Interesting comment about the neck, I love my 1977, too but the two recent Euro 435 that I have/had slim necks, too. Not as much as the '77, but almost. 

How do you like the pickups? How much of a departure from the classic PJ sound?

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2 hours ago, Paulhauser said:

Cool bass, congratulations. Not much info on the net about this one, what is the top wood? Back seems like it is ash...

Interesting comment about the neck, I love my 1977, too but the two recent Euro 435 that I have/had slim necks, too. Not as much as the '77, but almost. 

How do you like the pickups? How much of a departure from the classic PJ sound?

Thank you. Much appreciated.

Yes, difficult to find info online. Several times you just see info copied and pasted from the regular LT that has different picks and preamp. As far as I can remember from the NAMM video,  the top wood should be highly figured/spalted maple. The back should be paulownia ("princess tree") wood. However, things may have changed between the NAMM videos and now. For example, I remember that the prototype shown at NAMM looked very different. 

I guess the neck is a normal Euro neck. It is just that I have been spoilt by the 77 and so Euro necks now feel chunky. My recent Forte had a neck that was pretty much in between the 77 and this Euro. I also like the satin feel of the 77 neck much more than the glossy neck on the new Euro. 

I don't know how the normal FF pickup sounds as I never got to hear it. I read a lot of good things about it and Rudy Sarzo seems to love them too. I got the Mike Inez pickup in it and that has two voicings. The first is his signature tone (lots of bass and treble) and the second voicing is a bit more mellow. Both sound rather different than your typical Spector. In all honesty, I like the tone on the 77 much more. There is something about that pickup. I once called it a P bass on steroids. Anyway, the Inez delivers the sound I expected and wanted for playing AIC songs, so that's cool with me. Interestingly, even though there should be only two voicings I activate them with a three way toggle switch. Don't really know what that third voicing is though. It just sounds like a bland version of the other two voicings. Even though I have the Inez pickup now,  I still don't sound like him, maybe it's because he plays with a pick and I don't 😉 

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Yeah, now I seem to remember to paulownia... Cracking looking bass nonetheless and if you like the sound then you have a great package. 

Speaking of the 77, that is one of the best Spectors I ever laid my hands upon, Czech or US included. Can't believe how much fun I get playing that thing and I even don't use a normal tuned 4 string in my gig (I now use a 5 string Pre LX Euro and mainly a AEAD tuned Euro 435) So I play the 77 mostly at home having fun with '80's rock, funk and whatever doesn't require anything below standard E. 

Are you sure to part with a Forte? Surely you are going to regret it.... or if you haven't bonded much then it's ok. One can only play one bass at a time (unless you are Michael Manring 🙂 )

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1 minute ago, Paulhauser said:

Yeah, now I seem to remember to paulownia... Cracking looking bass nonetheless and if you like the sound then you have a great package. 

Speaking of the 77, that is one of the best Spectors I ever laid my hands upon, Czech or US included. Can't believe how much fun I get playing that thing and I even don't use a normal tuned 4 string in my gig (I now use a 5 string Pre LX Euro and mainly a AEAD tuned Euro 435) So I play the 77 mostly at home having fun with '80's rock, funk and whatever doesn't require anything below standard E. 

Are you sure to part with a Forte? Surely you are going to regret it.... or if you haven't bonded much then it's ok. One can only play one bass at a time (unless you are Michael Manring 🙂 )

Yes, the 77 is an amazing bass. Definitely a keeper as is my Mike Starr Euro. 

Unfortunately, that means that one of the Fortes will have to go. Maybe both. They are also great basses but I need the funds for some other "must have" basses, including a Stingray Classic in natural (my Bernard Edwards Tribute bass) and the upcoming Yamaha BB Hookie bass. Next year is also the 70th anniversary of the P bass (and 30 years of Leo Fender's passing) and I still need a Motown bass. I already got the Fender pure vintage 63 pickup for it 😎

 

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On 02/08/2020 at 13:26, Eldon Tyrell said:

 

, I will have to part with at least one of my Spector Forte basses when this pandemic is over. Good news is that my loss will be someone else's gain as both are in "as new" condition (one is just a month old) 🙂 

Stick some pictures up when you've got time..just wanna hava drool...

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3 hours ago, Dov65 said:

Very nice indeed 👍...how many are you selling when you get round to it ? Asking for a skint friend 🤐

Up to 2- The Forte 4 from 2020 (EMG 35DCX and Haz 18V) in Trans Black Stain and/or the one below from 2018 (EMG PJx and Aguilar OBP2) in Vintage Tint Ash. Only two were made in this finish: I have one (#168) and PJ Rubal has the other one (#169, he is showing it on his website here: http://vintagespector.com/woodstock.html )

1993727642_SpectorForte4VintageTintAsh2018.thumb.jpg.ee4a5c3ca656cf9708103937e47ca2a9.jpg

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Update: Had a week of trying out my Spectors. Decided to keep my Fortes. I followed @cetera's advice (big thanks!) and changed the 35DCX neck pickup to an EMP 35 P4X. Sounds much better. Somehow I found the DCX a bit sterile sounding. Not sure how to best describe it. 

However, as I have to part with a Spector to finance the other basses on my wishlist, I will let go of the LT. Last in, first out. It is a great sounding and cool looking bass; however, the neck is just too chunky for my taste. Both the 77 and the Fortes have thinner necks (especially the 77). Well, my loss will someone else's gain as the bass is as new as it can get (just two weeks old) and now "retired" (i.e., in storage). Will have the neck pickup reverted back to the original Fluence pickup and keep the Mike Inez one for another bass.

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  • 2 months later...
On 02/08/2020 at 13:13, Eldon Tyrell said:

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200th anniversary post to update you on the Spector Euro LT. The neck was a bit too chunky for my taste. I really prefer the thinner neck on the 77. I recently ordered another Spector Forte (walnut wings, black stain, EMG PJs, Haz 9V) and asked for the thinner neck specs. Consequently, I decided to part with the LT and it is available now from BD where I originally bought it. Whoever goes for it will secure him/herself a cool bass that has only been played a few hours in my living room. Great sounds (the FF pickups are killer), looks and very light. Only 20 were made worldwide, so maybe a collector's item as well. 

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2 minutes ago, horrorshowbass said:

Have you been playing "would?" and "man in the box" all day? Congrats dude

Hahaha. Believe it or not, these were indeed two of the songs I played (and now play on my Forte) together with Angry Chair, Junkhead, Phantom Limb, Got Me Wrong, No Excuses, Nutshell, Rotten Apple, It Ain't Like That, We Die Young, Stone, Sea of Sorrow and Them Bones. These are actually the only AIC songs I can play because I found tuition videos on YT 😎 

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