Bass Emporium Newsletter - March 2008
The Bass Whisperer Reports:
Stuart Spector Design Euro 4 LX High-Gloss Ultra Amber Burst/Flame Maple 4-String Neck-Thru Electric Bass
by Ed Friedland
The year 2007 marked the 30th anniversary of the first Spector NS series bass. Designed by Ned Steinberger and built by Spector, the NS bass became a new standard—one that would be imitated and sometimes downright copied for years to come. Over the years, Spector has broadened their presence by offering their instrument designs in a variety of price ranges. The top-of-the-food-chain US series features hand-built craftsmanship, exotic wood options, and a variety of highly attractive finishes. The Euro series are built in the Czech Republic and represent a substantial savings with little if any compromise in terms of quality. The Korean and Chinese built Professional series cost several thousand dollars less than the US models, and the quality remains high for their category. This month, I'm reviewing a beautiful Euro 4LX model in Ultra-Amber Burst, a neck-through 4-string that is 100% pure Spector.
Czech This Out
Spector was an early proponent of "off-shore" manufacturing; the Euro series began in 1994 in the Czech Republic, a country with a long history of quality stringed instrument building. The Euro and US models are very much on par with each other, but limiting exotic wood choices and finish options help keep production costs down—these days, you should be glad they aren't priced in euros!
The Euro 4LX is built on the classic NS platform; a 24-fret, 3-piece maple neck-through-body bass with the signature-curved body. The alder body sports a flamed maple top, with a thin layer of mahogany sandwiched in between. Calling the stunning maple a "top" is almost a misnomer, as it is essentially equal in thickness to the alder body. Tonally, this wood cocktail contributes to a lively, focused tone that has both edge and depth. The high-gloss lacquer is perfectly applied over the ultra-amber burst finish, while close inspection of the pickup and bridge routs, neck joint, and laminations show attention to detail that often costs much more.
I particularly like the curved body, it form-fits my "pony-keg" abdominal region like it was built for me. The rounded edges and body styling have an inviting, sexy vibe that even appealed to Mrs. Bass Whisperer. Although the upper strap button is placed in line with the 13th fret, the bass balances quite well-no doubt due in part to the massive brass bridge, and the endpin's placement toward the upper edge. The upper strap button's placement does make the bass hang slightly further "out" than some instruments. It's not uncomfortable to reach the lowest frets, but your Fender muscle memory will need to be retrained.
Neck Romancer
The Euro 4LX neck is surprisingly beefy—a good idea for a through-body design. This graphite reinforced appendage gives the bass a solid feel and substantial tone; the combination of the well-rounded "C" profile and 1.645" nut width creates a comfortable fit whether I'm using a "legit" classical approach, or grabbing it like a baseball bat. The rosewood fingerboard has a relatively flat 16" radius and is decorated with trademark Spector mother-of-pearl inlays. The brass nut is a dead giveaway to the instrument's 1970s heritage; it contributes to the overall clarity and sustain, and the powder-finished gold color blends nicely with the rest of the hardware.
My only gripe is the compromised access to the 24th fret, you can get to the 22nd fret with ease, but the top two frets are a bit of a reach.
Hardware
The gold hardware looks classy, and is particularly nice against the amber stain. The Schaller tuners are lightweight, shiny, and have smooth turning gears that feel like money well spent. The included straplocks provide a degree of security that standard strap buttons can't match, but they will accept a regular strap for those that like to live dangerously.
The big item of discussion is the Spector's bridge—a hefty chunk of solid brass that is recessed into the body for increased sustain and clarity. The recessed bridge concept is a holdover from the original Bad-Ass I bridge used on the very first NS bass.
The Spector bridge's unique locking design allows the saddles to be securely attached to the bridge plate without the typical intonation adjustment screws found on most bridges. Unlocking the saddles with an Allen wrench, you can adjust the string height and intonation with exactness, and then set them in place forever more. The locking saddles also create a structural integrity that aids in the transfer of string vibration to the body.
Electronica
The LX features a set of EMG P/J pickups, configured with a "reverse P" placement. EMGs have long been an integral part of the hi-fi Spector tone; and, while their popularity may have peaked during the 1980s, they are still a great choice for achieving a modern sound. Dead quiet in the studio with a balanced, full-spectrum response, EMGs are definitely worth re-examining in a world dominated by the usual suspects. Critics have branded them as sounding "sterile", but with so many other factors contributing to tone—it's unfair to just blame the pickups.
Mounted in the Euro 4LX and mated with the excellent two-band Spector "Tone-Pump" preamp, the EMGs produce a wide range of great tones. The eq is a boost-only setup that allows for +18dB of gain, with "flat" listed in the manual as "slightly rolling in a touch on the bass and treble controls". Because there are no center notches on the controls, it may be tricky at first to dial in an exact starting point for your eq settings; but this setup encourages you to use your ears, and not rely on presets. Boosting the bass and leaving the treble control at zero produces well-upholstered lows that retain enough edge to stay focused, while dialing in the treble balances out the lows with a pleasant zing that works great for slap or fingerstyle. However, with 18dB of gain, it is entirely possible to over-boost the treble, so let's not get stupid out there!
The simple volume/volume/bass/treble control layout keeps the face of the instrument clean and uncluttered, and having the pickups wired individually allows for more precise blending without the impedance loading that can occur with a typical pan knob.
P(B)&J
When it comes to P/J configurations, I greatly prefer the reverse positioning of the P pickup. Bear with me for a moment: On a typical P/J setup, the builder places the J pickup in a standard 60's Jazz position—which, accounting for the variables of your intonation setup, is approximately 2-5/8" from the center of the magnet to the center of the G string saddle. Combine that with the standard placement of a Precision pickup's treble coil—again, approximately 4-7/8" from coil center to saddle center, and you end up with the two coils being about 2-1/4" apart. Looking at a Jazz bass with 60's pickup placement, we see the two coils separated by roughly 3-1/2", while on a Jazz with 70's pickup placement—make that 4".
I feel that a standard P/J configuration puts the Precision treble coil and J coil too close to each other, resulting in a nasal quality when string popping. This is of course a matter of preference (and opinion), but I believe an "open" slap tone is largely a product of more separation between the coils. The Spector's reverse P pickup puts 3-1/2" between the treble coil and the J pickup—just like 60's J spacing. As a result (accounting as well for other construction elements) the slap tone on the 4LX is killin'!
On the bottom side of this configuration, the bass coil of the reverse P ends up being roughly 1" closer to the bridge; resulting in a tighter, more focused low end. This proves to be of even greater benefit when implemented on a 5 or 6 string bass. This position certainly helps the two pickups blend, but they also have their own distinctive voice when soloed. The J pickup is in prime Jaco territory, capable of the coveted burpy articulation that put electric bass on the map as a solo instrument. But there is more than enough bass boost available to give the bridge pickup giant, brass-plated balls. The reverse P pickup soloed has the defining bark of a classic Precision tone, but with it's own flavor. The G and D strings definitely benefit from the extra girth, and the E and A speak a little faster and clearer than on a traditional Precision.
Tone Test
As per my usual modus operandi, I recorded the Euro 4LX direct into ProTools using a Radial Engineering Pro DI and Evidence Lyric cable. No eq, or compression was used in the processing of the bass tracks, just sagacious amounts of the instrument's onboard tone controls. The Tone Pump preamp is boost only, from "0 to 10". For our purposes, we'll call "1" flat—in accordance with the owner's manual.
Track 1 - Soloing the P pickup with the treble at "0" and the bass at "3" gives the Spector a well-outlined bark. It definitely falls into the Precision family, but it has more detail in the low end. In particular, the G string balances in well; I found that my habit of compensating for the G string's diminished tonal weight was unnecessary.
Track 2 - With both pickups up full, I brought the treble up to "2", just slightly under the bass boost. This creates a more articulated tone, with greater complexity. You can feel the warmth from the bottom, but there are higher overtones making their way through the mist.
Track 3 - Soloing the J pickup, I brought the bass boost up to "6", leaving the treble set at "2". This brings another level of functionality to the bridge position J. Sure, you can use it as a thinner texture for solos, but the preamp lets you steer the ship from back there too.
Track 4 - Spectors sound great for slap, just ask Doug Wimbish! The P pickup has a very aggressive low end, and the pops on the G and D cut like a well-honed axe. I have the bass control at "4" and the treble at "6".
Track 5 - With both pickups up full, bass at "5", treble at "6", we get a killer slap tone that ably challenges the classic active-70s-Jazz-thing. It is distinctly different than a Marcus tone, but the pops have a beautiful "open" quality that a standard P/J positioning won't produce.
Track 6 - The J pickup with the bass and treble set to "6" has great bite, but with a cushiony bottom that keeps it from getting harsh. It gives the slap line an almost laser-like focus.
The bass sounded great and was a blast to play, but I also want to give props to the EMGs—they recorded well (as they have always), producing a pleasing full-spectrum tone. In an excellent plank like the Spector Euro 4LX, they bring out the best qualities of the instrument, without exerting too much influence.
Bottom Line
If you're a US Spector fan, the Euro 4LX will look, feel, and sound right; and when you look at the price tag, a warm, happy glow will fill your senses. If you've never experienced Spector basses, or thought they were out of your range—the Euro 4LX represents a top-shelf example of a true classic instrument, at a mid-line price.
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
