#Spector pro review upgrade#

Not only does the Standard have cool styling, but it lives up to its NS counterparts ergonomically as well. And when strapping the Standard to my body, it hung just right at my preferred playing angle. In a seated position, our test bass was motionless, balancing perfectly on my thigh. Our test bass came dressed in a cool black stain, but the Standard can also be had in blue, black cherry, and tobacco sunburst, all with high-gloss finishes. The active system has dedicated volume controls for each pickup, along with bass and treble controls for 12 dB of boost or cut.Īdditional features include a locking hi-mass bridge, graphite nut, and die-cast tuners. The split-coils are installed in a traditional configuration-with the bass side closer to the neck and treble side closer to the bridge-as opposed to the NS-2’s reverse orientation. Spector basses have come with a variety of electronic packages (notably EMG, Bartolini, and Aguilar pickups), but the company opted for a proprietary P/J set for the Legend 4 Standard. Amara, a species of ebony, is the fretboard wood.

#Spector pro review upgrade#

The 24-fret neck also received an upgrade in the form of maple and padauk. Spector enhanced this latest iteration with a carved-ash body and topped it with flame maple.

The company’s latest twist on the lauded template is an upgrade to their Legend 4 Standard, providing frugal musicians a taste of Spector’s approach to the 4-string.Įssentially, the built-in-Asia Legend 4 Standard is a bolt-on version of Spector’s NS-2. Like Spector’s Ethos, the Dimension bass is a fantastic instrument which, given the quality of its materials, spec and sound, represents great value.It’s been over four decades since Stuart Spector enlisted Ned Steinberger to design the NS bass, and, since then, the ergonomic instrument style has been offered in a multitude of options and price points. The benefits that the multi-scale system brings are perhaps more pronounced on a five- or six-string bass, but even on a regular four-string like this one, you’ll notice the tautness of the E string. Getting used to the angled frets takes some time, but once you do, you hardly notice them. If you’ve already played a multi-scale bass, you’ll be aware of the benefits of the higher string tension and a clear, ringing tone on the lower strings. Its arched back and smoothly contoured profile are a great example of form following function. Adding to this great feel is the ergonomic body shape: although this Ned Steinberger design is now over 40 years old, it still looks as fresh as ever.

In the Dimension’s case, the shallow C-shaped neck makes this bass a pleasure to play. However, within a short time it should feel completely natural. If you’ve never played a multi-scale bass before, it can feel a little daunting at first, especially if you’re playing over the first four frets or soloing above the first octave. Here, they ring out clear and full, no doubt due to the quality of the tonewoods and the Fishman electronics. When recording or playing with a band, these frequencies will determine the nature and quality of the bass sound within the context of a song. My first observation is that the Dimension bass has the most gorgeous mids voice: I can’t stress enough how important this is. The preamp is also a Fishman Fluence unit, meaning that the controls on the front of the bass consist of Volume – pulled out for single coil – Pickup Pan, Bass, Treble and a three-way toggle switch for different mid-cut voices. These are angled across the strings so that they remain directly over the correct harmonic nodes for the differing string lengths. The pickups are a pair of splendid Fishman Fluence humbuckers. Inside, although neatly shielded, it’s a bit of a bird’s nest, although all the solder joints look neat and the electronics are completely silent when the bass is plugged in. On the back, the control cavity is covered by a black plastic cover: at this price I’d like to see this recessed and flush to the body.