Spector USA NS-4X Bass, Curly Maple over Empresswood, Purple Charcoal Fade

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

We're very proud to be Spector dealers, and we're even more so to carry the most top-of-the-line basses in the lineup straight from their headquarters in New York! Bow in the presence of royalty, as this gorgeous NS-4X featuring an Empresswood body and a regal Purple Charcoal Fade finish has arrived. We had such a great time speccing this one out with their Brooklyn custom shop.

The custom Purple Charcoal Fade begins with the definitive royal color - purple - and utilizes the majestic lines of the NS-4X's offset body to give it a two-toned, fearsome look. We selected some beautifully bookmatched Curly Maple for the top that looks almost "3D" in person. The Empresswood body, also known as Paulownia, imparts some ash-like snap to the tone as well as helps the instrument maintain a well-balanced feel with its generally lighter weight. Even the inlays add to the cohesion of the look, adding hits of acrylic purple along the fretboard!

The neck-through design and tonewoods meld with the EMG pickups and the incredible Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp to serve up some absolutely killer tone. The perfect design makes for a tight and punchy B-string, even at the standard 34" scale length. The fretwork is perfect, and everything simply feels precise and meticulous. The narrow nut width helps this one feel very familiar to those used to vintage "J"-style basses. If you like low action on a bass, this is it. This particular NS-4X is also extremely comfortable to play and well-balanced thanks to the Hipshot UltraLite tuners.

The EMG 35DCX pickups bring such a powerful variety of sounds to the table. Between isolating the neck pickup, isolating the bridge pickup, and combining the two with the volume balance knob, this bass can achieve so many different sounds without even touching the preamp. You've got everything you need, and nothing that you don't. It's powerful, has loads of headroom, and can really add some character to the tone. The EQ is easy to work with and impacts just the right frequencies.

This bass sings with overdrive and will sound great hitting your amp hard, but slap-bass players will also love it because the clarity and articulation is absolutely watertight. The bottom end is defined while being extremely powerful. If you need to tone down either the high or low frequencies a bit, you can, but this bass is definitely made for those that aren't afraid to be noticed. All hail the queen!

Details

A true modern classic – First introduced in 1977, Spector NS basses have set the industry standard for modern, neck-thru body electric basses. The original NS instrument was designed by Stuart Spector and Ned Steinberger in Brooklyn, NY. Since then, the NS has taken on a life of its own. The distinct, unmistakable curves have attracted professional bass players the world over to these exquisite instruments. Beyond its world-class design elements, the neck-thru construction of these instruments provides players with unprecedented levels of stability and sustain, bringing a level of definition to bass never before heard. All of this natural tone is then enhanced with our proprietary active circuitry.

Spector NS instruments are individually built by a small team of builders in Woodstock, NY from the finest source materials, including hand-selected tonewoods from the most fertile regions of the world. Our choices for body woods include premium 5A grade Quilted and Flamed Maple, exotic varieties of Spalted Maple, Walnut Burl, Flame Maple, reclaimed old-growth California Redwood, select Swamp Ash, and many, many more. Each 3-piece neck is carved from tempered North American Maple and can be paired with Pau Ferro, Birdseye Maple, or Ebony. Each instrument is outfitted with custom, professional-grade hardware including our hi-mass locking bridge, Dunlop strap locks, and Gotoh tuners. Your options continue from there with a choice of inlays, hardware color, and of course stains and finishes. The sound and feel of a true USA Spector instrument is second-to-none. No collection is complete without at least one!