Spector has unveiled two new additions to its product line – the next generation of their Euro range of electric basses.
The Euro LX is said to be inspired Spector’s iconic NS-2. It sports a fully carved and contoured body, high-grade tonewoods and professional-grade electronics and hardware. Plus bassists now have the choice between the neck-through or bolt-on options.
Meanwhile the new Euro CST range is available in both four and five-string models and uses ‘premium’ materials including a striking Poplar Burl top, a European Ash body and a three-piece North American Maple neck paired with an Ebony fingerboard adorned with laminated Abalone Crown inlays.
It also features a lightweight aluminium bridge for precise and reliable intonation, plus EMG X series pickups, which Spector claim will deliver ‘clarity and attack’.
The Euro LX is slightly different, featuring a European Alder body, European Maple top and three piece North American Maple neck. Its fingerboard is rosewood for added sustain, strength and stability.
In addition to these, Spector are also launching a new range of Legacy pre-amps for each bass. These have been designed in collaboration with Darkglass Electronics and supposedly deliver the classic Spector ‘growl’ that long time users of their basses will instantly recognise.
The New Euro LX comes in four hand-rubbed stains – transparent black, natural sunburst, haunted moss and nightshade. The only downside really is price: the Euro LX comes in at £2299, whilst the new CST will set you back £2825.
The Spector name goes back almost fifty years. The company was founded by Stuart Spector and his business partner Alan Charney in Brooklyn in 1976, with the first NS appearing the following year. Up until then, basses tended to be derivatives of the Fender Jazz or Precision styles or unique models designed by the likes of Gibson, Hofner or Rickenbacker. With its smooth round edges and contoured back, which fitted snugly into the musician’s body, the NS-1 was a massive step forward and was further improved upon by the NS-2 in 1979.
The NS was named in honour of his main designer Ned Steinberger. Indeed in an interview with zZounds in 2017 Spector admitted he himself had had no formal training in terms of construction: “..Everything has been trial and error. The first goal with the basses was to get beyond the dull thud that most Fender-type basses were producing in that era.
"Fusion music, metal and disco were starting to come in and the role of bass and the expectations of the players were rapidly changing.”
For more information on the new Euro LX and CST range go to the Spector website here.
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