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BGRA: Westone Spectrum II
| Manufacturer |
Westone |
Model |
Spectrum II |
| Reviewer |
Eric K |
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| Experience |
30 |
Item owned |
A very, very long ti |
| Review Date |
2011-10-05 |
Price paid |
200 |
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Bass type | 4 string fretted |
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Neck join | Bolt-On |
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Neck construction | Maple/angled maple headstock |
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Fingerboard | Rosewood |
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Body | Maple Body |
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Finish | Poly |
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Pickups | Westone Magnabass III/IV |
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Hardware | Schaller tuners, Magnacast bridge |
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Electronics | Passive; 3-way switch, VTT pots |
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Had one of these in the late 80's and loved it. Now own 2 more thanks to ebay. Rock solid construction, Maple body and 4-bolt maple/rosewood neck. It DOES have the 80's pointy headstock, but that is the only cosmetic thing that is not up to modern standards. The passive pickups have massive output; equal to or louder than any bass I've ever played (and I have played hundreds, owned over 30). The neck pickup is a split P style housed in a full humbucker chassis. Full, round and solid tones that evoke classic Fender vibe, but with a slightly tighter finish which is partly due to the maple body. The bridge PU is a humbucker sized jazz that has unreal output.. I HAVE to play thru the active input on my amps or I overload the pre-stage of the amp. Amazing growl, very pronounced midrange bark and deep bass. Everything from Jaco-16th notes to honky Gene Simmons bass tones are there. Playability is great, even string spacing and string-thru bridge allow for good tension on the strings and a very predictable touch. Volume and tone pots are typical, passive units, no surprises. The 3 way switch is atypical for modern basses that lean more towards pan pots, but I find it very useful for quick tone changes. All around great rock/blues bass.l Slap tones are OK, but not great (it IS passive). Finger style and pick players will love its responsiveness and indestructable build quality. Matsumoku was doing it right back then!
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| construction |
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| playability |
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| appearance |
| (90%) |
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| sound |
| (98%) |
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| value |
| (95%) |
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| overall |
| (95%) |
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