Originally a Schecter was my first choice as my second bass, but then I played one of these and was totally fixed on it.

The neck is fairly thick, but still plays fast, and has a nice profile and weight to it. The satin finish plays like silk; there is NO friction. Since its rock maple, its obscenely solid and rigid, so it seldom needs adjusting. Solid astymmetrical 5-bolt too.

Electronics (EMG SSD, basically EMG Hzs but something tweaked specifically for Spector + TonePump Jr. preamp) wonderful pickups that get any tone you want if you fiddle with your amp's EQ. I find that the Spector's preamp is more balanced than the Schecter's so you won't find yourself always having to fight for say a good fingerstyle tone without it getting too squonky. But most importantly for me, the harmonics are wonderful and shine through nearly as loud as a regular note without any compression added. One other thing that I've found with a lot of Spectors is that the bottom end is just so well defined. It's not muddy, but it doesn't sound like you rolled off all the bass. This even holds true on this bass. Though I WOULD like a 3-band onboard EQ, seeing as you can buy an instrument with one in the same price range, but thats just me being in the habit of keeping my amp's EQ the same.

Spector's curved bodystyle is an absolute pleasure to play, as it somehow makes the body feel half as light, at least when sitting. Some people find it a bit quirky, but I can't think of any ergonomically designed body I prefer. The maple top is absolutely gorgeous, and if I recall, uses the same lumber from their Euro-series (also applicable to the neck) despite being assembled in Indonesia.

I think the only legitimate flaw would be that like a lot of basses in this price rage, the electronics speak more than the wood; which is really more applicable to ALL basses in this price range.

This thing is an absolute bargain too. The only way you MIGHT get a better deal, is if you find something used. Otherwise, if this is your first bass, expect to use it for a long time. You won't want to replace it.

I wanted to lay to rest my Hamer Cruisebass and needed a replacement, so this bass was my first choice. I am very satisfied. You can't go wrong with all the features for it's price. Many people say that these basses are a gateway to the more expensive Spectors. And it's very true. The bass has a very bright output, so it really cuts whether you play slap bass, pick or fingerstyle. Of course you can work the tone down, and it still cuts through. I gave a 4.5 just because I had to make some adjustments to the truss rod and bridge. Other than that, the bass was ready to gig out of the box!

The low action and fast neck is almost like cheating; it a very playable instrument. The sound is awesome if you're ok with it sounding completely different a Fender or Musicman. On this bass, the sound begins and ends with the strings.

Features: You dial in the pickup volumes separately, no master volume (- 1/2 point).

Quality: The insides of my tuners rattle/in general, the tuners while adequate, do show signs of being cheap in general (- 1/2 point).

While you may never need to upgrade, this instrument will give you the playability of much more expensive bases at a starter price. Danger: this is a gateway drug to the more expensive Spectors which are just spectacular.

i just got this bass in the black cherry and it is truly a beautiful instrument. i've always wanted a spector and thought i was just settleing for this because of the price. until i plugged in and played it. it is by far the best bass i've ever played and sounds incredible through my hartke combo. the action was perfect right from the store and the neck is smooth and very fast. with the emg pickups and easy adjustability you can get any tone you need from this bass. i definetly got alot more than i paid for when i got this bass and i could'nt be happier.

This bass is worth easily twice as much as it is listed for. The action is amazing right out of the box and easily adjustableif you dont like it. The emg's sound amazing and the active tone controls give you just about any sound you want. You can have clear resonant highs and booming dark lows at the same time with a few turns of a knob. My only issue with the bass is possible feedback. T play through an ampeg ba115 usually and if the treble past 5-6 gives a huge buzz through the tweeter. perhaps its the amp, but its not a big deal. You can just turn the treble down on the bass or amp and its problem solved. I got mine discounted because it was christmas time and the factory messed up on the flamed maple top. I own the "slate grey" but its basically black with EXTREMELY subtle grey stripes. BUY THIS BASS