NS-2J Prototype #2
Solid Flamed Maple body
1997
Solid Flamed Maple body
1997
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This is my NS-2J Proto #2, completed June 19, 1997. We built a total of four NS-2J prototypes.
The NS-2J marked the return of the USA-made Spector NS bolt-on bass. (The NS-2JA basses were the first USA-made NS bolt-on basses, made in the early 1980s. See the Brooklyn Era Page to view this bass).
My NS-2J Proto #2 features a very nicely flamed solid maple body, pau ferro fretboard with dot markers, a Hipshot B Style bridge with barrel saddles (the NS-2J started our business relationship with our friends at Hipshot), EMG active J/J pickups, and Spector/HAZ 9v active tone controls.
This particular bass has a tonal growl similar to an NS-2 neck-thru bass! I have happily played this bass over the decades, and also I loaned it to an artist or two...they were very impressed with this bass!
The first approximately 40 NS-2J basses have a unique extra piece of pau ferro at the end of the fretboard. This was Stuart's design, to add something special to the instrument's appearance.
Check out the late 1990s brochure showing the NS-2J on the NS-2 page!
The NS-2J marked the return of the USA-made Spector NS bolt-on bass. (The NS-2JA basses were the first USA-made NS bolt-on basses, made in the early 1980s. See the Brooklyn Era Page to view this bass).
My NS-2J Proto #2 features a very nicely flamed solid maple body, pau ferro fretboard with dot markers, a Hipshot B Style bridge with barrel saddles (the NS-2J started our business relationship with our friends at Hipshot), EMG active J/J pickups, and Spector/HAZ 9v active tone controls.
This particular bass has a tonal growl similar to an NS-2 neck-thru bass! I have happily played this bass over the decades, and also I loaned it to an artist or two...they were very impressed with this bass!
The first approximately 40 NS-2J basses have a unique extra piece of pau ferro at the end of the fretboard. This was Stuart's design, to add something special to the instrument's appearance.
Check out the late 1990s brochure showing the NS-2J on the NS-2 page!
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Presented for the first time!
These are my workshop photos from May 1997, documenting the NS-2J prototypes in process. The first three photos are from when Stuart and I bolted the body parts together for the first time. The next three photos show the prototype necks in process and the "extra piece of pau ferro" neck detail.
These are my workshop photos from May 1997, documenting the NS-2J prototypes in process. The first three photos are from when Stuart and I bolted the body parts together for the first time. The next three photos show the prototype necks in process and the "extra piece of pau ferro" neck detail.
NS-2J5 #002
Swamp Ash body
1999
Swamp Ash body
1999
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My NS-2J5 #002 was built in January 1999 and we displayed it at our NAMM trade show booth.
I selected this body based on the usual parameters (its acoustic resonate peak, etc) and also the fact that it was the only NS-5 bolt-on body to be made with J/J pickups.
While the first NS bolt-on five string basses were in process, we decided that the official pickup configuration for this model would be a newly designed EMG soapbar pickup which was single/dual coil selectable in the bridge position (at first, this new EMG coil-selectable pickup was made only for us, before the EMG TW pickup was officially released), and an EMG J in the neck position. Thus the NS-JH5 was born ("J" for the neck pickup, "H" for the bridge humbucker).
My bass is signed with the model name NS-2J5, our original name for this model, and was numbered #002 in the NS-JH5 production serial numbers.
My NS-2J5 #002 features a very lightweight swamp ash body, pau ferro fretboard with dot markers, 35" scale length, a Hipshot B Style bridge with barrel saddles, EMG active J/J pickups, and Spector/HAZ 9v active tone controls.
Fun Fact : Shown in the photo below, this bass neck is actually the first NS five string bolt-on neck produced. It is labeled P-1 which stands for Prototype #1.
I selected this body based on the usual parameters (its acoustic resonate peak, etc) and also the fact that it was the only NS-5 bolt-on body to be made with J/J pickups.
While the first NS bolt-on five string basses were in process, we decided that the official pickup configuration for this model would be a newly designed EMG soapbar pickup which was single/dual coil selectable in the bridge position (at first, this new EMG coil-selectable pickup was made only for us, before the EMG TW pickup was officially released), and an EMG J in the neck position. Thus the NS-JH5 was born ("J" for the neck pickup, "H" for the bridge humbucker).
My bass is signed with the model name NS-2J5, our original name for this model, and was numbered #002 in the NS-JH5 production serial numbers.
My NS-2J5 #002 features a very lightweight swamp ash body, pau ferro fretboard with dot markers, 35" scale length, a Hipshot B Style bridge with barrel saddles, EMG active J/J pickups, and Spector/HAZ 9v active tone controls.
Fun Fact : Shown in the photo below, this bass neck is actually the first NS five string bolt-on neck produced. It is labeled P-1 which stands for Prototype #1.
NS-2J5 #002's neck is actually the first NS five string neck produced, Prototype #1 neck.
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The sign which was on display with this bass at the NAMM trade show remains with this bass.
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NS-2J5 #002 on my workbench
