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 Post subject: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 23rd, 2015, 1:09 pm 
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Joined: May 27th, 2008, 6:15 pm
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Location: S.F. Bay Area, CA
I just landed an old NS5-CRFM from the early Chech Republic days. It's a 1999 NS5-CRFM (if you didn't know, CRFM stands for Chech Republic Flame Maple). The body wings on these older basses were SOLID Flame Maple. They sound so damn good. They are currently a 3-piece (*top/walnut slice/alder back).

This was the bass that was listed a few times on craigslist for sale but he wanted too much for it. We worked a more than fair deal and I landed it to California. I couldn't be happier. It's 10lbs 8.4oz, not over 12 as originally noted. Its a 9.5/10 condition. The fingerboard was dry as hell and intonation, setup was all over the place. It sat unplayed for near 10 years. After my magic, its one of my fav Spector's in my arsenal AND..... It's the older 34" scale. I prefer 34" scale over 35" in a 5 string.

Here are a few shots after my hours working on it and conditioning the rosewood fretboard.


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 23rd, 2015, 2:37 pm 
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Joined: November 20th, 2013, 6:09 pm
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Location: Cincinnati
Is this the bass that was in Detroit and the guy wanted $180 to ship it?

Man, it looks nice! It's great to see a grrat bass restored to its former glory and ready to thump again!

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Gilmourisgod wrote:
I never really "got" what a Rick is capable of until I ran it stereo a few times in my college band. We used to call it the "Piano of Doom". You get all the bottom and all the top in total a**kicking mode.


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 23rd, 2015, 2:42 pm 
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Location: S.F. Bay Area, CA
<Detroit>.... Yup. The seller is great. All it needed was some mojo and setup, conditioning. The neck was all over the place. Took many adjustments to get it right.

I love working on Spector's.


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 23rd, 2015, 4:15 pm 
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Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
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Location: Beantown
Glad you picked up this beauty! Looks awesome!


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 23rd, 2015, 10:04 pm 
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gravesbass wrote:
This was the bass that was listed a few times on craigslist for sale but h It's 10lbs 8.4oz, not over 12 as originally noted.


Great score man, glad you're digging the bass.

12 lb. weight was told to me by the seller, likely he used an inaccurate bathroom scale to weigh it.

Years ago I had a guy do the "cheap bathroom scale" method, weighing himself with and without the bass and informed me the bass weighed "around 20 lbs." :mrgreen:


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 24th, 2015, 2:43 am 
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Joined: February 6th, 2014, 1:56 am
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Location: Amsterdam
Great stuff man! Spectors always have a coolness to me.

How exactly did you treat your fretboard? I also want to give mine a treat. :)


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 24th, 2015, 9:15 am 
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Joined: March 14th, 2008, 10:57 am
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congrats!


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 24th, 2015, 10:44 am 
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J-meister wrote:
How exactly did you treat your fretboard? I also want to give mine a treat. :)


Wiped down well, used some steel wool (x0000) first on the frets, light used not he fretboard but covered all the magnetic electronics (pickups, etc) so no wool dust touched. Used some Beafifer Fretboard Oil and applied several times (it drank it like water). Wiped off and let dry before restringing. The fingerboard was light tan. So damn dry. Finished off the frets with Gorgomyte.

WALA..... Clean conditioned fingerboard.


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 25th, 2015, 8:22 am 
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Joined: February 6th, 2014, 1:56 am
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Location: Amsterdam
Like magic! :)


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 26th, 2015, 4:40 pm 
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This has me curious. How can one tell when a fretboard is getting dry?

I tried to do a search, but all I got were results about how to remedy a dry fretboard, not how to tell if it is dry.

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Gilmourisgod wrote:
I never really "got" what a Rick is capable of until I ran it stereo a few times in my college band. We used to call it the "Piano of Doom". You get all the bottom and all the top in total a**kicking mode.


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 27th, 2015, 7:44 am 
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Location: S.F. Bay Area, CA
ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ


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 Post subject: Re: Spector NS5-CRFM
PostPosted: August 27th, 2015, 8:06 am 
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Joined: November 20th, 2013, 6:09 pm
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Location: Cincinnati
Thanks, Graves!

Judging by those pictures, I think my fretboard is okay. It isn't quite as dark as the second picture, but not anything like as ashy as the first.

I have had the thing for 12 years or so, and never have I oiled the fretboard. But, it is always been in a climate-controlled environment.

It probably wouldn't hurt to give it some oil, though.

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Gilmourisgod wrote:
I never really "got" what a Rick is capable of until I ran it stereo a few times in my college band. We used to call it the "Piano of Doom". You get all the bottom and all the top in total a**kicking mode.


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