{{Short description|Bass guitar manufacturing company}} {{one source|date=March 2019}} {{infobox company | name = Spector Musical Instruments | logo = Spector logo png.png | logo_size = 200px | caption = | former_name = Stuart Spector Designs, LTD | type = | founded = {{Start date and age|1976}} in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[United States]] | founder = Stuart Spector | location_city = [[Shokan, New York]] | location_country = [[United States]] | website = {{URL|https://www.spectorbass.com}} | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Stuart Spector<br/>PJ Rubal | industry = [[Musical instrument]]s | products = [[Bass guitar]]s, [[guitar]]s | parent = [[Korg]] }} [[File:MBS-67B022 S 2m.jpg|thumb|Debuted in 1979, the NS-2 is Spector's most recognized instrument.|369x369px]] '''Spector Musical Instruments''' (or simply '''Spector''') is an American manufacturer of musical instruments. While Spector has produced [[electric guitar|electric]] and [[Acoustic bass guitar|acoustic]] guitars, it is best known for its solid-body [[electric bass]]es, particularly the NS-2. The company was founded by Stuart Spector in 1976 in [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, New York]]. Its current headquarters are in [[Shokan, New York]].
== History ==
=== Origins=== Spector Guitars was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1976 by Stuart Spector and Alan Charney, both of whom were members of the Brooklyn Woodworkers Co-op that shared space in an old factory building. It was there that Stuart learned machine woodworking from Billy Thomas, a friend and founder of the co-op. Business started in 1976 with sales to Gracin Music on 48th St in NYC. Both G-1 electric guitars and SB-1 basses, designed by Stuart, were in the original product line.
Among the other members of the co-op was [[Ned Steinberger]], who had recently completed training in furniture design at [[Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum|Cooper Hewitt museum]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The intriguing history of Steinberger guitars |url=https://guitar.com/features/history-of-steinberger-guitars/ |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Guitar.com {{!}} All Things Guitar |language=en-GB}}</ref> He became interested in the work Spector was doing and offered to design a bass.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mason |date=2017-03-17 |title=Interview with Stuart Spector |url=https://blog.zzounds.com/2017/03/17/interview-stuart-spector/ |access-date=2023-06-01 |website=zZounds Music Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> Ned had learned that “form follows function,” and used that philosophy in designing the NS bass guitar, with an elegant, ergonomically curved design and the [[Neck-through-body construction|neck-thru-body]] construction that Spector was already utilizing. The first NS-1 bass was built in March, 1977, and was later followed by the two-pickup model, the NS-2, in 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brooklyn Era Spector (1974-1986) |title=PJ Rubal's Vintage Spector Collection |url=http://vintagespector.com/brooklyn.html |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Vintage Spector |language=en}}</ref>
=== Spector Expands === By 1977, Spector had expanded to renting an entire floor just below the co-op, with the first full-time employee being Vinny Fodera, who eventually went on to start his own highly esteemed line of [[Fodera]] basses.
The first venture into mass production techniques was fostered by a contract to supply replacement guitar necks for sale by the [[DiMarzio]] Company, best known today for their world-class pickups. This led to the development of equipment to sand the finished shape of the neck and advances in mounting frets. Involvement in [[Original equipment manufacturer|OEM]] operations were curtailed in late 1982 in order to concentrate on Spector bass production. 1982 also saw the addition of Harold “Hap” Kuffner as the domestic and international sales manager for Spector, which significantly increased the number of both domestic and foreign dealers and distributors.
In addition to Spector's increasing public awareness through the broader worldwide dealer network, the brand struck pop-culture gold in 1983, when a white Spector NS-2 bass was sold to [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], at the start of [[The Police]]'s [[Synchronicity Tour|Synchronicity tour]]. At the peak of their popularity, The Police and Sting introduced the brand to a mainstream audience as that white NS-2 was played, photographed and filmed for the rest of the worldwide tour. Years later, that bass was donated to the museum of the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame]] in [[Cleveland|Cleveland, Ohio]] where it has been on display. At one point, it was displayed as one of four instruments in the Welcome Center, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with one of [[Leo Fender]]'s earliest guitars.[[File:MBSI-67C015 S 2m.jpg|left|thumb|Spector NS-5 bass|336x336px]]
=== Sale to Kramer === In late 1985, the Spector brand was sold to [[Kramer Guitars]] of [[Neptune Township, New Jersey|Neptune]], [[New Jersey]], and all equipment and production were moved to the new Kramer facility.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kramer Era Spector (1986-1990) |title=PJ Rubal's Vintage Spector Collection |url=http://vintagespector.com/kramer.html |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Vintage Spector |language=en}}</ref> Stuart and Alan remained on as supervisors and consultants, and production was greatly expanded, reaching a maximum of 100 guitars per month. During this period, production of the NS-2 model started in [[South Korea|Korea]], providing Spector instruments to players of any budget, and enabling the brand to enter the mass market. However, by 1990, Kramer was forced into bankruptcy and all Spector production ceased.
=== After Kramer === In addition to the Performer models made in [[Asia]], a consulting visit to [[Czechoslovakia]] in 1987 eventually led to a long-term relationship with a factory there that is now known as NBE Corp, and produces the Euro line of Spector basses, which are also sold worldwide.
After a two-year hiatus, Stuart started a new company as Stuart Spector Designs Ltd. near [[Woodstock, New York]], and introduced the SD bass, which debuted at the [[NAMM Show|NAMM International Music & Sound Expo]] in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]]. He rented a workspace just outside of Woodstock, which is still in use today. With the addition of business partner, PJ Rubal, Stuart and PJ continued to grow the company's instrument model offerings, sales and artist roster.<ref>{{Cite web |last=SSD - Stuart Spector Design (1991-1997) |title=PJ Rubal's Vintage Spector Collection |url=http://vintagespector.com/ssd.html |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Vintage Spector |language=en}}</ref>
By 1998 Stuart was finally able to purchase back the rights to the Spector trademark and resume producing basses in their complete, original format.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brooklyn Era Spector (1998-2018) |title=PJ Rubal's Vintage Spector Collection |url=http://vintagespector.com/woodstock.html |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Vintage Spector |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Stuart Spector |url=https://ww1.namm.org/library/oral-history/stuart-spector |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=NAMM.org}}</ref>
=== Sale to KORG === In 2015, [[Korg|KORG]], [[United States|USA]] took over distribution in the USA & [[Canada]], and eventually purchased Spector Bass in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-01-17 |title=Korg USA Acquires Spector Basses |url=https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2019/01/17/korg-usa-acquires-spector-basses/ |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=No Treble |language=en-US}}</ref> Now, under the name Spector Musical Instruments, the brand is headquartered on Long Island, NY, with USA basses still coming out of the same Woodstock, NY woodshop that Stuart moved into decades ago.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jisi |first=Chris |date=2021-08-03 |title=Spector Factory Tour: Rounding The Curve At 45 |url=https://bassmagazine.com/artists/spector-factory-tour-rounding-the-curve-at-45 |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Bass Magazine - The Future of Bass |language=en-us}}</ref>
=== A New Era === Though the model has received subtle design tweaks over the years, its signature look, tone, and playability have remained unchanged.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spector Updated USA NS Basses |url=https://www.musicincmag.com/gear/detail/spector-updated-usa-ns-basses |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=www.musicincmag.com}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.spectorbass.com/ Official Stuart Spector Design, LTD. site] Spector's Official Site
[[Category:Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States]] [[Category:Bass guitar manufacturing companies]] [[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1976]] [[Category:1976 establishments in New York (state)]] [[Category:Korg]]