Two members of the Brooklyn Woodworkers Co-operative, Stuart Spector and Alan Charney, established Spector Guitars in 1976. The initial SB-1 bass and G-1 guitar both featured neck-through-body design. Another member of the co-op was Ned Steinberger, who was designing and building furniture. Stuart began searching for a new bass design and Ned offered to assist. Ned built a prototype bass that would influence bass guitar design forever. He designed the NS-1 bass. "The idea of attaching the body parts at an angle and then curving the top was intended to give the instrument a more attractive appearance, and the compound curve on the back is for comfort," states Ned. It was this prototype instrument more than any other that set the stage for my work in musical instrument design. The curved body Spector NS was an instant classic. The NS-1 was updated to the two pickup NS-2, and bolt-on neck versions(NS-1B and NS-2JA) were added to the line in 1982.
Spector sold the company to Kramer Music Products in 1985. Kramer continued to produce the NS-2 bass, and introduced the first imported Spector basses, including the NS-2A, In June, 1987, Stuart debuted the NS-5 5-string bass for Kramer production. All production ceased when Kramer went into bankruptcy in 1989.
Stuart Spector´s current company, Stuart Spector Designs, Ldt, introduced the new SD bass series in 1991 under the "SSD" name. In December 1992 SSD relaunched the NS bass series.
The Gibson Guitar Corp. purchased the Kramer trademark in 1997, and Stuart Spector Designs purchased the rights to the Spector trademark. All instruments since 1997 sport the original "SS" logo (company information courtesy Stuart Spector).
Current trademark owned by Stuart Spector Design, Ltd., located in Saugerties, NY. Instruments are built in Woodstock, NY (USA Handmade Series), The Czech Republic (Europe Series) Korea (Professional Series) and China (Performance Series). Instruments originally built in Brooklyn, NY from 1976 through 1985. After Kramer (BKL) bought the company, production moved to Neptune, NJ between 1985 and 1989. Some late 1980s Kramer/Spector models were produced in Japan.

SPECTOR Electric Guitars Models

SPECTOR ARC6 Image

SPECTOR ARC6

- offset double cutaway body similar to the NS design bass, acoustically chambered body, arched flame or spalted top, arched mahogany back, set mahogany or Honduran rosewood neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, three-per-side tuners, wrap-ar...

SPECTOR PERFORMER 4 (NS-2000 B) Image

SPECTOR PERFORMER 4 (NS-2000 B)

- NS body shape, solid basswood body, figured maple top, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, two-per-side tuners, heavy duty locking cast bridge, two EMG/SSD pickups, four knobs, black hardware, available in Blu...

SPECTOR NS-2000/4 Image

SPECTOR NS-2000/4

- offset double cutaway body, through-body neck, 34 in. scale, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, fixed bridge, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay, 2-per-side tuners, chrome hardware, two humbucker pickups, volume...

SPECTOR NS 2 Image

SPECTOR NS 2

- offset double cutaway figured maple body, through-body 3-piece maple neck, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard with pearl crown inlays, 34 in. scale, solid fixed brass bridge, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay, 2-per-side tuners, gol...

SPECTOR 4 NS 4 CR Image

SPECTOR 4 NS 4 CR

- offset double cutaway soft maple body, through-body graphite-reinforced maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, solid fixed brass bridge, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay, two-per-side tuners, gold hardware, EMG P/J-style...

SPECTOR BOB 4 Image

SPECTOR BOB 4

- offset double cutaway swamp ash body, 6 bolt, bolt-on maple neck, pau ferro fingerboard, fixed brass bridge, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay, 2-per-side tuners, gold hardware, EMG DC pickup, volume/treble/bass controls, available...

SPECTOR ARC6 PRO Image

SPECTOR ARC6 PRO

- offset double cutaway Spector-style carved basswood body, quilted maple top, one-piece bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, black headstock overlay with Spector logos, three-per-side tuners, combination...

SPECTOR Euro (NS 4 CRFM) Image

SPECTOR Euro (NS 4 CRFM)

- similar to the NS 4 CR, except features a figured maple body, gold Schaller tuners, available in Amber, Blackburst, Black Cherry, Black Stain, Clear Gloss, Natural Oil, Plum Stain, or Red Stain finish, disc. 2004.

SPECTOR LEGEND 4 Image

SPECTOR LEGEND 4

- offset double cutaway basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard, two EMG-HZ pickups, two-per-side tuners, four knobs, gold hardware, available in Amberburst, Slate Grey, or Black Cherry finish, mfg. 2004-05.

SPECTOR NS 2 J Image

SPECTOR NS 2 J

- similar to the NS 2, except features a bolt-on three-piece neck, swamp ash body, black hardware, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard, two J-style EMG pickups, EMG active electronics, available in Natural Oil finish, disc. 2008.

SPECTOR Euro 4 LX Ian Image

SPECTOR Euro 4 LX Ian

- similar to the Euro 4 LX, except has a USA NS-2 neck shaped and available in solid Black Gloss finish, inspired and approved by Ian Hill of Judas Priest, mfg. 2008-present.

SPECTOR LEGEND 4 CLASSIC Image

SPECTOR LEGEND 4 CLASSIC

- NS body style, basswood body, quilted maple or figured bubinga top, three-piece rock maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, two-per-side tuners, deluxe cast bridge, two EMG/SSD pickups, Spector Tone Pump Jr. electronics,...

SPECTOR NS-4 Image

SPECTOR NS-4

- similar to the NS-2, except has EMG-35DC pickups and an 18 volt active electronic system, current mfg.

SPECTOR LEGEND 4 CUSTOM Image

SPECTOR LEGEND 4 CUSTOM

- NS body style, basswood body, quilted maple or figured bubinga top, three-piece rock maple neck NTB, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, two-per-side tuners, deluxe cast bridge, two EMG-HZ pickups, active EMG 3-band electronics,...

SPECTOR Euro 5 (NS 5 CRFM) Five-String Image

SPECTOR Euro 5 (NS 5 CRFM) Five-String

- similar to NS 4 CRFM, except in five-string configuration, 3/2-per-side gold Schaller tuners, EMG 40 DC pickups, available in Amber, Blackburst, Black Cherry, Black Stain, Clear Gloss, Natural Oil, Plum Stain, or Red Stain finish, disc. 2...

SPECTOR LEGEND CUSTOM MK5 MIKE KROEGER SIGNATURE Image

SPECTOR LEGEND CUSTOM MK5 MIKE KROEGER SIGNATURE

- five-string configuration, NS body style, maple body, three-piece rock maple neck NTB, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with 3rd and 12th fret MK inlays, 3/2-per-side tuners, deluxe cast bridge, two EMG-HZ pickups, passive electronics, four k...

SPECTOR Q4 (NS2000) Image

SPECTOR Q4 (NS2000)

- offset double cutaway basswood body, quilted maple top, bolt-on neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, two active EMG pickups, four knobs, 2-per-side tuners, black hardware, available in Amberburst, Black Stain, Blue Stain, or...

SPECTOR REBOP 4 Image

SPECTOR REBOP 4

- offset double cutaway European alder body, bolt-on three-piece rock maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, two EMG pickups, Spector active electronics, two-per-side-tuners, gold hardware, available in Tobacco Sunburst, B...

SPECTOR NS 535 FIVE-STRING Image

SPECTOR NS 535 FIVE-STRING

- offset double cutaway figured maple body, through-body three-piece maple neck, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard with pearl crown inlays, solid fixed brass bridge, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay, 3/2-per-side tuners, gold hardware, t...

SPECTOR NS-4H2-EX/FM Image

SPECTOR NS-4H2-EX/FM

- offset double cutaway Spector-style lightweight mahogany body, spalted maple top (EX) or figured maple top (FM), bolt-on three-piece rock maple neck with graphite reinforcement, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard with MOP Spector inlays or fre...

SPECTOR REX 4 Image

SPECTOR REX 4

- offset single cutaway maple body, rock maple neck-thru body, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, two EMG pickups, four knobs, 2-per-side-tuners, black hardware, Rex Brown of Pantera Signature model, available in Black Stain or Ho...