"Wal" Bass Preamp in a Spector! LusitHand NFP Special

My quest for the Wal sound is nearing a close with this current offering from a great little company. Lusithand Devices based in the UK, who has a bunch of new products on the regular. This is a sweepable EQ in the form of a low-pass filter and a Q boost.
/ lusithand
I installed it along side a New-Way Rautia Multicoil, Veijo Rautia recently retired from pickup building! So these are now a rarity. Good luck Viejo!
Recorded using:
The bass is a Spector Euro 5
Sonic Farm Tantra Bass Preamp
Markbass NY122 cab
FET47 from micparts.com
Manley Vox Box
Affiliate links? Patreon? Buy me cup of coffee? Someday! Let me know if you actually use them and I’ll spend the time making it happen!
Thanks for the support! I’ll be back much sooner than last time (3 years?!)

[@josephcote7702]

@3:26 wow, what a beautiful bass part! great job on that.

[@Sams911]

How cool is that, I have a Wal MK1 and a Spector NS4 ... it's like the two got married and had a kid.

[@spi-fi_media]

I’d support that marriage

[@kylemundy8871]

Ive been looking for years. This is what I need

[@handidrummed]

Thanks for the demo. I'm having the single NFP put into an enclosure

[@jamesnell7224]

I'm so glad you uploaded this right now. On Friday going to see a bass builder who will build me a Wal sound like copy for just under £3k. The double nfp special is the preamp he uses and he will be using Rautia Wal buckers if he can get them, if not bass culture Wal buckers. I'm basing my build off Justin Chancellors birdseye maple blue burst MK2 he uses to perform the pot.

[@spi-fi_media]

That’s a classic sound, and definitely inspiration for this project and finding those who make these options. Congrats! Sounds like it’ll be awesome! Send results, I’d like to check it out

[@jamesnell7224]

@@spi-fi_media I've done it! I've commissioned my first ever custom bass. It's a Zoot Boudicca Wal-a-like bass made by Mike Walsh. Let me give you some specs! Mahogany body core with ebony dividing veneers between the top and back wood. 5A Canadian bird's-eye maple top 3A Canadian quilt maple back. 5-piece arctic flamed maple neck with mahogany stringers. 4A rosewood fretboard. Ebony maple ebony dividing veneers between neck and fingerboard. Lusithand double nfp special preamp Bass culture Wal bucker pickups unless he can make better ones as he's reverse engineered is own Wal. It'll take 12 to 14 months but it's going to be worth the wait.

[@NootNoode]

might i suggest different pickups? go with turner multicoils - they're amazing and sound (with the right position) almost exactly like the originals look here on youtube for "project wal-ish bass" that guy has a real wal to compare - very interesting

[@jamesnell7224]

@@NootNoode I've seen his video and my builder did mention turner pickups but he also said they really don't look the part as there a really sci-fi looking Music Man style. Unfortunately Rautia pickups are no longer being manufactured so bass culture will be the way to go unless he makes his own. He owns a 1980s Wal MK1 and he's disassembled the pickups and knows exactly how they're built, the impedance of the coils and magnet type and strength. He used to wind his own pickups and he's going to attempt to copy the pickups in his wall as close as possible and if he's happy with them he'll recommend them to me over the bass culture ones.

[@bassmanc]

Dude! Your intro music is insane! 🤘🏽

[@Cake_Doge]

holy shit it is that sound you get there at 15:00 mark. Getting rid of the highest useless highs (above 5k) and boosting the characteristic ones for the bass (1k to 5k) with that resonant filter is very clever, also the Spector should be playing a role there

[@JLandroid]

Truly great tones. Thank you for this demonstration. Definitely saving to upgrade to multicoil pickups and double nfp after watching this.

[@ishta]

Thanks for posting this. Bartolini actually had a Q control preamp. I have one in my oldest bass and it was upgraded in 1989. They do not make it anymore but I still have that bass. I just had my luthier drop the single NFP special in my passive fretless equipped with Nordstrand Big Split. I think the advantage of the NFP is the multicoil/multi string option and I am not sure if my pickups have that option -- but I know that they are 3 conductor pickups. So my setup is 2 passive volume control into 2 inputs You want to run it at 18v. Compared to the old Bartolini, this has more options, but as I have set up now, the Bartolini is more musical in the frequency choices even though it has limited range. That bass also has one pickup. Anyway I'll work with Lusithand. I may have to go with the double setup and possibly use their volume controls. I would like to maintain the simplicity of the 3 controls though. Compared to your video, my current bass is more wild - nasal - honky in some settings and the resonance can really cut sometimes not in a good way, almost like an effect and can work with muffs and overdrives. But in the wide open setting it sounds really like a modern hyped up bass, very similar to your Spector. It is fretless, so probably that's where all the honkiness comes from

[@Konoshiyo]

10:07 cool sounds

[@VeitLehmann]

This was an awesome in-depth demo, thank you! I recently met a guy who designs sliding pickups. He did a guitar prototype with a similar preamp. I couldn't play it yet, battery was down, but he told me that those pickups have a less pronounced resonant peak. They are really flat dimension-wise, so the sliding mechanism can be designed in a really slick and elegant way. You can even have two sliding pickups on one "rail". Technically, they kind of work like Lace Alumitone pickups, that's why they can be so flat and that's also why the peak is less pronounced. The prototype guitar has one sliding pickup, and active electronics similar to the NFP. Now we talked about building or modding a bass, and maybe the NFP would be a great fit for the project! Not the Special version then, because the pickups are not multi-coil. Not sure what's the difference between the NFP and the electronics of the prototype guitar, and who designed it - I'll find out. Other interesting options would be the John East P Retro, or a passive Tonestyler.

[@VeitLehmann]

Update: I came up with a custom design and we're starting the build very soon! I went for a single JTEX Distiller filter preamp, combined with an extra bass control. And we are planning to install two sliding pickups.

[@gorillafunk725]

The idea is brilliant. Also shows the versatility of the individual slug magnet system as opposed to humbuckers. Have a guess what's in my bass? We've come a long way baby. From the dynamic limitations imposed by recording bass to accommodate the vinyl medium. To now

[@Trailightband]

Very cool! Thanks for this. Appreciate your channel.

[@spi-fi_media]

Thanks fellow Vancouverite! I think you sold me an Aguilar preamp years ago…

[@Trailightband]

@@spi-fi_media Oh! I've never used their preamps :) but I do like them indeed!

[@spi-fi_media]

I think you took it out of an old bass and put in the Haz instead? I just remember Spectors everywhere in your living room! Anyway, glad you liked the video. 👍

[@Trailightband]

@@spi-fi_media Oooh! You're right! wow, great memory! Yes I had a Spector forte 4 that had the Aguilar pre and swapped it for the HAZ! :)

[@jasonrickett561]

Well, thanks a lot man…..😂 Routia has closed their doors…….Fat chance getting one for my Euro 5…….

[@ts4gv]

oh shit he uploaded, sweet 👍

[@wxb200]

I need me one of thems. I bought a used US Masters Bass that this would be excellent installed in. The US Masters Bass is something I wanted for at least 15 years. Now I got one...

[@johnniecameron8829]

Thats very cool

[@InternationalBassStation]

I think Nuno did a great job!

[@jcisme]

Thanks for the review David.. I must say I prefer the sound of the old way in passive. This is from someone who owns an ACG Uber bass with a DFM pre and a PJ bass with a EQ01 in it.

[@spi-fi_media]

Hey! Me too in a way. Although I’m curious to try this with the Old Way pickups next. They have something special about them. The New Way has a snap that I love for rock/pop/funk, the old way is warm and better for jazz/soul. Gotta find a new supplier for multicoils!

[@jcisme]

@@spi-fi_media Yes, having buffered blending of each string is nice for anything chordal too. I have an Ibanez Musician that I am tempted to Walify. I am trying to work out which way to go. Maybe old way with the EQ01. It wont sound like a WAL but it should sound great. Thanks for your videos. I look forward to seeing more of your bass tweaking journeys in the future.

[@nathaniellollis3868]

This NFP (LusitHAnd) preamp sounds kinda AMAZING to me!! I have a SUKOP 6string with Bartolini humbuckers and 18volt circuit. Now I'm wondering how it would sound with this preamp. If you mentioned your name at the beginning of the video I've forgotten. Sorry, bro. This is my first time seeing YOU. But you're very thorough in your explaining the ins and outs of this NFP. And, you can play your ---- off!!!! LOL!!! I hope I get to see more of YOU reviewing basses and bass tech in the near future. Thanks.

[@spi-fi_media]

That’s awesome! Sad to hear about Rautia. Looks like he’s done. 😢 I also got some guitar pickups I’m excited to install. Too bad they’ll be a one time thing. I love bartolinis though. If you have quad coils, you’d need some creative wiring if you need individual control. If I need a reminder that I love them, I just need to throw on some faith no more! Billy has it…

[@nj1255]

I don't understand why not all onboard bass pre-amps work this way. You get so much more tonal variety with resonant lp/hp filters for each pickup. Thankfully it's easy to just insert something like Fabfilter Volcano 3 before an amp sim when you are working ITB, but there's really no substitute for those multicoil pickups.

[@norsangkelsang7939]

The Wall sound comes from the pickups.

[@davidturkos8502]

I have a spector that just wasn't doing it me. Since listening to this demo, I want this preamp

[@spi-fi_media]

Do it!

[@davidturkos8502]

Yes lord sidious, I can hear his voice the way you answered

[@spi-fi_media]

@@davidturkos8502 🤣

[@ewetoo]

NFP's are great I put one in my Sire V5 and it's a great filter, this Spector version sounds just as good. There are other specialized multicoil pickups out there but it might require some routing to install in a Spector. I wonder what a 40TW would sound like?

[@milankaralo5696]

so you are completely satisfied with the team at Sire? and do you have a 4 or 5 string version?

[@gerbyzachycamzydator1719]

I love your intro song. What’s the title of the song?

[@jayfoghino5392]

Did you route the pickup cavities deeper and or wider to install the Rautia's? I have a Spector Zebop 4 string with the two piece alder and zebrawood body I want to upgrade. Herrick pickups has a new DC35 sized drop in multicoil however it is 23mm tall and requires a cavity depth of 21mm. The rebop cavity depth is 14mm. Measuring everything, I would need to route the depth at least 4mm deeper. a little more to have foam under the pickup for height adjustment.

[@57precision]

This is really cool. Were the pot stems long enough to fit through a rear-routed body like the Spector, or was it a custom order?

[@lusithanddevices]

the pots have long bushing threads for backmounting.

[@bassimprovjams3772]

What’s the difference between this and a Sweepable mids knob? Also it looks like one Pot, does this just replace the volume pot and stack with it?

[@secretjourney4815]

I think it sounds good, very good note definition. But, I think Spectors are known for note definition on their own. Not sure if I owuld want to invest that much $$ if I already owned a Spector. Would be a fun project for a fender bass IMO

[@spi-fi_media]

Fair enough. I was tired of the sound of EMGs and wanted to branch outwards. I’ve always wanted a Wal, so this made sense. Thanks for watching!

[@secretjourney4815]

@@spi-fi_media Awesome content!

[@InternationalBassStation]

@@secretjourney4815 *hi-five!*

[@kevmac1230]

I own a Spector 5 string with EMG hz pups.Are those suitable?

[@lusithanddevices]

They would be suitable, but to use with the Double NFP (not the Special)

[@kevmac1230]

@@lusithanddevices I hate being a PITA but would the single version work with a Music Man type single pup bass or P- bass (51' style?) Those are what I own as single pup basses.I bought the Lusithand single version and if it sounds as I've heard in demos, I'd then get the double p.u. one for the Spector.

[@lusithanddevices]

@@kevmac1230 It definetely will, as long as it's the standard NFP and not the Special. The last one has a different type of input that is wasted using with standard pickups (i.e. anything that isn't a multicoil like the noes demoed on this video).

[@Datababble]

Dude some of these sounds are insane. If you'd be willing to chat about the EQ and the modern equivalent of a Rautia setup and how you've found success dialing it all it I'd love to have a conversation. If you're up for it and somehow see this comment please don't hesitate to let me know!

[@mixc8]

Can you tell me are those stock pickups?

[@candrabalimirage]

Like #191st and Subscribed

[@rosscostuart3409]

Theese are not good. I've owned 3 they can't handle hot pickups at all

[@webz3589]

And you use 9volt batteries? May i suggest using a pair of 9 volts for 18 volts or indeed having a bass capable of doing such a thing you'll find the headroom will improve greatly. Filter based preamps tend to need a little extra voltage to work. And quite a few basses with such prramps use low impedance pickups as thye give you a wider tonal spectrum at the cost of output, its rather silly to put high impedance high output pus into a bass with a filter preamp and expect it to sound great.

[@InternationalBassStation]

@@webz3589 the pickups are really low output, so it would make sense that the first stage would likely boost the signal, that said I believe this is a known issue. Did you contact Nuno?

[@somebrains5431]

It’s kinda pointless bc the pickup maker is oob. I’m done with the cork sniffing weird edge case builds. Most audiences don’t know or care.

[@miguelfernandes333]

There must be something wrong with your pickups because these preamps can handle hot pickups. Is it possible you have the pickups way too close to the strings? These preamps have adjustable Trim pots to adjust the input gain in case the input signal is too strong.

[@rosscostuart3409]

N.f.p. nuno . faulty , product. Cheap Chinese pots theyre breaking on everyone

[@lusithanddevices]

Hi man. Did you get in touch with me to sort out your case? These potentiometers are not cheap, they are Alpha and custom made, as these potentiometers need to have a set of characteristics to be used in such a preamp; unfortunately they don't just exist and I had to do a lot of research and find a company who would make them. It's true they are a bit more fragile than regular guitar potentiometers but that is why there are instructions on the manual raising awareness on how to properly install them. Anyone and everyone who gets in touch with any type of defect on any of our products get their issue sorted, so, please get in touch.