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Spector: ARC6 Pro
List: $860
Stuart Spector had been design infatuated since 1974. His Spector basses, regardless if you’ve had a personal encounter, were a design spectacular. The sumptuous curves manifested in the instrument’s body paved way for great ergonomics, a necessary complement for the bass design per se since the average bass is a bulk bout for many of us. 2005 saw the bass body design re-introduced to the market but in guitar form- the ARC6 Pro. The ARC6 Pro under appraisal here is the manufacturer’s current offering, made in Korea by World Music.
Construction/ fit/ finish
The ARC6’s sheer visual attraction aside, many of us would like to know if the guitar is worth the mid-price tag & the brand name grandeur. The body’s dressing, to begin with, is rather flawless. The fact that there are no sharp edges here (you could argue that the neck-body block joint could have reflected a similar curvature) implied the manufacturer’s extra efforts in ensuring a seamless blending between the quilted laminate top & the main body unit. It would have been easier with a slab-type body where clear-cut trimmings at the edges ease production. The overall finish also exudes a no-nonsense feel, a definite allusion to an instrument in the mid-price bracket.
The neck further deliberated the body’s high standard production in terms of fitting but the fretboard displayed signs of dryness. Careful constructions mean we get to enjoy a sumptuous neck without worrying about sharp fret edges or ill-inserted frets. The hardware & electronic fittings are equally impressive which makes the ARC6 a praise-worthy, finished article.
Rating: 85%
Playability/ tone
The ARC6 is a pleasure to play both sitting down & standing up. It’s not about the interesting curves here exclusively but the overall weight of this guitar isn’t on the hefty side. In fact, it’s a light instrument with lots of acoustic brightness to be heard once strummed unplugged. The rear, inward curvature also means your body’s outline enjoys a snug fit against the instrument; it’s like the complementary ends of a jigsaw puzzle, personified.
Moving on to the neck, the feel recalls the average Strat C-profile in outline & width but a little meatier. A 25” scale length coupled with a 16” radius gives us a differentiated feel; nothing too removed from what we’re accustomed to with the other guitars out there but we know it’s a little different. A slightly shorter scale length is the necessary consideration in letting our digits reach the upper frets bearing in mind the guitar sports a rather bulky neck-body heel which the average Strat player can relate to.
Tone-wise, the manufacturer had chosen a pair of Tesla VR-60 to voice the ARC6. These covered humbuckers offer a strong vintage crunch more than anything else, with warm cleans. The reviewer was obliged to see these humbuckers through a grueling distortion set-up only to be proven that the VR-60s are not averse to such an arrangement. They might not possess the heat of the other pickups out there which were conceived to manufacture heavy metal but they are adaptable, nevertheless. Please be informed that the VR-60 is a 2-conductor model so there isn’t any chance of hearing split-coil tones in any pickup combinations. This default character plus the guitar’s lightweight nature means you get to hear lots of crunchy overtones. A good EQ section, either from an external unit or the amp’s ready set of knobs would do good to further propel the lower frequencies. All in all, the ARC6 doesn’t manifest an overbearing inclination towards contemporary tones but possesses adequate warmth & clarity to recreate some of the best nostalgic tones we’d love to hear coming from a humbucking guitar.
Tone test equipment:
Amps: Marshall JVM410/ Blackheart Killer ant
Pedals: Ibanez TS7/ Amptweaker Tight Metal/ Carl Matin Classic Chorus
Rating: 80%
Conclusion
Here’s a well-constructed guitar with sufficient tones to appease the spectrum of vintage & avant-garde fans. Its attraction lies in its dangerous curves as well as the singing tones coming from a no-nonsense pair of pickups. The asking price is well in consideration of the afore-mentioned factors, this reviewer is of the opinion that it’s definitely a fair tag. Oh, there’s a fine Spector bag included which, according to the dealer, might cease to be offered in the package in time to come.
Final rating: 80%
PS: Thanks to Mr. Lance (proprietor) & brother Firdaus (sales coordinator aka SicBarney) of Musicark for the fantastic ARC6 experience.
Product availability: Musicark
Likes:
• Great build & finish
• Tesla pickups
• Neck profile
• Curvaceous body outline
• Bag included
Dislikes:
• Slightly dry fretboard
