Questions about Status streamline 5 er

[eban3]

wondering who out there own or has played one , the weight appeal is happening for me but what do they sound like ? whats the neck feel like ? , Is it one of the flat back necks ? or more rounded and meaty , do they balance well or slip out from under the player ?

[philtoler]

I have one. The neck is typical Status flattened D shape - very comfortable and fast playing. With strap attached there are no balance problems. Sound is very versatile. Graphite necks have harsher (some say "brighter") overtones than most woods, although these can be eq'd to taste. I have been using mine for about a year now and I absolutely love it, mainly because of light weight and wonderful playability. Also I'm a big fan of headless basses. Have just changed from rounds to flats - so easy and quick and, amazingly, no intonation adjustments required at all!

[TolerancEJ]

I also like the Status Streamline 5 and have a similar weight question as the OP. I know Steinbergers are small but are often on the heavier side. Is a graphite neck heavier than wood?

[Sid Fang]

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

I also like the Status Streamline 5 and have a similar weight question as the OP. I know Steinbergers are small but are often on the heavier side. Is a graphite neck heavier than wood?

I don't own a Streamline (though I have a Stealth on order), but I do have a Steinberger and I know that the construction technique used at Status is quite different from the way 'bergers were built. Steinbergers are molded blocks of a carbon/epoxy composite, with a solid core. They're more massive than they need to be, in part because (so the story goes) Ned Steinberger made some hollow composite prototypes that had crap tone, so he tried a solid-core variant, it rocked, and he stayed with it.

The Status Streamline and Stealth are built sort-of like a surfboard - there's a light inner core of plastic foam that defines the shape of the instrument, over which are layered sheets of graphite fiber impregnated with epoxy. The graphite fiber shell hardens to provide the actual structure of the instrument. The core remains in part to keep the body resonance under control. Earlier Status models had a lightweight wood core, and they still make some hardwood-bodied instruments, but they say the plastic foam gives more consistent results as a core material.

Bottom line - Streamliners are *much* lighter than Steinbergers.

[BluesWalker]

I own a Status Streamline 5-stringer. I've had it for about 3 years and it has been my sole bass since then until a few weeks ago when I purchased a 6-string Yamaha bass.

I think it is the best bass I have ever played (too bad they don't make a 6er, I might ask the company owner, Rob Green, if he can make one for me). I view it as a significant upgrade to Steinbergers (I have owned 4 Steinbergers). It is very lightweight, well balanced, comfortable, easy to play, etc. Like any headless, string changes are a cinch and like any graphite neck basses, tuning is resistant to climate change and very stable for a long period of time (weeks if not months).

The tone from the all graphite body is a lot different than a wood bass, but with appropriate string selection and EQ, you can get the sound you want. I found round wounds to be too bright with this bass unless you are a slapper (think Mark King who is the most notable person to play Status basses, the bass player from Muse has also started to use them, he has a signature model) so I use either nylon coated round wounds or half-wound strings. I purchase them from Status.

What are the downsides/learning experiences? I have had band leaders object to the bass being on stage because of the unusual shape. I purchase the strings from Status, conversion from pounds to USD puts them at about $45/set; Status is the only place you can purchase the strings and I have not found domestically available acceptable strings. The soft case that came with the bass fell apart within a year and could not be repaired; Rob has come out with a new case which I purchased and has held up for 6 months (so far). If you need a significant repair, you might have to ship it back to the UK. The bass won't rest on a standard gtr stand, I had to search for an alternative.

Overall, a great bass, PM if you have any questions.

[BluesWalker]

BTW, mine weighs about 6 lbs.