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NEW 2 TB: STEINBERGER or RICKENBACKER?

R

RADIOBASS&BEARS

Sep 5, 2009
8
0
Galena, AK
#1
Hey there!

This site ROCKS!!!

Been playing bass since RUSH's 'Moving Pictures'. Been in a few bands over the years, but side tracked into the radio industry; now, its 25 years in radio. Been thru 2 marriages, but the constants in my life are the Radio Industry and my bass guitars.

I'm at a point in my life where I have my own studio and 3 basses: Fender Jazz 5-string fretless, a 4 string Ibanez Ergodyne from '99 and a FENDER 4 string fretted acoustic. Before I leave this world I want to own a RICKENBACKER and a STEINBERGER.:bassist:

So, which one first?:hmm:

Which one is preferred & why?:eyebrow:

Cons/ Negaives to both?:eek:

Thanx in advance!!!:cool:
 
#2
Man that's a tough call:)

I am a steinberger guy but I regularly lust after rickenbackers.

You could start with a cheap used Steinberger XQ/XM and then go for a steinie next:)

The Steinies have super stable necks, a fairly flexible sound (with Emgs, the barts a little less so imho), and are very convenient. They're about the length of a guitar typically so fit in guitar gig bags and the cases are a lot smaller, even the XQ (which I own).

Never played a rick so I can't speak to the advantages/disadvantages there with any authority
 
#3
IMHO,You'd better be jumpin' on a Steinberger r-e-a-l,r-e-a-l quick.The prices are going up,up,up!!
There was a thread just the other day about an L2 (I think) going for $3,000.00 on CL.

BUT.....You can pick them up for less(at least for now) on E-Bay.I've seen them go for as little as $1,500.00,recently.
That 3k price tag on the one that was in CL is probably what these will be going for in the near future.So,the wise decision would be to go for a Steinberger.NOW!!!

Good Luck,
Steve
 
#4
Get the Steinberger now, before the prices go up, or Gibson pulls their head out long enough to reissue the L2 and confuses everyone with the reissue vs. original debate.

Rickenbacker's much less likely to stop making the 4001, and they're still likely to cost a couple grand years from now.
 
#5
IMO it all depends on which of the two basses suits what you are doing, musically, right now. Rics and Steins are two completely different basses and have two very unique sounds. Try them both out, whichever sound appeals to you more at the time is the one you want to get.
 
#9
I own both (also a Rush fan -- my first bass was a Ric, and my second was a Steinberger, both bought in the '80s). I can sympathize. :D

If you want to own both before you die, I'd suggest going for a Steinberger first. The all graphite ones like Geddy played (L-2 and XL-2) haven't been made in a decade, and prices are slowly going up. Right now they are not too bad because the economy is in the toilet. If you just want the look, you can find the wooden models (Spirit and Synapse) more easily and they are a lot cheaper. They don't sound the same though at all. Expect to pay around $2k for a "real" all composite Steinberger, which is not bad considering I paid around $1k for mine brand new in 1988. But eventually they WILL go up as supply is limited and nothing else sounds like one.

There are a huge number of Rics out there and they are still being made, so you can always pick one up later. They seem somewhat stable in price. There was a jump in prices for new Rics recently but the used market has taken a hit along with the economy.

Of course, you could buy my 1981 Ric, for sale in the classifieds right now: :D :hiding:

Just for kicks, here's some pics:

IMG_0788.jpg


IMG_0715.jpg


Best of luck! Also, keep in mind that Geddy played a Fender Jazz on a lot of those recordings from the '80s.
 
#10
If I were you I would strongly consider getting a Steinberger. As mentioned earlier, Steinberger prices are on the rise for several reasons:
1. Demand is increasing because Steiny's are now starting to be considered vintage and are now a desirable collectable.
2. Demand is also increasing because 80's nostalgia seems to be on the rise and nothing says 80's like a Steiny'. Seen several 80's cover/tribute bands with Steinberger wielding bassist lately.
3. Supply is shrinking because the number of Steinbergers are decreasing. Despite legend and myth, they can and do wear out: fret wear, string jaws, finish. Also in rare cases the necks can go bad due to poor treatment by the owner like leaving in a closed car in Texas during the summer. Also seen a couple instruments ruined because some idiot repairman had no clue how to re-fret a phenolic board.

IMO, Gibson will most likely never reissue the L2 or XL2. Even if they do, I doubt that they will be true to the originals because the cost would be extremely high, the original tooling no longer exists from what I have heard, and they would need to re-learn how to work with composites. Their decision to have Moses make necks and to offshore the Synaps line show that other than owning the name, Gibson could care less about the Steinberger line. The only way Gibson would consider reissueing an XL2 would be if they outsourced the whole instrument.

Saying all that, I rarely use my Steiny these days, but would not sell at the moment because I think the prices will go up, especially after the economy stablizes.
 

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