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What parts are matte ?
The body and neck should be gloss.
The fretboard is Ebonol and so should just be cleaned with a mild aqueous detergent.
The body and neck should be gloss.
The fretboard is Ebonol and so should just be cleaned with a mild aqueous detergent.
I may have mis-spoken...
I've never seen any matte Steinberger but that looks so even, especially under the strings where you wouldn't expect any scratching, that I'm now inclined to say it looks like a factory finish. I think it looks great in that photo...
I simply do not know - subject for future research at least!
But I'll go with my first thought on cleaning - a mild detergent like maybe a dilute Simple Green or Dr Bronner's on a soft cloth should be safe for removing accumulated grime on whatever that finish is.
Anybody ever seen a matte Synapse?
Some of the NS Design stuff is, I know - but a Synapse ?
My manuals seem to have been packed away in the gig bags but from memory, top to bottom:
Master Volume (big).
Pickup blend - IIRC, CCW mag, CW piezo
Treble
Bass
see if that doesn't match with what you experience...
I'll pull out a manual later today.
To actually polish back to gloss, you're going to need an actual polish - a -very- light rubbing compound.
3M Fill-N-Glaze is excellent as it has very fine abrasive. I used to use it on show cars, followed by carnuba wax... It was also available only to contractors in gallons. After running two cars through 3 seasons of Concours I still had about half a gallon left, so not cost-effective in this application...
So - probably something from the car-parts store.
Zymöl has some really nice instrument products in addition to automotive products. Their GBC might do the trick.
Be gentle, especially at first, and start someplace like the back until you find the right combination of product and technique.
Officially joining the club if you'll have me. Brought my new to me synapse to my gig today. The guys made fun of it - the 80s called, they want their bass back. Then after our 90 minute set they all said its my best sounding bass. And I have a few too many. And I loved playing it.
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What part of NJ you in ? I'm in Montgomery County, PA ...
Interesting!
Anyone else?
I've only ever seen white in person...
I believe they also came in blue.
Sounds like a trend to me!
OK then - disregard my earlier mis-statement - black is evidently _not_ glossy !
OK then - disregard my earlier mis-statement - black is evidently _not_ glossy !
Yep ... seems to be the case. From what I've read on the interwebs, the Synapse is "satin" and the Spirit is glossy.
I don't have a black one, but they are definitely supposed to be matte as opposed to gloss. I've seen videos/pics where, with use, they have gone shiny around the pickups, which isn't the prettiest look and, in the end, it was what put me off hunting down a black one... The finish on my amberburst is also matte but it's not quite so obvious. The black Spirit XTs are all gloss though.
My white matched pair (one bought new) are definitely glossy.
Anybody with one in blue out there ?
