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Steinberger Club

#65
Well since someone resolved this zombie and the image I posted isn't visible, I figure I would do a re-post.

steinberger.jpg
 
#68
Very cleverly designed instruments! I love 'em. Basses and guitars. Great use of new materials and ergonomic appendages - the flip out leg thingey! Simple and works great. I regret that these brilliant designs were so revolutionary that many bassists and guitarists did not warm up to them - mainly because they violated the traditional style bias.

My first bought-new bass was a black fretted Steinberger XP-2 in the mid 80s. It really sounded great - really snappy treble and deep bass punch, and the neck was wonderful. I unfortunately sold it when I got a Warwick Thumb Bass 5 and drifted towards 5-strings.

I love my 91 Steinberger GL custom guitar. It's probably the most playable and versatile guitar ever. It's got an HSH configuration with Duncan Alan Holdsworth buckers and a Vintage Rail in the middle. The buckers are wired with series/single/parallel switches and I hooked up a 6-way rotary selector to get both Gibson and Fender selections. Most impressive standard S tremolo system. Very clever design - easily adjusted and never goes out of tune.

I briefly rented a mid-90s 5-string fretless XL, but did not ever warm up to it. However, last summer I sold my Gibson L-5 and got a new NS Design Omni Bass 5-string and a new band-volume amp and cab. This is an incredible bass, brothers and sisters! The fretless bass of my dreams. And clever again, Ned - reggae-ready 18-V active pickup - fancy piezo bridge that really sounds close to an upright bass - the bommerang strap attachment gizmo - allows you to position the bass at any angle - even to bow - and can also rotate the fretboard access.

I have a lot of admiration for Ned - brilliant and very musical instruments.
 
#70
The first 9 numbers are also available...


Here's my very early L2, serial number 11, played at live Aid by Pete Briquette of The Boomtown Rats:

berger2.jpg


Here are the four girls together:


bergers.jpg


left-to- right 81 L2 sn 0011 1983 L2 sn 699, 1984 Xl2 transitional fretless sn 2157, 1997 Xl2 A DB sn 9478 (sold!)
 
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#72
The physical differences are fairly well documented Aphek, but in terms of the sound and playability, I prefer the older L's. I find the edge of the fingerboard on an XL rather sharp, with a shallower neck profile than the L, which is more U-shaped and softer at the edges.

the sound is beefier out of the Ls and with a low mid peak compared to the smoother XLs.

XLs being a bit lower in output and slightly less middly. This is down to the SS or HB pickups in large part, but also due to the Ls having a milled solid brass bridge and a different headpiece, while XLs usually have cast alloy bridges, sometimes with hardened steel inserts

Very early Ls had more kevlar in the mix as Ned was still experimenting with filler at that point

They don't sound cold at all or sterile as some here ( who have probably never played one) will tell you - either model, but the L is slightly warmer.
 
#74
Awesome! I only joined the headless club because there wasn't a Steinberger club.

Here's a photo from NAMM when I stalked Ned to sign my bass:

IMAG0045.jpg


XM2A, from 1991. Made in Tennesee, Newburgh neck.

I'll get a more recent photo, sans long hair and beard, and featuring the bass shortly.
I hereby claim #0012.
 
#75
Great pic walter - since no-one's taking the numbers before mine, I'll revise, take number 1 and allot the rest of you numbers. Here we go!

0001...Number 11
0002...AphekGreg
0003...WalterBush
0004..
0005..
0006
0007
0008
0009
0010...
0011...
 
#78
number11 said:
The physical differences are fairly well documented Aphek, but in terms of the sound and playability, I prefer the older L's. I find the edge of the fingerboard on an XL rather sharp, with a shallower neck profile than the L, which is more U-shaped and softer at the edges.

the sound is beefier out of the Ls and with a low mid peak compared to the smoother XLs.

XLs being a bit lower in output and slightly less middly. This is down to the SS or HB pickups in large part, but also due to the Ls having a milled solid brass bridge and a different headpiece, while XLs usually have cast alloy bridges, sometimes with hardened steel inserts

Very early Ls had more kevlar in the mix as Ned was still experimenting with filler at that point

They don't sound cold at all or sterile as some here ( who have probably never played one) will tell you - either model, but the L is slightly warmer.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's really helpful. I knew they'd changed the pickups slightly, but didn't know about the change in bridge materials.

I think that very few guys have played an original Steinberger. A lot of guys have played all wood copies though, which of course doesn't do justice to the design.

I've seen the Boomtown Rats performance at Live Aid many times. I just wish the band hadn't worn those white jumpsuits. :rollno:
 
#79
It was the 80's man!!

:)

When geldof signed it for me he said " thank God he sold this ugly thing"...my son met Geddy Lee in the street and told him I bought a Steinberger because of him. The tech jumped in with " I hope he sold it and bought a jazz".

Seems that if you don't play Fender these days you're not "in".

I sold a friend of mine a white XM2, which he lieks but gets a lot of **** about playing. The artist he works for started to record an album and his 77 jazz was tried on several tracks til they tried the XM "for a laugh". Guess what made every track on the album?


:)

I hear a lot of people tell me how sterile bergers are. They're anything but sterile, but thats the "common knowledge"
 
#80
WalterBush said:
Awesome! I only joined the headless club because there wasn't a Steinberger club.

Here's a photo from NAMM when I stalked Ned to sign my bass:

IMAG0045.jpg


XM2A, from 1991. Made in Tennesee, Newburgh neck.

I'll get a more recent photo, sans long hair and beard, and featuring the bass shortly.
I hereby claim #0012.
Click to expand...

Great pic to have - I'd LOVE to meet ned!

Walter, you're number 3!
 

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