I don’t see the problem with that I do this all the time with my Steinbergers with ease
And my DR’s don’t go dead after a month of settling in
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Steinberger Club
- Thread starter king_xanadu
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I don’t see the problem with that I do this all the time with my Steinbergers with ease
And my DR’s don’t go dead after a month of settling in
I have nothing to do with this sale, but it's worth checking out for the photos. In particular, I find it fascinating that he pretty much perfected the pivot plate design before he figured out the compact coaxial tuners.
Ned Steinberger's First Prototype Graphite Bass - Rarest Steinberger On Earth!! | eBay
Ned Steinberger's First Prototype Graphite Bass - Rarest Steinberger On Earth!! | eBay
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Headless Club??? | Page 110 | TalkBass.com
I posted this in the headless Club first..I should have posted here first.
Just a shot in the dark looking for an early L2 that I owned years ago.
Cheers!
I posted this in the headless Club first..I should have posted here first.
Just a shot in the dark looking for an early L2 that I owned years ago.
Cheers!
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I have an 86' XP-2 with a set of GHS double ball, Steinberger sized super light (.030-.090) strings on it. I ordered an identical replacement set, but they dont fit! The new strings are almost exactly 1/4" too long, which exceeds the travel on the headless tuners, so I cant tune them. This is a standard 34" scale bass with stock headpiece and tuners, never had this problem before. All the strings in the set are the same 1/4" too long, so its not a single bad string issue. Anybody seen this issue before? One potential clue, it says 36" Wind on the packet, is there a Steinberger variation that required 1/4" longer strings?
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- Sep 9, 2007
- 5,309
- 4,977
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
So, fun story. Gibson slightly changed the length on the Steinberger Spirits that have been made and never told anyone. And with those instruments having specs and tolerances that are horribly precise, any slight change is huge. Prior to that, we were getting regular complaints that the strings were too short for them. Now, we're getting complaints (although not nearly as many) that the strings are slightly too long.
We've had this on our packaging for a bit, as well as the website - PLEASE NOTE! While these strings are designed to fit Steinberger basses, and Steinberger-licensed instruments, there is some variation on what was made in the past and what is made currently. It is imperative that you check the winding length of the strings currently on your bass to make sure that our 36" winding length (from inside of ball end to inside of ball end) will fit your instrument.
It presents a conundrum. Do we make the sets to fit an instrument that has old, discontinued specs and deal with the complaints from the newer instrument holders, or do we make the specs to fit the current instrument that is still in production? And no, two separate sets are not an option.
Could the extra 1/4" length be dealt with by using a headpiece adaptor, which would artificially 'stretch' the usable length to compensate? With some types, you'd have to cut the ball off as it won't thread through the hole but the older type just uses a grub screw and string tension to hold it in place and you feed it over the headpiece, not needing to cut the small ball end. Maybe....???
@Jon Moody
So, does anyone still make strings that fit an XP-2? What would the correct “wind” be, 35-3/4”?
So, does anyone still make strings that fit an XP-2? What would the correct “wind” be, 35-3/4”?
- Sep 9, 2007
- 5,309
- 4,977
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
That's a good question; I don't know. I can tell you that 35.75" is also slightly short, because the piece that holds the ball end in the bridge is half exposed at that length. My guess is the ideal length would be around 35.875" winding, with a tolerance that is non-existent. Which is probably why we're one of the few companies still making double ball strings.
The official Steinberger specifications (revised March 2004) for non-calibrated (i.e. non-TT) strings were:
High C, G, and D string: 35.75"
A, E, and low B string: 35.85"
High C, G, and D string: 35.75"
A, E, and low B string: 35.85"
I'm using an XL2 and an XM2. I just put LaBella double ball flats on both and they fit perfectly. D'Addario is also perfect fit. Headless USA has a full menu of both brands.
I don't typically use GHS, but that info from Jon Moody is great to know. Whatever they decide they should be sure to mark the packaging.
I don't typically use GHS, but that info from Jon Moody is great to know. Whatever they decide they should be sure to mark the packaging.
fwiw all the sets of Ken Smith double-ballend strings I've bought in the last couple years fit my 1982 Steinberger L-2.
Watch, now someone is going to tell me that Smith strings are just rebranded GHS strings and that the specs have changed!
@Jon Moody
Here's where my wife got them off Amazon, the listing doesn't mention any need to check length prior to purchase, nor is there any note to that effect on the packaging, so I can see how people (like me) end up with strings that don't fit their bass. If you have any influence on how these are sold, being more upfront and clear with that info might avoid confusion for other Steinberger owners. My wife bought these as a Christmas stocking stuffer back in November, so I assume these are beyond the return window.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009FUUHY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here's the packaging, no mention of needing to check the existing string length inside or outside. Bummer!
Edit:
Just called GHS Tech Support, and talked directly to Jon Moody, who was very helpful. Gotta love TB! Turns out the packaging changed at some point, the newer version does note that there are different sizes, these must have been sitting in a warehouse for a while. It may be that nobody makes the super-light set to fit an XP-2 anymore, we'll see how it goes. If I can't return them through Amazon, I'll have to work out some hack to make up the extra 1/4" length. I though maybe a bit of aluminum or brass cable crimp just below the headstock ball end? Thanks again @Jon Moody
Here's where my wife got them off Amazon, the listing doesn't mention any need to check length prior to purchase, nor is there any note to that effect on the packaging, so I can see how people (like me) end up with strings that don't fit their bass. If you have any influence on how these are sold, being more upfront and clear with that info might avoid confusion for other Steinberger owners. My wife bought these as a Christmas stocking stuffer back in November, so I assume these are beyond the return window.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009FUUHY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here's the packaging, no mention of needing to check the existing string length inside or outside. Bummer!
Edit:
Just called GHS Tech Support, and talked directly to Jon Moody, who was very helpful. Gotta love TB! Turns out the packaging changed at some point, the newer version does note that there are different sizes, these must have been sitting in a warehouse for a while. It may be that nobody makes the super-light set to fit an XP-2 anymore, we'll see how it goes. If I can't return them through Amazon, I'll have to work out some hack to make up the extra 1/4" length. I though maybe a bit of aluminum or brass cable crimp just below the headstock ball end? Thanks again @Jon Moody
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You have to order direct from them, but Status Graphite make their own 35.75" (908mm) double-ball strings. They've very good - I use them on my Status basses. Status Graphite. The finest hand-made graphite basses and guitars. Made in England.
Ned is a freakin' genius but that's just nuts, requiring different lengths for different strings. Given that there's no angle on the bridge placement or the end-of-neck retainers, it's probably an artifact of thicker strings having a bigger bend radius at the nut. At least now I know why changing the E and A on my XL2A can be such a pain with most aftermarket strings. It's a tricky problem for a luthier to solve. My guess is that the lest expensive and obtrusive solution would have been to make the end-of-neck retainers slightly asymmetric, so that the high strings are retained a few mm further back from the nut. You could actually modify an existing retainer to do that, by adding some material or a shim. Unfortunately, to use current "standard" strings, one would have to retain the low strings further *forward*, which would involve removing enough materiel from an existing design to risk making it structurally fragile.
All's well that ends well! @Jon Moody of GHS strings was able to find and get me the right string length for my XP-2, its about 1/4" shorter than the 36" Wind set. To avoid repeating my mistake, carefully measure your existing strings before replacing. The double ball are getting harder to find as these basses get a little long in the tooth, but I'll avoid the switch to a single string adapter as long as possible, never liked the razor-sharp string ends that result at the head. I'd forgotten how bright this bass is with new strings, the old set has been on there at least 8 years.
Should fit well, there's only one difference: The licensed version has beveled holes for countersunk wood screws, and the original USA leg rest has deeper holes for the two cylinder head screws.
Is "Ed Roman" still in business? I would have expected the shop to shut down after Ed passed away.
edit: I'll be damned, their website is still alive and kicking...although the About Us page hasn't been updated since 2013, two years after Ed bought the farm.
Get To Know The Ed Roman Crew
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