Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Steinberger Club
- Thread starter king_xanadu
- Start date
-
- Tags
- club
Thank you! I have no doubt you are rocking the daylights out of yours.
I mean how can you not??
Here's some old time trivia. Back in 2004 when I got my XL (an '86 displayed at NAMM) Steiners were on a downward slope. The initial novelty had worn off and the "gotta have one" wave was gone. Got it for $900. Lots of pieces on ebay though = leg rests, battery covers, preamps etc. Mine had no pivot plate though otherwise complete. I was able to get not one but three pivot plates (one L2, two XL) and set full set of mounting hardware in one sale! The original owner had put a set of Schaller straplocks on it, quickly reversed.
This bass' frets were ground to nothing. Living in NYC I was able to access Peekamoose guitars, one of the authorized repair centers. They were able to bring it back to factory fresh and I couldn't be happier.
Love it and can't imagine flipping it.
My '88 XL2 doesn't have a string retainer for regular strings. I've owned a couple Steinberger Synapses that had them as standard equipment. I bought an aftermarket one off Ebay for my XT-25 Spirit but am going to quit using it. All it seems to do is break strings. I either don't screw the set screws in tight enough to hold or, when I tighten them just a little more, they snap the string or unravel the winding.
Sorry, I must've misread. Yes, all 4 of the Steinbergers I've owned have had that lever to flip down for playing while seated. A shame to have to buy one.
The early leg rests weren't part of the bass. They were removable, not flip-down, and apparently very easily lost or broken. I bought a mint early XL2 fretless years ago. Had the original gig bag, strap, cord (still sealed in the original plastic bag), manual, registration, sticker, screwdriver. But no leg rest.
Last edited:
I never knew that. It's nice an old fart like me can still learn something new.The early leg rests weren't part of the bass. They were removable, not flip-down, and apparently very easily lost or broken. I bought a mint early XL2 fretless years ago. Had the original gig bag, strap, cord (still sealed in the original plastic bag), manual, registration, sticker, screwdriver. But no leg rest.
View attachment 4583068
It's easy to reactivate it by getting a pack of the the correct screws (1/4" - 28 x 1/4" hex head set screws with cup point)
As I said, my XL2 had the leg rest and battery cover (another item I've seen often missing through the years) but no pivot plate. I was really lucky to find one with original mounting hardware no less. They weren't that rare in 2004. Not everybody found them manageable. I have to say, the installed straplocks were actually pretty comfortable! but of course I had to restore it. Parts could still be had including the plug in leg rests for L2s. I managed to also get a complete original (not licensed) bridge, an original stand and a genuine strap with logo among some other items that are impossible to find.
I had to buy the string retainer for mine as well. I never did like using it though. Getting it to work correctly with some strings could be problematic.
I had to buy the string retainer for mine as well. I never did like using it though. Getting it to work correctly with some strings could be problematic.
Last edited:
I have a newbie question. I've been playing a active bass, Ibanez MC900 through an 120 watt Ashdown studio 12 during band practice. I've just purchased my first passive bass, an Steinberger XP2. I don't want to modify the passive bass but I would like to increase the volume output with the XP2/Ashdown combination. I bought the Ashdown amp for the lighter weight and it works well with the active bass but I'm afraid it isn't loud enough for the passive XP2. Is there a preamp pedal I could use to increase the output? The amp has a DI output. Could I run the amp in conjunction with our PA? I don't own any pedals but I have access to a SansAmp DI pedal but I haven't tried it yet. I would appreciate your suggestions and I value the knowledge from the TB'ers out there. Cheers!
The Sans Amp pedal should help, though I'm not real familiar with it. I've used a Trace Elliot Transit B pedal. It's designed specifically for bass and it can boost as well as do much more. There are many others. And yes, you can run out of the amp's direct out into the sound system. A couple other things to try: Is your amp a combo amp or do you use an external speaker cab? If it's an external speaker cab, make sure the impedance matches up with the stated speaker impedance shown on the back of the amp. My Ashdown 220 head is very particular about that. Also, make sure the pickups on the bass are raised as close to the strings as is practical. That will add some gain.
Last edited:
I'll give theSansAmp a try. The Ashdown is a combo amp and thanks for the tip on the Transit B. I'll also check the pickups too. Thanks for the advice.
In principle, that’s what your Pre Gain control is for on the Ashdown. You’d have it pretty low on an active bass, to avoid distortion, and higher on a passive, to be heard.
And, wait a minute, not only does the Ashdown have a pre-amp gain control, it has an active/passive switch. Seriously, you should not have a problem here.
That's my Holy Grail on the bottom, there.The early leg rests weren't part of the bass. They were removable, not flip-down, and apparently very easily lost or broken. I bought a mint early XL2 fretless years ago. Had the original gig bag, strap, cord (still sealed in the original plastic bag), manual, registration, sticker, screwdriver. But no leg rest.
View attachment 4583068
I've had three L2s and all had the leg-rest missing. There was a guy on the Steinie Yahoo Groups who was knocking them up now and again but I quite using Yahoo when I began getting spammed on my associated email account.
That guy is Andy Yakubik from SteinbergerWorld. You can reach him directly via the E-mail contact given behind the "Links & Credits" button on this website. I think he still provides these leg rests. The Yahoo Group is no longer existing, like all Yahoo groups…
