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Steinberger Spirits
- Thread starter Michael Vee
- Start date
Sure you don't mix that up with a regular Steinberger XP? These may be priced around $1k, although some have been sold for less ($700-$900). Here is the last one sold on ebay.
I'm not aware of ANY single Spirit ever sold for this price. Asking price maybe. Sold? Never.
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I've seen ZX models go for over $600, but that's the only Spirit craziness I've seen - not that I've really been watching.
No, they already did stop making Spirits. This happened back in late winter this year. Look back in page 5 of this thread.
Spirits are fine little basses, but no one should pay $1000 for one. They don't have that kind of collectible value.
I'm not sure about that late winter last year date, though. My new XT-25 has a "13" prefix serial number which I assume indicates that it was produced this year.
I just updated the dead links in the OP to Internet Archive captures and also added XP bass info.
I never did hear back from Gibson customer support with a definite answer on when production ended, and I followed up on my original phone call more than once. My statement that production had ended was based on the fact that all the major online retailers stopped selling the Spirits in late winter. Whether Gibson is still producting them in limited quantities, which I doubt, would have to be answered by someone inside Gibson. Good luck with that.
At any rate, if they can't be purchased online from places like Guitar Center, Sweetwater, AMS, Sam Ash, and others, an exact date when production ended is pretty much moot.
Thanks, Ken! I started this thread a long time ago, so knew the the links were defunct, and obviously could not update them. It's nice to have a moderator taking an active part in this thread!
It was so nostalgic to see the old MusicYo pages. In reviewing the updated links, I noticed that the picture of my Spirit XZ collection no longer appeared in my initial post. I uploaded the picture back to the server, so the picture once again appears. Of the gear in that picture, I no longer have the Neo-Pak head and that Dr.Bass BL1260 cab. The Neo-Pak became several other Genz heads and then eventually my current Genz, the Shuttle 6.2. The BL1260 became a Dr.Bass Slant 1260-LF. The office/music room also got painted since then
. I should shoot a 2013 version of that picture and post it.I started the thread back in the era of the 2000's when everyone started "megathreads" That made the topic seem more important somehow, didn't it? Or we thought so at that time. I subsequently saw that moderators were combining multiple threads on the same topic and calling the result a "megathread" which made more sense. Ken, since this was not a combined thread, how about changing the name of the thread to simply, Steinberger Spirits?
Thanks again, Ken.
I will get the Spirits out of their cases in the back room and measure the pickups today. I'm quite nonplussed about the apparent variation in pickup sizes that Ken has come across.
I will get the Spirits out of their cases in the back room and measure the pickups today. I'm quite nonplussed about the apparent variation in pickup sizes that Ken has come across.
There's probably been a lot of variation in five string pickup sizes over the years - it's nothing to be worried about! The good news is that 35 series EMGs appear to be as close to a drop-in as you're going to find.
I'm probably just going to rewire mine balance-volume-tone for the short term, I've spent enough money lately. I'm also accumulating parts for a custom build, so my wallet is just about bare.
I'm probably just going to rewire mine balance-volume-tone for the short term, I've spent enough money lately. I'm also accumulating parts for a custom build, so my wallet is just about bare.
No mix-up. That's why I said "asking"
Here is someone asking $875 http://www.ebay.com/itm/STEINBERGER...S-/221256176573?pt=Guitar&hash=item3383e553bd
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Oh yes nice try. Put it on your watch list just to see what happens. It will come back for less, and one day it's gone with a reasonable "best offer"
I've also seen Spirit GU guitars offered as "Steinberger GM". In most cases the seller simply has no idea of what he has. "The market" will teach him
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Over time, there will be a bit of price inflation on old Spirits, with people listing on eBay with these kinds of prices.
I can see a bit of a higher price on a fretless model, or a double-neck, since there aren't as many of them out there, but, for instance, a jacked-up price on an black fretted XT? Nuts.
IMHO, and FWIW (both), I can see current levels of inflated prices on Newburgh-made graphite Steinies, and they certainly have become pricey, but I can't see it on Korean- or Indonesian-made wooden Spirits. They aren't that much more notable than headless Ibanezs, Hohners, or Corts. It's mainly the Steinberger name. These sellers are trying to cash in on the name, and there are buyers out there who aren't aware of the different tiers of Steinbergers.
One way of looking at it is the difference in used prices between MIA Fenders and MIM. I'm not sure how far bad one has to go to get into the $3000 range on an old Jazz, but you could certainly never get anywhere close to that price range out of a MIM Jazz. I'm not really even sure how the MIA Fenders got into the multi-thousand dollar range. It's market cachet, I suppose, and people with money bidding against each other to own one. I used to own a '73 Jazz, and I saw one recently on TB with an asking price of $3600. I just don't see how those instruments are "worth" that much money. They aren't THAT good as basses. But the point I'm making is that the import Spirits really can't be worth some of these eBay prices.
I enjoy my Spirits, but I'd be the last person to look at them as investment pieces. Even with a bit of inflation, I wouldn't suggest anyone spend more than $450 on a used one on eBay.
I can see a bit of a higher price on a fretless model, or a double-neck, since there aren't as many of them out there, but, for instance, a jacked-up price on an black fretted XT? Nuts.
IMHO, and FWIW (both), I can see current levels of inflated prices on Newburgh-made graphite Steinies, and they certainly have become pricey, but I can't see it on Korean- or Indonesian-made wooden Spirits. They aren't that much more notable than headless Ibanezs, Hohners, or Corts. It's mainly the Steinberger name. These sellers are trying to cash in on the name, and there are buyers out there who aren't aware of the different tiers of Steinbergers.
One way of looking at it is the difference in used prices between MIA Fenders and MIM. I'm not sure how far bad one has to go to get into the $3000 range on an old Jazz, but you could certainly never get anywhere close to that price range out of a MIM Jazz. I'm not really even sure how the MIA Fenders got into the multi-thousand dollar range. It's market cachet, I suppose, and people with money bidding against each other to own one. I used to own a '73 Jazz, and I saw one recently on TB with an asking price of $3600. I just don't see how those instruments are "worth" that much money. They aren't THAT good as basses. But the point I'm making is that the import Spirits really can't be worth some of these eBay prices.
I enjoy my Spirits, but I'd be the last person to look at them as investment pieces. Even with a bit of inflation, I wouldn't suggest anyone spend more than $450 on a used one on eBay.
Rarely. In most cases Newburgh/Nashville and Music Yo Steinies are sold for reasonable prices. GMs for example between $1,400 and $2,300, depending on condition, trem, etc.
GLs and sometimes L/XL basses get higher prices, because they are rare and those special "full carbon" dinosaurs. GLs even more than the basses.
Oh yes nice try. Put it on your watch list just to see what happens. It will come back for less, and one day it's gone with a reasonable "best offer"
Actually, that bass has been listed multiple times for over a year, always at the same price. I watch ebay for spirits, and I have seen that same bass again and again at that price for over a year.
The seller is consistent...
My top end for a Spirit is $450 as well. I wouldn't pay more for one.
Actually, that bass has been listed multiple times for over a year, always at the same price. I watch ebay for spirits, and I have seen that same bass again and again at that price for over a year.
The seller is consistent...
Since that's the case, he's obviously got his price in mind and isn't in a hurry to sell it. It's a nice-looking XZ, but not worth that price. He could probably get $400.
Good on you, Gid. I would hope all of us here would be of that opinion. Obviously our eBay seller is not a TBer.
Be_eM, thanks for jumping in. I don't know a great deal about USA Steinbergers, especially not the guitars, so not much about their pricing and what is fair and what is not. I've seen some of the going prices on the basses, and I think $1K-$1.5K for an XL is a reasonable price. I'm not going to be buying it, but if I were actually looking, I'd consider it.
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