Steinberger Spirits

[A9X]

Thanks for the review Lobster. I have 4 Woodbergers; 2 Hohner B2, a B2V and a recent Spirit. None have tuning or stability issues. They're not as good as the XL2 which will stay in tune far longer than any other bass I own except the Status but better than any other headed bass I own.

Ergonomically, there are relatively simple mods that you can do to them to improve playability in first position. However I agree for the RRP, it's not great value. For sitting, put the leg rest down, sit it on your left leg and use your right leg to push the body so it's more vertical and it's easy to plat 1st position, it's just unusual for those that don't play URBs, but gives a better wrist angle than the traditional semi-horizontal position that most basses are played in.

Mine, including the Spirit guitar are getting inserts for the pivot plate/boomerang so the sitting or standing ergonomic issues you have will be moot. I already own the PPs so it's a few minutes to determine the COG and to drill a small hole.

I don't like the EMG HZs much either, but the Hohner units are better. All of mine are getting new PUs of some sort, mostly active EMGs.

PS: you should cut out the opening part of the review as it's more than a little embarrassing.

PPS: my B2V came from the original owner with a custom machined brass SB adaptor headpiece. If you don't need to be able to walk into a B&M store to be able to buy them, they're not hard to get from a variety of companies. I'm not an "I will only play this brand/type of string" guy so have had no difficuly. Status and Ken Smith are excellent and only a small price premium. But they last a long time IME.

 

[sonojono]

The playing position both seated and with a strap bothers me a LOT. Seated, I feel like I have to extend my arm an extra 6 inches to get to the first fret.

I've had this problem with one of Ned's last made Basses from Gibson the Steinberger "Synapse" even with the creative strap hook I had a hard time reaching the first fret. My left arm grew fatigued just playing that thing but damn did it have some nice Hi-Fi tones!

 

[L-1329]

Hey EdO, I have a crazy idea, hear me out!
Been trying to source for strap hooks, but to no avail. Purchased a thin 1mm carbon fiber plate which can be cut by scissors. I aim to cut and then sand to shape, while layering a few pieces to get it to the desired thickness.
Would like to have a schematic or something of the hook, anything like a simple trace of the shape will do!

It might end up stronger and lighter than the original aluminium one

Thought I'd add one thing about the synapse strap hooks, and that is they're not flat, they're bent. They're bent forward (from standing position) so that the strap hook end is centered on the bass just like a regular upper horn strap button. This keeps the bass hanging vertical, not face tilted away as it would with a flat strap hook extension.

 

[lug]

The bones of my Musicyo Spirit are fine. Neck very stable, etc. Pups are a bit generic/weak.

 

[KaiHern]

Thought I'd add one thing about the synapse strap hooks, and that is they're not flat, they're bent. They're bent forward (from standing position) so that the strap hook end is centered on the bass just like a regular upper horn strap button. This keeps the bass hanging vertical, not face tilted away as it would with a flat strap hook extension.

Gotcha! Will maybe print a plastic part to have an angle at the mounting point of the hook. The hook will be flat, carbon fibre not easy to bend or shape once set in resin

 

[KaiHern]

Printed a small thumb rest to sit flush with the bridge pickup. Not only a parking place for my thumb, but have also designed the height of the thumb rest to be the same as the strings. Same distance from the E as like the individual string spacing. Helps me in playing fast passages by having a point for my fingers to land after each attack of the E string

 

[EmuBass]

Realized my video wasn't in this thread

Thx for the video. i can understand the criticism. But it's not "neck-trough". It has a "set-neck" where the end of the neck is glued into the Body.

 

[LowEndLobster]

Thx for the video. i can understand the criticism. But it's not "neck-trough". It has a "set-neck" where the end of the neck is glued into the Body.

Thanks for the correction! I wasn't sure, and the page I got it from said neck-thru.

 

[lug]

hmmmm....My Spirit is definitely neckthru.

 

[Hot Rats]

It's been a long time since I busted out my spirit. I bought it when musicyo first came out with these things. (anybody know the year?) Anyway, I took it out after reading through some of the posts and to my surprise, I forgot I put this in there. Did a set up and played it for a half hour and it sounds great. Neck pickup only, no bridge. I can see lines under the paint which indicates it is likely a neck through construction. Horrible bass to play standing....as we all know.

 

[Be_eM]

hmmmm....My Spirit is definitely neckthru.

Yes, older Spirits (1990ies to 2008) were neck through. The 1994 catalog describes it this way:

"Each Spirit features true "neck-through" construction.The necks are solid maple and extend completely through the body. …2

Just the current line (since the 2017 relaunch) don't have that.

 

[lug]

It's been a long time since I busted out my spirit. I bought it when musicyo first came out with these things. (anybody know the year?) Anyway, I took it out after reading through some of the posts and to my surprise, I forgot I put this in there. Did a set up and played it for a half hour and it sounds great. Neck pickup only, no bridge. I can see lines under the paint which indicates it is likely a neck through construction. Horrible bass to play standing....as we all know.

View attachment 3781331

See post 520 for the $15 fix.

 

[Hot Rats]

See post 520 for the $15 fix.

Ha..yep, saw that. Not bad...not bad at all

 

[L-1329]

Yes, older Spirits (1990ies to 2008) were neck through. The 1994 catalog describes it this way:

"Each Spirit features true "neck-through" construction.The necks are solid maple and extend completely through the body. …2

Just the current line (since the 2017 relaunch) don't have that.

When my tech routed out mine for the bart pups and battery compartment he noted the neck through was quality maple, but the body side wood was something unknown and much softer. Probably makes no difference, just a detail.

 

[Michael Vee]

Yes, older Spirits (1990ies to 2008) were neck through.

To further clarify, the XTs were the only older Spirits that were neckthrough. The XZs and XQs were bolt-ons.

 

[Michael Vee]

I forgot I put this in there. Did a set up and played it for a half hour and it sounds great. Neck pickup only, no bridge.

Datsgor, you are the only Spirit owner we know of who has installed an Alembic pickup! Which pickup is that?

I bet it does sound good! Why did you not do both pickups?

 

[HeavyDuty]

To further clarify, the XTs were the only older Spirits that were neckthrough. The XZs and XQs were bolt-ons.

The much less common XPs were neck though, too.

 

[Hot Rats]

Datsgor, you are the only Spirit owner we know of who has installed an Alembic pickup! Which pickup is that?

I bet it does sound good! Why did you not do both pickups?

I bought the pickup in 1985 to put into a bass I was building and after hearing what I wanted, the guy at the music store thought it would work well so that's what I ended up with. I don't know the model # or if it's even a "bass" pickup but it does sound good.


Well, the bass didn't work out so well and the Alembic pickup went into my box of stuff. Then, years later, I bought the Spirit and at some point the tab that holds the adjustment screw broke and I remembered the Alembic being the same humbucker bezel type so I put that in there. I only had one pickup and I figured being in the neck position would sound much better. And it does.
So, it's not so much that I set out to alter the Spirit as it is a matter of circumstance that resulted in a great pairing.

 

[Junior57]

Hey all. This is my Spirit and first post. Nothing unique but I'd like to know what I have. I picked it up at a pawnshop several years ago with the soft case and Straplocs installed. I think it was $130, or close to that. Just read through all 28 pages and it seems there are many variations. The only number I see that might be a serial number is the one shown from the bottom behind the knee rest. Thanks for all this info...incredible.

 

[EdO.]

Unless I'm mistaken the first 3 digits in the serial number are month and year of manufacturer. If so yours was built in may of 2006. The pickups appear to be the preferred EMG's so that's a plus. For what you gave for it IMO you got a great deal on it.