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Steinberger Spirits

#81
Even though the Spirits are no longer being actively sold other than the basic XTs through a few retail channels, l'm going to bump my old thread to talk more about my favorite headless basses!

-- MV
 
#82
MichaelVee said:
Even though the Spirits are no longer being actively sold other than the basic XTs through a few retail channels, l'm going to bump my old thread to talk more about my favorite headless basses!

-- MV
Click to expand...

I think you are wrong (or I'm not understanding your statement at all). [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] along with the Synapse line and they can be found at Musician's Friend and Invalid Link Removed (among others, I guess).
 
#86
I played an '86 XL2 for 3 years, then switched to five strings 7 years. I finally got around to buying a Spirit 5 a few weeks ago when I saw a good deal at Daddy's Junky Music. Love it! I've used it for two rehearsal and an open mic so far, it sounds great and is very portable. The B string is tight and clear, I'm sure it's going to become one of my main gigging basses. wahoo! :bassist:
 
#87
I bought an used Spirit XQ (not so easy to find nowadays), same shape of the MusicYo XQ.
The bass required an extensive setup, since it had been used without action and or neck setup.
I like it very much, nice neck but horrible sound.
I think I'll use it to test some mods (make a slightly asymmetrical neck profile), replace pickups, remove the half millimeter of paint on the body.
Has anybody here ever heavily modified a spirit ?
 
#88
ialma, a lot of us have done electronics mods, but I can't think of anyone who's posted about doing the kind of body mods you're talking about. I'm sure they're out there, though.
 
#92
I got out the XZ-25 for the show I'm currently playing - "The Last Five Years"- which is written for five-string bass - and it's performing beautifully for me.

The XT's are still being sold through online channels- has anyone bought one recently? Also the older MusicYo era Spirits are still turning up on eBay and Craigslist and so on.
 
#94
ialma said:
Has anybody here ever heavily modified a spirit ?
Click to expand...

Yup, it's posted earlier in this thread. Had it routed out for Bart pups, more room in the control cavity for a Bart three band preamp, a quick change battery box routed into the back and new pickup surrounds made to cover up top. It looks like a totally stock bass, and sounds great.
 
#96
Does anyone know where I can get a case or a gigbag for the Spirit XZ2? (or whatever the designation is for the large body size 4 string bass). Is there anything else out there similar enough to find a case that is still being made? Mine was ruined a number of years ago, and I am tired of carrying around in a gigbag which doesn't fit properly?
 
#97
Unfortunately, you can't buy new Steinberger or Spirit gig bags for the larger bodied basses. The current Steinberger Synapse and Spirits are all the small body basses. The larger body basses are no longer in production. You can get gig bags for the small bodied basses only.

I would suggest using a guitar gig bag instead- the length is close enough to work. There are some really nice guitar bags out there, with much more padding and amenities than the very basic Steinberger bags.

The zipper is shot on my XZ-25 gigbag. Mine is a Steinberger bag, not the Spirit bag. I'm debating whether to try to get the zipper replaced or just buying a new bag.
 
#98
So I'm a new guy here now. A google search brought me to this thread and I immediately needed to register.

Anyway... I'm currently on my 4th steinberger bass. I owned an XL-2A back in '91 and sold it to put towards a Status.
Then I owned an XM-5,post Newburg but with a narrow width which was too much. I then found a XM-4 which I purchased
only to find months later that it was stolen..long bad story I don't wanna get into...a few years later in 2000 I found an XP-2
with a DB tuner on ebay for $500 and it's been with me ever since.

So lately I've been thinking of building a new body for the XP but then got into thinking about the Spirit XT 4's and 5's and
reading through this thread has me interested in getting one and modding it. Not sure if I want a 4 or a 5 string yet but either way
having something that is neck through is something I wanna go for.

Do any of you folks have sound clips and/or videos of your modded Spirits in action? I'm liking the looks of the bartolini's
or using EMG 35P4's in them since they would be a closer fit.
Mainly I'm interested in hearing how these basses sound after a mod. If anyone can post a clip that would be awesome.

thanks!
 
#99
Found a Spirit XT-2DB on Craigslist and I'm wondering if I should pull the trigger for $250. My main concern is the pickups. Someone in another thread said they're very small, guitar sized pups. Any truth to that? Anyone know of a direct fit replacement pickup for these?

Thanks! Not many threads about this here on TB
 
#100
Signifive70 said:
Do any of you folks have sound clips and/or videos of your modded Spirits in action? I'm liking the looks of the bartolini's
or using EMG 35P4's in them since they would be a closer fit.
Mainly I'm interested in hearing how these basses sound after a mod. If anyone can post a clip that would be awesome.

thanks!
Click to expand...

Well, I can put up this little clip of my Spirit, modded with Bart pups and a Bart three band pre. This is just a dumb little riff I put in to see how it would sound in a dense mix, just straight in to the board no effects or anything, played with a pick. I really like how the Barts sound in it, but they did need to get routed out and new pickup surrounds made, as well as a little routing in the control cavity and new battery box as well. Most smaller newer preamps might fit in without that though. Don't expect much from this other than what it's basic sound is like.

Link Removed

Here's a pic that shows the new surrounds, no one would ever know this thing was modded, it really looks like a stock bass.

Link Removed
 

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