Steinberger Synapse bass reviews

I received my amber Steinberger Synapse XS-15FPA Custom fretted and fretless last week, and have had some time to review them. Please excuse the format, as I reviewed them at HC, and am copying it here. Remarks regarding the fretless are in bold; regular text applies to both basses equally.

Just-released new entry to the Steinberger line of guitars and basses.

This is the amber(burst) satin-finished flame maple top model. Features include:

* Cybrosonic Technology featuring an integrated graphite U-channel combined with a three-piece hard maple neck
* Maple wings
* Phenolic fingerboard
* EMG40-P5 USA humbucker
* Piezo bridge
* Ebony saddle
* Direct-Drive double-ball bridge
* Fold-down leg rest
* Recessed tool holder
* Recessed output jack
* Strap hook
* Combo headpiece
* Zero fret
* 34" scale
* Takes single- or double-ball strings

In addition, it's an 18v system, has 24 frets, weighs about 8.5lbs, with 17mm spacing and a 1.75" nut. Very well-padded gig-bag with protective end-cushioning flap. Position markers for every position, both on side of neck and on fingerboard. The 3,5,9,12, etc. markers are larger dots; there are no double-dots at the 12 and 24.

Absolutely amazing! The EMG pickup coupled with the piezo produces an expanded tone, both low and high. With the blend knob at 40% mag, 60% piezo, and the bass tone up just a notch, this baby sounds like an XL/Rick Turner Renaissance hybrid. Even response on the neck, notes ring out crystal clear, and the B string is tight and punchy. Literally the best of graphite and wood. And TONS of mwah. Easily the smoothest feeling fretless neck I've felt.

Bass came setup perfectly for my tastes. The satin amber finish is actually a lot more of a burst, as the edges of the front and the back of the body and neck are a reddish-brown, in contrast to the first amber synapse 6-string guitar that we saw at Steinberger World that had a lighter stain (and was also a gloss finish - they changed from gloss to satin mid-stream for the basses, apparently). However, on close inspection, you can see that there is some slight marking in the fingerboard from the roundwounds (can't be felt, just seen). There seems to be some overspray of the phenolic (maybe?) on the side of the fingerboard, as if it edged off the top a little while wet, like paint. Not very noticeable, and doesn't affect playability. On top of the neck by the 3rd position marker, there's a very small strip of maple that wasn't stained the darker color.

The one thing that I didn't like was that the bare wire connections in the cavity are being held together by CLOTH TAPE?!?! Apparently this has been rectified with heat shrink tubing, as evidenced by another owner with a slightly newer blue bass. The most glaring thing was when I originally plugged the bass in: NO SOUND AT ALL!!! Replacing the batteries brought it back to life.

Kinda worried that the dead batteries might have been an electronic issue, but barring that, this thing is built solid, and I would definitely gig with it as my only bass. My only concern is about the placement of the back strap button; with the satin finish, a strap could start to wear down the finish over time. It's hard to tell.

Limited lifetime warranty. Haven't yet tried to deal with Gibson regarding anything.

This is my 20th year playing bass. My first "real" bass was bought back in '84: a Steinberger XL-2. I traded it away a few years after, but got the fever again last year and traded for an L-2. I also swear up and down on the "bang for your buck" value of the Spirits (got an XT-25 and an XZ-2db). The Synapse is a similar, but unique creature for those people wanting the clarity of a graphite-necked instrument, the warmth of wood, and the expanded sound I've described above. Despite the finish flaws and my concern over the batteries, it is an absolutely incredible sounding and playing bass. I haven't quite warmed up to the body style yet (wish it were more symmetrical like the XLs), but the sound more than makes up for that. I think I would've preferred the gloss finish, and in fact, was expecting gloss when they changed it to satin. Still looks awfully pretty, though.

Pictures can be seen at photos.yahoo.com/drivenmore

 

Hmnnh...since you've got the mag/piezo blend control to play with, you can pretty much imagine it like this: a supercharged P-bass (the EMG is essentially a P-pickup) with a layer of acoustic/electric overtones. If you've got an acoustic/electric lying around, do some popping and slapping on it, then superimpose that onto a P-bass.

Sorry, I know that probably doesn't do it for you. I'm still trying to figure out a way to record and post some sound clips for those who are interested.

 

Hey Dharma -

I won't be back with my basses until Thursday, but I'll check it out for you.

 

Hey AJ -

The sixers will probably be out by the end of the year. I know they've done the tooling for the 4-string hardware, but haven't heard yet about the sixers. I get all my info from steinbergerworld.com, so that's the place to keep an eye on.

 

About 13/16", middle to middle.

Jason

 

Hi Dharma -

Actually, no, I'm not able to give you a description. I've never been able to tell a C neck from a D neck or whatever. I don't even know how to go about it. Sorry

 

That's what I measured. Keep in mind, the pickup is at the sweet spot. Take a look at the pic; it's pretty wide. I'll be more than happy to measure again tonight (it was pretty late when I did it the first time, so it's possible I'm off, but I doubt it).