If Status would make a lefty Streamline 5, I'd already have one on order. The coolest headless bass design ever, n I have 2 L series Steinbergers, fretless 4 n wide 5 I'll never sell.
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Steinberger Synapse... what would YOU do?
- Thread starter wideyes
- Start date
What I wouldn't give to find a 5-wide L series Steinberger. Mind posting pictures for me to drool over?
Speaking of rare Steinbergers, just saw this on eBay today :
Gibson 20/20 Ned Steinberger Bass Guitar
Gibson 20/20 Ned Steinberger Bass Guitar
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Wow, I think I found something better than streamline 5 and actually a [little] bit cheaper - a Invalid Link Removed. Beautiful basses - Moses Carbon Graphite neck and body styles of black, clear, or blue translucent 
. Here's a video of it :
. Here's a video of it :
Well, nearly a year after starting this darn thread, I have a Synapse 5er on the the way. Looking forward to putting it through the paces and reporting back!
FYI - I've been [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] and am getting a much better sound now (had it set all wrong when I first tried). The trick is to remember there are THREE trim pots inside - one for the magnetic pickup, and two for the bridge piezo split for the upper/lower strings. I like more low-end so this is a nice feature.
I used to own a Synapse 5-string. It was a cool looking bass but it wasn't comfortable for me. Also, for me, the sound was meh. I ended up selling it. These basses are like Warwicks in that they are not for everyone.
I'll check out the trim pots as well. I had another great night with it last night. Plays so well for me and just seems extremely light to wear which is so important.
I have been a big headless guy since the 80s. I owned a white XL2A that I traded for an Ampeg SVT rig back in the late 80s and I still kick myself every time I think about it. That bass goes for about $4000 today. I owned a black XL, a bunch of Spirits and a Synapse 5. I really, really wanted to like the Synapse, but it was heavier than I expected, and had a dark, bland sound. I used it for a reggae project and even the guys in the band asked me to play my Jazz 5 instead because it just sounded better. But I do love the convemience of a headless bass and my recent jones is for a Status Streamline. I'm GASing bad for one to the point that I'm considering a bass purge to finance one.
I agree on when played on their own with out any other instruments being played my XQ5 sounds better with the emg and stacked pre but I find in the band setting the synapse sits better and projects better. I've always found that bass guitar tends to lose a lot of it's tonality life because other instruments are crowding it's frequencies. I also feel it is much lighter that any 5 string I have owned.
So! My synapse came this morning, and I've had a chance to put my fingers to it. Initial thoughts -- I love it! I like it more the more I play it. I first plugged it into a small practice amp at my house, and it was very tonally underwhelming. No surprise -- nothing sounds great through this amp. Then I took it over to my band's rehearsal space and played it through our PA, and diggety! Absolutely killer tone. It has a wonderful balance across the frequency spectrum, and the piezo adds such a unique texture to it. It's thumpy, gutsy, growly, woody and flat-out low-endy, all depending on how you play it and what you want. The piezo provides an attack and a mid-scooped articulation that's really pleasing. The EMG, on the other hand, has a fatter, more midrangey presence that I liken to a hot-rodded P-bass. I noticed immediately that I couldn't get a sound I didn't like out of it (which is rare with active basses, I find!), so it has a broad and very usable tonal range. They've really done a good job and a beautiful balancing act with the electronics, and I can see the wisdom of why things are the way they are. My friend commented that "It already sounds produced!"
My guess is some of the folks who dislike the tone either A). didn't try the bass with good strings and a setup (mine came with tapewounds, which I'm enjoying), and/or B). are playing it through equipment that doesn't do it justice. I could see how your typical rock banger amp wouldn't be a good fit for this instrument. It's hi-fi gear and it needs hi-fi amplification. Give this bass good wattage and a flat frequency response and it sings. I can see that the piezo might not be to everybody's taste. For me, it's just the organic touch I was after. I feel really good about my purchase, and am looking forward to a long and satisfying exploration.
I was a bit surprised at the weight of it. It's heavy for its size. The weight feels more consolidated, which is nice, and there's NO possibility of neckdive. The strap hook is brilliant! (it was a strong selling point of this particular instrument). I noted that it's 'Made in Korea', which made me curious. A bit of googling finds a 'pretty good!' consensus on Korean manufacturing. All the important bits of the Synapse are well-crafted, though some of the screws in the back and on the bottom end look slightly crooked and less-than-high-quality. Something about it lets you know it's not a really high-end instrument. But I find, so far, it's got it where it counts in tone and feel.
Well! That ended up being more of a review than I thought. I'm looking forward to getting to know this instrument.
A question for all the synapse users: what strings are you using? I'm unfamiliar with piezos and I'm wondering what you rely on to get a good tone
My guess is some of the folks who dislike the tone either A). didn't try the bass with good strings and a setup (mine came with tapewounds, which I'm enjoying), and/or B). are playing it through equipment that doesn't do it justice. I could see how your typical rock banger amp wouldn't be a good fit for this instrument. It's hi-fi gear and it needs hi-fi amplification. Give this bass good wattage and a flat frequency response and it sings. I can see that the piezo might not be to everybody's taste. For me, it's just the organic touch I was after. I feel really good about my purchase, and am looking forward to a long and satisfying exploration.
I was a bit surprised at the weight of it. It's heavy for its size. The weight feels more consolidated, which is nice, and there's NO possibility of neckdive. The strap hook is brilliant! (it was a strong selling point of this particular instrument). I noted that it's 'Made in Korea', which made me curious. A bit of googling finds a 'pretty good!' consensus on Korean manufacturing. All the important bits of the Synapse are well-crafted, though some of the screws in the back and on the bottom end look slightly crooked and less-than-high-quality. Something about it lets you know it's not a really high-end instrument. But I find, so far, it's got it where it counts in tone and feel.
Well! That ended up being more of a review than I thought. I'm looking forward to getting to know this instrument.
A question for all the synapse users: what strings are you using? I'm unfamiliar with piezos and I'm wondering what you rely on to get a good tone
I just ran across a white 5 string one of these used at the local GC for about 699. I really dug it, felt pretty good, but I was really suprised at how heavy it is...gotta be almost 9 lbs. Looks absolutely fantastic in white though. If it were a 4 string I probably would have gone for it.
If these things didn't weigh so much, I'd probably consider another one. The weight sort offsets the convenience.
Huh? This is a light weight bass compared to most, and the balance on it is perfect. The "gut cutout" on the top backside makes it sit in the perfect position for playing standing up and it's compactness makes it not feel like a big long weight around your neck that swings independent of you. Jumping around and swinging side to side it stays put and feels like it's attached to you. It's the best feeling bass to play standing up I've found yet (and better than most sitting down with the kick-stand).
True, it's not as light as a hollow carbon fiber bass, but compared to other wooden basses it's very light.
