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Steinberger XL-2 Transitional

Marzuk

Marzuk

Jan 29, 2020
7
1
#1
Hi Everybody!
Roberto from Italy here.
I'm the new owner of a fantastic 1984 Steinberger XL-2 "transitional".
The bass of my dreams...
I think i have in my hands something special and i need someone that can explain me the electronic i have...
It's definetly an Haz-LAb but it sound "passive" to me...compared to other "active" bass i have...
but...

pot 1 - master volume
pot 2 - balance
pot 3 - tone

no center detent...
possible???

thx so much
 

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#2
I also have a xl2 transitional bass but it has active pickups with passive tone.
I used to own a steinberger xm with the haz lab electronics. The 3 knobs were volume, balance, and tone. The tone was not to my liking because as you increased the bass it would simultaneously cut the treble and if you increased the treble it would decrease bass.
 
#3
I’m no expert on steinberger but that doesn’t look like an active preamp. It appears to be a circuit board to hold the passive volume and tone with somewhere to solder the active pickup leads. The only thing I see on there is a diode that is probably there to protect the pickups in case the battery was installed backwards.
Maybe there is something else inside the bass, if so post pictures for us to see.
 
#4
BbBlues said:
I also have a xl2 transitional bass but it has active pickups with passive tone.
I used to own a steinberger xm with the haz lab electronics. The 3 knobs were volume, balance, and tone. The tone was not to my liking because as you increased the bass it would simultaneously cut the treble and if you increased the treble it would decrease bass.
Click to expand...
I Spoke with HAZ LAB Guys, they told me that this should be VOL VOL TONE...But mine is VOL BAL TONE...
But as far as i know this should be active and not passive EQ...
 
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#5
jbrew73 said:
I’m no expert on steinberger but that doesn’t look like an active preamp. It appears to be a circuit board to hold the passive volume and tone with somewhere to solder the active pickup leads. The only thing I see on there is a diode that is probably there to protect the pickups in case the battery was installed backwards.
Maybe there is something else inside the bass, if so post pictures for us to see.
Click to expand...
 

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#7
It looks like vol vol tone. Like I stated I have no knowledge of steinberger but that’s what I’m seeing. Hopefully someone else will jump in with more info.
This would be an active preamp.
 

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#10
Marzuk said:
But as far as i know this should be active and not passive EQ...
Click to expand...
It's not.

It is obviously EMG active pickups, with a passive (treble cut) tone control. No active EQ. Appears to be volume, volume, tone. The 25 k Ω is the normal value for volume and tone controls on active pickups. The circuit board the controls are mounted to is a "sub assembly" that's made to simplify the connection to the pickups, it's not a preamp.

The only way to visually confirm whether it's VVT or VBT would be to remove the control knobs, remove the potentiometer retaining nuts, and then flip the circuit board over to reveal the copper traces. Most likely it is wired like a jazz bass.
 
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#11
Crater said:
It's not.

It is obviously EMG active pickups, with a passive (treble cut) tone control. No active EQ. Appears to be volume, volume, tone. The 25 k Ω is the normal value for volume and tone controls on active pickups. The circuit board the controls are mounted to is a "sub assembly" that's made to simplify the connection to the pickups, it's not a preamp.

The only way to visually confirm whether it's VVT or VBT would be to remove the control knobs, remove the potentiometer retaining nuts, and then flip the circuit board over to reveal the copper traces. Most likely it is wired like a jazz bass.
Click to expand...
top!

i have it on my hand right now.
it's 100% VBT even if i don't remove anything!
i was only curious to know if this was a normal configuration for an XL2 o something a bit special!
 
#14
Sorry I am late to this discussion.

I too have an '84 "transition" XL2 (updated faceplate and headpiece but with plug-in leg rest and SS pickups). It also has pots mounted to a HAZ circuit board, is definitely passive, and is definitely vol/bal/tone.

I guess this is yet another unusual, and in my view preferable, feature on what I consider the best of the Steinberger (X)L-series basses.
 

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