Steinberger XL2 Question

[Dingus]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1364556090' post='2028073']
I have been reflecting on this thread for a couple of days; I personally feel on balance that the XL2 is, for me, the greatest bass design of all time.
[/quote]
[quote name='philw' timestamp='1364557641' post='2028102']
I'll concur with that - although I think the plug-in leg rest of the L2 was functionally better than the XL2's folding item. And if there's one bass I've owned and sold but which I'd have back if I could, it'd be my old L2.

P
[/quote]

Even though I have never owned one ( yet) , I think the Steinberger is up there with the Fender Precision and Fender Jazz Bass in terms of the beauty and functionality of its' design . And as I have mentioned in an earlier post , the Steinberger is the only bass I can think of that I have never owned that I still hanker for . Back in the 1980's when the Steinberger was current I opted for Wal basses ( along with Fenders and Musicman ) , which were fantastic in their own way and which I loved but I don't feel particulaly nostalgic to play them again nowadays despite the cache they ( quite rightly ) now seem to enjoy . I have got some very nice basses now , and have have had just about every other bass I wanted along the way , but the Steinberger will always be the one that got away . Something that strikes me listening to people playing these basses with the balance of hindsight is what a magnificent and individualistic tone they have got , quite unique at the time they came out . They seem to have such a wiry and strident tone , largely due to the graphite , and that is a great sound in itself - it's wrong to want or expect the same warmth or woodyness that you would get from a conventional wooden bass from one of these things , and that is a big part of their appeal to me and their strenghth as a design . All this is making me seriously think about looking into buying one again .

[White Cloud]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1364564644' post='2028234']
Even though I have never owned one ( yet) , I think the Steinberger is up there with the Fender Precision and Fender Jazz Bass in terms of the beauty and functionality of its' design . And as I have mentioned in an earlier post , the Steinberger is the only bass I can think of that I have never owned that I still hanker for . Back in the 1980's when the Steinberger was current I opted for Wal basses ( along with Fenders and Musicman ) , which were fantastic in their own way and which I loved but I don't feel particulaly nostalgic to play them again nowadays despite the cache they ( quite rightly ) now seem to enjoy . I have got some very nice basses now , and have have had just about every other bass I wanted along the way , but the Steinberger will always be the one that got away . Something that strikes me listening to people playing these basses with the balance of hindsight is what a magnificent and individualistic tone they have got , quite unique at the time they came out . They seem to have such a wiry and strident tone , largely due to the graphite , and that is a great sound in itself - it's wrong to want or expect the same warmth or woodyness that you would get from a conventional wooden bass from one of these things , and that is a big part of their appeal to me and their strenghth as a design . All this is making me seriously think about looking into buying one again .
[/quote]
Funnily enough I opted for Wal and Musicman during the 80's too. The Steinberger low end is completely awesome, but I recall that the top end didn't have quite enough "twang" for me at the time.

Wonderful basses though. I consider that the design surpasses anything Leo designed by a big margin.

[OutSpoon]

How about getting a Hohner B2A as a hop in the right direction. It might cover 99% of your desires - and if you find it's the tone and brand you are after, rather than the design and portability - then you can sell it for what you paid for it and then buy the L2 with confidence?

[Dingus]

[quote name='OutSpoon' timestamp='1364566905' post='2028263']
How about getting a Hohner B2A as a hop in the right direction. It might cover 99% of your desires - and if you find it's the tone and brand you are after, rather than the design and portability - then you can sell it for what you paid for it and then buy the L2 with confidence?
[/quote]

That is [i]very s[/i]ensible idea , especially in terms of seeing if I feel comfortable with this design , but I know my desires will only be truly fulfilled by a perfect example of the real thing . I have had the opportunity to get exactly that before now but hesitated and procrastinated . I am sure I could adapt to a Steinberger without too much problem - a bass I use quite a lot at the moment if my Musicman Reflex and that took some considerable adjustment to get used to the feel of the neck in relation to the compact Telecaster - like body shape ( that's partly why I ask this question about the Steinberger ) , but if I play it exclusively for a while it feels funny when I go back to Fender , so it's all about what you are used to , I suppose .

Edited March 29, 2013 by Dingus

[OutSpoon]

See - I have been suffering from Sandberg lust for quite a while; especially their 'aged' models - so I took a rock and some sandpaper to one of my Fenders, applied a sticker or 2 and voila! Lust abated... for a short while anyways...

The question is - is 'good enough' really good enough? For me - Yes!

[Dingus]

[quote name='OutSpoon' timestamp='1364579400' post='2028485']
See - I have been suffering from Sandberg lust for quite a while; especially their 'aged' models - so I took a rock and some sandpaper to one of my Fenders, applied a sticker or 2 and voila! Lust abated... for a short while anyways...

The question is - is 'good enough' really good enough? For me - Yes!
[/quote]

Good work ! The bass now looks like one of those trendy distressed - finish kitchen units that people like Sarah Beeny have in their homes .

[OutSpoon]

Er. Thanks?

[Dingus]

Fender Custom Shop heavy relic finish :




Distressed sideboard :

[sblueplanet]

If considering a Hohner B2a as a Steinberger placebo bear in mind that the neck profile is quite different. Ive owned both and the Steinberger has a narrow deep profile whilst the B2a is wider and shallower.
I actually preferred the range of tones that came out the Hohner, being able to play in either paasive or active mode. I guess a sold my L2 because when it comes down to it, I prefer the sound of wood.

Like the Private Eye style joke above btw ;-)

Edited March 29, 2013 by sblueplanet

[MattM]

And just snagged this beauty :

[IMG]http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac162/MattM1314/aeec9b36260a4f78be64491b7b946f87_zps2b677976.jpg[/IMG]

Was a bit despondent at missing out on an L2 on this very forum recently through my own fault, however ths guy is within a couple of hundred serial numbers of my old XL2, so delighted

[Dingus]

[quote name='MattM' timestamp='1364586390' post='2028616']
And just snagged this beauty :



Was a bit despondent at missing out on an L2 on this very forum recently through my own fault, however ths guy is within a couple of hundred serial numbers of my old XL2, so delighted
[/quote]

Wicked ! Beautiful bass , hope you get a lot of pleasure from it .

[ingmar808]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1364238183' post='2023695']
... I would be very interested to hear how these basses feel when played standing up with a strap on .
[/quote]

I've never seen anyone play bass standing up with a strap on, despite watching loads of porn.

[Dingus]

[quote name='ingmar808' timestamp='1364608149' post='2028899']
I've never seen anyone play bass standing up with a strap on, despite watching loads of porn.
[/quote]

There's always one , isn't there ?

If you had been on this site a bit longer you would know that gag has been done to death already . Now where did I put that strap on , I can feel a tune coming on ...

Edited March 30, 2013 by Dingus

[Ashborygirl]

I loved my XL2; deep, rich, singing tone, very comfortable neck. I hear rumours that Gibson have several containers full of NOS parts, enough to build several hundred XL2s, if only they'd bolt them all together & sell them .

[EMG456]

[quote name='Ashborygirl' timestamp='1364748007' post='2030360']
I loved my XL2; deep, rich, singing tone, very comfortable neck. I hear rumours that Gibson have several containers full of NOS parts, enough to build several hundred XL2s, if only they'd bolt them all together & sell them .
[/quote]

This is not the case - there was a container but it was sorted out and the parts were either sold off or used in the Music Yo era USA reissues during the 2000's. There will not be any more L series Steinbergers made again ever.

Anyway Dingus, as long as it's an L or XL 4 string you're looking for, there is still a ready supply on the second hand market. The basses are so tough that they will be about for ever and many are in surprisingly good condition. Parts are not a great problem with the notable exception of the strap pivot assembly but even there, there are now solutions available (3D printing) which will solve that issue.

Back in the day, I had the Wal /Steinberger conundrum and was told by my wife that I could either have matching Wal fretted and fretless basses or one Steinberger! After much soul searching, I bought the L2. Had to sell a few basses to get it including my Aria SB1000 and a '61 Precision and, on reflection, it's the best purchase I have ever made. The bass was my only fretted bass for gigs and sessions for about 12 years and is still the old faithful "go to" bass to this day. Next year we will have been 30 years together!

I like all my 'Bergers and the L2 has since been joined by a fretless L2, an XL2 with Trans Trem bridge and finally, the elusive XL5W.

Unfortunately (or maybe not) the 5W didn't appear until a couple of years after I *really* wanted an extended range 'Berger for a project I was working on, so I've also got a Status 6 custom that Rob kindly made for me with the L body shape.

The Steinberger bass has now got over the stigma of being an '80s fashion statement and is starting to be recognised for what it always was - the most fully realised and intelligent bass design ever. Leo Fender got it right on more than one occasion but Ned Steinberger built on that and took it to a completely higher plane altogether. I am fortunate now to have a few terrific instruments to choose from but if it all comes down to it and they have to go for whatever reason, the L2 will be with me to the end!

On that cheery note...

Ed

[Dingus]

[quote name='EMG456' timestamp='1364992607' post='2033717']
This is not the case - there was a container but it was sorted out and the parts were either sold off or used in the Music Yo era USA reissues during the 2000's. There will not be any more L series Steinbergers made again ever.

Anyway Dingus, as long as it's an L or XL 4 string you're looking for, there is still a ready supply on the second hand market. The basses are so tough that they will be about for ever and many are in surprisingly good condition. Parts are not a great problem with the notable exception of the strap pivot assembly but even there, there are now solutions available (3D printing) which will solve that issue.

Back in the day, I had the Wal /Steinberger conundrum and was told by my wife that I could either have matching Wal fretted and fretless basses or one Steinberger! After much soul searching, I bought the L2. Had to sell a few basses to get it including my Aria SB1000 and a '61 Precision and, on reflection, it's the best purchase I have ever made. The bass was my only fretted bass for gigs and sessions for about 12 years and is still the old faithful "go to" bass to this day. Next year we will have been 30 years together!

I like all my 'Bergers and the L2 has since been joined by a fretless L2, an XL2 with Trans Trem bridge and finally, the elusive XL5W.

Unfortunately (or maybe not) the 5W didn't appear until a couple of years after I *really* wanted an extended range 'Berger for a project I was working on, so I've also got a Status 6 custom that Rob kindly made for me with the L body shape.

The Steinberger bass has now got over the stigma of being an '80s fashion statement and is starting to be recognised for what it always was - the most fully realised and intelligent bass design ever. Leo Fender got it right on more than one occasion but Ned Steinberger built on that and took it to a completely higher plane altogether. I am fortunate now to have a few terrific instruments to choose from but if it all comes down to it and they have to go for whatever reason, the L2 will be with me to the end!

On that cheery note...

Ed
[/quote]

Thanks Ed . I can see myself succumbing to my Steinberger fixation sooner rather than r later , if only to get it off my chest . As I have previously mentioned , I have seen a couple of used ones in perfect and unplayed condition in the not too distant past but hesitated and told myself that I don't really still want to buy one , but as you can probably tell , really I do . I know Ed Roman in Las Vegas has got a big supply of original parts but he is selling everything at top dollar . I can still remember reading the review of the Steinberger in the music gear section of ( long gone ) Sounds magazine in about 1982 and the retail price was £999 from Soundwave in Romford , which was about twice what a Wal or JD cost back then . As I previously mentioned , I asked Ned a few years ago if he would ever make them again and he said neither he or any other company would because to make them to a proper standard is just too difficult and costly to be worth anybody's while in terms of selling them at a reasonable price and still making a profit . It's such a shame because if they were in production today there would definitely be a market for them . To me the four most important bass guitar designs are the Fender , Musicman , the Alembic and the Steinberger . Everything else is secondary to those . Long may you continue to enjoy you Steinberger , Ed.

[EMG456]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1364999190' post='2033884']
I know Ed Roman in Las Vegas has got a big supply of original parts but he is selling everything at top dollar . I can still remember reading the review of the Steinberger in the music gear section of ( long gone ) Sounds magazine in about 1982 and the retail price was £999 from Soundwave in Romford , which was about twice what a Wal or JD cost back then . As I previously mentioned , I asked Ned a few years ago if he would ever make them again and he said neither he or any other company would because to make them to a proper standard is just too difficult and costly to be worth anybody's while in terms of selling them at a reasonable price and still making a profit . It's such a shame because if they were in production today there would definitely be a market for them . To me the four most important bass guitar designs are the Fender , Musicman , the Alembic and the Steinberger . Everything else is secondary to those . Long may you continue to enjoy you Steinberger , Ed.
[/quote]

Be aware that Ed Roman doesn't get a good rep in the Steinberger community in terms of prices and a certain economy of truth in his product descriptions. That said,, he gave me a good deal on my XL2 but when the bass arrived from the States it had a chip in the finish which had not been mentioned and a broken Transposing Pin on the Trans Trem. Ed himself passed away a couple lf years ago so things may have changed there. Headless USA is a little company specialising in Steinberger and they have an excellent reputation- a bit pricy again, though.

By the time I had bought my L2, the price had gone up to £1600 - Wal Customs were £799 and Steinbergers were in such demand that I couldn't even get a discount!!

You're right about iconic and influential bass designs - I would add in Rick 4001 because of it's through- neck construction and twin truss rods and the Jazz Bass specifically because it set the standard for two pickups. So my timeline would go something like

Precision - so much was spot on
Jazz - two pickups for more tonal variation
Rick - neck through, dual truss rods, twin pickups, stereo output
Stingray - active EQ
Alembic - twin pickups, neck through, very active EQ, stereo output, dual truss rods- the blueprint for thousands of basses to come
Steinberger - the ultimate neck through with every aspect apart from the scale length re-imagined.

I'll admit that they're not for everyone but so much about them makes such perfect sense that I think everyone should try them at least once, ideally for a couple of days if you're not used to the headless aspect.

Cheers

Ed

[Stacker]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1364999190' post='2033884']
Thanks Ed . I can see myself succumbing to my Steinberger fixation sooner rather than r later , if only to get it off my chest . [/quote]

I'd start scouring the web as of now. Reason? That L2 I recently picked up, the guy who sold it to me said he'd been contacted by a guy in the 'States who has apparently made it his mission to buy up as many Steinys as he can. They very rarely come up and with a predator like the Yank buyer on the loose you'd need to be quick on the draw!

EDIT: I may have to eat my words about them rarely coming up - there's 3 L series and an XL on USA ebay!!

Edited April 4, 2013 by Stacker

[Stacker]

Hhmmm... look at the [url="http://www.headlessusa.com/steinberger-inventory.htm"]inventory on this site[/url]. Reckon this maybe the buyer I was alluding to.

[Dingus]

[quote name='EMG456' timestamp='1365032886' post='2034524']
Be aware that Ed Roman doesn't get a good rep in the Steinberger community in terms of prices and a certain economy of truth in his product descriptions. That said,, he gave me a good deal on my XL2 but when the bass arrived from the States it had a chip in the finish which had not been mentioned and a broken Transposing Pin on the Trans Trem. Ed himself passed away a couple lf years ago so things may have changed there. Headless USA is a little company specialising in Steinberger and they have an excellent reputation- a bit pricy again, though.

By the time I had bought my L2, the price had gone up to £1600 - Wal Customs were £799 and Steinbergers were in such demand that I couldn't even get a discount!!

You're right about iconic and influential bass designs - I would add in Rick 4001 because of it's through- neck construction and twin truss rods and the Jazz Bass specifically because it set the standard for two pickups. So my timeline would go something like

Precision - so much was spot on
Jazz - two pickups for more tonal variation
Rick - neck through, dual truss rods, twin pickups, stereo output
Stingray - active EQ
Alembic - twin pickups, neck through, very active EQ, stereo output, dual truss rods- the blueprint for thousands of basses to come
Steinberger - the ultimate neck through with every aspect apart from the scale length re-imagined.

I'll admit that they're not for everyone but so much about them makes such perfect sense that I think everyone should try them at least once, ideally for a couple of days if you're not used to the headless aspect.

Cheers

Ed
[/quote]

Thanks for the heads- up .I have heard about Ed Roman's reputation as a guitar dealer from various sources , and suffice to say that I would be cautious in doing business with them . I know a few people in the trade in the U.S.A who would be my first port of call when looking to locate a Steinberger and I am pretty confident locating a good example would be quite possible .

Wal Custom basses at £799 ! It seemed like a lot of money back then , but even allowing for inflation it wasn't nearly as much as the three and a half grand or so they are now . Just as I was about to buy my first Wal they went up from £799 to £899 and when I mentioned that to Pete Stevens when I went to buy bass from them he let me have it for the old price ! They always were a fantastic company to deal with . I remember seeing Steinbergers in the old Bass Centre at Wapping in those days and they would quite often be sold within a couple of days of arriving in the shop , but for some reason I never played one there , it may well be that if they were £1600 quid I just couldn't afford them or thought they cost too much . That was an awful lot of money for a bass back in the late 80's , but obviously with the benefit of hindsight they were very much worth that kind of money even back then . The first time I actually played a Steinberger was at the now long - gone New Seattle Music across the street from Pike Place Market . Back in the 1980's they had a dazzling array of basses in there , and the bass department was run by Evan Sheely , who now owns Bass NW in Seattle . I got to play it through a big SWR rig and I vividly remember being surprised by how substantial the Steinberger felt and sounded . As I alluded to earlier , the one thing I never did was play a Steinberger standing up with a strap , and after using my Music Man Reflex bass a quite lot recently ( which has a very different feel to the Fender - style basses I am used to due to its' shape and the stap button position in relation to the neck ) , I noticed looking a a Steinberger bass in the For Sale that the strap button poisition was similaly further from the twelfth fret than usual on most basses , hence prompting my initial question .

Regarding the most important bass designs , how did I forget the Rickenbacker ? I suppose in a lot of ways the Alembic owes a lot a lot more of its' design to the Rick than the Fender , as do so many other designs that have followed .

Edited April 4, 2013 by Dingus

[Dingus]

[quote name='Stacker' timestamp='1365058069' post='2034581']
I'd start scouring the web as of now. Reason? That L2 I recently picked up, the guy who sold it to me said he'd been contacted by a guy in the 'States who has apparently made it his mission to buy up as many Steinys as he can. They very rarely come up and with a predator like the Yank buyer on the loose you'd need to be quick on the draw!

EDIT: I may have to eat my words about them rarely coming up - there's 3 L series and an XL on USA ebay!!
[/quote]
[quote name='Stacker' timestamp='1365065353' post='2034657']
Hhmmm... look at the [url="http://www.headlessusa.com/steinberger-inventory.htm"]inventory on this site[/url]. Reckon this maybe the buyer I was alluding to.
[/quote]

This might well be where my friend in the States is sourcing them from , or alternatively where he is selling the ones he has offered to me . It would be interesting to know the kind of prices they are asking .

[Qlank]

Sorry if I'm a bit late to this. I have a later model (QL ?) Berg and that's the only bass I played for about 15 years. I'm a real short-arse so just perfect for me. Never stepped foot in a guitar shop for years. Was trying out a bass at my local and I realized I had gotten so used to the thinness of the neck I could barely play anything else. It was quite embarrassing.

[police squad]

Here's a couple of shots of my XL2.
1983. Plug in leg rest.




It's in great nick, shame that somebody added all those strap buttons but it does stop it clouting the floor when you put it down.
Awesome bottom end. It's a real 'fundamental' note. No rich harmonic overtones here.
Doesn't get a lot of use but i had to have it for my Police Tribute, (Sting had an L2 for a while)