Graphite (Steinberger vs Status)

[wintoid]

I've returned to bass playing after decades away, and am using my little Hohner B2A for now.  Of course, I always wanted a Steinberger.  Who didn't?

But proper Steinbergers aren't made any more, not from graphite, and supposedly it would be impossible for Gibson to make money from Ned's design because it's so difficult to manufacture.  So how come Status can make the Streamline and make a profit?

Is there something I'm missing here?  I know the Streamline has a truss rod too, which I don't understand if the neck isn't pliable.

[Cuzzie]

That Hohner is a cracking bass, I have one with the drop D and it does in the car whenever we have family hols.

Cant answer about profitability, but I know Gibson do strange things buying something only to run it down and mess it up.

So far as status go, it will be a cracking bass, and the streamline and their stealth I think are their only all Carbon fibre basses. Popping a truss rod is sensible, I have never had to alter mine, but it gives the ability to as carbon fibre is not totally immovable, and you can tweak your action to suit your playing.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 8, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[wintoid]

Ah interesting, so the streamline must be extremely light then.  Time to go look up stats

[4000]

The Streamline is pretty light, yes. 

One thing is to make sure you like the sound of carbon fibre instruments. I probably preferred the sound of my Westone Quantum to any carbon fibre necked bass Ive played, and I‘ve played an awful lot. I’ve also owned 4 Status basses and didn’t really like any of them. Of course YMMV. 
 

Edit: I’d say Vigier are the comfortably best of the graphite necked basses I’ve tried. I liked the original ones.
Loved the neck on the Peavey B Quad 4, didn’t love the sound, and found the body shape uncomfortable. 

Edited August 9, 2020 by 4000

[fretmeister]

I had a streamline.

Loved everything about it apart from the neck shape. It was surprisingly square in profile. Not like the older Statii I had.

If they had a nice C shape I’d buy another one in a heartbeat. 

[wintoid]

What neck shape does the Hohner have?

[fretmeister]

No idea.

 

Don't forget about the Zon VB4 as well. 

[Misdee]

 I suspect that the reason that no one makes a proper Steinberger XL bass anymore is, yes,  they were difficult and expensive to manufacture  allied to the fact that that style of bass is very unfashionable nowadays. Nowadays it's all about blokes with beards playing P Basses strung with flats through an all-valve  Preamp  that is so old- school that it  has no controls on it whatsoever and is powered by organic olive oil rather than electricity. Hard as it may be for some younger Basschatters to  believe , there was a time long ago when unless you had a Steinberger or similar with an amp that had an 11 band graphic then  you might as well have been living in the stone age. It was magnificent. 

A full-tilt Steinberger would be very expensive with only a very small niche market. Status have a much wider range of graphite models to sustain their business model, not just the Streamline . They also  have a long-standing brand- identity associated with graphite basses. A  new Steinberger would have to establish itself in an already-crowded marketplace.  Not enough folks would actually buy them, most likely.

[BassBus]

1 hour ago, Misdee said:

A  new Steinberger would have to establish itself in an already-crowded marketplace.  Not enough folks would actually buy them, most likely.

That's not stopped Ned Steinberger patenting an updated version of the original L/XL bass. NS Design also has a larger instrument roster than Steinberger Sound had. When it's released I'll be somewhere near the front of the que for one.

[wintoid]

8 hours ago, Misdee said:

 I suspect that the reason that no one makes a proper Steinberger XL bass anymore is, yes,  they were difficult and expensive to manufacture  allied to the fact that that style of bass is very unfashionable nowadays. Nowadays it's all about blokes with beards playing P Basses strung with flats through an all-valve  Preamp  that is so old- school that it  has no controls on it whatsoever and is powered by organic olive oil rather than electricity. Hard as it may be for some younger Basschatters to  believe , there was a time long ago when unless you had a Steinberger or similar with an amp that had an 11 band graphic then  you might as well have been living in the stone age. It was magnificent. 

A full-tilt Steinberger would be very expensive with only a very small niche market. Status have a much wider range of graphite models to sustain their business model, not just the Streamline . They also  have a long-standing brand- identity associated with graphite basses. A  new Steinberger would have to establish itself in an already-crowded marketplace.  Not enough folks would actually buy them, most likely.

I seem to be very consistent in conforming with whatever is out of fashion.  A privilege of being an old fart I suppose

6 hours ago, BassBus said:

That's not stopped Ned Steinberger patenting an updated version of the original L/XL bass. NS Design also has a larger instrument roster than Steinberger Sound had. When it's released I'll be somewhere near the front of the que for one.

Oh really!  That IS interesting.

[BassBus]

1 hour ago, wintoid said:

Oh really!  That IS interesting.

There doesn't seem to be any information out there about it but have a read of Jim Reilly's biography of the man. That has pictures of Mr. Steinberger holding the new instrument. 

[Happy Jack]

Paging @Silvia Bluejay

[Happy Jack]

On 09/08/2020 at 07:11, wintoid said:

I know the Streamline has a truss rod too, which I don't understand if the neck isn't pliable.

I've had my Streamline 5 for years now and I love it to bits. In truth, until I read your post I'd actually forgotten that it has a trussrod. I've just checked and yup, it surely does. I've never yet needed to use it, but it's good to know it's there.

Regardless of what it's made of, a Streamline can sound every bit as woody and organic as my 1965 Precision or my 1964 Hofner Violin. It may or may not be a 'slap monster' but I've never played a single note of slap in my life and I have no intention of starting now.

@fretmeister is quite correct about the rather squared off neck profile, and I can see how that would put some people off. I'm a right gear tart and I jump around from bass to bass in various different bands and musical side projects, so changes in number of strings or scale length barely bother me. Neck profile is way down the list of things that I'm concerned about. 

 

[Cuzzie]

6 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

I've had my Streamline 5 for years now and I love it to bits. In truth, until I read your post I'd actually forgotten that it has a trussrod. I've just checked and yup, it surely does. I've never yet needed to use it, but it's good to know it's there.

Regardless of what it's made of, a Streamline can sound every bit as woody and organic as my 1965 Precision or my 1964 Hofner Violin. It may or may not be a 'slap monster' but I've never played a single note of slap in my life and I have no intention of starting now.

@fretmeister is quite correct about the rather squared off neck profile, and I can see how that would put some people off. I'm a right gear tart and I jump around from bass to bass in various different bands and musical side projects, so changes in number of strings or scale length barely bother me. Neck profile is way down the list of things that I'm concerned about. 

 

Have you ever played a Status stealth and compare the 2?

Always quite fancies a streamline

[Happy Jack]

Must have played a Stealth st some point, but it didn't stick in my memory ... sorry!

[Cuzzie]

No worries - i suppose a lot will also depend on which preamp is in either bass as well

[fretmeister]

25 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Have you ever played a Status stealth and compare the 2?

Always quite fancies a streamline

I have.

The squared off neck is their current profile. Many years ago I had them make me a replacement fretless neck for an Energy and that had a lovely C shape. One of the best necks I've ever played. Shame I was crap at fretless!

 

I wish they'd go back to the C shape, or at least have it as an option on the bolt-on models.

[Cuzzie]

16 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I have.

The squared off neck is their current profile. Many years ago I had them make me a replacement fretless neck for an Energy and that had a lovely C shape. One of the best necks I've ever played. Shame I was crap at fretless!

 

I wish they'd go back to the C shape, or at least have it as an option on the bolt-on models.

Thanks - I have a stealth - lovely flat profile and probably my fave neck is their Jazz bolt on - just a dream - only way to decide is to play i reckon!

I am a bit like happy jack though, i can live with most profiles

[Lfalex v1.1]

I expected great things from my Status Streamline. Ultimately, it was just too small, light and dinky for me (and I'm by no means big)

Mine also suffered from a collection of issues which began to do more than just niggle, and I couldn't get a sound out of it that I liked (which is something I've never encountered before or since)

I'd quite like another headless, but string choice is a real pain for me, as I really do need coated strings as my sweat destroys regular ones.

[Cuzzie]

3 minutes ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

I expected great things from my Status Streamline. Ultimately, it was just too small, light and dinky for me (and I'm by no means big)

Mine also suffered from a collection of issues which began to do more than just niggle, and I couldn't get a sound out of it that I liked (which is something I've never encountered before or since)

I'd quite like another headless, but string choice is a real pain for me, as I really do need coated strings as my sweat destroys regular ones.

Mine would look like a lollipop then - its already ridiculous with the hohner

 

[wintoid]

2 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

I've had my Streamline 5 for years now and I love it to bits. In truth, until I read your post I'd actually forgotten that it has a trussrod. I've just checked and yup, it surely does. I've never yet needed to use it, but it's good to know it's there.

Regardless of what it's made of, a Streamline can sound every bit as woody and organic as my 1965 Precision or my 1964 Hofner Violin. It may or may not be a 'slap monster' but I've never played a single note of slap in my life and I have no intention of starting now.

@fretmeister is quite correct about the rather squared off neck profile, and I can see how that would put some people off. I'm a right gear tart and I jump around from bass to bass in various different bands and musical side projects, so changes in number of strings or scale length barely bother me. Neck profile is way down the list of things that I'm concerned about. 

 

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!!!

[EMG456]

Late to this as usual...

Yes- totally different manufacturing process between Status and Steinberger meaning that it was very labour intensive to build the Steinberger necks and it's unlikely that they will ever be built the same way again.

The Streamline was deigned to be a similar concept to the Steinberger L series but I believe is much lighter in weight. A Steinberger L2 is not a lightweight bass, despite appearances.

I like Steinbergers- in fact my original L2 is my favourite bass. There were enough of them made for them not to be too difficult to source even today unless you are looking for an unusual spec so I would suggest you see if you can find one to try. Unfortunately I'm in Scotland so a bit far to come but if you're ever around you'd be welcome to try them out. I've also got a Status that Rob made for me in the Steinberger shape when I couldn't find a Steiney 5 string a while back. It's a great bass too, as was the Hohner I used for a while in the 80s. Functionally, no one has bettered Ned's design in my opinion.

One point on the necks. Ned was heavily influenced by Stanley Clarke at the time so the L2 has a very chunky neck in terms of thickness back to front and a narrow and quite parallel fingerboard. Quite like the Alembics and Rics at that time. Some folks find the spacing too tight at the bridge. This was changed with the XL2 and it's at that time that the Spirit series and the licensed Hohners were introduced so your Hohner will have that slightly wider string spacing and taper, like the XL2.

No truss rods in the graphite necked Steinbergers - the neck is very rigid and just doesn't move. You can't really change the neck relief apart from major surgery so to allow this. most graphite neck builders nowadays design a neck which is more flexible and will respond to string tension/ truss rod forces. With it not being wood though, as @Happy Jack states above, once it's adjusted, it never changes. I've had the Status since 2006 or thereabouts and it's never been touched since it left the workshop.

[merello]

Not a single pic! It’s like finding a dazzle mag in a bush and it having no pages inside!

[EMG456]

1 minute ago, merello said:

Not a single pic! It’s like finding a dazzle mag in a bush and it having no pages inside!

Is it me you're looking for?