Steinberger Spirit GT-PRO Deluxe & DiMarzio Super Distortion

[@Bridging_the_Political_Divide]

I bought a Spirit Pro recently, it's a terrific, heavy, well built guitar. How is it only 1 pound less than a Les Paul? Seriously, very substantial and very well made guitar. Love mine!

[@peteytwofinger]

got the same set up here , but the dimarzios are knock offs . i removed the single coil pick up and installed double sided adhesive foam sticky pads i bought from dollah tree to raise the single coil up and give it a bit more out put . ultimately i need to replace the single coil with something that matches the dimarzios to employ the 5 way switch as of know i get too much volume drop .

[@manuellayburr382]

Thinking of getting one of these in 2020! Thanks for taking the trouble to do the side-by-side edits.

[@kckennedy55]

The stock pickup sounds like it was voiced for the instrument. Super Distortion sounds like the 35 year old pickup that it is!

[@RUSTY-A-L]

I wonder how the stock pups would sound with a 1 Meg pot.

[@JoeR203]

Years ago, I bought the Spirit GU Deluxe from MusicYo for $229. I regret selling it because I want one again. Can't find it in white and the models I see for sale are all $600+. I decided to get a GT Pro. I wanted it in black but they are on backorder with every retailer. So I got one in white. The stock pickups do suck. I had a DiMarzio Evolution bridge pickup laying around (in green) so that will be going in. I decided I needed more colors so I ordered a DiMarzio bridge pickup mounting ring in Violet, with gold screws. Not a middle pickup user so that will remain stock with a yellow pickup cover. Not much of a neck pickup user either so I didn't want to spend the money on another DiMarzio so I ordered a pink Dragonfire "Screamer" neck pickup with a blue mounting ring (comes with gold screws) from TNT Guitars for $30. Still waiting for the orange and blue knobs and selector switch caps to arrive from China. I'm thinking a red volume knob, orange cap and sky blue tone knob will blend in good on the white guitar.

[@Tone-Quest]

Wow, that does sound like an awesome and colorful guitar. 🤘🏻😀🤘🏻

[@wilsonmcphert]

Thanks Chris for a really well made video. I have to say I prefer the stock pick up for clean sounds as it appeared clearer/crisper to my ears, and in distortion mode I couldn't detect much difference. I'd be interested in your comments on the single coil and whether it is possible to get that throaty clean sound Hendrix gets on Little Wing etc and whether it is half the volume of the humbuckers as has been suggested in another review I read.

[@extantia]

Nice demo- was thinking about doing the same with mine. So, five years in, what is your opinion now?

[@Tone-Quest]

Of the pickup? Love it !!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@crivac27]

I have to order F space Pickup or regular could works in the same way?

[@Tone-Quest]

I think regular would work ok but optimally you would want to get F spaced.

[@darwinsaye]

Not personally interested in changing pickups, but just wanted to compliment you on the excellent comparison video.

[@Tone-Quest]

Thanks, much appreciated

[@McVandewalle]

Hello Chris, thank you for this useful demo. I also intend to replace the bridge stock humbucker by a DM Super Distortion I have, since... 1979! My question about this is technical: was there no problem to replace the pickup? How difficult was the wiring operation? No problem to keep the splitting in 5-way intermediate position? Sorry, though I play guitar for years, I’m a newbee in customising ;-) Thank you for your help! Cheers from Belgium, Marc

[@Tone-Quest]

Hey Buddy, it has been a little while since I replaced the pickup but I don’t recall it being too tricky or difficult. The pickup that came out of the guitar had super simple wiring, it has only two wires: one is ground and one is the signal. The Super Distortion has 4 wires and a ground. The pickup comes with documentation on the multiple ways it can be configured. I configured it to mimic the wiring of the pickup that came out. Good luck 👍🏻

[@McVandewalle]

@@Tone-Quest Thanx, Chris! I’ll try , let’s say it will be a good exercise. ;-)

[@bernardogui3933]

amazing video Mr.!

[@Tone-Quest]

Thanks, you too kind.

[@SPLENDIDZEN]

Steinberger guitars & basses are the best electric/electronic musical instruments of the World!!!...

[@booshting3520]

Lol you've not played many guitars have you lol

[@ramonetl]

Hi Chris, do you think that this would make a good travel guitar? Im looking for something I can take to Europe etc that would fit ideally in the overhead bins. It seems similarly sized to the "travel" guitars.

[@ReductioAdAbsurdum]

"do you think that this would make a good travel guitar?" It is _the_ best travel guitar. Full stop. The "Traveler" guitars they sell at Guitar Center, and guitars like them, are absolute garbage in comparison. They're incredibly difficult to string, won't stay in tune, have one pickup, are shoddily made, and often cost _more_ than the Steinberger; compromises across the board to get a travel size. The Steinberger is just... a real guitar. It has a full HSH pickup configuration, it has a whammy bar, it's tuning stable, it plays and sound great. The stock pickups get a lot of hate, but I actually love them. They're very well balanced -- not too hot or compressed, not too weak, a tiny bit woody with sweet harmonics. I'd happily gig with this guitar. The fact that it's a travel guitar is just a bonus.

[@ReductioAdAbsurdum]

@Sam Gowman The fretwork is great. Better than 90% of American made Strats I try in Guitar Center.

[@TheHorseRaddish]

Travelled through all Australia and LatAm with my Steinberger. Really enjoy it.

[@rhykko77]

How's the Trem ? does it return to pitch ?

[@dimebagtribute]

Listen how the pinch harmonics are coming right in your face with the super distortion!! One of my favorite pickup of all time, on my Jackson PC-1 it’s a real butcher!!!!

[@gustavoalcarde]

Chris amazing Job! Thanks for taking your time to do this review! Many of us want to buy a Steinberger but we have no access to try it before buying, I wonder does it play more like a Les Paul or more like a Fender? Is is easy to reach those last frets?

[@Tone-Quest]

Gustavo R. Thanks, I have no issues at reaching the upper Frets. Hhmmm, I never thought about it much but in regards to the neck and playing, it feels more like a Les Paul to me. The neck is a little thicker than some of my other guitars (Ibanez RG-320, PRS...etc) but not enough to cause me any issues.

[@gustavoalcarde]

Great! One of other questions people usually ask is if is it okay to use alternate turnings like half step down, drop D or Drop C# without messing with tuning stability?

[@rschua7]

Gustavo R. You can simply lock the bridge from floating to fix bridge.

[@MarvinSheats]

Nice. The DiMarzio has much more punch and tone. Thank you.

[@AudioMasterRTrib]

Hello Chris, Im thinking of buying this guitar new and was wondering if the guitar stays in tune after using the dive bar excessively ? please any advice will help. Thanks

[@Tone-Quest]

Audio Master I've had mine a short time and so far have not dive bombed too much but I'll be glad to give it a whirl and tell you my results.

[@Tone-Quest]

Audio Master I did some dive bombing and I would say it went out of tune a little but I would have also say my string relatively new. I would say if the strings were stretched properly, it would probably stay in tune fairly well. Good luck!

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Great stuff, Chris. Not sure if I agree that the DiMarzio was worth getting, but I did like your demonstration of it. Did you have to also switch the top of the guitar around so you could use the D’Addario strings of your choosing?

[@Tone-Quest]

ShreadTheWeapon Thanks, it was a fun experiment. No, I didn’t change anything on the guitar to use the D’Addario strings. I just had to find the D’Addrario double ball strings to fit the Steinberger.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Wow Chris Benton, that’s a wake-up call! Do you know other manufacturers that make double ball strings? I use GHS myself.

[@Tone-Quest]

ShreadTheWeapon They ones I know of: LaBella, D’Addario and GHS. I see GHS sells some double ball (10-46) on Amazon

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

I just spotted that same pack of 10s there. If I ended up purchasing one myself, there’d be no need to switch the top. Thanks for your guidance.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Thank you Sam Gowman. In the time since I left the above comment, I not only had purchased my own Spirit GT Pro but also have bought an adapter for traditional strings.

[@brickbreaker8148]

What's the weight?

[@Tone-Quest]

Brick Breaker 7.0 lbs

[@rafsza]

DiMarzio sounds to me more musical and has more pinch harmonics.

[@wildizer]

A great video, thank you for making this. Apart from the higher pinch harmonics, the actual notes and chords sound almost identical to me. There are differences but they are so subtle and insignificant you would never hear them in the context of a song, backing track or with accompaniment or band. It proves to me that it is not worth changing the pickups and the existing ones are satisfactory. Nonetheless, a worthwhile experiment. Thank you. :-)

[@Tone-Quest]

My pleasure 😀

[@BillDerBerg]

the Spirits are nothing like the NJ originals

[@jonathananthony1901]

What was your overall impression of the quality of the guitar? I had one of these about 10 years ago when they were made in the Korean Factory and the quality was surprisingly High. I guess they're currently using a factory in China to make the newer ones and I heard the quality can be kind of hit-or-miss. I've been dying to get another one because it was the best travel guitar I've ever owned! Were there any issues with yours? How did it play?

[@Tone-Quest]

Jonathan Anthony Overall I’m very happy with mine. I had to lower the action some but that just a personal preference in which I normally adjust on all guitar. Obviously I didn’t care for the pickups but again I tend to buy new ones for all my guitars. The tuning is rock solid as I don’t use the tremolo much. And as you already know it is so small but plays so well it is my perfect travel guitar. The only other guitar I saw recently that might peak my interest is the travelcaster. It runs about $300.

[@jonathananthony1901]

Chris Benton awesome thanks man!

[@gustavoalcarde]

About the Travelcaster for that lenght I would still take a Steinberger ZT3, although way more expensive looks more like a guitar and has the graphite U channel.

[@mariadipky8535]

god job

[@Knoize1]

nice try. thx.