Steinberger Spirit XT-25 Bass: Ultimate Portability?

After owning this bass for a little while as my dedicated "travel bass", I figured I'd share my thoughts. There's surprisingly little info out there about it - hopefully this can help others looking for a compact, portable bass. I know everyone's playing style and tonal preferences differ, so take my critiques with a grain of salt!
Thanks for stopping by and watching!

[@diamondmidnightgardener]

I had a student who was a qantas pilot who would practice guitar on a tiny Steinberger on breaks... perfect. I had one that had the strat style body... I could take any mode of transport to uni... had sheet music stuffed inside the soft bag, a couple of leads and a TC distortion pedal in the pocket... friggin perfect... love Steinberger and all the spinoffs.

[@Mambo30451]

I have had mine for 4 years now and love it for traveling (22 times now as hand baggage and never a problem with different airlines). Also it fits nicely into my not so big boat. Yes I do have 6 other very nice bases including a Stingray, 2 Ps etc. but they don't come traveling 😊

[@gsimongear]

The portability is undeniable!

[@rvanegasp]

@@gsimongear problem with yours , is.... you are using the factory's soap bars.... try to replace them with dimarzio, emg or seymour duncan soap bars top pro! sound!

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

It’s May 2024 as I write. I’m now considering making this specific model my next bass guitar. O kind of get why you aren’t so satisfied with it, but I still find it appealing as a fat stab at a headless model. I like the sound of those pickups, and playing it in a sitting position probably wouldn’t be an issue for me.

[@gsimongear]

That's awesome! If the sound and body shape work for you, then I think it's a great value for the price, especially when compared to other "entry-level" headless basses. It definitely checks the box for portability, more so than any other full scale bass on the market, but the ergonomics simply aren't up my personal alley.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

That’s understandable, GS. Some people take issue with the streamlined nature of the Steinberger L shape. It’s not for everyone.

[@alessandroarcuri209]

I have TWO of those. (Both bought used, one of them I had it converted to fretless). They are unbeatable when it comes to packing your car for long trips with your band and you wanna save something on travel expenses. My only gripe is the strap button placement. Unlike the pricier original Steinbergers and the more recent Synapse models, these "entry level" versions DO NOT have a "strap arm" (or hook or whatever they call it) that mimics the presence of an upper horn, where the strap button usually is. So - instead - the button goes necessarily on the heel of the neck, and that leads to a weird position, when you play the instrument. After a while you find yourself holding the bass like you're holding a machine gun, and that can give you some awkward hand posture. I'm working on a minor modification that might correct that... if you're interested I'll post a reply video once I finished working on it. 😎

[@gsimongear]

Yeah, that'd be cool! Definitely post it. Like everything, these basses have pros and cons. Depending on one's situation, they may or may not be a perfect fit!

[@jayrecords9353]

Would you sell it to me ? Been my dream bass for years. They are so expansive. Really would like to buy second hand 🙏

[@anderssvart3257]

Well, in my opinion you might have the best instrument from the point of view of its sound or any other feature, but if it's not comfortable to play and if you don't really like its shape, the whole playing becomes a challenge. Reminds me a good old japanese guitar I had. Which sounded badass, but had some issues with the neck joint that made the proper action tuning impossible. This is why I liked and hated that black beauty at the same time :D I hope you can handle this Steinberger quirks and don't suffer any time you need to use it.

[@gsimongear]

Well said! It may not be my ideal instrument, but if it comes down to packing my Steinberger or not being able to play at all for a week, I'll take the little Steinberger with me!

[@mjmason75]

The Hohner version of this bass is much better (also costs much re). I’ve had one for like 20 years. I’ve flown a lot with it and no issues at the gate due to its small size (using soft case). Here is a vid clip of me playing it… kzbin.info/www/bejne/kInZfKJ5rNuhnJYsi=6LhI72-gW6dSwws4

[@arktomorphos]

Had a replica of this once and hated it. The tuners were so hard to turn that you couldn't really fine-tune the strings.

[@gsimongear]

It's hard to go budget with these type of tuners. I have them on a Strandberg guitar and those are much better, but for a cheaper instrument, they're definitely harder to use and maintain.