🔥🔥Steinberger XL-2 Bass Guitar - Best Bass???!

[@FantasticF113]

As a teenager in the 80's I dreamed of owning a real Steinberger. They're vintage instruments now with ridiculous prices. At the age of 50 I finally managed to buy one! *35 years dreaming about owning a Steinberger* I worried I'd wasted my money. I plugged in & instantly it was everything I'd hoped; worth the money & the long wait! 🙏

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Wow that’s an amazing story especially the part about you plugging it in for the first time. We all know that could make or break things. The original Steinberger bass is the most unique and futuristic (in terms of technology that went into it) that I’ve ever played.

[@aro9462]

I own a pristine unlined fretless XL2 (XL2UF). It’s an iconic example of minimalist design and clever engineering. 99% of people who slag this bass have never even touched one, let alone played or owned one. One minor comment/criticism that I have with this review is the description of its construction as being carbon fiber composite. There is some carbon fiber in the mix, but what Ned branded the “Steinberger Blend” also incorporates fiberglass, Kevlar, and epoxy.

[@fcamiola]

I own an XL2T from 1987....still LOVE LOVE LOVE this bass. Fusion, prog, and reggae sounds amazing on this bass!

[@Shaggy8675]

Ub40 bassist still uses it. Genesis in the 80s wembley arena. Such a beautifull instrument and sound

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Agreed. I heard UB40 bassist playing it - lovely.

[@GVike]

I lived thru the 80s and everyone famous used this lil bass... this thing was THE shxt in the day.

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Haha unfortunately I wasn’t born in such great times...that’s so cool man! I always had the curiosity of what this bass was like because of what my dad would tell me. I’m glad to finally have the chance to experience it - it really does sound like the “80s” but at the same it feels like this bass was light years ahead of its time!

[@Battyphil1]

I have an L-2 which is slightly older model: no substantial difference - the leg rest is removable and the front plate screws on from the top. Otherwise it’s basically the same, and it is an awesome instrument! It’s been my go-to bass since 1981 and it still sounds and plays like new! You can see me playing it on my channel.

[@dwighthinnant1016]

I have one, they are great, and a good investment.

[@FantasticF113]

This seems to be the case. The original Steinbergers fetch serious money now. There aren't many for sale and what's out there is a $$$ stretch for the average player. I bought mine not just to be played, but also as an financial investment. Well, that's what I tell myself anyway! 😂🙏

[@benoitst-jean7295]

Geddy Lee (Rush) did play one live during the Grace Under Pressure Tour in 1984. He was surrounded by so many synths that he felt his Fender Precision Jazz Bass & Rickenbacker 4001 were always in the way of his too many synths, the 3 different mics he would be singing to and mic stands around him when he had to move to his Taurus pedals. So a bass with no headstock made sense for him at the time. He quit playing the Steinberger after that tour as he wasn't satisfied with the tone : it wasn't as "gritty" and mid-range as his Fender or Rickenbacker so he abandoned playing it altogether. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYrcfGlmZZuhqZo

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Wow that’s interesting!! Thanks for sharing that! Fender seems to always win but the Steinberger has so much punch and clarity but it’s not as dirty as the Fender lol

[@benoitst-jean7295]

@@jcherrymusicworld Never liked the sound of the Steinberger (as a Geddy's tone fan). It always sounded too "clean" for me. In fact, he never recorded one song with the Steinberger : he just used it because it was "practical" on stage. You can here Geddy's "dirty sound & tone" in an "outside of Rush context" as he replaced Chris Squire when Yes entered the Hall of Fame. He use a 1962 Fender Jazz and also note, he played Roundabout WITHOUT a pick!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmKQf6akobWWa5Y

[@guy5359]

Salut! Benoit, Geddy Lee recorded the whole Grace Under Pressure album with his Steinberger L2 and was about to do the same with Power Windows until he decided to used a Wal bass instead in studio. Geddy recorded the whole Power Windows demo album, which is on KZbin, here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4XOcnahetyMb6c, using his L2. Interesting fact here is that Geddy used a Steinberger L2 on GUP tour and switch to a XL2 during PW tour. For the next 3 albums and live situation, Lee returned to the wal. Here's a link to watch a remastered GUP tour, which is my favorite live recording of Rush: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHqYfIqcpp5koa8, Enjoy!!!

[@geoffm3031]

I owned a L2 in 81 paid $1,000 for and sold it 2yrs. later because I was struggling young musician. I currently own an 80's Fender Jazz and Fender Elite II and both are great to play. 2007 I bought a LX-2 Steinberger and it came with it's original soft bag and strap and I paid nearly $2k. Pros it's compact, great tone, always in tune. Cons for me is the neck is narrow than the Fenders so it takes a little adjustment in playing. Don't play it much but it's one of the few things I own that has appreciated in value.

[@viruspenpal3096]

L2s have especially appreciated. I paid nearly $2500 last year for one, now people are asking 4-5 grand for them.

[@LaurenceMollerup]

I bought one new in '84, and I miss it so much! :)

[@DJ_BAKASSI_MUSIC]

Great review. Very clear and to the point

[@lascheque]

I bought one new in 1999 when a big vendor had some on some kind of clearance sale. I always loved the Steinberger basses, and it seemed that they were not being produced anymore, so I HAD to have one, even if it still was not cheap. The thing is, I'm a drummer and can't play bass. Still own it, still can't play, but at least it was used in some recording sessions in my home studio.

[@doctor7music91]

And his guitar with the Transtrem is even more impressive and advanced for its time. Eddie Van Halen took good advantage of it in a couple of songs. No other guitar is capable of doing what he did. Check out "Summer Nights" (flipping the tuning to a minor third up with a switch), and also "Me Wise Magic".

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Thanks man I will check out that tune!!

[@Sungodv]

They were all the rage in the early 80s. Wore out my first NY made L2 and Steinberger (Gibson) replaced it in the 90s with an XL-2. Best thing about these are no dead spots with the carbon fiber construction. Every note has it's fundamental. Rotosound made some great double ball end strings for these with the core wire exposed over the bridge piece, but they are no longer available.

[@d.h.9239]

I really want one of these and one of the guitars too. I don't like the new wooden Spirit models. I wish these weren't so damn expensive, but I know its worth it due to the carbon construction and the proprietary bridge.

[@shawnmarko7131]

Tune it Bi-annually! I share your love for these instruments. Nice video sir.

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Thanks man!

[@THESONICSPEEDDEMON]

Bruh it’s so hard to find these in new condition and I’ve been wanting this bass (XT-2 as well) most of last year also the bassist from tears for fears had one of these too. I got a cheaper Jackson bass but it’s good enough

[@ruizstudioproduction5]

I have one of those. Very nice

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Have you ever played a newer NSD model from the Synapse line, J? If so, how does it stack up?

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Great question. They don’t lol the build quality on the older models are closer to the quality of a boutique instrument.

[@devantae1239]

I first saw this used by Merlin from The Canton Spirituals

[@masterchefmarshall]

My mom actually is letting me use her steinberger for practice. It has a normal guitar head. However it is still the best sounding bass ive ever used.

[@CKT1138]

What Steinberger has a head? I'm pretty sure they all were headless

[@suminshizzles6951]

Why would somebody build a bass out of that material you ask? Go and live in a wet and humid land. A land that warps a strat neck in less than a week. Those necks are light, responsive. They wont warp, They wont bend. They require minimal maintenance and they sound cool. Fuck wood. My strat neck cant handle the humidity and i am sick to death of fucking with intonation and the truss rod. I am saving for a steinberger.

[@BenD_Bass]

looks like the smaller body makes it easier to play the higher notes too.

[@starless2112]

is it just an optical illusion or are the strings spaced a little farther apart?

[@vaynonet]

Hi,what is the total length of the guitar

[@alepurwanto]

I love it... Steinberger bass +1

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Check out the tone review I did: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noDQmq2tgKyNnac

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Also, please subscribe! Thanks

[@BassMistress-pz1fy]

I wish they'd bring the original bass back. I'm a newbie but ever since I clocked Curt Smith of Tears For Fears using it in their earlier years, I've wanted it and watched so many videos on it. Including your Outstanding one. Outstanding! :) I do not have 4 grand lyin about though so I'm about to buy a Spirit. I know it's just not the same already haha.

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Thanks!! I believe the only reason they haven’t put these back into production is because of the low margin. These basses were extremely expensive to produce due to the material and labor. Gibson has the patent and headless basses are now coming back and becoming popular again. You would think they would bring it back but it’s all about $$$

[@BassMistress-pz1fy]

@@jcherrymusicworld ​ You're welcome! Yeah it makes sense I suppose, but even if they brought it back in a custom "you better be ready to hand over some money" way, I'd appreciate it. I couldn't afford it but it's nice to dream. I get anxious that if I ever get the big money, all the used XL2s will be sold and locked away for many years. :') The few ones I see are always in America too. I'm in Scotland so there's hefty fees to factor in there! I love a headless bass (or guitar in general), I hate accidentally dunting the wall/couch etc and the bass goes out of tune. I'm terrible for it haha. I'm glad headless are coming back in style as ones I love are 80s models that are long gone. It's just the graphite, the unbreakable thing (and the no tuning!!!) also really appeals to me. I know Status do graphite/carbon basses but even if I could afford it, they don't quite call to me design wise like a Steinberger does. Much like someone funnily enough commented below, I've read a few times now that those specific EMG HB pick ups apparently make a Spirit sound a lot more like an original Steinberger.

[@FantasticF113]

Unfortunately this is unlikely to ever happen for some very good reasons. Firstly, Gibson own the Steinberger brand and although the fan base is devoted, it's a small number. These guitars are expensive to make - even the most basic versions would be thousands of dollars. Working out who actually owns some of the patents could be a nightmare. Finally, I believe a lot of the moulds, tools and expertise making the original Steinbergers has now been lost. 🙏

[@BassMistress-pz1fy]

@@FantasticF113 I know. :( I just mean even as a rare custom order it would be nice to dream :') I never thought of the patents though. Guess I'll just buy the Spirit (8 days!) and perhaps later in time pay someone to upgrade the pick ups. It's hard to even get a Spirit right now here. The specific model I wanted is on order everywhere and has been for months. There's no clear indication of when it will be available either. Also saw your other comment, so glad you finally got one and you loved it! Must have been nerve wracking after all that time! I'm studying silversmithing and jewellery making, so hoping soon enough I'll make enough money to start saving up for a classic Steinberger myself. :)

[@FantasticF113]

I've owned both the Spirit and Hohner licenced versions before buying a *real Steinberger* Before buying my Steinberger, I personally preferred the Hohner licenced version over the Spirit. I found the quality control is slightly better on the Hohner, however both are great and a lot of fun. Whatever you choose, they certainly turn heads when you play live in front of an audience. The Spirit and Hohner can both be upgraded with after-market EMG pickups and electronics to produce an excellent sounding and playable bass. This EMG upgrade isn't hard. If you can turn a screw driver and you take your time, it's very do-able for the average person. A good hint is to run the upgraded electronics on 18v (2 x 9 volt batteries together, refer to EMG instructions on how to do this). I believe *only the Hohner has a cavity big enough to fit 2 batteries* 18v gives the bass a much better frequency response, therefore a better sounding instrument. The difference from 9v to 18v is huge and very, very close to the original Steinberger. I know because I own all three types; a Spirit, Hohner and a *real Steinberger* The Spirit and Hohner versions both use strap buttons which are placed in locations that make the bass sit in the wrong position. At the time I write this, there is an eBay seller who has after-market copies of the "boomerang" pivoting strap support available which can be fitted to these basses. These can be bought and shipped to anywhere in the world for $150-200 USD. I'm not sure if these "boomerang" strap supports will remain available for much longer. If you manage to snag one of these, it should be fairly easy to retrofit it to a Spirit or Hohner bass, giving you the look and feel of the original (and more expensive) Steinberger basses without dropping $4,000-$5,000 USD. I hope this info helps. Peace and love to all 🙏

[@guy5359]

Thanks for your review of this bass Jason! I sold mine to Don Greenwald at Headless USA ten years ago hopefully I'll be able to buy another some day. I have a question though for you: Do you know if your EMG pickups on your bass are HB or HBCS? Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Don is a cool dude! Hopefully you can procure one some day! As far as the pickups I’m not sure which ones they are. I will check someday and let you know. What I do know is they’re new (not original) from what Don told me. These pickups are very hot and run off 9V. Happy Holidays man!

[@guy5359]

Thanks for answering me back Jason! So if these pickups are new I'm pretty sure they're HBCS because that's what Don have in stock and the sound of these pickups are closer to the original EMG SS those are the first pickups that Steinberger L2 used to come with and for some reason most Steinberger players preferred. If I remember correctly the difference between the HBCS and HB pickup is that the HBCS have more bass to them and the the HB more mids, mine had the HB, I always wanted to see a video of comparison of both pickups on youtube but there's none... Anyway your bass sounds great, keep it don't sell it, thanks again Jason!!!

[@jcherrymusicworld]

@@guy5359 that’s very interesting! Thanks for that knowledge! It’s good to know I got stuck with the good ones lol. I love the sound of these especially when playing through the cabinet. Absolutely I will be holding to this fun bass! Thanks!

[@FantasticF113]

@@jcherrymusicworld EMG do various pickups for the original Steinbergers. If your bass has had the pups replaced, you can contact EMG directly & they'll do special pups that are made exactly the same as the originals. You can also still get *Hazlabs* who did the original electronics & are still around - do repairs/replacements of the Steinberger circuits 🙏

[@alvarocuellarchampetareal9846]

Friend where i can find one britge XL2

[@JackOrion0670]

I’m tortured! I use to own one of these and stupidly sold it in the 90’s. Im still sick about it. It’s not carbon fiber though. It’s a resin pour. Carbon fiber is a layered fiber cloth that’s saturated with with the resin resulting in a super light and thin material. Those things are heavy for their size. I don’t need one but so really hope that One day I can own one again.

[@Rondoggy67]

Thanks for doing these videos. What's the action on this like compared with your other basses? I wanted to get one but I like my action fairly low (

[@jcherrymusicworld]

My pleasure! I don’t measure my action lol I just adjust to my comfort level which is relatively low action. When I first got the bass the action was set medium high and the sound was huge, but I lowered it from the bridge saddle and it can get very low just like a conventional bass guitar. The great thing is the neck is permanently straight (no truss rod) so all you need to adjust is just the bridge saddles. Thank goodness for no neck fluctuations!

[@Rondoggy67]

@@jcherrymusicworld I very nearly bought this bass when I saw it on Reverb! Really glad to see you with it, though. Sounds like we set up our basses the same way, so I'm definitely going to contact Headless to commission one for me. Good luuck with the channel.

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

[@FantasticF113]

@Rondoggy67 I own a Steinberger XL2 bass serial 2xxx (made 1985). The string action height isn't adjustable in the regular way - it guitar doesn't have a truss rod! - it relies heavily on the rigidity of the materials & construction. Massive sustain ... The action can be altered by replacing the nut and adjusting the bridge saddles. I have mine set pretty low, just enough so there's no fret buzz. It's like this for the entire length of the fret board - very close, even at the higher frets - 12 and above The swing arm used for the strap looks weird, but it makes the bass sit against my body slightly off centre so there's no fatigue when playing. Hands down it's the most comfortable bass I've ever played. It was expensive but worth every dollar $$$ I hope this info helps 🙏

[@Rondoggy67]

@@FantasticF113 Thanks. I just need to find a nice one now!

[@theultimateblack]

Nice 👍🏽

[@Bassman1969]

Thank you for the video. But you don‘t show the sound I never understood why Ned stopped the production and why no one of lse continued the production of the original ones. And basses bought in occasion are overprized.

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Yes I do see this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noDQmq2tgKyNnac

[@jcherrymusicworld]

They were expensive to produce back then and even more so now. The carbon fiber composite material is very expensive when it comes to building a bass with it. Gibson has the patent but it’s not likely they will put it back into production due to what I stated above.

[@Me-qp8vz]

It was the 70's when he came up with the headless idea.

[@workingorder2189]

Wish Epiphone still made Steinbergers out of carbon fiber.

[@chazbutcher]

FYI it's pronounced Honer. Not Horner. But yeah, not a very good bass. Also, the new wooden Steinbergers have the same issue. Very thin sounding.

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Haha man for years I’ve pronounced it “honer”. Thanks letting me know lol. And yes wood is not as good as the composite material. The material is first and then the electronics.

[@chazbutcher]

@@jcherrymusicworld Honer is correct. In the video, not sure if you even noticed but you were pronouncing it Horner. With an R after the O. Anyway, not big deal. That is a sweet vintage OG Steinberger you got there.

[@faustosilva8715]

Oxe, não vai tocar não????

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Hey everyone, please be sure to watch the tone review video on this bass by myself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noDQmq2tgKyNnac

[@enstigatorofficial]

worst bass ever made. i hate it in so many ways. I guess it is good if you have a bad back since it weighs 7.5 lbs. the lack of a head is very disorienting. the pivot point in the center is strange. i don't think it has any sustain on it's own.

[@jcherrymusicworld]

Have you played one? You would be surprised..

[@enstigatorofficial]

@@jcherrymusicworld ​ @Hemibass My first experiences with this bass left a really bad feeling. I imagine if you got used to it, that might be a different story. I would play these open mike night type of events in front of a couple hundred people. The bass player in the house band used to make the stand-in bassists play this thing, because he knew it would throw them off. so not only am I playing some tune I do not know I am struggling with this bass thing. I see no reason to chose this over a standard shaped bass. I see you have quite a bass collection.

[@pierremilleret698]

No play .... 😴

[@jazzman1954]

Looked bad in the eighties and it still looks crap. Some guys wanted them back then but most stuck with Fender. No right arm support. Hangs funny on a strap. Don’t buy into all this nostalgic bollocks.