I bought one because I love how bad they look. It's now covered in stickers and has a seymour duncan SMB-4A in the bridge and a STC-2P pre-amp. Still plays like shit but I absolutely love it.

It sounds more like you are just used to a typical bass so the perks of the shape size and action. You can't adjust to. I honestly like mine better than the typical size and body style of a bass. I think the sound on this is actually good for the price range. It fits on my leg better when sitting and playing also. This bass isn't for you it's for somebody else. That doesn't make it bad. It just makes it different.

I never rest my arm on the bass. I did so for years prior, leading to massive problems with pinched nerves and whatnot. Since then I adopted a style that keeps my arm off the body at all times, while also enabling me to more effectively mute the strings (i.e. floating thumb). I can recommend this to any bassist out there.

I watched this 144p for principle.

I own a 4 string version of this bass and use it strictly for learning new songs and practice (without an amp). I can stow it behind a sofa in my family room and grab it whenever I want to do some woodshedding between band rehearsals. Serves me quite well for this purpose.

He rickrolled us and we loved it

I paid $130 for my 5 string. I like it a lot because I do a lot of traveling and it fits well on airplanes. Never had any issues with the neck moving around. In fact, it stays in tune like a mofo. Yes, the proprietary strings are a bit of a compromise, but they don't cost much and I buy them 4 or 5 packs at a time. Sometimes you just don't vibe with a certain guitar. I had a badass Schecter that was near perfect in construction, playability, and tone- but I just didn't connect with it. I didn't like it and didn't play it much at all, but the guy I sold it to never puts it down. To each his own.

Have had mine for almost 3 years - it's one of my favourites. This includes that it fits into the overhead lockers so far without any complaints from airlines and/or fellow travellers. Thus it is with me almost always every time I travel. Have never had problems with it not staying in tune or the trus rod - I agree that the distance to the 1st fret is unusual but it's ok - one gets used to it. 👍👍👍👍👍

It took a long hot minute to download this video using dialup and my windows 95 pc, but thankfully I was patient and waited and waited. You talked me out of this bass, thanks!

Want a Steinberger style and some of the sound for a fraction of a cost of the original? Try to hunt down a 2nd hand Hohner B2A. Those things were made in Korea and are WAY better than Chinese Steinberger Spirits. Such a shame they don't make them anymore. I had a full-bodied version called The Jack (pretty much the same specs as the B2A but with a comfortably shaped full sized body) and it was great. I still regret having to let it go. But hey, I'm a bassist and bills won't pay themselves so... Yeah.

Just bought it. Love the four string too. Worth the money. Beats Squier.

Your videos are coming out awesome!

Thanks for that great review, you picked great points to highlight, very helpful..

Been watching some of your old reviews since I found your channel. I have an old original graphite neck Steinberger 4 strings that I've had since around 1985. The graphite ones are great when standing, sitting isn't to bad but I rarely sit and play. The neck has never moved since I bought it new (glad cause the graphite ones ain't got no stinkin' truss rod). It's a great bass. As for the wood Cort, Hohner, Steinberger Spirits and countless other copies, they all feel like cheap toys to me. The minimal body and ergonomics are different feeling and not for everyone. I wish they brought back the all graphite and the graphite neck/wood XP and M series. Great review.

Great summary review !!! Thanks

Gibson just doesn’t get how to do 80s guitars/basses. That’s why Kramer and steinberger brand are sub par compared to their original counterparts.

i remember seeing geddy lee playing the steinberger x-2 i believe, i thought “damn that bass looks and sounds fucking great.” then i saw the price tag for an original and then saw the $450 price tag on this and legitimately thought about getting it. this vid definitely turned off of it.

LowEndLobser, you never let us down. Priceless episode!!!

Darn I loved the way that thing looked

And is the guitar balanced, is the neck heavier than the body?

Fantastic review!

Back in 2001 I considered this Steinberger but opted for a Cort Curbow 5. It's also very compact and lightweight, but for $450 new I got a Carved top body, a 27-fret Ebonol fretboard, active 3-band Bartolini electronics with a mid range switch, a massive Brass bridge and graphite nut. It still kicks ass.

Hi,what is the total length of the guitar

Where has this gem of a video been hiding?

It sounded pretty good to me in both your slap and plucked examples...its odd because another Steinberger owner says he never has to tune his bass. I guess i will just have to rent one and try it for myself..thanks for the vid.

I have a Steinberger Spirit 4-string bass and I love it. Of course, I bought mine in '96 before they were a part of Gibson and still had the phenolic fretboard.

I had the same problem with having to constantly adjust the truss rod

Please do a review of the Fender Mike Dirnt MIM P Bass. Seems like a lot of $$ for a MIM P Bass. What say you LELobster ??

Your right LowEndLobster I used to have the all original, I'm talking about the real deal here, the Steinberger XL-2 (composite material) and there's nothing to compare with this Spirit line (wood) but I paid $2000 back in the day... I miss that bass and it still my favorite bass of all time!

thanks for the info

I have this but fretless. It was given to me basically as a gift. For the price range I got it for, I really enjoy it.

I have two of these, one is converted to fretless - I added the horn/arm extensions and it makes them much more playable in standing positions.... the pickups suck! I’d like to try some thunderbuckers in the fretted one, I already put some weird silver plastic Artech pickups in the fretless one, and it sounds wicked. I’ve gigged with them both and it’s not terrible but I really don’t like the sound of the pick ups on the Spirit!

I have the spirit get pro guitar and love it.but I could see the bass version being a little less desirable and it does look like the neck on these bass versions stick way out.

Just saw this "tape" for the first time in Sept. '22. I was able to pick up a mid 80's Cort Headless (fretless) iteration of the Steinberger bass. Cort called it the SB-4, I believe It has a Steinberger tuning system (all nice and lawsuit free) and PJ configuration. decent tone and construction is a solid "B". These were of Korean manufacture. It's a novelty bass for me and at $150 the price was right.

You crack me up. Awesome

LOL, I was actually looking for a review by you of the Steinberger Spirit on my phone, and blew by it several times because of the wig and glasses! 😂

I’ve figured out that the only way to make one of these play fairly well is with an adapter for single ball end strings and Daddario tapewounds. I’ve had two of these XT-25s and neither played well at all until the tapewounds were put on.

Thanks for the review. I have a 1979 music man stingray, That being said, I also have. 1980’s Honer “Jack” bass that I love, headless and Steinberger electronics. Light and great shape for sitting or standing and light! Looking for a 5 or … 6 string? I’m really a guitar player ( 55 ) years but am playing bass (cause I love bass ) in a band at this time and don’t want to be a root note groove guitar player bass player… ya know? You sounded good on that thing but I’m not gonna even consider buying one. Playing lots of bass arpeggios and melodic runs from recordings and love the tower of power grooves so I’m practicing that and simple stuff day by day. Just learning, but the music I love and the bass music I didn’t even know I loved. It’s a really beautiful voice. So, Any recommendations for a 5 or 6 string bass? I like to flam a cord every once in a while 🤣 Great review! Thanks again.

I was considering a Steinberger bass to learn with at one point. I have a joint condition that makes playing music real hard, can't deal with too much weight and movement, plus precision is pretty much not possible. In the end I've opted to just learn music via a low resistance midi keyboard and software but boy it looks like a dodged a bullet.

I actually use this bass day-to-day and I love lit. The neck problems are not something that happened to me. I love the low action. The fret feel is good. The criticism about the electronics is fair. Some active pickups would be better. I have owned two XT-25's and maybe I got lucky with the particular construction from the factory. I would not prefer to bring this into the studio, but it is solid for rehearsal and small clubs.

Is that a Status Bass on the wall?

IMO a pretty accurate and honest review. I really wanted to like the spirit but it was deficient in too many categories for me to keep . Gibson brands needs to up their quality for this to be considered a viable option. Unless one needs the portability of a compact instrument, there’s no real reason to consider the spirit. They have done the Steinberger name a disservice

I put some EMG actives in mine. It sounded amazing. The stock P/Us blow.

Always thought these were wack. One of my favorite bassists, Jerry casale from DEVO has played an L-2 since 1981 and he gets some big tones, but I prefer the HEAVILY modded ripper he played on their earlier stuff

I bought mine used, and I love it for some reason I can explain. I use it in hollydays or when i'm working far from home. It takes almost no space, with my zoom b1 it's a great travel instrument imo. But it could never be my main bass.

I bought one of these because I play from a wheelchair and I figured it'd be easy to carry/transport etc etc. You're right, the neck is just awful. I hope you'll do the Gretsch Jet Junior one day!!!

Have a Korean-made XT-2 - same color - got mine in 2003. Never have had any problems with it and the fretboard on it doesn't look sloppy like that. I dunno - seems they built these better in those days.

Rick-rolled becomes a lobster-roll just like the sushi bar

I had an XT-25 and I agree that it sucked a bit - the worst thing was the string spacing. But recently I got a real Steinberger XL2 and its awesome - better quality, better ergonomics due to the unique strap mount, and it sounds like the 80s! Totally rad.

I bought a Spirit Second Hand off Ebay, a four string, Made in Korea, I love it, very difficult to find one Domestically in Australia.

This bass is a great value for this price. It is small, very easy to carry and also perfect for London's small venues. I have replaced the strings with a regular string adapter (for non double ball-end strings) and it sounds amazing for the price. Don't mix it with Hohner's terrible 4 string Steinberger models. And you can easily get used to the holding position. I am playing for more than 20 years and my main bass was Marleaux Consat Custom 5. But now I am not even taking out Marleaux from its flight case. This bass has everything I need, a balanced pull and slap sound. A decently balanced finger sound. Enough passive output for my amplifier or pedal setup. The stock strings were not too bad at all but the Ernie Ball Nickel Wound will make this bass shine. For this price I am amazed with the results. However, the body craftmanship is not perfect, looks like handcrafted by some cheap labour. I can see the scraper marks beneath the paint on some edges but it still is a very good value for the price.

If its worth anything I have 2 of these spirit models lol a 4 and 5 string and I absolutely love them but this review was great

I own one from 2004. I got it new for around 250€ at the time, which not only is a better price, the bass itself seems better made. Never had any problem with the neck, and the fretboard looks great. It sounds great too ! Quite a growly rock sound. I don't find it uncomfortable to play, although I wouldn't give it any award either. I love it, I play it and I won't get rid of it. But if I had to buy a new bass now for 400€, I would choose something else. There's just better stuff for that budget nowadays.

you don't mentioned the biggest pro of these basses : small and light. And you didn't mention the 20 something string adaptor to use every kind of strings. I started with an Hohner B2 in the mid 80ies and never had a problem with the position being to far left. And there are extensions to put on the strap pin that solves this problem. I consider to get a 5 string now and I love the sound of my Hohner with new strings.

In thought this bass was cool... when I was 14!!

I just got the 4 string. It is light. Fun.

Such a shame these are so bad now. I have one from the early 2000's which has been my daily practice bass when travelling or at work. Was about £300 new. Solid as a brick and neck never goes out. I hate the pickups, electronics and the fat neck - but it's just so rugged and convenient! I throw it in cargo holds and kick it around the office and it never complains. You can get adapters for standard strings, though I made my own out of a block of brass.

Fully agree with you. I thought to buy one of these as “travel” bass but it’s too long for traveling. Moreover, not a great tone and building features. Defined not a great “value for money”. Great Reviews and Channel. Support from Italy! :-)

Cool shades, dude! Keep singing. You were on the note the whole time. You'll get better the more you sing.

I was about to buy one - small size and the drop D option, but after watching your video I agree - 450 is better spent on a quality instrument. 70s MIJ Greco in this case.

Wow and you only gave the P Bass one more claw?

just for information: the fretboard used to be rosewood, but in the last years (when they switched to "steinberger pickups" from the awful Select by EMG) it was changed to hardwood, so it's not "painted". the design doesn't have anything to do with the quality and price range, it's a rendition of the original L2 by Steinberger, and it's obviously not only the "headless" feature that makes this bass what it is. Ibanez and other headless basses still have a standard body design, so it's not the same ballpark; it would be like comparing a Fender to a Gibson, saying that the Gibson its not worth the money because your arm doesn't sit well. a Thunderbird is a difficult design, but playable, as it was and is the Steinberger (just think about how many bass players used it in the 80's and early 90's). so this isn't a review, it's just a chat about the fact that you don't like this design.

Bought one of these because of Daft Punk, and I like how it plays, it's a goofy bass and it feels nice to me. I'd say if you just want an eye catching bass with decent tone, go for it, I got mine for like $250 so all depends on your price you can get it for

my review of your review: your first issues have to do with your personal preference for the balance and form. While I do think I'd have an issue with the balance and form factor as well, these are not "quality" issues. I also think you should basically always play these with a strap and ignore the knee rest. While they may dive a bit, if you hold it 45 degrees from your body and use a strap, you won't have to stretch your arm like that. In terms of neck stability, this is a laminated maple neck, so it shouldn't be unstable. Did you keep the factory recommended strings? No reason not to just use light gauge on 5 strings. Are you humidity regulating your space? Maintaining 45%-55% humidity all year round day and night? If you don't do that, your necks will move. If you don't do that, your other necks are moving too I promise, you just may not notice because you're not looking as hard. If you have very good humidity regulation, using light strings, and the neck is STILL failing, then maybe you have a faulty neck but again, a 3 piece laminate maple neck should hold tension just fine, all else being equal.

Thanks for this release, my friend! On the first day of the war, on the 24th, my bass 5-string fell from the operation of our air defense systems! Thanks to a friend, he gave me a tree for the body and I will finally make a 5-string bass (using Steinberger technology with Sensors from Seymour Duncan New York Humbuckers)!!!! Hello from Kiev :Дякую тобі друже за інтересні Басові Теми !

It took about 3 years for my NS wav 4's neck to finally settle. Bought it used for about $700 a few years ago and the build quality has some major issues. Used it had a sticky tone knob. The volume knob is now loose and one of the pickup knobs grinds against the body. The neck has a 1 inch crack where the neck and body meet. So to me the clear thing is the neck is not well enough selected/dried/aged/finished as a rule. All that being said the neck is near perfect straight and stable now and it punches well about its class in teams of tone. It literally drips notes everywhere save for the 4 or so frets on the E string which lack in definition. Overall it has the tone so 3/5 but the one you are playing lacks any REAL positives for 450 and I would rate 1/5.

Running through effects (compression, filtering, etc. it will sound great! 🤔

I lost it after "and it shows"

i got mine for 200 now. pretty epic

I saw the thumbnail, the vid preview, and had to click it lol

I find this review diametrically opposed to my experience with the Steinberger. While I agree that the playing position is pushed to the left (for a right handed bass), it is something that you pretty quickly get used. Mine is Indonesian, not Chinese. The tone is great, versatile and I have dialled sounds from heavy blues to trippy Prince, via Motown. In terms of build quality, mine is fine and the neck is very stable. In fact the tuning is also very stable, requiring only a little tweak every now and then. If you are used to a more traditional bass form-factor, then the Steinberger will feel a little odd at first, but persist with it and it is a great instrument. I play mine as much as I do, my significantly more expensive, Dingwall.

The trouble with the Spirits is that they took the original Steinberger design and removed ALL the good stuff: wood instead of carbon fiber, cheap pickups vs. EMGs that sound great, traditional strap buttons vs. the "boomerang" strap mount that balances the bass perfectly at any playing angle. Of course, a real Steinberger XL25 cost about $3000 when the Spirits first came out. Back then the Spirits were much cheaper...closer to $200...but prices have risen making them a poor value, as noted in the video. Glad you mentioned the NS Radius because it is Ned's second try, 35 years later. The biggest change in the Radius is a normal size body that still has great balance and the ability to take normal strings (Steinberger/Gibson did sell a string adapter that mounted at the end of the neck, but it was clumsy at best). Of course, a Radius CR is almost $3000 and the import WAV version (which ditches the carbon fiber neck core for 100% wood along with one pickup and active EQ) is over $1000 but you DO get what you're paying for. The only real reason to buy a Spirit today is the classic look.

You probably wouldn't like the original carbon fiber L/XL series basses either. To be fair, I initially didn't like my XT-25 for ergonomic reasons when compared to my other basses, but I've gotten used to it. One factor you left out was portability for travel- I got mine because I live on a sailboat and got tired of pranging headstocks in relatively close quarters while practicing, and it's easier to lug up and down the companionway stairs, and getting on and off the boat (it's a hundred yard walk down the dock to the car) And I can just lay it on the floorboard of my car.. Also being relatively cheap, at least compared to my Steinberger XL25 fretless, I'm not as concerned with it incurring the rigors of living on a boat in a marine environment (condensation in the winter time), or being lost or damaged while traveling abroad. Regarding quality, the only thing I don't like is it tunes a bit hard, perhaps the tuner gears aren't as fine as the XL's or they just need to be broken in. The overall fit and finish on mine was good, as well as the action- I attribute this to my purchase from Sweetwater who put their instruments through rigorous examination. As far neck stability, I wasn't concerned given my positive experience with the Spirit guitar (but the tremolos are crap owing to light gauge metallurgy).

BIG Will Forte vibes

I was directed here via a search for a travel bass. It looks like this clunker is not good even for that. Can you do a review of compact travel basses, such that would fit in an overhead on airplanes? Of course the Zon Vinny is out of the question due to price. But something $400. to $800. ??

Gees I think I'll go drive my car off some cliff somewhere!

A cooler cover would’ve been“Subterranean” by The Fixx given that Dan K.Brown wielded an XL2 on that track-

Ha! Yeah these Spirit Steinbergers are nothing like the originals. It’s liking comparing a Porsche 911 with a 2002 KIA. I’d love to see the Lobster hitting it with an original 80s XL Steinberger. I have one, and it’s still my number one bass today. I get that some people don’t like the look (I almost got kicked out of a band for using one - the rock guys couldn’t handle the look). I mean, people like the look of those $8,000 fugly Fedoras, so each to their own 😅

I dunno, man. I bought an XT-2 last year when it was on sale for like $300, just for the quirky, nostalgia factor. My expectations weren't very high, but It's a better bass than I thought it would be. Definitely better than the Cort Steinberger copy that I briefly owned back in the '90s. I haven't had any problems with the neck moving (it really shouldn't. It's a 3-piece neck), and it never goes out of tune. The pickups are Steinberger branded (as opposed to the EMG Selects that used to come with this bass) and they sound pretty good. They're a little "modern" for my taste, but they really cut through the mix, and you can sweeten them up with EQ. I might swap them out for something that sounds a little warmer, but I don't think the bass sounds awful. It'll never be my go-to bass, or replace my Jazz or P basses, but it's a decent instrument. I only have two legit gripes with the bass. One is that it does indeed hang weird on a strap, and you have to fully extend your arm to reach the lower frets, but I bought a "pivot plate" made by a TalkBass member, and that fixed that problem. The other complaint is that the tuners are pretty tight and sticky. There are fixes for that too, but it hasn't been a big enough problem for me to do anything about it yet. I don't play it all the time, and I rarely have to tune it when I do.

You are right when you said it is not worth it.. .. I ended up shouting EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! When you did the slapping.. 😂 Yeah.. I am not buying that..

I have one of these. I bought it used and I still wasn't getting my money's worth. I was also paying for other goodies: A hard shell case (might have been from a synapse), a few sets of strings, a string adapter, etc... In retrospect I can see why the guy wanted to unload all this stuff. It's not a good value bass, the double ball strings are limited choice and expensive, I find the string adapter just plain difficult (get ready to destroy strings until you get the hang of it... which I still haven't). It's just a terrible value buy no matter how you slice it. I keep thinking of selling it but then I'd feel bad trying to unload this on someone else. So I just keep it as a backup for gigs. Surprisingly, I've had no issue with the neck. There's what sounds like some vibration in the truss rod sometimes, but it doesn't get into the pickups thankfully. I also don't see the same quality control issues you did, but I think mine is a different year. These pickups seem to be stock, but they aren't labelled like yours are. But I'm not seeing the same sorts of defects and scuffs that you saw. Could've just been luck. The tone isn't terrible and isn't amazing. I use the double ball string set from Rotosound, seems to give the instrument a little more life. The strings that come stock on the instrument aren't that great at all. But the rotosounds are not cheap :( The ergonomics are questionable, but they can be worked around. Try pointing the neck forward and away from your body, and sitting it farther to the right when standing. It's actually pretty comfortable this way. Not that it becomes incredibly comfortable or anything. Still shouldn't buy one of these. Here's an issue you didn't touch on in your review: the bridge. The saddles are only held in place by friction between one set screw, string tension, and the other saddles, meaning there's a nonzero chance the saddles will fall out or at least get knocked out of place on a string change. You'll probably want to put some lubricant on the tuners. They do hold tuning well, but they don't move very smoothly, and it's no fun using a ton of grip strength just trying to tune. Now for the silver linings of this poor purchase: Makes a good backup instrument, since it's compact, has 5 strings, and 24 frets, all of which are usable intonation-wise on the high strings, and easy to reach. It will be passable for a wide range of styles of music. Good instrument to practice setups, IMO. Mainly because the truss rod is so easy to reach, it makes getting a good setup on your own much more attainable. It still looks cool, if you think the classic Steinberger shape looks cool. Which I do. But still. Don't buy it. Not worth it. TLDR: I agree with LowEndLobster, don't buy it. I found some ways to make mine work for me, because I feel bad duping some other sucker into this problem. You can thank Gibson for taking an absolutely iconic instrument from the past and turning it into this mess. Bad value for the money no matter how you slice it. Even if you get it cheap, you'll still have to deal with strings.

IDK I think your review of this bass was a little harsh and it sounds it looks way cooler than you're giving your credit for, but that's just my opinion of course!

There’s no escaping your attempt to Rickrole everyone with a twist of Robert Smith, Dave Gahan and Bernard Summer, Lobster. What I would like to know is if your opinion of this model has shifted since you posted this review. My original idea was to purchase one for me and have it modified with one of those Ned Steinberger Synapse head pieces that allow for you to use your strings of choice if you don’t want the double-ball ones.

This is the absolute truth. I bought a Steinberger because I needed a travel bass and people recommended that I get a smaller one. It was the worst purchase that I have ever made. I had finish issues ever since I got it and customer service was awful. My guitar tech had to fight tooth and nail and they refused to replace the whole bass. The pickups are terrible and they need to be replaced. I only had this bass for exactly one year, and it has caused me the most grief out of all of my basses. I wish that I got the Ibanez EBH instead. Gibson needs to do better.

I wish I would have watched this video before I bought one. I bought the bass for looks and for the tuners at the body, not on the neck. When I play I always go out on the dance floor and dance with the people which in turn a few bumps and my bass gets knocked out of tuning. So I thought with this that won't happen. The neck is long, longer than my other 8 basses including a ric 4001 and Alembic series I. Maybe that is why it bows so much and often. Another complaint is the top-of-the-neck fret dots can't hardly see them and with poor lighting when you have to move quickly down to the 10th fret or higher makes it tough. I enjoy your vids, keep on rolling

Fretboard isn't rosewood from what I know

pity... I'll keep my 90's Hohner steiny then..... Great for 80's and reggae.

I seat with a strap usualy and rest my arm against the strap it work. Still not ergonomic but small as f*ck.

Rickrolled LOL

I got a pretty dope Jackson 4 string for 400 bucks…..just saying

У меня такой басс. Звучит очень даже не плохо. Особенно в миске. Струны на него не продаются. Но есть переходник. Форма на любителя. Очень удобный для выездных выступлений. Так что я не согласен с тобой. Особенно с тем, что jb mim лучше

🤣😂😅😂🤣😂😅😂🤣😂😅

I've got a Steinberger GT Pro Spirit guitar in Hot Rod Yellow, and even for a guitarist it sucks. Made in China = A Friday Afternoon Job. The whammy only fits in a couple of mm and cannot be locked, so it falls out; tuners are too stiff to tune accurately; action acceptable but could do better. The Steinberger pickups are anaemic and brittle sounding. It doesn't surprise me that the bass model has problems, too. Retro '80s Cool factor (the only reason for owning one) = Off the scale Playability = Monster Suckage Sound = Also suck

Agreed. The bass is good. But overpriced. Also needs strap extender built in.

Steinberger is just a name and a logo. It's gibson that needs to step up their game. They need to pay the Chinese factory (Samick/Cort?) a bit more of the $400 they are charging, and the bass would be better. But gibson is more concerned with short term money making than they are with selling quality instruments. So that ain't going to happen.

I’ve never liked those basses or guitars, just horrible to play and ugly. Was very disappointed when seeing one in Geddy Lee’s hands. But thank you for sharing...and agreeing. Also I really want to see a “1- claw” or even a “0-claw” if this is a 2-claw a 0 is going to be something special. Thank you

I mean for 600$ cad, why not.

:(

Mike portnoy does bass reviews now what the f...

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