Gruuve Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 Hey folks: I've always thought the headless basses like the Steinbergers look totally cool. I've never actually played a Steinberger (never found one locally, although I've seen a few players locally play them) so I don't know what character their sound has (outside of hearing it through their rig and/or PA). So, I'm curious about a few...what's the sound character like (both the original all composite Steinbergers and the Spirit series that are much less expensive and partially or mostly wood rather than composite)? Also, are there other headless basses similar to the Steinberger? (Not Steinberger copies unless they're something really awesome.) And what are the sound character of any of these that you might have played? Thx, Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnb Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 http://www.kingbass.com/ Thhey are supposed to be really good sounding basses. I haven't had the pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pernax Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 Then there's Status Graphite - Graphite necks (and even bodies), both headed and headless available. (up to 200 characters) You may use UBBCode in your signature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fig Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 I have a Westone "The Rail" I bought at a pawn shop for 15 dollars. Bought it as a joke, 'cause it looked so funny, but after doing some work on it, it's a killer bass for old school blues and country. Really punchy tone. The middle bar with the pickup slides back and forth along the rails to change the tone. Forward is bassier, aft more trebly. The Rail Bassplayers aren't paid to play fast, they're paid to listen fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 You can't forget Kubicki. Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHINO_ROB Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 Originally posted by fig: I have a Westone "The Rail" I bought at a pawn shop for 15 dollars. Bought it as a joke, 'cause it looked so funny, but after doing some work on it, it's a killer bass for old school blues and country. Really punchy tone. The middle bar with the pickup slides back and forth along the rails to change the tone. Forward is bassier, aft more trebly. The Rail i had one of those. i wish i still did. i used it for an 80's new wave style band that never really got off the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebassman Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 The lack of a headstock does a weird thing to judging fret positions. Try and grab an A on the E string and you hit the B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 I think Hohner also makes headless basses -- at least they used to. Peace. --s-dub spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebassman Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 Yes Doctor, I do believe it was called "The Jack". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 Cort or Korg or someone made a knockoff, and Gibson has just re-released the Steinberg line. Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mars_dup1 Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 Owned one of those briefly - excellent instrument. Also, have an original Steinberger guitar - very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 Originally posted by fig: I have a Westone "The Rail" I bought at a pawn shop for 15 dollars. Bought it as a joke, 'cause it looked so funny, but after doing some work on it, it's a killer bass for old school blues and country. Really punchy tone. The middle bar with the pickup slides back and forth along the rails to change the tone. Forward is bassier, aft more trebly. The Rail It's been 20 years since I've played a Westone "Rail" bass. I was a gear nut my junior and senior years of highschool, and had only just discovered a hole in the wall known as The Music Gallery a mile down the street from the highschool. They were, among others, a Westone dealer. Man those were interesting instruments. Even the pointy strat-copies were different. They featured an odd, satin finish on the neck that was smooooooth. I wanted a rail just because of the idea you could adjust the pickup to any position, but then lost interest entirely when I played one and it was... let's say less than I expected. The pronounced harmonic content of the synthetic Steinbergers with active, EMG electronics was nowhere on the "Rail" I played. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whacked Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I could swear I seen Geddy Lee play that Rail bass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I wish I could justify buying a Hohner B2AV http://www.hohnerusa.com/images/B2AV-CRS.gif I like the tiny quilted maple sunburst top. And then there's Ed Roman... "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarkus Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Kramer made a Steinberger knock-off. Aluminum neck and composite body. great action, and actually amplified well. Not my cup o tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWBass Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I own a Cort version of the Steinberger classic style headless. I'm looking to get rid of it if anyone's interested. http://www.guitarshop.net/GuitarImages_i/cortspaceb2a4front1.jpg http://www.guitarshop.net/GuitarImages_i/cortspaceb2a4front2.jpg www.myspace.com/thefunkfather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpmiii Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I still own my original (1985 or 86 I think) composite body Steinberg. I just recently got it out of storage for some recording. I had bought new strings and when putting them on, one of the tuners striped. I am completely bummed. I got a buddy looking right now to see if I can get a new bridge for it. I figured if one goes the others can't be far behind. Anyway the thing has its own particular sound but a good one. No dead spots anywhere on those necks and bottom for days. They also record really well. "I never would have seen it, if I didn't already believe it" Unknown http://www.SongCritic.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lug Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Originally posted by jpmiii: I still own my original (1985 or 86 I think) composite body Steinberg. I just recently got it out of storage for some recording. I had bought new strings and when putting them on, one of the tuners striped. I am completely bummed. I got a buddy looking right now to see if I can get a new bridge for it. I figured if one goes the others can't be far behind. Anyway the thing has its own particular sound but a good one. No dead spots anywhere on those necks and bottom for days. They also record really well.they have both Spirit and Orginal parts http://www.musicyo.com/brandpos.asp?dept_id=3&Series=Parts You can stop now -jeremyc STOP QUOTING EVERY THING I SAY!!! -Bass_god_offspring lug, you should add that statement to you signature.-Tenstrum I'm not sure any argument can top lug's. - Sweet Willie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I always enjoyed the bright, full sound that original Steinbergers have. It both cuts through and sits in the mix at the same time, somehow. From Jamaladeen Tacuma to reggae, it covers a lot of range, style and tone wise. I found the licensed copies to be less pleasing, there's not enough body mass to resonate as fully as a "normal" instrument IMO. This is also true of the Steinberger basses with conventional body shapes of wood, although they clearly have the mass. They just don't have the sound. Someday, I'll own a composite model. Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouizel Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Westone: I had a Quantum headless. I wish I still did. Wonderful punchy tone. I seriously miss that bass. **Standard Disclaimer** Ya gotta watch da Ouizel, as he often posts complete and utter BS. In this case however, He just might be right. Eagles may soar, but Ouizels don't get sucked into jet engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Red 67 Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 That rail brings back some memories! Big Red's Ride Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpmiii Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Originally posted by lug: Originally posted by jpmiii: I still own my original (1985 or 86 I think) composite body Steinberg. I just recently got it out of storage for some recording. I had bought new strings and when putting them on, one of the tuners striped. I am completely bummed. I got a buddy looking right now to see if I can get a new bridge for it. I figured if one goes the others can't be far behind. Anyway the thing has its own particular sound but a good one. No dead spots anywhere on those necks and bottom for days. They also record really well.they have both Spirit and Orginal parts http://www.musicyo.com/brandpos.asp?dept_id=3&Series=Parts Thanks, I will check that out. "I never would have seen it, if I didn't already believe it" Unknown http://www.SongCritic.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpmiii Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Dag Nab it! The jaws are sold out. I think I ended up there through a search a while back because it turned out I had it book marked. Oh well, thanks anyway. "I never would have seen it, if I didn't already believe it" Unknown http://www.SongCritic.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 Sorry to bump this thread, but I just stumbled across another mfg of headless basses: BassLab in Germany. Here's the US/Canada distributor: http://www.ghservices.com/products/basslab/#STD Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanmass Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Geddy Lee played a Steinberger XL-2 graphite series, circa 'Grace Under Pressure' I have owned 3 Steinbergers. One, the first, was an XP-2, which was a graphite neck/bolt on wood body. It had some serious adjustment issues, and I traded it on something. The 2nd was a the Steinberger Strat style body ( wood, smoothed edges, not the sharper edged model) with bolt on neck. Excellent bass. I sold it to buy an XL-2, which was the original 'broomstick' bass, which was also excellent, but I agree with another poster on the bodyless designs shifting the way you judge spacing. You have to han gyour arm out at the elbow in a way that is different than any other bass I have played. One other thing, all three I have owned were excellent to record with, plugged direct in. They have a really nice, punchy tone, especailly if you are a pick player. The Hohners' are the only licensed full copies ( body and hardware) and they are ok, but the stock pick ups/electronics are trash. If you can get a 'real' Steinberger, I'd say get it. Make sure it is not a 'spirit' series. Those are the cheapest ones. A used XP/XL or pre-Gibson Strat style would be best. They also made a 'Q' model that was similar to the Kubicki body ( but fatter) that can be foudn pretty cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCunha Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I have a Q model. When I first got it in 1991 I loved it. It even has the DB bridge which is pretty cool. I'm not to fond of it anymore. I'm not to keen on the headless look of it. It plays great and sounds great to. If it wasn't so ugly I'd probably play it more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Originally posted by deanmass: The Hohners' are the only licensed full copies ( body and hardware) and they are ok, but the stock pick ups/electronics are trash.I'd agree with that. Stripping the finish off my Hohner Jack and defretting it really improved the tone but changing the electronics totally transformed it. I spent my first three years of playing on a headless bass and it took quite a while to adjust to the different position and balance of a conventional instrument. I've grown to appreciate the difference as both basses are set up very differently and sound very different - I treat the fretless almost like an electric upright, with its high action and more upright neck angle (and lack of frets!) Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Bill Wyman played a Stienberger for awhile. He had his tech glue a pen cap on it so he'd have some place to put his cigarette. Kids, don't start and if you do, quit (smoking that is, to quote Johnny Dangerously). "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Was plunkin' around ebay and saw this and was strangely attracted to Steinberger all over again. "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoWave Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 Originally posted by Dave Sisk: Hey folks: I've always thought the headless basses like the Steinbergers look totally cool. I've never actually played a Steinberger (never found one locally, although I've seen a few players locally play them) so I don't know what character their sound has (outside of hearing it through their rig and/or PA). So, I'm curious about a few...what's the sound character like (both the original all composite Steinbergers and the Spirit series that are much less expensive and partially or mostly wood rather than composite)? Also, are there other headless basses similar to the Steinberger? (Not Steinberger copies unless they're something really awesome.) And what are the sound character of any of these that you might have played? Thx, Dave We are the people our parents warned us about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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