Can someone simplify the Steinberger, Hohner, Newburgh, Pre-Gibson, ..... thing

noagreement

noagreement

Oct 12, 2006
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Yo Philly!
#1
I love those the look of headless basses and the sound of the original Steinbergers. A recent thread on posted TB about playing them got my curiosity going again. Never had one and wish that I bought an original Steinberger when I started playing in the 80's.

I started searching around on used sites and always become confused by the countless variations, manufacturers, and models of the various Steinberger basses (and subsequent manufacturers). The company history seems overly complicated.

1. Is there an easy explanation (website) that simplifies this?

2. Is Hohner a "decent" copy? Specifically, anyone, ever try the headless B2A model?? Used ones seem fairly inexpensive, and they all appear to contain some sort of "Steinberger" bridge system and EMG pick-ups. There is a fretless model B2A-FL that is listed at ~$400.

3. Is the Q4 model (has a body) an actual Steinberger or some sort of copy?

Thanks for your help!
 
#5
I have a Hohner B2A DB (it has a detunable E string switch) and while there's no way you can compare it to the expensive Steinberger models, it's pretty good,a little better imo than the Steinberger Spirit model that goes for roughly the same price. The Hohner, like the Steinberger Spirit XT-25(made by Epiphone these days), are wood bodies, with wood necks whereas the Xl-2 and the original Steinberger basses are carbon composite, hence lighter and more expensive.
The Hohner does have an active/passive switch so you can go true passive or active. Remove the battery and it goes passive - pretty nifty and handy. It also utilizes a Steinberger licensed bridge. The Steinberger Spirit XT-25 is passive and I've compared it to my Hohner, the Hohner is the better of the inexpensive headless basses imo.

I'm an 80s child so yes, a headless of a sort is requisite- the Hohner is enough to fit that need. my headless is not one of my primary basses, hence I don't need a Steinberger XL-2 - definitely nice to have with my collection. Is it a Steinberger? No, but it is a headless bass, so it has the unique vibe and feel of playing one, and a decent one at that. I do have a string adapter so I can use my regular strings if I really need to instead of the double ball strings, but I have yet to use it.

The Q4 is a Steinberger bass, just a different model of Ned's. It too has a graphite composite neck.
 
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#6
Start by going to

Steinberger World

1) Ned Steinberger started the company, but eventually sold it to Gibson, who produced Steinbergers in various locations before shutting down production.

2) Hohner is decent, and was the original "authorized" copy back when Ned owned the company.

3) The Q4 is an actual Steinberger model.



noagreement said:
I love those the look of headless basses and the sound of the original Steinbergers. A recent thread on posted TB about playing them got my curiosity going again. Never had one and wish that I bought an original Steinberger when I started playing in the 80's.

I started searching around on used sites and always become confused by the countless variations, manufacturers, and models of the various Steinberger basses (and subsequent manufacturers). The company history seems overly complicated.

1. Is there an easy explanation (website) that simplifies this?

2. Is Hohner a "decent" copy? Specifically, anyone, ever try the headless B2A model?? Used ones seem fairly inexpensive, and they all appear to contain some sort of "Steinberger" bridge system and EMG pick-ups. There is a fretless model B2A-FL that is listed at ~$400.

3. Is the Q4 model (has a body) an actual Steinberger or some sort of copy?

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
 
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#7
I'm a Steinberger snob of a sorts, I'll admit it. I own an XP-2, part of the second generation basses with wood bodies but composite necks. The wood necked versions, Hohner clones, etc adopted the headless look, but lost the primary advantage of an incredibly stable CF neck that's nearly impervious to ordinary temperature or humidity changes. Combined with the original micrometer screw based, straight pull bridge, this produced the most accurate and stable tuning system devised to date IMO. The new NS design basses are hybrids of sorts, with yet another brilliant tuning system, by all accounts a fantastic bass, though hard to find for a test drive. Either go old school 80's Steinberger, or new Ned NS Design, a lot of compromise and false starts between those two bookends.
 
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#9
petrus61 said:
The Hohner at my bands rehearsal space is a POS and it actually functions as it should. There is absolutely nothing it has in common with an actual Steinburgler, be it ergonomic comfort or tone. But the bridge is officially licensed!
Click to expand...

True, there's no comparison to a "real" Steinberger, but as copies go, it's not the worst and is at about the same level as the Spirit, I think. Probably not worth $400, though.
 
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#12
petrus61 said:
I'm gonna have to eat my words. I just called my drummer to verify and his is a Cort with Steiny bridge. Not a Hohner, but still a POS :)
Click to expand...

LOL! I agree with you 100% on that. I owned a Cort headless briefly and that was in my opinion, a POS ...terrible sound with the stock pickups, it had P and J pickups that were particularly weak, probably not the right choice for a headless bass, I don't know, but I got frustrated with the bass, I sold it pretty quickly. Was thinking of modding it but the neck also felt too chunky for my tastes. I mean Cort does make some decent inexpensive basses, this was not one of them.
 
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#13
@noagreement your questions have mostly been answered except I noticed this information was missing:

1) The wooden body Steinbergers(Spirits) are neck-through construction that helps some with the sustain
2) The original(aka real) Steinbergers are unlike ANY bass in that EVERY note at EVERY fret has the same sustain, tone, and body. Consistency of sound and output.
3) There are wooden-necked Steinbergers that have wooden bodies(made in the Spirit days).
4) The wooden ones sound nowhere near as good as the "real" ones

Both wooden Spirit Steinbergers live here(4 string white boat oar and 5 string XZ white body with bolt-on wooden neck). Pickups need to be upgraded for either to be really useful.

PS: I've owned 2 real ones, an XL2 and an XL2T(Transtrem) both sold in times of SEVERE economic need. IMO the XL2T is not worth the extra $$$ unless you are a collector(they made less than 200 of them) or have the requirement to change keys and lock your bass into different tunings quickly. The Kahler trem is much more useful for bending up or down(further) and stays in tune IF your bass is set up correctly.
 
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#15
I'd take exception to those of you stating that the neck through wood body/neck Spirit is a POS. The neck on mine has never needed adjustment since it's initial setup 3+ years ago, the pickups while fairly ordinary do get a good sound, gotten plenty of compliments from fellow musicians on the sound I get from mine. Plays well and the lighter weight and smaller travel size is a plus IMO, plus I almost never have to retune it, holds a tune extremely well. It's definitely not my main player but I do break it out from time to time and it's never disappointed. Well worth the $400 I paid for it IMO.
 
#16
+1 EdO.

I originally had a MusicYo Spirit with EMGs. The neck twisted after a couple of years. After one attempt to straighten it, Epiphone replaced it (great warranty service) with a more recent build, with their own (EMG copies?) pups. I've now had it for ten years, plays great, sounds good (also many compliments), and stays in tune. NOT a POS. Also not my main squeeze, but a great backup.
 
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#18
EDIT:

"I originally had a MusicYo Spirit with EMGs. The neck twisted after a couple of years. After one attempt to straighten it, Epiphone replaced it (great warranty service) with a more recent build, with their own (EMG copies?) pups. I've now had it for over ten years, plays great, sounds good (also many compliments), and stays in tune. Not my main squeeze, but a great backup."

You have to own one to know how often we hear "Oh, that's not a REAL Steinberger!"
Of course not! But there is a widespread perception that the Spirits are not good instruments, and that's simply not true. Judged on their own merits, they're very nice instruments. I wanted to point out, since this thread is about the history of the various instruments branded as "STEINBERGER", that there were some quality control problems back in the MusicYo days, so if you're thinking of getting one, get a more recent model, new if you can, as Epiphone honors their warranty 100%.
 
#20
Gilmourisgod said:
I'm a Steinberger snob of a sorts, I'll admit it. I own an XP-2, part of the second generation basses with wood bodies but composite necks. The wood necked versions, Hohner clones, etc adopted the headless look, but lost the primary advantage of an incredibly stable CF neck that's nearly impervious to ordinary temperature or humidity changes. Combined with the original micrometer screw based, straight pull bridge, this produced the most accurate and stable tuning system devised to date IMO. The new NS design basses are hybrids of sorts, with yet another brilliant tuning system, by all accounts a fantastic bass, though hard to find for a test drive. Either go old school 80's Steinberger, or new Ned NS Design, a lot of compromise and false starts between those two bookends.
Click to expand...

My NS Design CR5 is incredible IMO. It brings the thunder in a way no other bass i've played can touch. it's so ergonomic, i don't even notice the 35" scale and the B string will rattle your fillings loose.
 
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