FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Updated
06/11/2006
Also
check out our Myths & Facts page for additional
info
Model & Instrument Info
What
model instrument do I own?
When and where was my guitar/bass made?
What configurations were offered?
What does “pre-Gibson” mean?
Mine has a
battery. Is it "active"?
Construction & Parts
What
wood is my body made from?
How
were these graphite instruments manufactured?
Where
can I get replacement hardware?
Where can I get new bearings for my TransTrem/S-Trem?
Where can I get a new spring for my TransTrem/S-Trem?
Where can I get those little clips for the jaws on my
TransTrem?
Can
I order replacement parts from Hohner or Cort?
I’ve gotten a quote for a replacement part.
Why is it so expensive?
Where
can I get a replacement neck?
What are the Moses replacement necks like?
Service
Where
can I get my instrument serviced?
Why
does a refret cost so much more compared to a wooden neck instrument?
Can I just have my local luthier just do refret for me?
The graphite on my neck/body has been slightly damaged. What will it
take/cost to fix?
Where
can I get replacement electronics?
Can
I add active EQ controls without having to replace the pickups too?
Buying & Selling
If
I
can’t buy one new, where can I
find a good used model?
What is my instrument worth?
When
is Gibson going to produce new graphite Steinbergers again?
What
model instrument do I own?
It’s
true that many people have had a Steinberger for years, and never really known
what exact model they own. Most people
are familiar with the classic ‘L’ boat oar style, but a couple variations of
this “body less” style exist and, in addition to numerous full strat-style
bodies that have been introduced over the years.
Click here to see a comprehensive list,
descriptions and pictures.
My
instrument is serial # is ____. Can
you tell me when and/or where it was made?
Ned
Steinberger is an engineering genius, but he admits details like dates and
numbers aren’t his thing. Since
the company was sold, moved several times and is now functionally closed, any
official documentation appears to be lost.
Supposedly Gibson still has the production logs and we've confirmed they
have the original invoices. We hope to get a comprehensive list with dates
as soon possible. In the
meantime we are building our own serial number database.
Click here to see the list so far.
The
earlier all graphite L’s have some dates etched and/or grease penciled inside the pickup cavity. Removing
the cover may reveal your instruments fabrication date, assembly date, or both.
Since
the wood bodies were not made by Steinberger (this was contracted out to other
vendors) we
don't know the significance of the markings in them. Most do not include
any dates whatsoever.
What
configurations were offered?
In
addition to the different body styles offered, Steinberger offered different
bridges, pickup and electronics combinations.
We’ve tried to compile a comprehensive list of features on this site (click
here)
but this is by no means entirely complete. Ned
loved to tinker, so the combinations he used could be endless.
When
it comes to the active electronics they offered, it gets even more complex.
Henry Zajic of HAZ Labs helped design the units with
Ned. They manufactured them from the early days, throughout the Gibson years, and right up
until they closed production in Nashville.
Because Henry co-designed them, he owns the rights to manufacture and
sell them. New guitar and bass
units can be purchased directly from HAZ Labs today.
Click here for info.
Understand
that the tones they were after were a work in process.
It wasn’t unusual for them to make a run of 50 active boards, then
tweak the design and make 50 more to the new specs.
The sheer number of changes they made would be impossible to list here.
However, Henry can determine exactly what components went into your
board, and either fix or sell you a new unit.
Click here for more info.
I
see the term “pre-Gibson" used all of the time. What
does that mean?
In
November 1987 Ned and his original investors sold their company, Steinberger Sound, to Gibson
Musical Instruments. Gibson is the
largest musical instrument maker in the US owning other notable names like
Epiphone, Tobias, Kramer, Oberheim, Trace Elliot & Slingerland Drums.
Gibson kept the plant in Newburgh, NY, and Ned stayed on staff under contract
for 4 years. He remains a consultant to this day.
In
recent years this term “pre-Gibson” has been thrown around rather loosely,
mostly by potential sellers wanting to insure they get top dollar for their
instrument. Many instruments
we’ve seen for sale were in fact made under Gibson ownership at the Newburgh
plant; this is
especially true for the final 4 years of Ned’s tenure.
Many people mistakenly assume quality slipped once Ned left, and
therefore the earlier instruments are more valuable.
We’ve found this to be utterly false.
The original staff at Newburgh stayed on board up until the plant was
moved. Interviews with key factory managers indicate quality likely
increased, since Gibson had money to invest in additional equipment and
staff. From our personal experience the quality of the Gibson made instruments
(both at Newburgh and Nashville) are often equal to “original” Steinbergers and in
some cases (like the figured maple top GM's) are superior.
Gibson
initiated a number of enhancements to the Steinberger line, notably refinements of the
bridge, heel and body designs. Also the
introduction of exotic wood bodies and tops was offered standard, with most of the
nicest pieces coming from Gibson's Montana factory (mostly known for acoustics). Ned
himself designed & approved these changes, even up until the end of production in
’98. Contributors to this site own both earlier models and some from these
later years. In some ways certain
aspects of quality and craftsmanship were equal to, if not superior to some of
their earlier produced instruments.
My
instrument has a battery. Is it considered "active"?
Many
owners are confused as to what the term "active" really means and
what the letter 'A' in the model name actually designates.
First off, almost all
EMG pickups require a battery. This is because they have a small preamp
inside the pickup itself. It's one of features that enables EMG pickups
to be so quiet. Technically the pickups are "low impedance"
(which refers to their output) but because they require a battery to boost the
signal they're commonly
referred to as "active". Conversely high impedance pickups
don't require a battery and are called "passive".
Only the P
series have factory installed low-impedance pickups. These were
custom made for Steinberger at the time and are no longer available. You
can tell they're "passive" if the EMG logo is in the middle side of
the pickup (instead of the corner). You can also obviously tell if your axe works
without a battery. This same general design was borrowed later on for
the EMG Select line of pickups.
But this has nothing
to do with whether a Steinberger is technically active or passive.
The Steinberger term
"active" (designated by an 'A') actually
refers to the EQ (tone knob) electronics. Passive EQ simply rolls off
high frequencies. Active EQ can boost or cut the frequencies
(down with the lows / up with the highs) and needs external power to do
this. So it needs a battery.
When active pickups
are present with active EQ, they both share the same power source. So
the presence of a battery doesn't solely indicate if the EQ is active. You could have passive EQ but active pickups. Here's a
simple table to keep it straight:
Active
Pickups
Active EQ
(ex. GL7TA)
Needs battery |
Active
Pickups
Passive EQ
(ex. GL2T)
Needs battery |
Passive
Pickups
Active EQ
(ex. GP2TA)
Needs battery |
Passive
Pickups
Passive EQ
(ex. GP2S)
No battery |
Only the
configurations in the left hand column officially get an 'A' designation in
the name.
It should be
noted that HAZ Labs made virtually all of the active
EQ boards for Steinberger from the mid 80's until production ended. They
always used a center detent pot for the active tone knobs. So a good
rule of thumb is that if your guitar or bass has a center detent on the tone
knob, it's active. Also, the active bass units have a
volume/balance/tone configuration. If you've got volume/volume/tone,
it's passive.
What
wood is my body made from?
Ned seems to have an affinity
for hard maple, as nearly every model was first made in that hardwood.
They were all pretty much changed to other offerings in the later Gibson years. We've combed
through all of the old lit and here's our best guess so far (in order of
introduction):
P series -
Hard maple, also listed as rock maple. Chances are this wood was used for it's entire, brief
production run as a graphite neck model. The new Spirit version from MusicYo features
a neck-through design made entirely of the same type of wood.
M series
- The original Newburgh bound bodies were hard maple. Newburgh dropped
the binding in 1989, but best guess is they kept the same body wood.
Later Nashville production switched to figured maple on alder.
We're not sure if the solid color ones from this time are all alder, or
perhaps blemished maple capped ones that have been re-sprayed. Though
this may seem odd it's done more often than most guitar makers would care to
admit. The new USA made standard GM's from MusicYo
again features figured maple on alder. The re-issued Newburgh bound
version feature a three-piece hard maple body.
R series - Once
again these started life with hard maple when introduced. Gibson moved
to mahogany at the end of production. MusicYo is offering them with
mahogany bodies once again.
XQ bass - Ned love of hard maple comes
through again. v1's had it, then Gibson went to swamp ash for the Nashville v2's. MusicYo's
plans are to reintroduce this bass again with swamp ash.
GK guitar - When offered as a Steinberger
model the literature only lists basswood, though Klein
Electric continues to make this model in a variety of custom tone woods.
GS guitar - This model had the most
variation in woods. The marketing literature doesn't specifically name it, but
original reviews list poplar. Later choices include swamp ash, lacewood and even walnut.
We're also aware of some solid koa ones out there as well - call your chiropractor immediately
if you ever buy one of those!
Obviously the L
series features an all composite design, though surprisingly they do
contain a balsa wood core as a filler. Click here
to read more.
How
were these graphite instruments manufactured?
Without
giving away any secrets, we can tell you that the first step is creating a
master (commonly called a key or plug) of the instrument. From this one
master one to many molds are made. They had
several for each L series instrument, and anywhere form 8 to 12 for each neck.
A
composite gel coat (what you see as the "paint") is sprayed in the mold
first, up to 1/8" thick in places. This is followed by filling in
groupings and layers of
graphite fibers with epoxies and resins. They
also included any any hardware (like neck or bridge bolt inserts) that needed to be set
in the mold. Finally the unfinished
phenolic fretboard was applied. The mold was
then sealed, injected with resins, and heated under pressure. Once fully
cured the instrument
was removed, and the finishing, routing & buffing were done.
Full bodied instruments bodies were matched to pre-wired faceplates and voila!. . .an all
graphite instrument.
Necks
were made by the same general process, albeit with a few less material and
components.
Now,
it’s not quite that simple. There’s
both an art and a science to the design of the instrument, the materials used,
the combination they’re used in, and the sequence they are applied. And as
always there was finall work to get the high quality finish.
Several
other manufacturers successfully use their own variation of this process today.
Notables include Modulus
Graphite, Zon, and
the English company Status
Graphite. Status
is currently developing a line of replacement necks for both Steinberger
graphite and Spirit model instruments
Moses Graphite
currently manufactures Steinberger replacement necks, as well
as graphite replacement necks for traditional all wood instruments like Fender
Strats, Fender Precision & Jazz basses, Music Man Stingray basses,
etc. They have been tagged to
produce necks for the reintroduced line of Steinberger guitars and basses
reintroduced in 2002.
Where
can I get replacement hardware?
Few
replacement parts are currently manufactured directly by Steinberger or Gibson.
The Spirit models are manufactured and assembled in Korea, and do have
some design differences in them. Therefore,
they can’t all necessarily be used as replacements in a composite model instrument.
MusicYo
has resurrected Steinberger production, as is selling parts as well.
TransTrem, S-Trems, R-Trems, headbands, leg rests, jaws and many other
items can be found on their site. They also
have access to the rest of the original parts which were packed away in
a trailer when production ended. Expect to see more
items later in 2002.
Some
components parts (like screws, etc.) are often standard parts. When
possible we've noted this either her in the FAQ or elsewhere on this site.
For harder to find items we have also located online order sources, and we try
to provide recent parts numbers and specifications if possible.
Where
can I buy new bearings for my TransTrem or S-Trem bridge?
We've created a special page
explaining where to get these parts. Click here
to link.
We've also got detailed bearing
and spring replacement instructions on our 'Technical
Information' page. Be sure to also check out our 'TransTrem
Tips and Information' page to for setup pointers.
Where
can I buy a new spring for my TransTrem or S-Trem bridge?
The spring is much less likely
to wear out than the bearings are that's for sure. But for those looking
to replace one we've yet again created a special page for this. Click
here.
There's also an option for
those wanting to use 11 gauge strings. The normal trem spring becomes too
compressed when using heavier gauges. However an enterprising Steinberger
owner, Lou Larson, had a batch of custom springs made to accommodate these
gauges. He sells them for around $15 + shipping. Click
here to email Lou for purchases or inquires.
I've
lost that little clip on my TransTrem jaw. Where can I find these?
Those are called retaining
clips, or more commonly 'E' clips because of their shape. They can easily
become bent or damaged over time, especially if you have to tighten the jaw in
the up position to transpose. Here's a convenient online source:
McMaster-Carr
http://www.mcmaster.com
Part #: 98398A116
Description: Bowed E-Style Retaining Ring For 1/8" Shaft Diameter,
Fits .095" Groove Diameter
Price (as of 11/23/02): $ 4.29 per Pack
Note: This item is only sold in packs of 100
As the description states these clips are bowed, with the middle a little
rounded upwards. This helps take up any potential slack in the milled slot, and
keeps tension on the clip and the threaded rod. You need to note the
direction of this bow, and insert the clip with the bowed middle towards the
threads - that's facing down towards the body. If you don't do this the clips
will easily fall out. You'll know what we mean if you ever have to replace
these.
Can
I order replacement parts from Hohner,
Cort or other
headless makers?.
As
with the Spirit models, these two brands have subtle design differences from
their branded counterparts and we can’t say for sure that they’ll work.
The Hohners are made in the same plant as the Steinberger Spirits, and
we’ve heard that those two lines share the same parts.
Also,
be aware that some of the ‘Steinberger’ parts for sale at online auctions
such as eBay may in fact be from other manufacturers 'Under License'.
We’ve seen a Hohner bass bridges offered as a genuine Steinberger
replacement bridge. However, the
two share a slightly different footprint and therefore are not be
interchangeable. Just be careful that you educate yourself on the part you
need to replace and the details of the one you may be bidding on.
It will save yourself time, aggravation, and wasted money.
I’ve
gotten a quote for a replacement part. Why
is it so expensive?
Because
of the lack of parts, many parts sellers have turned to cannibalizing working
instruments to get them. We also can’t discount the economic principle of supply and
demand. And with such little
supply, some sellers are taking advantage of their position to drive the prices
up even higher. Until new
replacement parts are available to the public again, chances are we’ll have to
deal with it for the short term.
The
contents of the Steinberger factory currently sit in a trailer at the Gibson
facilities in Nashville, TN. MusicYo, exclusive
seller of Steinberger instruments and parts in the U.S., has moved into a
new warehouse in Nashville and will be inventorying these contents shortly.
We're hopeful there's a
moderate supply of parts to begin offering them through their website.
Where
can I get a replacement neck?
Moses
Graphite makes replacement necks for all Steinberger models.
Many players actually prefer them to the stock Steinberger necks.
Realize
that a lot has been learned about the science of sound in graphite construction
since Ned started making them 20 years ago.
Moses necks are designed more for sonic quality - the original
Stienberger necks were designed primarily for stiffness and stability.
Click here to read more
about Moses Graphite necks.
If
you really need an original one, there are a few sources but prices are
exceedingly high. Occasionally
eBay has old Steinberger necks available. There
have been occasional talk about Moses producing a short run of necks to the original specs, but no plans
have been finalized and they seem not so interested in doing this.
Additionally
Status Graphite is
working on replacement necks as well. These will have the identical radius
and profile of the original necks. They'll also probably be closer in
tone, since Status'
design techniques are similar to how Steinberger made them.
What
are the Moses replacement necks like?
Again
some people prefer them, saying that they have a more woody and earthy tone to
them. But if you really like the more “clean” tone of the
original necks you may be disappointed.
They also have a different profile, being a little slimmer than the Steinberger
ones. Click
here to read more about it.
Where
can I get my instrument serviced?
If
you call Gibson they will recommend Peekamoose Guitars out of New York City. They are an official Steinberger/Gibson service center, and
continue to do a brisk Steinberger repair business to this day.
They have contributed to this site and to our sister forum on Yahoo!
Because
working with graphite and phenolic fingerboards is totally different from wood,
we recommend sending your instrument to a professional that has experience with
these types of material. Your local
luthier may be great at wiring or wood finishing, but refretting a phenolic
fingerboard is
something they may not be qualified for. And
because repairs in composites are more difficult and more time consuming, the
cost is subsequently higher. We suggest you
spend the money on UPS to avoid any
costly mistakes.
Click
here for repair shops we recommend.
There
are other qualified repair folks out there as well. Contact other
Steinberger owners for their recommendations.
Why
does a refret cost so much more compared to a wooden neck instrument?
By
its very nature graphite is a hard substance – much harder than wood.
Because of this it can also be brittle.
Removing and replacing frets in graphite takes a little more skill,
patience, time - and the correct
knowledge. Also, since Steinberger repair
is considered somewhat of a "vintage" service, you won't find many
younger luthiers qualified to do it. You're paying for experience.
All of these factors get
reflected in the cost.
Can
I just have my local luthier just do refret for me?
There
are some local luthiers out there who have experience with Steinbergers, and may
do a fabulous job. In general
we've found those folks few and far between. As
stated before we recommend putting your valued instrument in the hands of a trusty luthier
skilled in this type of work. It
can cost less than $30 to ship your instrument fully insured via UPS, so the cost of using an
out-of-town luthier is minimal. Click
here for repair shops we recommend.
The
graphite on my neck/body has been slightly damaged.
What will it cost to have a professional repair
it?
Can I fix this myself?
The
outer shell of your graphite instruments has a covering called a gel coat, akin
to the lacquer on a regular guitar. It is a polymer based coating which
provides an outer shell for fiberglass, graphite, epoxy and other types of
"space age" materials. It is actually a "common"
material, especially in it's prevalence on fiberglass boats.
Those
folks who are handy have been successful at fixing minor damage themselves.
Actually the process to fix your Steinberger is just like fixing a boat
mentioned above. Most modern boats hulls have gel coat finishes too, and gel coat repair kits
found at a local boat supply store (if found in your area) are what we've
successfully used. But unless
you’ve got some intermediate to advanced woodworking, finishing/painting
and/or technical skills, it’s best to have any repairs done by a trusted,
experienced luthier
One
of the pots/switches on my instruments is broken.
I can’t seem to find a replacement that will fit anywhere.
Where can I get replacement electronics?
First
off, don’t call EMG. In 98% of
the instruments they only supplied the pickups, not the active electronics.
The boards & pots were designed and manufactured by Henry Zajic at
HAZ Labs. Basically if it has a printed circuit board (either active or
passive) Henry made it. The only
thing he didn’t provide were the hand wired passive systems.
These were supplied by other vendors (some from EMG, most not) and were assembled into the instruments by the
Steinberger staff.
The
good news is that because HAZ co-owns the design of all of these circuit board units, they
still manufacture and sell Steinberger factory active electronics packages to
this day. And you can even get them
with the quick connectors for easily swapping out in your L series!
HAZ
Labs keeps replacement parts stocked for most of the units they manufactured,
including the 3 button pickup selectors for the guitars.
Click here for directions on how to contact HAZ Labs and get
your unit serviced, or order a new one.
My
instrument is passive. Can I add
active controls without having to replace the pickups too?
Probably.
Even though they put passive electronics in many instruments, for the most
part they used low impedance (active) pickups. These can be wired with either
active or passive tone controls. We
recommend checking with the pickup manufacturer first before doing any work
though.
They can tell you exactly which pickups you have and what wiring options are
available.
If
I can’t buy a
one new,
where can I
find a good used model?
eBay and Harmony Central are good places to start.
The proliferation of online auctions means that it's easier than ever to
find the instrument you’ve been looking for.
There are also other music-centric sites out there - GuitarBase and DigiBid come
to mind though they tend to have less of these items come up Click here for a
comprehensive list of links
to these sites.
As
always it pays to do your homework.
Know what you want, what it will take to get it, and what you’re
willing to spend. Watch the auctions over
time and you'll get a good feel for what the average prices should be. We also recommend
using third party services for payment
(PayPal, Tradenable) to insure you're not left high and dry.
Our
contributors and members have bought and sold many instruments through these channels, and
been happy with the results.
What
is my instrument worth?
We
are not appraisers by any means. We must
say however, that we've found many of the 'official' sources for prices
(Kelly Blue Book specifically) to be wildly inaccurate in terms of available models,
options and costs.
The best judge of value is the open market.
eBay and Harmony Central often have Steinbergers for sale
in varying types of condition. If you’re
really interested in determining the worth of your instrument, take note of what
others of similar type, age and quality are going for.
Watch over time - the supply (and subsequently prices) tend to ebb and
flow. Sometimes you won't see certain models for sale for weeks; next
thing you know there are 5 on eBay at the same time.
This
overall approach should give you a good indication of the market value of your
individual instrument.
If
you're buying from a dealer you could pay 20%-50% more for the same
instrument. Considering many of these instruments sold for $2000-$3000
new, the used prices we see are usually quite reasonable. If they've got
the one you want and there's no other option, you'll need to pony up.
When
is Gibson going to produce new graphite Steinbergers again?
MusicYo
is a direct to consumer website founded by former Gibson management and the
company still has close ties to it's parent. They have successfully resurrected Gibson's “dead” lines (namely Kramer,
Tobias and Steinberger), and have been producing and selling the Korean
made all-wood Spirit version of the instrument for several years.
In
2002 they resumed production of the
GM and GR guitars featuring custom blended necks made by
Moses Graphite and assembled here in the
US. The end of 2003 will see the reintroduction of the Newburgh style
bound GM's and the XQ basses. They also plan a new wood bdoied /
graphtie neck GL version, officially dubbed the GLB.
There
are no definitive plans at this time to bring back the original design all graphite L's. MusicYo's ultimate goals are to bring back the entire line as they were. However
there are no concrete plans or timetable for this. Ned is also designing new
instruments, and the first of these may appear in the first half of 2004.
If you have any corrections to
the above list or any additional information you think would be helpful, please
email your suggestions to andy@steinbergerworld.com.
Last
updated June 11, 2006