A new (to me) bass arrived yesterday, a Steinberger XT-2 to join my Spector.
They are very different, not only in how they look, but also in tone and feel. BTW, it sounds lovely.
The Steinberger also hangs more to the left, a function of where the strap button is. One used to be able to buy an extension that brought the bass more to the right, but they they seem impossible to get hold of. YouTube videos and DIY sometime over the next few weeks, me thinks!
Anyway, one in, one out. This weekend, I need to list the first bass I bought!
I’ll be honest, I’ve no idea for either of them, although both are currently available from a ‘retailer near you…’
I bought them second hand and both are pretty much ‘as new’.
The Spector needed a set up, intonation was all over the place and the action was horrible. It was also some electrical hum, but that has now been sorted.
The Steinberger just needed tuning. The intonation is spot on and action is OK, but probably could do with a slight tweak. The main thing I need to sort is a strap hook extender so that the instrument hangs a little more to the right. That’s going to be my DIY challenge.
I really am an advocate of buying second hand. My main hobby is cycling and I’ve bought some lovely bikes, that have barely been used, for significant discounts on the new price…. I think the same holds true with basses!
I tried ones at a couple different stores before picking this one, up at Ikebe Rock House Ikebukuro. I have bought from them before, and this is the second BB734A I have bought from Ikebe. At 4.3kg it weighs less than my last one too.
Love the fretboard grain, I’ll have to get a better pic:
Levy makes long straps which will address this, and Anthology has strap extenders on their website. I have short legs (or a long torso) and if I don’t want to do my Tom Morello impression with my bass, I have to extend the strap.
It’s not the length of the strap, more that the button is underneath the 21st fret. This pushes the bass to the left. Steinberger used to do a metal rod that you screwed to the back of the bass to bring the strap fixing point closer to a standard bass. However, these extenders are rarer than hens teeth! I’m probably going to get one fabricated for me.
I loved everything about it! But I wanted the preamp and didn’t want to spend over double the amount to get the blue finish. But it was undeniably a nicer instrument - pretty much perfect for fit and finish.
My 734A is great there too, but the BBP takes it the extra mile. You’ll see. It’s a top tier bass. I’d liken the difference to being like a Fender AmPro II vs a MIJ Fender - the MIJ’s are for all intents and purposes just as good, but the AmPros are just a tiny bit more polished and refined. That’s what you’re getting with the MIJ in this case.
Unless you want the preamp you aren’t missing anything with it.
