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Pricing and availability
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Description
The neck and body are moulded from one extremely rigid piece of carbon and glass-fibre reinforced plastic. This construction results in acoustical properties vastly superior to wood. The neck will not warp or bend, even under the highest string tension, eliminating the conventual truss rod system. This produces the ultimate tone in brilliance, clarity and extreme sustain. Tone is bright and alive, consistently responsive on all areas of the fingerboard (no dead spots), with unusual versatility and dynamic range. The carbon fibre construction makes the bass immune to expansion and contraction due to environmental changes, and immune to the otherwise degrading conditions of extremely humid or dry conditions.
Videos
mindhead2005
Headless Bass Shootout - Spirit XT-2 vs Hohner B2A vs Steinberger L2 vs Steinberger XL2.
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Steinberger L2.
Value and pricing
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Original Steinberger L2 models often fetch high prices due to collector demand, despite some players feeling they aren't worth the $2,400 market rate.
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Features and functionality
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The headless design is a unique feature that appeals especially to those needing a compact and portable bass for travel or practice.
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The Yamaha BX-1 is noted for its ability to fit standard strings, avoiding the need for scarce double-ball strings, and its perfect balance on a strap.
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The L2's double strap post design prevents the bass from falling over when leaned against an amp.
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User experience
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Owners note that playing the L2 requires adjustment, particularly due to the lack of a traditional armrest.
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Owners share that the Steinberger L2's solid molded graphite body contributes significantly to its distinctive tone and sustain, a feature they find unmatched by newer models.
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Lightweight and no neck dive make the L2 ideal for musicians with ergonomic concerns, such as those using a wheelchair.
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Use cases and applications
Comparisons
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The L2 is considered a premium instrument from its original era, distinct from current models under the Steinberger name after the Gibson acquisition.
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The Yamaha BX-1 is praised for emulating the Steinberger tone, featuring two P pickups under soapbar covers and a series/parallel coil-tap switch in the tone knob.
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The Steinberger Synapse offers a strap peg extender for more traditional bass positioning compared to the Spirit model.
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Mods and upgrades
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Some suggest installing specific EMG precision pickups to replicate the Steinberger L2 sound without purchasing the original, high-cost model.
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Setup and maintenance
4.5 out of 5
Based on 0 Reviews and 5 Ratings
Artist usage
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Geddy began using the Steinberger L2 during the Signals tour in 1982 and used it until he purchased an XL2 (improved version of the L2, scroll down for more) around 1985. Grace Under Pressure was recorded using the L2. He used it in the music videos for Mystic Rhythms and Distant Early Warning.
From a 1984 issue of Guitar World magazine: “I like the Steinberger a lot. I started using it just before the Signals tour, somebody said ‘try this’ and it sounded great. It’s got quite a different sound from my other bass-the bottom end is really rich, deep, it almost has a synthesized bottom end. It doesn’t sound like it should sound going by the theory that big-bodied basses have a deep, resonant sound. This has got a little plastic body with a battery in the back and the bottom end sounds rich as hell. It doesn’t sound natural, but it sounds real interesting. On some of the new songs I like the punch of the Steinberger but on some of the older things like ‘Digital Man‘ I still use the Rickenbacker. I still love the Rickenbacker and I’m actually more comfortable on it. I sort of feel obligated in a way to represent its sound on the songs that were written around it. It’s kind of nice to switch back and forth.”
Sting can be seen on the cover of guitar world magazine holding his Steinberger L2.
At 1:08 in the video, it is seen clearly that John was playing a Steinberger L2 bass (which surprised be because I never thought he used them). It only appears he used it in a few songs on the "Face Dances" album (1981), the song above "Don't Let Go The Coat" being one of them.
In this video we can se Mike playing a fretless Steinberger L2 bass, recording "Second Home by the Sea".
In this video (2:30) he mentions that in 1984 one of his main basses was a Steinberger.
Pratt's L2 was stolen in the 1990's and has never been found. It's serial number was 712.
In this photo, Benjamin is shown using his Steinberger L2 bass. He purchased it in 1982 (after the devastating apartment fire that destroyed much of his gear, including his silver StingRay, Ibanez Rocket Roll V, Vox basses,etc.), and used it on and off throughout the rest of his life.
Smith purchased the bass in September of 1982 with the intent of exclusively using it for live performances, but it ended up being used in the studio for their first album The Hurting and second album Songs From The Big Chair.
In an over the phone interview with Tony Bacon in 1984 Smith said, "We had trouble getting a bass sound on the album and I went through a few basses, a Yamaha BB1200, an Aria Pro, and an Alembic, but we still had trouble getting a roundness and a depth. The Alembic was the best of those, but still wasn't smooth enough. I use the Steinberger all the time now. I'm going to get another bass for studio work but I wouldn't want to use anything other than the Steinberger for live."
After the conclusion of the Big Chair Tour in 1985 it is alleged he gave the bass to their monitor engineer.
He has not used a Steinberger since and the whereabouts of the bass are unknown.
According to Wikivisually, Jean-Jacques Burnel has used the Steinberger L2 bass guitar.
Album Usage
The Steinberger L2 has been featured on the following albums:
Sesión 3000
Lucybell (2025)
Engel 07 (Remaster)
Hubert Kah (2024)
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears for Fears (1985)
Grace Under Pressure
Rush (1984)
Goldene Zeiten
Hubert Kah (1984)
The Hurting
Tears for Fears (1983)
Frontiers (2023 Remaster)
Journey (1983)
That's All / Second Home by the Sea
Genesis (1983)
Signals
Rush (1982)
Face Dances
The Who (1981)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Steinberger L2, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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