Market Survey for Steinberger/Spirit guitars

[Guest]

Hi geetarists,

Just wanna hear your views, tots, and desires (if any) on the "headless", compact, and very portable guitar invented quite a while ago. (i apologise if such thread/topic had already been created)

http://www.steinberger.com/

and for low-ballers like me, the much cheaper "Spirit by Steinberger" brand, all wood, no graphite, but still a good copy.

anyone ever bought direct from musicyo.com?
http://www.musicyo.com/brandland.asp?dept_id=3

some weeks ago, i messaged one of the local guitar shopkeepers here, but i think either he is too busy to reply me about the shop's interest to bring in such brand, or, he doubts there is a market for such gear (not forgetting all the accessories like the brigde, the double-ended strings, replacement parts, etc)

If both Steinberger and Spirit guitars are made available in S'pore, will you get one? For prices, just click on the link to musicyo to get an idea. For me, I'll be very interested to get the Spirit version. Do share. Who knows? Someone may just start to bring in, as a result of this thread. :wink:

btw, Steinberger is under the Gibson family, so, hmmm, not sure if this will have something to do with that big local music shop.

ok, now, for some drooling...

I'm an AgingAdult, so i need lighter gear to slow down the development process of neck/shoulder/back/knees problems... :lol: *cough*cough*

 

[edder]

I'd buy a Synapse baritone with the rolling capo, in fact I almost ordered online but then I've got bills to pay so....

Anyway I've started a thread on the Synapse before.

I own a Spirit boat paddle guitar.

Built quality is SO SO.
Sound is CRAP with the stock pickups, probably crap with others as well other than the almighty active EMGs that sounds the almost same on every guitar.
Tremolo knife edge and tremolo post are not very durable. Mine has got EXTRA grooves. Wang the bar and it lodge itself to another groove. Unusable now.
Neck is THICK.
Strings are hard to find and even if you find it... $$$. Swee Lee and Davis stock them.

Steinberger is sold by Musicyo which is also owned by Gibsun.... Gibson. I don't expect them to sell wholesale to any dealers at all.

But after all that is said, Ned Steinberger remains to be my favourite designer. I love the idea of the Synapse. The Spirit series are just low cost option not representative of what Steinberger is all about.

 

[gsonique]

I'm an AgingAdult, so i need lighter gear to slow down the development process of neck/shoulder/back/knees problems... *cough*cough*

Orchard Towers for instant cure ...

 

[hopeandanchor]

ok, now, for some drooling...

How the hell does one drool over that, puke yeah but drool? imo it looks fugly, though I'm sure it has it's uses...

 

[Guest]

Edder, thanks for your sharing.

For the Spirit copy, perhaps one can handle it with more care to make it last longer. Being a wood copy, we can't expect it to be like the original graphite one that can take any abuse. I think i saw some videos on how Ned Steinberger demonstrated the guitar's strength... Amazing... 8O

For Spirit copy's "EMG Select" pickups, we can always change them.

Yes, the Synapse baritone with rolling capo is very cool. :smt023

Goose, no lah, can't chiong already, tired liao. I rather spend time and money on GAS-ing :rock:

 

[Guest]

yes, hopeandanchor, don't you know? Such guitars can also become:

1. Boat paddles
2. baseball bats
3. brooms & mops (need extra attachments)
4. firewood (Spirit only, pls don't burn the Steinberger graphite)
5. hangers
6.

the list goes on... :lol:

Edder, what's yours becoming?

 

[tany]

some ppl like me fancy the traditional headstock look. personally i dont really like such a guitar.

 

[subversion]

I'm an AgingAdult, so i need lighter gear to slow down the development process of neck/shoulder/back/knees problems... :lol: *cough*cough*

greying eh? you're not alone...

interested in that guitar BUT there must be a dealer for double ball end strings...

 

[edder]

For the Spirit copy, perhaps one can handle it with more care to make it last longer.

the problem is not that it can't last. The guitar is still in one piece.

mechanical parts like tremolo fulcrum WILL wear if you use em. I hardly so I just lock it. YES, there is a TREMOLO LOCK built into the R trem FREE! hahaha....

Its the inherant tone that is lacking. My verdict is ONLY active EMGs can make this guitar paddle work. Believe me, I've tried some other brands on it already.

My Spirit was assigned to be a throw around everywhere around my workbench as a signal generator when I was doing standard mods and repairing stuff. Don't need a good and BIG sized guitar for such work. Plus its so handy, can lean and stand anywhere. Fall down also no heart pain.

 

[edder]

I'm an AgingAdult, so i need lighter gear to slow down the development process of neck/shoulder/back/knees problems... :lol: *cough*cough*

greying eh? you're not alone...

interested in that guitar BUT there must be a dealer for double ball end strings...

the synapse can use regular string.

The Spirit series had an accessory locking head piece sold separately for regular strings but very hard to find now. Musicyo used to sell em.

 

[hopeandanchor]

Expensive hanger =\

 

[Guest]

Sub, how can your collection be complete without a Steinberger? 8)

 

[subversion]

on the contrary, what i own isn't a 'collection'- i happen to come across guitars i like & bought them...

synapse's 'headstock' area rather repulsive...

i don't mind this either:

 

[edder]

how about this then? another one of my fav.

 

[shioks76]

Actually always wanted to own 1. 2 probs, not available here. Even if u buy online and have it shipped, steinbergers require special strings. Double ball end strings i believe. Too much of a hassle. Also a bit risky to get something you've never tried/heard b4.

 

[Guest]

that is why we need a local dealer, so that all the risks can be transferred to him... e.g. we can test out the gear, we're sure there's spare parts available, strings especially, go back to the shop for after-sales support, etc, etc.

if there's a market and potential that the market will grow, i think it's worth the risk for the local dealer.

a win-win thing isn't it?

okay, another pair:

not forgetting the bass:

 

[SoulJah]

I've played the original Steinbergers in Singapore years and years ago at Sweelee, I believe they used to bring it in.

But a lot has changed since then, and as indicated by Edder, Steinberger is now under guitar conglomerate Gibson...if there's any chance you're gonna see them here in Singapore. It's gonna be at Sweelee for sure.

I believe that is the reason why Jacksons went from City Music to Sweelee...the company was recently brought under FMIC.

I was in love with the M series (same headless design as the Synapse just that with a regular double cutaway guitar body), and S series, same as M but with a headstock and Steinberger gearless tuners. Been lusting for the longest time.

But from what I hear the new ones churned out since Gibson took over are really lacking in quality.

Sadness.

Honestly speaking, from a purely marketing perspective, Steinbergers won't work here in Singapore. Our market here moves mostly in trend based waves. Unless Gibson finds some new poster boy to play Steinbergers, there may be a possibility that it will never take off here in Singapore. Don't get me wrong I'm sure there are a lot of progressive forward thinking design oriented guitarists out there, but in terms of numbers, I don't think it's enough to justify a dealer to distribute these guitars here.

For all those interested do check out this website...

http://www.steinbergerworld.com/

The single most power pack Steinberger resource on the net!

 

[edder]

if i were ever to be in the retail business... steinberger = death of my business.

 

[0vid]

The general theory that EMGs or Alembic pickups nullify instrument characteristics is not really true. I have several instruments with these pickups and I generally prefer their characteristics but the overall net result has quite a bit of variance. I have 5 basses I made with Alembic guts and whilst they have an Alembic character they are not the same, the variance largely being in tonal response. All of them have various forms of construction and various body types.

One year visiting SG, I bought an emergency lefty Yamaha to use in a jam session - it sounded OK, but when I got to back I put Emgs, Alembics whatwever and it wasn't really tonally better, the match resulted in something way too nasally bright to be tonally useful for me. It now has a passive Bartolini and one stock cheap Yamaha pickup.

I had a Hohner Stgeinberger licenced lefty, and I had EMG SA/SA/89 in it after a while. It sounded like EMGs but the spacing for the pickups meant that the in between positions for this 24 fret instrument was weak because of more phase cancellation than you'd want. Tonally I prefered the cheap Hohner pickups, they were more responsive, although the Emgs are more balanced. I used this for travelling jams, and it was OK but never satisfying. I got tired of this instrument and put a locking Floyd rose nut clamp so you could use any string - this is an invasive woodworking mod - if you have no experience don't do it. It worked but I got really tired of this instrument and stripped it all apart. All the bits are in the garage.

Edder if you want the SA/SA/89 pm me a mailing address and I'll pop it in the post. You can send some money to a registered charity not associated with dialysis, for your karma. You may need some 25k pots and associated wiring. The HB pickup has a coil tap, and I think it has the 25K push pull pot. I have no use and no plans for these pickups and they have been in the garage for more than 2 years...must be 4 or 5 years now.

 

[hub37]

I've played the original Steinbergers in Singapore years and years ago at Sweelee, I believe they used to bring it in.

But a lot has ...........

u really do your homework, thanks for the details, chris

There was once I wanted to get one Steinbergers when I was going overseas for a mid-term period, coz of it's shorter length.

I may still get one in the future, the M series does look the best to me cosmetically among all.