three

I'm amazed this is still here - fabulous amps and one of BC's finest gentlemen sellers. This is an utter bargain. I paid around £400 for mine new in 1989 or so. It was a fortune for me then but the tone and impact on other bass-players in the audiences made it worth every penny. I know that my Trace purchase triggered loads of others around the Manchester area... hang on a minute, PM incoming...

Thanks very much indeed for this - I'm blushing here! What a brilliant description of the tone - wiry and aggressive are perfect adjectives here - thank you!

I acquired this bass recently after looking for an excellent example for years (I managed to secure it in a trade with one of BC's most upstanding members). My search had focused on an XL2 from 1984, the transitional year in which the basses combined (in my opinion) the best bits from the L2 and some of the improvements that would take the instrument on its future pathway. Again in my opinion (and that of the Industrial Designers Society of America) this is an outstanding piece of industrial design - a re-think of the bass guitar from the bottom-up and some advancements that have taken root in contemporary instrument design and manufacture. For me, Ned is a gifted visionary. Enough of the hype, I'm not really a fan of this in ads. So, the basics (and I hope that the images will do most of the talking): 1984 XL2 Active EMG pickups (but not an active circuit) vol, vol, tone (the pots swivel turn very freely but are positive and effective) 1.5" nut - this takes DBE strings 34" scale Original plug-in rest (hurrah!) Original pivot plate Original bag (in good condition but has a slight chemical smell - the bag has been cleaned carefully and is spotless) The condition of this bass is outstanding - I haven't seen a cleaner one in many years. The bass has been played but clearly treated with care throughout its life. There is some very minor player-wear and the odd very small mark, however, for a bass of its age, this is in superb condition. The only flaws of which I'm aware are: The push in battery cover has a repaired crack (this cover appears to be entirely stable) The top strap pin on the pivot is cracked and a small segment is missing (a new delrin pin would be easily fashioned, so I'm told - I don't have the tools or expertise). I use the pin with a Fender grolsch type rubber washer) At some point in its life, somebody fitted two strap pins at the bottom of the bass and one behind the heel. These are very stable and whoever did it made a good job of the work. An unfortunate one though. A friend of mine in a high-end body shop offered to remove the pins and fill with epoxy, flatten and re-gel (about £30). To be honest, I didn't go down this route as I find the bass to be more comfortable on the 'new' pins than on the pivot plate.d The action and playability are legendary on these as is the tone (biblical). The action is currently extremely low (really very low) band the bass is fitted with a new set of Status 30-90 rounds. The tone is incredibly powerful - piano-like clarity as with an Alembic, though a brighter piano than the latter (for me Alembics have a darker piano tone). The stability of the XL2 is also legendary - this is an extremely strong bass and not as lightweight as one might imagine (I'd say around 8.5lbs). In light of the above, why the sale? Well, I'm struggling with back pain that is exacerbated by working from home. My home office needs a major make-over and this involves a new chair. Really good ergonomic chairs aren't cheap, indeed, neither are stand/sit desks and I need both. Also, though I'd love to keep this bass, it also exacerbates back pain. I moved almost exclusively to short-scale some years ago and the ergnomics of the Steinberger - although brilliantly conceived and executed - tend to push the neck out to the left and this involves a bit of a stretch for me. This is a problem over any kind of extended period. So with serious regret, this bass needs a new home. It was everything I'd dreamed it would be but I can't afford to be sentimental - I really need office furniture more than I need (IMO) the most brilliantly well-designed bass in the world. I've priced this at £1975 as I think this is probably very reasonable for a bass of this type in this condition - it's pretty special and it's an awful lot cheaper than others (most probably not as desirable) that are around at the moment. I'm not looking for any trades at all thanks, and I'm firm on the price. It's probably a significant bargain and I'm losing on this. There was a card in the pocket of the bag that indicates that the bass was sold for 2500 Euros in Italy in 2009. I'll include UK shipping in the price, though this is without insurance. I have a large box and tons of high-quality bubble wrap. I can ship in the UK and most of Europe (though there'll be a shipping charge - at cost - for the latter). Collection - socially and responsibly distanced - is possible in Manchester. If you need any specific images, or have any questions, please just ask.

Beautiful body contouring on these - looks like a bargain to me!

Fabulous luthier and fabulous bass - I agree entirely with the above! Crazy bargain - these are beautiful instruments and the equal of pretty much any contemporary hand-built in the UK

That's gorgeous - dots and bound makes me go weak at the knees. I'm thinking lollipops too

These are outstanding basses in every respect and this one is very special. The best Fender J-type necks I've ever played and the neck on this bass looks particularly impressive. I had my first JO from Davidak - a pillar of the BC community!

Absolutely love this too - I also saw JB testing his to destruction in Manchester last summer

Enjoyed the video - Johnny is a bit marmite (I actually quite like him) but he demonstrates very neatly the tonal possibilities/palette in this model. Outstanding and tonally the equal of Alembic’s more expensive models (not that any Alembic could be considered ‘budget’!)

Absolutely beautiful - staggering koa and one of the most expensive timbers in the Alembic catalogue (fabulously knowledgeable and honest ebayer too!)

This is giving me the vapours - the coolest bass I’ve seen in ages. About as rock’n’roll as it gets. One of BC’s most upstanding members too. Truly lovely

Love the way Chris has bookmatched the ramp

Oops! Sorry, long since sold!

Bound and dots does funny things to me - that is just gorgeous!

Hi, thanks for the very kind comment - I'm afraid that I don't have any clips (and unfortunately, don't have a means of producing any - another in that great pantheon of skills that has eluded me). This is probably pointless, but with the bridge pickup solo or favoured it sounds like a fairly nasal jazz, though with a bit more edge - and even a bit more volume than the Fenders I've had. On the neck pickup (solo or favoured) and played towards the neck, it's mellow and fat but retains its definition (all IMO of course!)

Without doubt, the finest bass preamp I've ever used. Thick, liquid, multi-dimensional tone and extreme accuracy from the eq. I'm not a fan of valve pres (and I've tried and used a lot) - for me, this is the perfect ss pre for both live and studio feed. Works beautifully with active and hifi basses

Thanks Martin, it's still here and still rather lovely. All packed and ready to go if there are any takers (and now with next day shipping included!)

Yikes! Utter bargain...

A Trace Elliot Series 6 AH200 head in head case and with slip cover. This is from the late '80s but is in outstanding condition - it looks months old rather than years and is by far the best example that I've seen... errr... since the late '80s. Bought on a nostalgic whim and I have no real use for it. Just a few scuffs on corners and really tiny and insignificant marks on the head case but otherwise really shiny and clean. The original slip cover is in reasonable condition but has some more significant signs of wear. Now the downside. I sold this a few weeks ago and it was returned. Apparently, the headphone jack has a problem (works on one channel?) and the line-out socket appear to have a fault (high-pitched whine). A mate of mine (brilliant electronics engineer) was on his way round to fix it and then we were locked-down. So, it's just hanging around and I'd rather move it on fast and cheap - probably a real bargain for anybody handy with a soldering iron (and the requisite knowledge - I wouldn't want anybody tinkering around without the latter - probably a bit dangerous). I should say that I'd never knowingly sell an item with a fault. I just hadn't used the headphone socket or line out xlr - everything else appeared to be working splendidly. Typical TE - both tonally and in terms of volume - brutally loud. Given the circumstances, this is shipping only and I'll include overnight shipping in the price. Any questions, please just ask.

Absolutely love this! What an incredibly cool bass

Utterly brilliant basses - everything about these is premium. IMO a real and positive departure from some of the shoddy practices that had dogged some (not all) production in the previous period. My favourite Fenders. This is a reasonable weight for an early one - some are nuts. They seemed to get a lot lighter in ‘82. Both the ‘82s I’ve played were just under 9lbs including the brass bridge. This one looks to be in really good condition for its age too - the metallic LPB often turns green (mine was on its way). Again, IMO an excellent price for a fantastic vintage Fender

Action issues aside, that looks like a beautifully contoured body. On the action issue, depending on relief, I’d have thought a shim too. Excellent advice from vinorange if you have the confidence/tools. If not, I’d be thinking of sitting this out and taking the bass to a good luthier - I’d recommend Jack’s if you’re travelling through Manchester