Steinberger XL2 1987 £3000 Brighton

[hen barn]

Steinberger XL2 1987 

 

A rare opportunity to buy a 80s iconic bass.

 

I’ve have been asked to sell this on behalf of a friend. 

I was playing at my local pub just before Xmas and the landlord said to me that he had a Steinberger upstairs. I asked him how /why and he said that he bought back in 80s just to collect . 

I took it home and since had it all checked out by a local collector expert. 

So based on the serial number it was made end of April, beginning of May 1987. 

It’s not been played in years but I just put a new battery in it and it played (still in tune!)

The only problem is it didn’t come with the backplate. But has got 2 metal aftermarket bars that I believe to be a replacement. 

I have since found a guy on BC from Finland that can make them from a mould he has but he said he needs the weather to warm up before he can make one. (120euros + shipping)

So I’m putting the feelers out there. A chance to own a rear 80s iconic bass. 

He is looking for offers around the £3k price and includes hard case and gigbag. 

If you are interested I have the bass in Hove Sussex if you want to come and try it . 

[PaulThePlug]

Very Nice...

But i'll have to stick with my Hohner B2, and Myopia 🤣

[three]

This looks like a lovely example.  Has the EMG logo simply worn-off the pickups?

 

I was fortunate enough to own a transitional XL2 for a while.  They sound like nothing else, in the best possible way, for me.  The downside was ergonomics - a personal issue, but I simply couldn't find a way to make the bass easily/comfortably playable either sitting or standing (using the plug-in hardware seen on some transitionals).  Plenty of others had no problem throughout the '80s and beyond.  Rare and desirable - the first serious and successful iteration of bass guitar design IMO  

[Lozz196]

Whoa, not often a real one is seen up for grabs

[hen barn]

17 minutes ago, three said:

This looks like a lovely example.  Has the EMG logo simply worn-off the pickups?

 

I was fortunate enough to own a transitional XL2 for a while.  They sound like nothing else, in the best possible way, for me.  The downside was ergonomics - a personal issue, but I simply couldn't find a way to make the bass easily/comfortably playable either sitting or standing (using the plug-in hardware seen on some transitionals).  Plenty of others had no problem throughout the '80s and beyond.  Rare and desirable - the first serious and successful iteration of bass guitar design IMO  

The EMG logo still there just faded abit 

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Groovy !

[cloudburst]

Great basses. I traded my black XL2A a while back to a fellow basschatter in return for a Yamaha BB5000. I still have my white XL2 and will never part with it. Great travel bass too, not just because of size, but because they just stay in tune.

 

CB

[Hellzero]

It's always a pleasure when people are grateful...

[Burns-bass]

11 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

It's always a pleasure when people are grateful...

?

[fabbabass]

Nice bass and very good nick! If you can find someone who can 3D print, that may be an option. I still have the backplate on mine and we could maybe work something out to use it as a pattern. You can also check out the Steinberger info on the web, I found the very day mine was made with the serial number. 
 

walk the dinosaur bass! Tone monsters

 

GLWTS

[diddywah]

Really nice bass, but those strap buttons shouldn't be there....not original.

The original "Boomerang" shaped backplate with strap buttons each end of it is essential for the ergonomics of this bass. With it the bass balanced perfectly on that screw point on the back.  You can tighten the screw and have the bass in a fixed position, or you can loosen it and swing around that point. Absolutely no neck dive or rising... You can even swing it from a right-hand to a leftie😅

But that's fixable on this one of course 

[cloudburst]

Yep - the boomerang makes such a difference. I’d just add that XL2s are much heavier than they look and the boomerang’s mount point being right on the CoG of the bass made the instrument feel “weightless”, even during lengthy gigs.

 

Here’s something crying out for a 3D print pattern.

 

CB

Edited 5 hours ago by cloudburst

[roger]

I had an L2 but it was basically a piece of 'art' i occasionally looked at and didn't really play, an absolute classic in my mind and i'd love to see this produced again in resin/graphite (can't be that hard can it)??? just with a flatter (front to back) neck profile and a 42mm nut (IMHO), apparently Ned took advice from Stanley Clarke for the neck profile of the L2!, shame about the drill holes though but easily filled i guess, whatever you may read its still just a lump of resin easily filled with yacht epoxy🤷‍♂️

[roger]

16 hours ago, Hellzero said:

It's always a pleasure when people are grateful...

🤣🤷🏼 bizarre!

[diddywah]

My L2 was my one and only bass for 25 years. Studio and touring. Summer and winter. Great bass. Great tone. Great performance overall and super stable.

I had to get used to wooden basses and their quirks again when I eventually started acquiring more basses. (Thanks to communities like this😅)