The Steinberger Spirit XT-25 Standard (White) is a 5-string electric Bass which comes in the same body design as its ancestors from the 1980s and offers the legendary playability and no-nonsense optics. 2x passive humbuckers, Steinberger DoubleBall Bridge and the Direct Pull tuning system round out the set-up of the Spirit XT-2.
Humbuckers & Passive Electronics
2x Steinberger humbuckers are in both neck and bridge positions and are used in conjunction with a passive electronic circuit, which consists of 2x Volume and 1x Tone potentiometer. This delivers versatile tone colours for almost any musical genre, able to create heavy emphasis on the low end to rocky mid-growl to the dry sound of funky slaps.
Steinberger Hardware
Double Ball-End strings are hung in the tailpiece at the front of the neck and from there via a zero collar in the direction of the body. Here, the strings stop at the Steinberger DoubleBall bridge, whose Direct Pull tuners (with a 40:1 ratio) guarantee precise tuning of all strings. A leg-rest can be unfolded on the underside of the body, if the player finds it more comfortable.
The main features of the Steinberger Spirit XT-25 Standard (White) include:
My first 5-string, it takes some getting used to. The strings are very close together (more so than my Fender Jazz), and it's strange that there is no body to rest your forearm on whilst playing. A strap helps a lot. I would prefer the neck to be less glossy, as I think the shine hinders any real playing at speed.
Really, this is a bass to play 80's music on in a showy way. I'm looking forward to trying it with effects, and maybe use it at gigs. I'm also thinking of buying a new set of strings, making it a 'high C' configuration instead of a 'low B' - Steinberger sell these online, so I know it's possible!
Great fun and great looks for the price.