Steinberger Spirit XT-25 Review

Great bass, heavier than you'd think

I live this bass.It is much heavier than you'd think, butt it's a great bass.The gig bag is garbage.

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Steinberger bass

Bought for my son . He has spirit 4 string bass. Sounds nice.

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Very Satisfied

I have owned a Steinberger Spirit guitar for more than 20 years. It has served me well, and when I decided to write and record bass for my songs, the Steinberger 5 string Spirit was my choice. Excellent tone, super stable tuning (just like the guitar), clean white paint, and that beautiful low B string! 5 star rating if the setup had eliminated some minor string buzz. I will… read more get that done at a local shop.

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Steinberger Spirit XT-25

I had a Schecter Diamond Crimson Ghost bass I got new from England. Bill S. wanted it bad. I said if you buy this Spirit XT-25 from Sweetwater, I will swap with you. He did . It was on order for a while. It came to Bill's in Ar. last Thursday, we swapped Friday. I played it this weekend. Now all my Fender P and JP basses and various others are for sale. Thanks Sweetwater… read more for another great product! Action was set perfect, intonation was dead on and the pickups are killer.. Ben.

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Great and lightweight

I've had one of these for a few years now, and in its current condition, it is perfectly balanced, easy on the shoulder due to its light weight and sounds great with the stock EMG pickups installed. Mine is modified, however, so the out-of-the-box bass you see here isn't as cool. There are a number of modifications I made, which I will not enumerate here, but the most significant… read more is the installation of a Steinberger strap hook (as found on the Synapse series), resulting in the perfect balance I mentioned. With the stock strap buttons, it is a bit neck-heavy, drooping to the floor whenever you let it go. It isn't a big chore to install, but I recommend having it done by a competent woodworker to avoid negative consequences. I did my own installation because I am that guy. In every other way, this is an excellent investment. The EMG pickups are a good choice, as they are responsive in all ranges, with plenty of upper mids to make you stand out in the mix. I run my EQ flat at the amp, and have a very balanced sound. The light weight is a real blessing, a far cry from those old-school basses that weigh a ton. You may not think it, but the lack of an upper cutaway actually gives you a better view of the upper end of the fingerboard. With the frets here being so close together, there is a greater potential for error, so a clear and unobstructed view is essential if you play north of the 12th fret. I do, so this is a big plus in my book. The ease and simplicity of tuning or changing strings is at the core of the Steinberger design. The double ball end strings make changing strings and tuning practically idiot-proof. The tuners being integrated into the bridge and using a simple micrometer-style constant-tension system makes the tuning extremely stable, and the three-piece maple neck running the length from end to end makes it also resistant (but not immune) to temperature and humidity changes. Anyone who has done a show outside after dark knows how significant a temperature change can be. I've been playing over 40 years, and of all the instruments I've had over the years, this is my favorite, outstripping the competition in every significant way. Mine is every bit as good as the most flexible active EQ systems out there, with a passive system onboard! A real feat, in my opinion, I've certainly never encountered something like this before. The bridge is also unique in another way: The string spacing is a lot closer than other 5-string basses. It's almost as if they fit five strings into the same space as four would fit. Since I play with my fingers (mostly), this has increased my ability to divide my whole notes by 32 and still hit the notes on other strings more easily than with a conventional 5-string. Sure, it's unusual, but I consider it a big positive and I won't have it any other way. Other than being neck-heavy out of the box, this is the best bass I've seen, and there is a reason I have one and will soon have another. I now need a black one to go with "Whitey", with the same modifications I used on this one. After all these years, I have finally found my dream instrument, and I'll never go back from here. Buy it, try it, you'll love it! If not, simply contact your Sweetwater rep and he'll take care of you in typical Sweetwater style: Outstanding! Trust me, they aren't anticipating that call...you're really gonna love this bass!

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