Hohner Steinberger types Reviews 
4 / 5 based on 1 reviewsUsed, various models, none
cost over $350.
I now play or formerly played:
B2B bolt-on with EMG PJs [upgrade]
B2A-FL thru-neck fretless, OEM active
B2A-V thru-neck 5-string.
All are very compact, have a useful
variety of tone, are comfortable and
fast to play, and stay in tune come
rain or come shine. The Steinberger
tuning bridge is a pleasure.
The fretless has a phenolic finger
board and I really like the sound of
it. I've owned other phenolic board
FL basses so I know it's the material
that is making that sound, a whine
like an insect chorus.
The B2B is their least expensive and
the thru-neck joints on the "better"
models are no sleeker than the bolt
joint of the B2B. This make the B2B
a great platform for the upgraded PJ
pickup of your preference.
B2A has dual humbuckers and active
EQ that I find just right in a
vintage sort of way [this is after
all a fretless].
The B2A-V 5-string has JJ PUPs and a
truly killer EQ and pre-amp. This
is the one friends love to borrow.
Both OEM active models have a switch
for passive that plays even if the 9v
system dies. Passive has gain but no
tone control.
Answer to the BIG Question: Yes I
have real Steinberger and yes it
sounds even better [but it cost 4X
as much]. Our Diva favors it for
quiet Bistro venue gigs but even at
deafening blues jams I get comments
about the sound of the Steinberger.
But such comments are always from
players [up playing or in audience].
General consumers of entertainment
apparently do not notice or care.
The string spacing on the B2A-V
5-string is very narrow; and it
has some typical single coil hum.
It would be nice if there were
tone control available in passive
mode, making it more of a tonal
option than just a backup mode.
There are no major negatives to
these basses, in my opinion.
As described, some are thru-neck
and some are bolt-on. AFAIK they
are all maple throughout. The
Steinberger licensed bridges all
seem solid smooth and durable.
The neck rods work well and are
accessed at the tip of the neck,
very easy with no peghead there.
One must take care opening the
control box to access the battery
on the B2A-V: The pre-amp is on
the back side of the cover and is
connected to the rest of the EQ
system with fine, but not very
long, wires.
The overall impression is a solid
build that is fully trustworthy
for any situation.
These are no-nonsense tools that
are easy to pack or carry, light
enough to play all night, with
enough tonal range for most any
player. Whole string sets can
be swapped in and out quickly so
you can pack flats, both light
and heavy roundwounds, and any
set can be replaced and in-tune
in minutes. If you'd rather play
than obsess over fancy wood and
signature-edition instruments, the
Hohners reward you by delivering
reliably and not burdening your
back or crowding your vehicle or
the stage. If you ride public
transit, you'll love them.
I'm rating them "4" because the
"real-thing" steinberger XL2A is
proof that these Hohners can be
surpassed within their own genre.
If you would argue that the XL2a
is in a seperate genre, bump the
rating on the Hohners up to 5.
Golem rated this unit
on
2003-01-23.
