Steinberger GLB

Before you laugh at the pricer I paid..please realize that mine has a T TREM!!!!!!!!I was one of the lucky ones!! Just picked up a T Trem equipped white GLB. They only made a few and sold them all within minutes. I was very lucky to get one. This is the rarest of the rare. Literally only a few T Trem GLB's were ever made. Other than the Trem, everything is the same as the S Trem equipped GLB. No issues with the Moses neck, it is perfect. I have heard that they have gotten much better than a few years ago. I like the EMG 85's.

I play mellow to hard (old school type) rock. Hey, I am an old guy, almost 50. Just finished recording Poison Heart by the Ramones...I don't usually do covers, but I had this song stuck in my head for two weeks..so I figured...record it and move on. I generally use my Peavey Prowler tube amp. Sometimes straight. Sometimes with a Bad Monkey. Once i awhile I use a Korg AX1500G when the mood strikes me. To me this guitar sounds great for all applications.

The action was high from the factory. I set it pretty low and no buzzing problems. I did have to tweak the truss rod to get it set the way I like it...a big advantage to the Moses necks IMHO. Sure I'd love to get my hands on an original GL, but it ain't gonna happen because I refuse to pay $3K and up for a guitar.

The guitar seems very sturdy. Heavier than you would think. Very solid.

I have dealt with Music Yo before and they were very good. I have bought and returned a GM before and they have been very easy to deal with.

I have been playing about 40 years. I don't really own much anymore. Just the amp and FX mentioned above. I have bought and sold a ton of guitars over the last few years. I own a Gibson Custom Shop non reverse Firebird 2002, had to have it because my first real guitar was a 66 Firebird. I don't play it much though it looks and sounds and plays great. It is just so huge once you get used to a Steiny. I say buy any GLB if you ever get the chance. I think they will go up in value because Music Yo either will stop making them or only make a few here and there. The T Trem model will certainly go up in pricer. There is a new T Trem on Ebay right now going for almost as much as I paid for the entire guitar! Plus I bought the guitar for $1099 the day before the price went up to $1350. What a deal!!

Same features as the others. Convienent size that fits into a hardshell case that looks like a flute case on steriods from the outside. My opinion, the neck profile reminds me of a 60's neck profile that Gibson is putting on their newer Les Paul's, frets are the same size as those too. I REALLY like this profile better than the older profile of the Newburgh era guitars (which remind me of a 50's neck). The top strap button (the one nearest the neck) is pretty close to the neck joint, so get a strap with a small strap end or put straploks on it. Also, the folding leg rest sits directly on your lacquer paint job. No biggy, just something I thought was odd. The electronics cavity doesn't allow for an real modification since what it comes with is about all the room there will be. The pickup selector switch is VERY small and I have to look to see what position it is in. Anyways, great features if that is all I have to bitch about.

Very nice. A bit trebly even and I have to roll off the tone knob where I would usually keep it al the way up. I have owned a Newburgh era GM4T before, and compared to its sound, I really like this much better. It sounds more like an ordinary guitar than the signature Steinberger sound (some love it, some leave it). The EMG85's sound good in this particular application, even though I normally prefer 81's. Sounds good both clean and dirty through all my amps (Boogie MkIV, Boogie RectOVerb, Marshall JCM900, and Vox AD30).

This one was very well made. Everything fit well, nice tight neck joint. Polished frets are well dressed (with one or two high frets that buzz in certain spots). I especially like the matte finish on the neck as opposed to the old gel coat. The addition of a truss rod gave the ability to bow the neck just slightly and get the action just where I wanted it. The S-trem works fine, though it doesn't seem as well made and mechanically tight (when turning the tuning knobs) as I remember the Transtrem being. I returns to center pretty accurately, though not exactly, but no tremolo does. Being able to lock it is a nice feature. One other thing, since this is the first time I have played a guitar that is so small, the body shaped does take a little getting used to. It reminds my right arm and right hand of playing an explorer or V-shaped guitar since I mainly play double cutaway guitars. Sitting down and playing it isn't a fluent change either since the body is smaller. I am not complaining and realize that all of this is intentional, I just wanted to point it out.

I have no clue. I am not a working musician, but it stays in tune from day to day very well. It should do well over time since the neck is composite, the pickups are EMG's and they have a great track record. The only possible weakness is worn bearings or worn jaw on the S-trem. Even that would take years and years, and hell, it isn't a Transtrem, so it isn't as big a deal. Hopefully parts will be available in the future, I can't say I am optomistic.

I bought this second hand, but have dealt with MusicYo in the past. They are pretty good and will fix any problems that may come up. Just be patient and keep in mind that a living person is hard to come by if problems occur. But, they seem to want to do good. I think overcritical people have tried to give them a bad rap while not considering the circumstances they operate in.

I was in the market for a GL?T when I bought this GLB off of eBay. I had been watching evilbay for a while and after missing a GL4T with a type I transtrem, I was getting anxious. Some other GL's came up, but they had fret issues, which you can't deal with just anywhere, and it will be costly regardless. AND, given the age of these instruments, the Transtrem will need new bearings (learned that on my GM). I really don't want to spent a lot of money for a lot of work too. So, I just had to admit to myself, the Transtrem, while a neat, NEAT idea, is overrated, very badly overrated. I was in the boat thinking they were great, denying that I had to constantly adjust it for it to work correctly and drop tunings (even D) sounded lousy. You can't put anything more than 10's on it, so I just gave up. They are like Harly-Davidson's. If you love them, you forget they are constantly needing work and the ride really isn't that good. Then I pondered the Synapse line that is on the market now. The transcale is a great improvement to the transtrem idea, and I think it will work much better. The only way to tune down and have it sound decent is to lengthen the scale. But, being the cynic I am, I see the Synapse as another ill-fated story waiting to unfold. Parts are going to wear out and Gibson will lose interests when sales aren't just super, then you have Synapse owners trying to find parts from one guy who can charge anything he wants. So, my advice, buy up these US Steinbergers while you can from MusicYo. Realistically, Gibson isn't going to offer a $1000 US made GLB when it can make more money off selling an $800 SS-2. So, I predict these US made Steiny's (the GM's and GR's too) at MusicYo will last as long as the current inventory of parts lasts. Currently they aren't a priority and they are the best value out there.

Maple body, Moses graphite neck dual EMG's same as others below. Great trem! Smooth, articulate and stays in tune no matter what. Tons of features for a small body.

This is a greart sounding 'berger. No, it doesn't sound like an ES-335, or a Strat, or a Les Paul. You shouldn't expect it to. It sounds like a Steinberger. Its got its own thing going on. Sounds best cranked through a good half stack. Very responsive, moreso than the all graphite GL's I've owned. I use it with a variety of tube and modeling amps. Great for recording as it adds a uniquw voice to mix in.

Very well built. No flaws. Perfect finish. All guitars need to be setup to your personal taste. This one was easily customized to my liking. Tight neck joint, low action, intonation set correctly and truss rod set just right. Plays great. Fun guitar to have in the collection and I have 2 or more of everything. No issues here

I prefer this one to the all graphite GLs of the past. I've owned 4 or 5 of those over the years and always sold them due to the lack of resonance and tone. This one is a keeper. The adjustable neck alone simply blows away the old model. Being able to tweak your truss rod is key to tailoring the feel of a guitar. One small gripe...strap buttons a tiny. You'll want to replace these.

Musicyo is awesome if need service. I wouldn't hesistate to buy from them again. The steinberger users group on yahoo is awesome too!

Been playing 30 years with well known artists, both on stage and in the studio. I own several LPs, SGs, ES335s, V's, Strats, RGs, etc. This has it's place among them. I'd buy it again if lost or stolen. Too cool!

2004 U.S.A GLB.85+85 Humbuckers etc,etc

It actually sounds not too bad played thru a Beringer v-amp pro.Not having played it in a cranked live setting,I guess it might be okay.

This is where the guitar really sucks ass.When I first took it out of the box,it was filthy with fingerprints.(I bet it was one of the returns other people here have been saying).The action was so high it was ridiculous,and to top it off there is a nice little dent on the $450 S-trem.Also the fretboard width at the 24th fret is a ridiculously thin 2 1/8 in.

They shipped it out fast,however,I paid well for it.And with shipping,duty and handling charges it is the primary reason I didn't send it back. Hey! now I know how they can get rid of all their returned guitars. Sell them out of Country.

After spending a good amount of time setting up and dialing in this guitar,and getting used to the skinny fret board(the neck profile is a standard easy to play type). Ya see what I'm saying here? Across the fretboard is skinny. Anyway, overall its not a bad guitar when you are forced to tweak it-when its to costly to send back.I guess kinda like a guys wife would be.

Blah Blah check here, http://www.musicyo.com/product_specs.asp?pf_id=897

The Music yo site states that this guitar was Inspired by the legendary all-graphite GL-series, maybe a little in looks but that's it! first of all it's a bolt on, which doesn't sound nearly as good as my GP does. I have also played for over 35 years, and own many real Steinbergers, this guitar does not sound like, nor is it recommended if your looking for the old Steinberger sound, but i still give it a 4 because someone who plays hard or metal might find it of use.

Oh my, what can i say.....i think the first one i received was the one the other guy returned!! what crap, neck problem is putting it lightly, even after a Pro setup it buzzed and it and was still dead in spots. I don't know what the problem is, my tech said Moses would probably be interested in this problem, if it's a quality control issue or what, i really do like Moses necks, i have done business with them in the past without any problems. The second one was also returned because of neck and finish problems. This gets a 1.

I don't want to waste anyones time by ranting, but if you order one of these, make sure you look it over well, and pay close attention to the workmanship!

They took them back, that's always a good thing.

I've been playing live since the Beatles broke up, you do the math. The bottom line is i know when i'm buying crap, if a product is not up to par or faulty, my thing has always been to tell as many people as possible, that way, it will force the powers that be to take a look at the problem and rectify it. I'm sure there will be some people out there that will love this guitar, or maybe are to embarrassed to admit they got taken and sell it, simply because it's not worth the money! I usually don't do reviews, but for a guitar that costs $1000.00, i had to make an exception this time. No email address left, i don't feel a need to debate the finer points of these guitars, or of this review. Good luck!

Ordered the GLB direct from MusicYo.com in December of '03, same features as the guitar mentioned in an earlier review (EMG 85s, S-trem, etc.). mine's finished black, which picks up fingerprints easily (you should really wipe down your guitar w/ a cloth after playing anyway) but seems very durable and hasn't chipped or dented yet, despite being lugged all over town for the last 4 months. i recently moved to New Orleans from California, and i bought the GLB as an all-in-one instrument; something relatively unaffected by climate/humidity changes, portable, and capable of a variety of sounds. The hardshell case is heavy and rugged.

as i said, i bought this guitar to play a variety of styles. it sees the most mileage playing jazz, but i also use it for all sorts of other oddities (mostly fusion-y, loopish, churning, textural madness). i find the GLB to be a surprisingly good jazz instrument, despite the unending supply of questioning/puzzled/angry looks it gets from the archtop crowd when i pull it out of its case. somehow the combination of the EMG 85s, graphite neck, s-trem and maple body add up to a clear, full, bell-like tone: brighter and chimey on the bridge p/up, darker and warmer on the neck, but always with loads of sustain and unobtrusive upper harmonics. i play it through a variety of tube and solid-state amps, inc. fenders and polytones, as well as a few effects (delays, reverb, overdrive, etc). the pickups are dead slient, never had any problems with hum even when the guy with the ES-175 next to me is fighting it.
it's easy to dismiss the GLB's sound as 'sterile' since the pickups really don't add a great deal to the tone of the instrument itself- the neck and body really resonate nicely when played with a light to moderate attack, and the trick i use to really pull a great tone out involves really lightening up my touch and letting the EMGs do more of the work. after all, this isn't a strat or les paul so why would you expect it to sound like one? it sounds like a steinberger, and i happen to like it.

it arrived with 10's and a medium action, a little high for me but definitely workable. since it was shipped directly to me, i gave it a throrough inspection when it arrived and found no noticable flaws. after about 15 minutes of adjusting the bridge saddles (not tough to do, but those are some tiny holes!) and experimenting with pickup heights i had a sound very close to the one i described earlier. the only problem i've had with the instrument is a loose screw on the side of the volume knob which led the knob to slip off the shaft a few times before i was able to properly tighten it. it hasn't slipped in over a month now.

i play out with the GLB at least once a week and it goes with me to rehearsals on a daily basis. i have yet to encounter any problems. the s-trem is solid and stays in tune better than any vibrato system i've tried so far. the closely spaced tuners can be tricky on a dark stage, but it takes time to get the feel of a trem model i'd never played before. finish still looks black and even. the strap buttons are of good size and i haven't had any strap slippage yet (fingers crossed). since the headless double-ball string system allows for quick string changes i often take only the GLB to gigs, albeit with plenty of extra strings and a spare 9-volt for the active pickups should something nasty happen. i have yet to break a string while playing (maybe it's those curved, lower-friction bridge saddles).

ordered online through musicyo, so i never had to talk to anyone specifically, though the GLB was packed and shipped carefully and arrived quickly.

been playing for about 10 years now, i own a few strats, a les paul, a danelectro and a bunch of other stringed instruments both familiar and exotic. as is always the case when buying over the internet, i was unable to play my particular guitar before i bought it. however, musicyo has a reasonable return policy which gave me the extra push to take the plunge. the only thing i could see replacing the GLB is a Klein electric, though i have neither the time nor the money to order one. at the moment i'd definitely replace it with another Steinberger if it were stolen. this is such a unique instrument. it sounds like nothing i've ever played before and that in and of itself is a great selling point. don't equate individuality with pure novelty- the GLB has a great sound that holds up over many listenings.
what do i wish it had? maybe a 5-way selector switch for the pickups (85s are tappable) and active electronics.
some people love the punchy sound of a strat, others enjoy a creamy les paul; i love my steinberger because it sounds like a steinberger. just try it.

bought "new" from musicyo.com
but it must have been one that somebody else bought earlier and sent back because the one I bought didnt look so fresh


see musicyo.com for product specs

the trem is good

I made the mistake of selling a parker on ebay so I could fund this purchase.

the steiny sounds really bad. "Linear"? Bad more like it. You would have to hate guitar sounds to like this.

it was setup with a high action from the factory so I didnt care for that so I set out to do a minor tweak but ran into some fret buzz at the same time I still had a high action with still too much neck bow

not so good because I can remember having cheap korean import guitars when I was younger that had better actions than this

I dont know because I aint keeping it

do they?

I have been playing for about 12 years and I have owned a parker and a jap strat and other stuff

I wish I had asked before I bought it if they were going to send me a "new" one instead of somebodys reject

this guitar is junk with bad looking frets not even shiny frets

this is going back so no I wouldnt buy another

the trem is great as far as I can tell but other than that it feels bad, sounds bad and looks like they got teenagers slapping them together

I am reviewing a brand new, made in USA Steinberger GLB-S electric guitar, fresh off the first batch of 4-5 guitars made by Gibson in November 2003.
This is Steinberger's first entirely new model, although it is patterned after the familiar pre-Gibson, all graphite GL series. The main features are:

- made in USA at Gibson's Nashville factory, using a mix of proprietary (body) and outsourced parts (everything else!).

- solid maple body, could be 1 piece, although it's hard to detect any joint lines through the black polyurethane finish.

- Moses headless graphite neck, 24 Dunlop 6150 frets.

- 1 volume, 1 tone, 3-position pickup selector mini switch, passive electronics.

- neck and bridge EMG 85 active pickups, ring-mounted.

- integrated Steinberger S-trem tremolo bridge and tuners.

- La Bella 10-46 double ball strings.

- TKL made hardshell case, custom fitted. Other accessories include the tremolo arm and a photocopy with very general instructions.

- 30" overall length, weight on my postal scale is exactly 6 lbs.

My rate for the above features is 8. Two points are deducted, for the lack of a TransTrem tremolo bridge (not a desirable option for my own needs, but very much liked by most Steinberger users) and active electronics (which would indeed be very nice). Both options may be available in the future, however.

I admit I am still in the very earliest honeymoon phase (this guitar was announced on the most reliable Steinberger forum a few days ago, it made it out of the production line and into the MusicYo webstore on Nov. 12, and the morning after, i.e. today, it is already in my hands...), but I dare say that, as a studio musician with a steady - albeit not glamorous - workload of commercial recording, I have sufficient experience and a trained ear when it comes to a guitar's tone.
This new Steinberger has a very versatile, surprisingly organic tone, and I'll try my best to describe it without too much reference a la real PAF, or psychoacoustic babble.

- unplugged tone: medium loudness, very linear, with no perceived mechanical or structural deadspots on any position or string. I am still debating whether the graphite/wood neck joint might impair optimum resonance or not.

- amplified clean tone: surprisingly warm, considering the graphite/maple combo. I would have expected Gibson built these with a mahogany body, now I definitely agree with their choice. Here again, the response across the neck, which is the single most important feature for me since I must play recording parts in all different keys, is perfectly even, with excellent sustain and no dead spots.
The EMG 85 pickups don't have a distinct tone signature, but they are extremely versatile and, even coupled with a passive tone control, offer a wide palette of humbucking tones.

- amplified distorted tone: very balanced fundamental, with relatively weak overtones and "bloom". Don't expect the famed PAF "double tone" here, these are modern-sounding, very linear pickups. Natural and artificial harmonics are very strong, even on medium gain settings and on unusual string nodes (2nd and 3rd fret). The sustain again is excellent on all strings and in all positions, definitely the longest sustain I've heard on a bolt-on guitar, and it is comparable to my set neck Gibson Historic LP reissue.
Also remarkable is the fact that the pickups are dead quiet, even on very high gain settings, another valuable feature for a recording guitar.
The tone character of each individual pickup is very distinct, as the neck pickup is warm and very transparent, while the bridge pickup is very slightly louder, brighter and with and upper mid notch of a few db. The in-between pickup combination gives the best string to string definition, even on distorted settings.

The volume control is very linear and smooth, the volume pot seems to be of good quality, although I did not check out which brand, and volume swells are easily achieved.

Overall, plenty of professional quality tones, geared more towards modern recording sounds, rather than clones of highly characteristic guitar tones, such as a Strat or LP.

The guitar came with what I'd call a standard, good quality setup from the factory. Action is medium low, which I will not adjust for a few days, the intonation is good, although I have adjusted it with my strobe tuner, pickup height is good, and the frets are properly seated and dressed, although slightly oxydized.

All hardware is of high quality and mounted solidly, hence no dead spots due to loose saddles or tuners, and there are no mechanical noises. The input jack, often the culprit of unwanted noise, is very solid and high quality. I normally replace my input jacks with genuine Switchcraft jacks, so we'll see how this one withstands regular use.
The tremolo is correctly set up, with a smooth action and no friction noise.

The polyurethane finish is smooth and well applied, not too thick, and there are just a few very light scratches, which can easily be buffed out.

I rarely perfom live, although a long studio session can wear your guitar out just as bad, but I'd say this guitar is very dependable. The graphite neck is straight and won't warp due to changes in weather, the electronics are simple enough not to have loose wires hanging in the control cavity, and the hardware seems to be well built, although I'll try and obtain some spare tremolo parts.

The standard strap buttons however will have to go, for a pair of Straplocks.

Never dealt with MusicYo, however the guitar was shipped promptly, properly packed, and at a reasonable cost.

In a more liberal sense, I would like to mention hovewer the Steinberger World website and users' group, not a customer service per se, and definitely not affiliated with Gibson or MusicYo.
The guys at SW and especially the "senators" on the forum (Andy, Troy etc.) are a wealth of information and insight into past, present and future Steinberger instruments.

This very guitar was designed and produced with significant input from Steinberger World. If you are interested in Steinberger guitars or basses, plan to buy one either on ebay or through the MusicYo website, do yourself a favor and check out www.steinbergerworld.com.

I've been playing for 30 years and own way too many excellent guitars and amps, which I keep mostly for sentimental reasons, although I do have a few vintage, collectible pieces.
For the past few years I've used for my studio work 3 guitars, a Gibson Historic LP '59 reissue, a Fender CS '60 Strat Relic and a Parker Fly Deluxe. As the trend lately in most "mercenary" studio and live jobs, i.e. law firm corporate parties and radio jingles for used car dealers, as shifted from highly individualized, classic guitar tones, to more generic but versatile and processable tones, I found myself in need of a guitar capable of handling these duties.
I sold my Parker, which had an oustanding piezo tone but a disgusting magnetic pickup sound, as well as a nasty structural dead spot problem around the 12th fret (but this is another story, I'm afraid to say so because I like the techs at Parker, but if you hate dead spots, stay away from Parker, my friends, its inherent in their design and it cannot be corrected...), and got this Steinberger, which fit the bill (and an airplane's overhead compartment) perfectly.