Steinberger Spirit GU Deluxe

Follow-up to my previous review of Steinberger GU deluxe now that I have made all my modifications.

The EMG Select pickups have good basic tone but weak signal strength. I installed two preamps, one which boosts the signal to maximum possible without overdrive (about 18:1 boost) and the second which boosts and overdrives the signal (about 22:1 boost). With either preamp, the pickups are now more than acceptable; with the first preamp (18:1 boost) the tone is bright, thick and strong, with the second preamp (22:1 boost) the tone is bright, thick and over-the-top. The preamps are controlled by two push-pull pots which replace the original volume and tone controls. The volume pot in its up position bypasses the preamps and passes the unboosted pickup signal to the output jack; in its down position, it passes the preamped pickup signal. The tone pot in its up position selects the 18:1 boost preamp; in its down position it selects the 22:1 boost preamp. I also installed an aircraft-type locking two-position switch adjacent the pickup selector to engage/disenage the battery circuit for the preamps. I found that using the volume push-pull pot for this function also usually results in dead batteries very quickly since it is very easy to knock the pot into into down position while putting the guitar away or otherwise transporting it. The aircraft-type two-position switch solve the problem since it is spring loaded and must be pulled out to change switch position.
The EMG Selects have recieved some less than stellar reviews but I find it best to regard them as active pickups with a fail-safe passive backup mode: if the battery dies suddenly, the guitar is still usable though with reduced pickup output.

Replaced the stock maple/rosewood neck with a Moses Steinberger replacement graphite neck (http://www.mosesgraphite.com/products/nprice_guitars.html). The neck construction is a work of art - with the exception that the screwholes used to secure the headpiece to the tip of the neck were not centered in the example I recieved which necessitated drilling, filling and more drilling by my guitar tech rather than send the neck back to Moses and wait two weeks for them to fix the problem. The Moses neck does not come with the headpiece required to secure the strings at the tip of the neck: this must be obtained from Ed Roman guitars (http://www.edromanguitars.com). Unfortunately Roman is the only source I could find for this piece despite searching high-and-low for another supplier. Roman sent me the wrong headpiece - the type which fits the Spirit/Hohner/Cort maple/rosewood necks - and which does not fit the graphite neck. After a total of one month I finally recieved the correct headpiece and in a few days the guitar was ready to play. The graphite neck gives the guitar a very distinctive tone, the closest examples of which are found on "Hard Hat Area" by Allan Holdsworth. Overall I am extremely happy with the neck on this guitar, even though it was a bit of a trial to get all the parts together and finally installed.

I would replace this guitar in an instant.
I regard the Steinberger Spirits to be excellent candidiates for modification - especially since they are not too expensive to begin with - and if done correctly, the resulting instrument is fully comparable to a similar Steinberger costing thousands more.
The biggest concerns a buyer of a Spirit are:
1. Do I want to replace the neck. 2. Do I want to replace or preamp the EMG Select pickups?

Guitar bought for $359.00 from a dealer that had it hanging on his wall for at least the past 5 years. Recommended retail for this guitar is in the area of $850. I bought this guitar specifically to upgrade it as closely to possible to American-built Steinberger standard, therefore my comments are valid only within that context.
The Spirit GU Deluxe is a decently built guitar that is usable as is; however I have been spoilt by my Gibson SG Standard, the overall standard of which the Spirit does not meet.
YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: Don't know.
PLACE OF MANUFACTURE: Korea.
NUMBER OF FRETS: 24.
SOLID-TOP:
One-piece body.
CONTROLS: 1 volume, 1 tone, 5-way pickup selector.
PICKUP CONFIGURATION: H/S/H
The Spirit GU Standard is available in H/S/S configuration; the Spirit GU deluxe is available in H/S/H configuration. I am not too much of a single-coil fan and this pickup arrangement was what I wanted, though there was also a Spirit GU Standard also available at purchase time.
PICKUPS MAKE AND MODEL: EMG Select
The EMG Select pickups are pretty weak; according to Paul Gnat, technical representative at EMG, the humbucker has a max peak-to-peak voltage of about 500 mV, and the single has a max peak-to-peak voltage of about 250 mV. The stock pickups are useful as is, though they do not really support left hand hammering/picking too well due to their low output. This was not a problem as one of my intended modifications was to install a preamp. I obtained the circuit design from "Projects for Guitarists" by Craig Anderton and built a preamp with a gain of 23. My first preamps had gains of 2, 4, and 8, none of which really made much difference. The gain of 23 produces a smooth low-level distortion, more than adequately supports left-hand hammering/picking, and basically transforms the guitar into a fire-breathing monster. I replaced the volume control with a push-pull potentiometer to engage/disengage the preamp/stock pickup circuits respectively, and the stock three-pole input jack completes the battery ground circuit when the cable is plugged in.
PASSIVE ELECTRONICS.
Effective stock tone control. See above for discussion of retrofitted preamp.
BODY WOOD: Swamp ash.
Well finished body.
NECK WOOD: Maple with rosewood fingerboard.
FINISH: Brownburst.
BODY STYLE: Strat.
BRIDGE STYLE: Steinberger R-Trem.
Steinberger bridges are sophisticated, very well engineered systems. The Ed Roman website http://www.edromanguitars.com/stbtt.htm has detailed information on adjusting the Steinberger bridge.
TUNERS: Steinberger headless double-ball micrometer system.
LOCKING TREMELO
Raises pitch by a minor third.
NECK: Width at zero fret: 1 5/8 inches (4.1 cm). Scale: 25 1/2 inches (64.7 cm). Thin frets.
Includes truss rod (unlike stock Steinberger necks).
The construction quality of the neck leaves a little to be desired. Some of the frets are visible at the edge of the fingereboard; however fret finishing is smooth and playable.
The neck is perfectly acceptable as is, though I intend to replace with a Steinberger-type composite neck with a rosewood fingerboard available at the Ed Roman website http://www.edromanguitars.com/stbnecks.htm. INCLUDES: Gig bag.

SUITABILITY TO MUSIC STYLE: Jazz-rock, progressive rock, hard rock.
In my opinion the Steinbergers in general are purpose-built for jazz-rock, progressive rock and hard rock. They have a distinctive precise, clear quality that is not replicated by other guitars. I find it necessary to boost the midrange and bass and reduce the treble amplifier settings when switching from my SG to avoid a slightly shrill tone. Listen to Allan Holdworth for demonstrations of Steinberger usage.
AMPS AND EFFECTS USED WITH THE GUITAR: Crate Vintage Club 5310 amplifier; occasional Cry Baby wah-wah, Big Muff Pi, volume pedal, DOD compressor.
The Crate amplifier is an excellent match for this guitar, and produces liquid overdriven tones clear clean tones.
NOISE LEVEL:
No noise when stock pickup circuit used; negligible noise when preamp circuit engaged.
SOUND QUALITY: The Steinberger produces a very distinctive tone. Either you like it or you don't. My guitar produces what can best best be categorized as humbucker body with single-coil clarity.
VARIETY OF SOUND: Gives any combination of humbucker and single-coil type sounds. The guitar is not going to pass as a Les Paul however because its sound is too bright and clear; on the other hand it is not going to pass as a Strat either because its sound is too thick.
LIKE AND DISLIKES: Considering my reasons in buying this guitar, there is very little to dislike about it.

ACTION: Not optimum.
Required setup after purchase. Considering how the guitar hung on a dealer's wall for about 5 years, I did not expect the action to be in tip-top condition.
The action is still a little high at the 12th and 24th frets. The wooden neck needs shims to give the same action as my SG.
PICKUP ADJUSTMENT:
The treble side of each pickup required raising to give each string equal volume.
TOP: Properly bookmatched.
BRIDGE ROUTING: Steinberger bridges do not sit in a routing but rather an excavation. Acceptable routing quality.
FLAWS: Poorly finished frets at the edge of the fingerboard.

DURABILITY FOR LIVE PLAYING: Solid well-built guitar that should not give any trouble when played live.
HARDWARE DURABILITY: This guitar has a Steinberger bridge and standard issue controls. Enough said.
FINISH DURABILITY: The guitar survived 5 years hanging in a dealer's store with none the worse for wear.
STRAP BUTTONS: Replaced standard strap buttons with strap-locks as a matter of course (same with my SG).
DEPENDABILITY: Same as SG.
BACKUP NECESSARY ON GIG: I backup everything on a gig.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT: On the only occasion I've had to contact Steinberger with questions, response was rapid with accurate information (email helps).