I'm toying with impulse buying a Steinberger Synapse 6 string guitar with the Transcale, instead of another rifle optic that would only get used a couple times a year. Already have a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender, though mine isn't a strat. No need for integrated headphone amp, as I have a Korg Pandora and a couple Boss micro recorders.

My current travel guitar is a little Traveler Speedster. It's not awful, but the pickup is pretty  anemic, it takes a little assembly to be fully playable, and the tuning can have a tendency to get unstable.

The newer Synapse series guitars aren't like the old graphite Steinies, but are well-regarded. Baritone scale length with an integrated capo, decent pickups but nothing super special (EMG 81&85), and a piezo pickup at the bridge. It looks like a very versatile guitar overall, and I'll probably spring for the blue flame maple top if not sold out.

Any big pros or cons? I may pull the trigger tonight before racking out.

I don't have an answer, but I'm excited to see a pic if you get it. Sounds cool as hell.

I'll definitely post a pic if I get one.

Since my wife & kids will be skiing this season while my bones knit, I'm GASing badly. There's also an Yngwie series Strat on Craigslist that's caught my eye.

Here are some reasons why not to;
EMG pickups are a one trick pony, not applicable to most kinds of music.
Weird scale, unless you absolutely want a baritone.
Polarizing style.  Just like you won't see a Flying V in a country band, a headless guitar screams 80's cover band.
Not a "real" Steinberger.  The current guitars are made in Korea, I think the originals were made in New York.
Sorry to poo poo your case of GAS, maybe some new pickups in your current guitar or a new speaker or something will cure you.

Steinberger has been one of those "If I ever run across one really cheap" guitars.... they look interesting and would likely end up nothing more than a toy for doodling at home, but I've always kinda wanted one.

If you check GC.com, they had a used one of the model you linked for under 400$ recently.

It does intrigue me to read that you can use 'standard' single ball strings on the newer models.  That double ball required thing was a big portion of why I've never seriously considered dropping cash on one prior.  Well that, and the EMG pickups really don't fit with my general playstyle.

Keep us posted if you do jump, I'd love to hear how they compare in feel/tone to well known models from other makers.

I'd rather have the optic.

I didn't fo yet. Thanks for the input; these are polarizing guitars. There are a few reasons I've considered the Synapse in particular:

I'll be on crutches for several months, and a full-body guitar is a nuisance to carry and play with a broken/surgerized leg.
It isn't their lower-end Spirit, but only uses some synthetic composite material compared with the spendy old-school stuff. And yes, Korean made.
The baritone scale can be run in D-standard tuning, and easily capo'd up to E standard.
EMGs aren't a deal-breaker for me. I have a plenty of variety in a few Ibanezes, a MIM Tele Deluxe, and a Gibson LP, with a handful of passive pickups including DiMarzios, Seymour Duncans, TV Jones, and Gibson BB3 and 57 Classics with coil splitting.

Still mulling it all over as a replacement for the Traveler Speedster, but enthusiasm has cooled.

The Yngwie Strat I was looking at is a fake.

One of the guys I work with still has a stunning PRS Custom 22 Artist for sale...

Oirogers, a Synapse for under $400? At that price, I'd nab it.

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And of course when I went hunting for it... it's gone.
Ah well.

That's ok. I just missed a NIB Demon today for $400 because the guy didn't want to ship it.

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A new contender appears... check Sam Ash used... 399$ listed as a Synapse, but no specific model info (or scale length) in the description.
It's white in color, control layout looks identical to the Synapse and certainly different from a Spirit.

All I get is some rack mount gear when searching Steinberger on Sam Ash used. Can you IM me a link?

ETA: Found it. Looks like a Transcale.

ETA2: Called the store. Sounds like it's sold. Not surprising, since that's a low enough price to make it worth taking a risk. It could be parted out and recoup most of the cost. My Tele Deluxe is worth twice that, and I don't really care for it.



Oh, I should clarify: it's sold once they weigh it and email me the final cost plus shipping so I can send payment. I'll definitely try to provide some comparisons with my current stable of guitars if this deal goes through.

8 hrs later, I still haven't received the email. This despite a second phone call to make sure they had my correct email address. They don't seem all that encumbered by any sense of urgency. It's a slam dunk sale for them - a guy calls up, asks 6 questions, says he'll take it without haggling, and they still are trying to figure out how to blow the sale.

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Did you end up buying it?

If so... keep us posted on how it feels/works out.
looking at photos, I'm curious if the movable capo and it's little grooves on the side of the neck will be seriously noticeable.

I sent Sam Ash payment last Friday but haven't received any shipping info. Payment was to a corporate account. Hopefully I get the guitar and find it to be better than the company selling it. Their communication is pretty poor.

I sent an inquiry and was told it is sold (basically curious if they realized they'd sold it to you)... guessing that they are a bit lacking in customer service, but it would appear they are at least up to speed on their inventory stuff.

I hope it arrives and is everything you hope for.

As long as it was to me, and not some guy that walked in off the street after I bought it, I'm good. Shipping was only $15, so I don't have much room to gripe about slow delivery. I'm on the phone with them right now to close the loop. (i.e. "I bought it. Are you going to send it?")

Edit: Have tracking number.

There's a risk that my wife might begin to notice the number of guitars getting stacked around the house soon.

Update:
Just got my Transcale Synapse in white today from Fedex. More details and pics later, as my mobility is impaired. It seems to be in excellent condition, with clear shipping plastic still on the cavity covers.

Brief thoughts:
I usually love skinny little1990s MIJ Ibanez Wizard necks and adjust the action to be well below 2mm at the 12th fret with not much neck relief. This is chunky with a higher action. That's not bad, and I'm undecided about whether to run it lower. The action improved once I tuned it down to D for the longer scale, as it arrived wound up to E standard. I'm disinclined to fiddle with the truss rod.

The rolling capo idea is pretty slick. I'm concerned about roller wear and reported difficulty in finding replacement parts, so most of the time I'll just use my slower G7th or Shubb capos if necessary.

The grooves for the capo on the side of the neck don't bother me.

The EMGs, active EQ, and phenolic fretboard don't sound bad, but are unforgiving of sloppy technique. The piezo blend is cool. My other EMG-loaded guitar and most of my passive guitars are out of reach until I can walk again, so I can't compare right now. I like variety.

Ned did some clever things in designing the body. The wings are just a tiny bit larger, with relief in the top wing for comfort, and a "u" shape at the butt that fits the leg.

The shape and color of the guitar make it look like I stole it from a Star Wars Stormtrooper.

At full $1700 MSRP, no thanks. That's nearing original USA Steinberg territory.  At the Amazon & street price of around $800 new, maybe but with lots of competition. At $400 nearly new? In a heartbeat.

Need to find Febreeze for the smoke odor in the gig bag.

Update, Sunday night:
The dunce at the store or previous owner that decided to crank the thing up to E instead of using the capo managed to bind up one of the tuners by torquing on it so hard. I had to remove the bridge and unFUBAR the threaded rod. It was bound tightly enough that it started to strip the string clamp. I chose the lesser of the evils and used pliers to get the threaded rod unstuck, at the expense of some minor thread mangling that isn't visible. I'll probably need to get a new piece.

On the bright side, I popped the bridge back in by guesswork and got the intonation pretty close. While I was at it, I lowered the bridge and discovered it's possible to go silly low on the action. Too low. I'll blip it up a bit tomorrow.

With a new set of strings and better action, it's starting to grow on me. The piezo mixed in with some crunch gives flavor and texture to 1980s palm muting hair band stuff like the opening riff of "Fallen Angel."

Monday night edit:

And now I will learn of the fun of Gibson's legendary nonsupport of the newer 'bergers. The fix only worked until I tried to tune the now-stretched high string up to D, whereupon the previously stripped pieces gave way at several cents flat. I'm going to disassemble and try swapping jaws around for one that doesn't need as much travel, or maybe drop in a standard string and see if I can tune it up. I may need to source up another chunk of threaded rod to temporize, or worst case flog the thing on eBay as-is.

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Update. I'm eating crow and telling you guys who warned me, "don't fo" that you were right.

Gibson doesn't support replacement parts. They pointed me to headlessusa.com who only do US parts. The Korean Synapse bridge has a slightly different tuner design from the US and the cheaper Spirits. Cheap bridge parts, Steinberger USA parts, and Jcustom's new line of bridges all apparently won't work. The tuner design is different, and it uses a different size & pitch of threaded rod. Next stop will be either a DIY machining learning project, machine shop expense, or parting it out.

Maybe I'll bite the bullet and start learning metalwork. Some of you might recall my journey of self-discovery through resurrecting a trashed Ibanez electric a year or two ago.

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Well... that certainly was a roller coaster ride.

Several nice / neat points of that instrument.
Others, not so much.

I hope you get it working as intended... seems like a neat idea and I still 'sort of' want one... but for now I'll likely stick with my LesPauls.

I think my F5 key is broken...

You want me to take a picture of my guitar that's now disassembled and strewn all over the bedroom floor? I thought naked pics were against the COC. I'll see what I can do when I get home. For now, think of a guitar that you'd wear with a Stormtrooper costume. Futuristic to a 1970s-1980s person, white body with black accents.

That gives me an idea, actually. I have one of those Anovos stormtrooper costume kits on preorder. This could be good for some fun pictures.

M3-0.5 is the threading on the tuners. My illegitimate child abandoned by Gibson, Steinberger, and all aftermarkets, lives again!

I re-threaded the rod, put it back into the string claw with Loctite 242, and used some of the 242 to push back a piece of the claw that had been damaged by the rod. The tuning knob threads were in terrible shape, either not cut all the way through by the factory or cross-threaded with anger and vigor by someone else. I had to run a tap through the entire length of the internal threads. The knurling on the knob is a little shinier and uglier, but it otherwise looks and seems to function properly.

The case is in the garage with a second coat of Odoban to let the cigarette fumes dissipate.

Here's a crummy iPhone pic of my stormtrooper guitar. The thickness at the top is from the G7th capo I have clamped just below the roller capo. I'm not using the OE roller capo now that I've learned just how impossible it is to find any replacement parts.


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