A Steinberger L-2 bass, serial number 257, built in Brooklyn, NY in 1982.

This is the original. Not a later refinement, not a derivative — the L-2 is the instrument that invented the category. Ned debuted the prototype at NAMM in 1979 to open ridicule; it got called a cricket bat and an egg-box. The first three went to John Entwistle of The Who, Tony Levin of King Crimson, and Andy West of the Dixie Dregs. By the end of 1981 Time had named it one of the five best designs of the year, and within another six months Sting was playing one in front of a hundred thousand people in San Bernardino.

Built at 148 Sullivan Street. The original Steinberger Sound address in Brooklyn, stamped on the label in the control cavity, before production moved upstate to Newburgh. The label also carries patent number 4,192,213 — Ned’s original L-2 patent. Published histories of the company barely document the Brooklyn period; this instrument documents it itself.

Why the serial matters. Number 257 places this bass in the first half of 1982, the year the L-2 broke through. For comparison, Mike Rutherford’s two documented L-2s carry serials 593 and 715, both later than this one. Early examples in this condition are not common, and the number is the part that can’t be replicated.

The players. Sting played an L-2 through most of the Ghost in the Machine tour in 1982 and used it on Synchronicity. Tony Levin had one of the first three ever built. Mike Rutherford recorded with his on Genesis and Invisible Touch. The list runs on: Geddy Lee, Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, John Entwistle.

Construction. The one-piece molded graphite body and neck mean no truss rod, no dead spots, and no seasonal setup drift. It doesn’t care about humidity, it doesn’t care about stage lights, and it holds tune in conditions that would put a wooden instrument out of commission. 34″ scale, phenolic fingerboard, Steinberger bridge with the direct-drive tuning system.

Two EMG humbuckers. Active, quiet, and articulate — the pickup pairing that defined the L-2’s focused, punchy voice.

The early logo. This example carries the Steinberger logo decal used on low-serial L-2s — a detail later production dropped.

Finish. The body and neck has its authentic brushed surface, indicative of L-2s of the era.

Condition: Excellent.

Included:

• Vintage HeadlessUSA gig bag
• New HeadlessUSA strap

Note on strings: the L-2 takes double-ball bass sets, and we stock them.

Sold and supported by HeadlessUSA — Steinberger parts, service, and restoration specialists. We inspect, set up, and photograph every instrument in-house.