Steinberger TranScale Demon Electric Guitar (With Gig Bag)

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Put an end to neck problems and headstocks with this innovative electric guitar. Made with stranular graphite construction, it's virtually indestructible.

What's special about this item?

Feature: What it does:
EMG 81 and 85 active pickups Aggressive, full tone; great sustain and dynamics
Direct-Drive double-ball bridge Stable tuning, easy changing; less string drag
Maple body Long sustain, good projection, bright tone
Piezo bridge pickup Delivers bright, amplified acoustic tone

The Steinberger TranScale Demon electric guitar yields a innovative design for a novel experience you won't get with any other axe. Ned Steinberger's famous patented CyberSonic headless neck combines the stability of graphite with the warm resonance of maple while offering a super secure tuning system that'll keep your intonation in check every step of your performance. A pair of EMG humbuckers fuel your amplifier with beefy distortion and crystal-clear cleans, and a mag/piezo pickup blend dial gives you even more creative control over your output.

Forging Axes the Steinberger Way

Ned Steinberger's vision for guitars and basses is in a world of its own. Back in 1979, Steinberger released his headless L2 bass that featured a one-piece design composed entirely of carbon-graphite composite material. Players like Tony Levin of King Crimson and John Entwistle of The Who would be seen shouldering Steinberger's axes and pushing their instruments to the limit. The TranScale Demon is certainly a great choice for the guitarist looking to try something different.

CyberSonic Headless Neck

The unorthodox design of the TranScale Demon's CyberSonic headless neck does away with the traditional tuning peg system. Tuning pegs can cause intonation issues, especially when you're playing a freshly re-stringed instrument. Combined with the three-piece hard maple neck is an integrated truss rod and a U-shaped composite graphite structure. The combination of wood and graphite provides greater read more stability along with the natural resonance of maple. This is a great neck for speedy fingers -- and the double cutaway body grants your hand easy access to those higher frets.

EMG 81 and EMG 85 Humbucker Pairing

When the need for a powerful wall of sonic force calls, noting comes close to delivering on demand like a pair of EMG humbuckers. Steinberger added in a piezo pickup system on the TranScale Demon's bridge to give you even more dynamic options for your output. This system allows you to tweak your highs and lows by adjusting the blend between the piezo and humbucker output via your piezo blend control dial. You also have a master volume, active hi/lo cut/boost controls, and a three-setting pickup selector switch.

Zero Fret and Adjustable Scale Feature

The TranScale Demon's zero fret feature helps your game by keeping your intonation in check. Zero frets are also more welcoming to different string gauges when compared to a traditional nut. The adjustable scale feature acts as a capo that you can slide to which ever fret your heart desires in seconds while avoiding the cumbersome experience of clamping a capo on in the middle of your set.

Features:

- Solidbody electric guitar
- Hard maple body
- Set-neck joint
- Patented CybroSonic graphite/three-piece hard maple neck
- Headless tuning system for increased stability
- 24 medium jumbo frets
- Phenolic fingerboard
- EMG 81 humbucker at the bridge
- EMG 85 humbucker at the neck
- Master volume and active hi/lo cut/boost controls
- Mag/piezo pickup blend control dial
- Three setting pickup selector switch
- Patented DoubleBall bridge
- Synapse gig bag included
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Neck Material: CybroSonic Patented Graphite U-Channel with Adjustable trussrod integrated with 3-piece Hard Maple
Neck Joint: Set-Neck
Fingerboard: Phenolic
Fingerboard Radius: 14"
Frets: 24, Medium-Jumbo
Scale Length: 28.5/8" adjustable
Body Wings: Hard Maple
Body Top: Hard Maple
Pickups: EMG-81 & EMG-85
External Controls: Master Volume, Mag/Piezo Pickup Blend, Active Hi Cut/Boost, Active Lo Cut/Boost
Internal Controls: Two trim pots adjusting Magnetic and Piezo output levels
Bridge: Patented DoubleBall Bridge with 40:1 ratio direct-pull tuners
Saddle Material: Aluminum
Weight: 6.5lb
Length: 37.25"
Zero Nut Width: 1.65"
12-Fret Width: 2.05"
Bridge Spacing: 0.42"

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-444-2766

Steinberger TranScale Demon Guitar

What's a Steinberger? It's the most innovative guitar or bass in the world. It's an instrument that will last 100 lifetimes, sound great, play like a dream and never, ever have neck problems... guaranteed.

A Steinberger makes everything easier--from changing strings to changing climates. The Steinberger story began in 1979, when Ned Steinberger designed the award winning L-2, a one piece headless bass made entirely of carbon-graphite composite material. Today, Steinberger carries forth Ned's vision with a uniquely innovative offering of guitars and basses.

If you fly a lot, Steinberger's are small enough to be considered carry on luggage. And they are so small and compact, many owners have even reported in-flight practice sessions. Even the most destructive roadie won't be able to damage your Steinberger. Its patented stranular graphite construction is the strongest material on the market. In fact, it's so strong that Steinberger guarantees it for 1000 years.

The consistency between Steinberger models is legendary. If you ever want to add another Steinberger to your collection, chances are it will feel and perform exactly like your other cherished Steinbergers. Changing strings on a Steinberger is so easy, and it doesn't take as long as a traditional type of instrument.

Unlike other guitars, your Steinberger will not be affected in the least by the change in temperature. It will never let you down. Your Steinberger Neck will not be affected at all by humidity. It will stay rock solid and leave you free to play your heart out.

Some guitarist complain about traditional guitars feeling a little off-balance and neck heavy, especially after playing all night. Not with a Steinberger! They totally solved the weight distribution and harmonic tuning problems with the patented Gearless Tuners and headless design. Steinberger has solved inconsistent tuning action while improving harmonic clarity with direct pull style tuners (as opposed to the old style "wrap around" tuners.

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. (2 ratings)
Submitted August 2, 2014 by James Kelly in Reno, NV

"Wish I could've given 5 stars..."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Ok, first off I love this guitar. HOWEVER, if you're thinking about picking up this wicked musical weapon there are some very IMPORTANT things you might want to know about my buying experience. When I ordered this beast, it arrived in 7 days, which is the longest I've ever waited for an online order. But the most upsetting moment was when I realized that my brand new guitar was not only in serious need of a proper set up, I also had to unscrew the back panel to adjust the trim pots because at first the pickups were so weak I barely had any crunch while at full gain. If I didn't know much about guitars, I most likely would've thought the pickups were defective and returned the damn thing. I had to give a lot of adjustment to the bridge, saddle and action too so...that was very disappointing. The only other issue I have with this guitar is the inexplicably hard to find double ball strings. Good luck finding them anywhere that reliably restocks the specific type that you're looking for (this guitar only takes the Transcale double ball strings, not the standard strings or the calibrated strings or non-calibrated strings...just the Transcale strings. Either 10-46 standard gauge strings or, if you're a madman, 13-68 baritone strings). So with that said, everything else about this guitar really blew my skirt up, so-to-speak, and after some frustrating time spent doing what should've been done before the guitar shipped, I am absolutely in love with this guitar. It's definitely my #1 read more of 6.

Sound
The guitar sounds amazing. Most guitar players instantly know what to expect from the EMG 81 85 combo, however depending on whether or not you're an EMG or a Seymour Duncan fan boy, you either love em or hate em...I personally pay more attention to different models than I do manufacturers, and these pickups are sounding very sexy.

Features
I have wanted this guitar since 2008 and finally 6 years and a few price drops later, I'm very happy with my choice. I was attracted mostly because I play in drop B, always have for the most part, and I'm sick of tuning instability and intonation problems from drop tuning 25.5" scale guitars. The double ball tuning system is unbelievably effective. Very light weight, feels suspiciously sexy in my hands. I instantly fell in love with this guitar.

Ease of Use
The 28 5/8" scale does make things a little more difficult around the lowest 5 frets, could be a problem for those with small hands. The frets are a bit wider than normal, so you'll have to get used the extra stretch. But, it didn't take me more than a few days. The bridge system can be difficult to adjust. And if your guitar comes like mine did, adjust you must. Cuz mine was unplayable upon arrival. String action was laughably high. Also had to turn up the trim pots to get full sound from the pickups. They were half-way down. The owners manual seemed very vague and didn't provide nearly enough detail as I initially needed. The manufacturer website was also vague and frustrating. The strings are insanely easy to change if you're using double ball strings. Regular strings can be used, but I wouldn't recommend using anything but double ball strings. However....good luck finding them.

Quality
It's made fairly well, the bridge seems like it could've been designed better, and maybe with better material. But it's sturdy enough. Don't much care for the saddle design. It doesn't allow individual saddle adjustment, instead it's all one piece. The bridge is a "stiff", after adjusting it sometimes it won't move until you finally hear a "pop". Like it gets stuck... Other than that, it's cosmetically gorgeous. No no, arousing! The finish is something you just have to see in person to appreciate. A beautiful guitar.

Value
For $800, it's a fair deal... It probably won't last as long as the next guitar for 8 bills, but if you want a baritone and hate constantly tuning your 24 3/4" scale guitar that your tune to drop Ab, this baby will put a full coat of hair on your balls. True story

Manufacturer Support
It's funny, the company than makes this guitar hardly acknowledges it's existence, let alone provide much support. Steinberger, which is part of the Gibson family (I can't say I'm a fan of Gibson thanks to all the trendy, pretentious wanna-be rock star, les Paul playing Gibson fan boy douches who claim every guitar sucks except their les Paul) does not directly sell strings nor do they give much information on where to buy them. Now, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!! After, of course, I bought this beast, I realized how ridiculously difficult it can be to find the CORRECT double ball strings for it. There are a few different types of string gauges, but you'll most likely want the regular 10-46 gauge sets. If you go for the baritone strings, you better be tuning to A standard or lower. The 13-68 gauge baritone strings are HEAVY. I played with the baritone strings tuned to F# (like an 8-string guitar without the high b and e strings) and not only does it stay perfectly in tune for days, it sounds heavy enough to put the neighbors in a coma.

The Wow Factor
This guitar is great for recording, you won't have to get yelled at by the technician to tune your guitar after each and every take... also, see above

Musical Background:
Singer, guitar player, vocalist, musician of 14 yrs

Musical Style:
Metal, hard rock, progressive metal, alternative metal, experimental metal, horror metal... did I mention METAL?! \m/
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