Steinberger Synapse TranScale ST-2FPA Guitar with Gigbag, Plain Black

I have a few Steinberger's around, had to add this one to the collection. However there have been a few issues with craftsmanship and had to return it twice! The first Synapse arrived with a broken pick up selector switch. Basically some type of force caused the switch to collapse. Upon closer inspection, the switch sits a bit higher then the knobs. If the guitar is pressed on (like when in the gig bag), the switch takes all the force. It's bound to happen, especially if you travel or pack the guitar around to gigs. When I received the replacement Synapse, it arrived with a foam cutout around the switch. This tells me the manufacturer is aware of the issue. Now about the the replacement Synapse. The top groove for the capo was cut terribly, had many burrs and was missing paint. Can't believe it passed quality control! The bad paint and ugly capo groove didn't effect playing but there's no way I'm settling for that! Returned it again however Amazon did not send a replacement. The order was stuck in limbo and had to contact customer service. Eventually a refund was issued. Now I'm hesitant about ordering a 3rd Synapse. Ok, enough about that. About the guitar: The neck, the sounds and the capo system are excellent. After reading some other reviews, I thought the fret marking system would be confusing. About 3-5 riffs into this thing and I’m good. The neck feels great and neither Synapse’s needed any serious adjustment out of the box. It’s light weigh, functional and the stealth black color suits it well. I’m not giving up an the Synapse just yet. Third time’s a charm! Its a 5 star guitar but had to take off at least one star for the problems encountered.

I own the "Demon" version of this guitar, and I have to say, it is nothing short of spectacular. Sound, feel, playability, variety of possible tones, clarity, neck stability, and reliability are all at the top of the hill with this instrument. Get ready to have some fun with that rolling capo when you buy this guitar. Hours and hours of experimentation.The reason why I bought this guitar and bought it from Amazon is because the "Demon" I purchased from Zzounds was defective. Issues with the finish and the piezos and the electronics. So, I returned it. Then that one had a problem. So, that went back. 4 guitars and 1 year later, I finally got one that worked right but the piezos were still trashed. So...I bought this one here for about $150 less, and I couldn't be happier. At 5pounds it is a great guitar to travel with.A few warnings: this guitar is made by Gibson/Epiphone, which means, good luck dealing with their service. Nice people once you talk to them, but you MUST be on top of them. Getting double ball end strings for this guitar is also a pain, but you can use any set you want if you just wanna go single ball end.Verdict: recommended. You will be happy.

It arrived in perfect condition and with an ideal setup. I replaced the strings with the bottom 5 from a set of .009s (.011-.042) and used a stray .056 for the 6th string. I tuned them B-E-A-D-F#-B (standard tuning, down a 4th) and the sound and playability are excellent. Nice, easy action on the light-ish strings, and no rattles or buzzes-- just heavy enough a string gauge to have them ring clean and clear even with a heavy picking hand. The electronics in this allow you to blend between the piezo saddle and any combination of the 2 magnetic pickups. There are separate bass and treble controls which actively boost or cut. Played through a tube amp, the magnetic pickups sound fine. Played through a transistor amp, the piezo is kind of lackluster by itself and blending it with the magnetic pick ups can yield some unique sounds and textures.I wish they went a full 30" for the scale length, but I suppose that would have been a bit limiting for players with smaller hands or shorter fingers.I'm a huge fan of the Steinberger design for its accurate intonation, tuning stability, and ergonomics, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a baritone model. I'm glad I did-- it plays and sounds great!