NY-based furnature designer Ned Steinberger befriended luthier Stuart Spector in the late 1970s. He became fascinated with guitar design, and took a key role in developing Spector’s NS-1 electric bass (1977). Steinberger then began to build his own basses.

Aware of the inherent tendency for heavy headstocks to create an uncomfortable imbalance, he adopted a radical solution. This was the complete removal of the peghead, and the repositioning of the tuners at the instrument’s bridge end. He was also dissatisifed with the sound produced by wooden basses, and began to fabricate prototypes from graphite-reinforced epoxy resin.

The experimentation resulted in the “headless” single-pickup L1 bass of 1979.