Ned Steinberger’s bold L1 (1979) and L2 (1981) bass designs quickly attracted interest from prominent players. These included John Entwistle of The Who, and King Crimson star Tony Levin.

Widespread media attention generated huge demand for Steinbergers, including a newly introduced headless 6-string guitar and a fretless bass similar to this one.

In 1980, Steinberger set up the Steinberger Sound Corporation to produce the L1. As the decade progressed, managing the company became an increasingly onerous task for it’s founder. Ned turned to Gibson’s boss, Henry Juszkiewicz, for some business advice, and their discussions led to the 1987 purchase of Gibson by the Nashville-based guitar giant.

Declared one of the “Five Best Designs” of 1981 by TIME magazine, the Steinberger even has a removable leg rest for seated players.