# Ned Steinberger's Headless Bass Story

> Ned Steinberger's headless bass guitar design was corrected by Les Paul, who claimed he built the first headless guitar in 1942.
- Title: Ned Steinberger's Headless Bass Story · Guitar World
- Summary: Ned Steinberger's headless bass guitar design was corrected by Les Paul, who claimed he built the first headless guitar in 1942. Ned Steinberger created the…
- Keywords: ned steinberger, les paul, headless bass, carbon graphite, spector bass, bass guitar, graphite reinforcement, phenolic resin, Ned, Steinberger's, Headless, Bass
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/gear/bass-guitars/ned-steinberger-carbon-graphite-headless-bass-guitar
- Published: 2026-10-03T19:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ned steinberger, les paul, headless bass, carbon graphite, spector bass, bass guitar, graphite reinforcement, phenolic resin
## Headless Bass Innovation
Ned Steinberger created the world's first headless bass guitar in 1979, a design that was revolutionary for its composite construction.
## Les Paul's Correction
Les Paul claimed he built the first headless guitar in 1942, correcting Steinberger's assertion that he invented the concept.

> I was going around saying, 'Look at this, the world's first headless guitar!' and Les Paul said, 'No, that's wrong, I built the first headless guitar back in 1942.'
## Steinberger's Background
Trained in sculpture, Steinberger met Brooklyn bass builder Stuart Spector in the mid-1970s, leading to the NS bass design.
## Spector NS Bass Development
Steinberger and Spector developed the NS bass, which was later used by Doug Wimbish, Sting, and Rex Brown.
## Headless Design Rationale
Steinberger moved tuners to the end of the bass to improve ergonomics and reduce weight, but discovered the importance of stiffness.
## Material Innovation
Steinberger used epoxy resin reinforced with carbon graphite and glass fibre for the bass body and neck.
## L2 Bass Timeline
The Steinberger L2 bass was developed around 1977, became available by 1980, and the XL2 version launched in 1983.
## Key takeaway

Ned Steinberger created the world's first headless bass guitar in 1979, but Les Paul claimed he built the first headless guitar in 1942.