GL2T 4214 White – Billy Thomas

Before there was Steinberger Sound, there was the Brooklyn Woodworker’s Co-Op — the shared shop where Ned Steinberger and Stuart Spector built their first instruments. Billy Thomas co-founded that space. In short, without it, the headless guitar as we know it doesn’t get built.

This instrument was made by Ned Steinberger and presented to Billy Thomas as a gift. It comes with a written history of the guitar authored by and personally signed by Ned Steinberger.

Beyond the provenance, it also carries a carbon fiber fretboard in place of the phenolic used on the normal production instruments — one of only a few known to exist. Combined with the provenance, this is not a guitar that has a comparable listing to point to. There isn’t a second one.

In terms of collectability, there are no other examples that have a higher sentimental value and closer tie to the people who started the headless revolution. An instrument made as a personal gift by the builder to the man who helped him get his start. This is one of the most important instruments HeadlessUSA has ever offered. We are proud to offer this piece of Steinberger history for sale on behalf of its owner, Billy Thomas.

The instrument

A genuine Newburgh-era Steinberger Sound GL2T in white, serial number 4214. Produced in 1986, back when Steinberger Sound was still an independent shop turning out the instruments that made the reputation.

The one-piece molded graphite body and neck mean no truss rod, no dead spots, and no seasonal setup drift. It doesn’t care about humidity, it doesn’t care about stage lights, and it holds tune in conditions that would put a wooden instrument out of commission.

Version 2 TransTrem. Not just a vibrato — a transposing tremolo. Bend the arm and every string moves in perfect relative pitch, so chords stay chords instead of collapsing into dissonance. Lock the arm into a calibrated detent and the whole instrument shifts key while staying in tune with itself.

Two EMG 81 humbuckers. The classic high-output pairing for the platform — tight, articulate, and aggressive, with the low noise floor and headroom the EMG active system is known for.

Condition: Excellent, and fully original — unrestored, unmodified, with no parts swapped. Wear amounts to minor fret wear and slight discoloration on the faceplate. Given what this instrument is, we have deliberately left it exactly as Ned built it.

Included:

• Documentation personally authored and signed by Ned Steinberger
• Original gig bag
• Original version 2 tremolo arm
• Original TransTrem instructions
• New HeadlessUSA strap
• Extra set of calibrated double-ball end strings

Sold and supported by HeadlessUSA — Steinberger parts, service, and restoration specialists. We inspect, set up, and photograph every instrument in-house.