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Say wht you want about relicing but this is the nuts....

Apart from that it's a great show.

Well... @KiOgon‘s work is as wonderful as ever. What a guy!

i'd just like to say that both my Sandys have had delanos, and they certainly haven't been left wanting in the tone department. Horses for courses.

The Grand Dark features black labels and a three band eq (Darkglass) but unsurprisingly you pay a bit more for these upgraded features. I believe it’s a 35” scale too but comes in over the £1000. Its a tricky one as a ‘standard’ model will feature standard parts. If one wanted an Ibanez SR with the ‘upgraded’ Nordstrand pick ups one is potentially looking at double the price to get those features (and that’s maybe a bit unfair as the ‘quality’ and features may appear to be upgraded across all areas of the bass on the higher priced model) over a more standard offering of the non premium models. Since Ibanez have switched to the Bart BH2 in the mid/upper price range are they an improvement over the cheaper Mk1’s in the lower priced models or more of the same? As the price rises the top of the line Ibanez offer Aguilar pick ups so again this points to a price/parts correlation. It’s true there are cracking value basses to be had in the mid price ranges of many brands and some folk may avoid a ‘lesser known’ brand and that’s where BC can be helpful but by the same mark when a company like Bartolini offers so many variations of pick ups (as does Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio etc.) it’s hard to justify a blanket ban based on one specific experience with a factory fitted, lower grade pick which has possibly been wound to the spec of the company who have it installed in their model. I say this having used Bart p pick ups and loved them for the warmth and depth they added to a p bass. I’d happily use them again. I’ve heard clips of @Al Krow playing his sandberg and I’d agree the tone was was too hi-fi/sterile/midi like and I understand why he’s moved on from that sound as I wouldn’t gravitate to it either but within the debate on pick ups it’s important to know there’s are as many pick ups out there’s as opinions on them.

Here’s an Elan 6 I had for a while. Really heavy but really nicely made. Sounded quite ‘dark’ and never really bonded with it, not being much of a six string player. Or much of a player at all, really.

Short scale and long scale series 2s;

A two timer.

My newly acquired '83 Aria Pro II SB-R60 complete with original case. Also alongside it's siblings, the twin pickup SB-R80 and soon to be restored Zebrawood SB-R150.

The KT is an awesome bass for sure, I keep thinking of selling mine as I mainly play my TT4 in a blues/ rock trio. I’ve never seen another with a kind of flamed ash finish!

Tort everytime. Pearl looks odd.

Phil did some gluing of top and neck to body. Then he did some fettling to the neck join. It’s looking rather fine I think:

Right....back to business check out this beaut!!!!....

Over the years I have had a number of Sandbergs: TM, TT, VT and VM. Even one TM2 (with two humbuckers). When I think of Sandberg this is what comes to my mind: Plus: Great and flawless craftmenship, incredible pricepoint (here in Germany, for a German built bass), feels super comfy and plays like a dream no matter what model Minus: Not a big fan of the Sandberg Electronic's voicing (to edgy highs, too boomy lows), nice tone and pickup-blend though, not a big fan of the PUs they usually and most frequently throw in their instruments: Delanos with the huge Polepieces, Sandberg PUs with the huge Polepieces I however really liked the Sandberg Singles in their passive TT models. I did not have a chance to test the Sandberg Black Labels. As a consequence I have replaced the Sandberg Pubs in my VM5 with Häussels (another great German Pickup brand I can only highly recommend - they can be ordered directly with any custom built Sandberg). Models: They have quite a number of models in their still growing arsenal. I am not sure I do understand the popularity of the TM models which did not work for me at all, I assume mainly due to those Delanos. My favourite model has been the VT (eventhough equipped with Delanos per default) because of the PU combo. The VM and TT are next in line. VM and VT: I really like the reverse split-coil in the VM and VT as it is punchy and works well on its own. I however really do not like the 50:50 blend of Splitcoil and Humbucker in the VM. It just does not work for me with the Sandberg Pubs. Hence I always play it 60:40 (neck:bridge) which is a super fat, yet articulate sound. Can't wait to throw my just ordered Häussels in the VM. Those will hopefully allow me a decent split of the bridge humbucker (hum-free Jazzcoils) for various P/J configurations.

Actually - I like it so much that I'm now trying to raise cash for a 5 string superlight as well.

I knew he could do it but then ....... I believe in miracles!!

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I'll be taking these to the Midlands bash for anyone to try.

Just been alerted to, and watched, part of an episode of 'The Repair Shop' on BBC1 this afternoon. It's a show where people bring in various artefacts with a story, and top pro's restore them. Today's featured a mid-60's Jazz bass, bought in by the son of Tony Wilson, bassist for Hot Chocolate until '76. Won't do any spoilers, but it'll be on catch-up, so worth a look!

Browsing thru YT and came across this video with Abraham Laboriel and Pee Wee Hill....amazing tone from Mr Hill. Need to hear more.

I once watched Chad Smith and Glenn Hughes performing together at a Chad Smith drum clinic. They played, amongst other tracks, “Mistreated”. With Hughes’ incredible vocals, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the rest of the instruments were missing from the song. A very powerful performance and a lesson in how the rhythm section can carry a song on its own. Afterward, I ended up invited back to the hotel where Glenn quizzed me on bass gear choices whilst Chad was very much the life of the party.

I've just ordered a Sandberg VM4. I went for their 'soft aged' finish purely because of the cost. I'm not a fan of the relic thing, although when done well it doesn't put me off either, and Sandberg does do it very well. My first choice was a solid colour, high gloss finish. Unfortunately it's not one of their normal colours, so it would add £525 to the price. Now, I liked that colour, but not THAT much. So I asked about the nearest alternative, which happened to be a metallic colour they do do, but only on aged finishes. I asked about getting it 'not aged'. It was possible, but at a cost, because again, for high gloss, it means more work. For an aged finish, they don't need to get it perfectly flat and nice before they 'age' it... so it's like an in-between level of effort and the time it takes. So I got the order in specifying "very light soft aged pretty please" or something along those lines Sandberg is the only company that has made me thought "hmmm, yummy" about their aged instruments.

Thanks. As a relative beginner, with no previous music playing experience, I am using bass tabs at the moment combined with backing tracks and/or vids

Nice to find this thread here - even if am about 6 years late!! Anyhoo, here are my two Westone Thunder II's (c.1981). I bought the fretless in the mid-80's. I also had the fretted bass at the same time but actually sold it in the 90's. (Doh!). However, I found the same one on Ebay a few years back and snapped it up.

My little collection! I'm a huge Sandberg fan, the build quality is exceptional, I love the fret board radius & zero fret, the hardware is very very good, particularly the tuners on the TT, super smooth and very accurate. (left to right) - '16 TT4 Passive - Swamp Ash gloss finish + pearl block inlays. I've had to have a slight neck reshape done to this one as it was a little fat on the shoulders. This one's very light and sounds beautiful. Very pure if that makes sense... '14 Classic Special - Mahogany with Bubinga top, pearl dots + Delano pups. Stunning build and playability. The pups are very hifi but it sounded perfect in the neo soul band I was in a few years back. Didn't work at all for the funk & soul band I joined after, hence the passive TT! '05 Basic Ken Taylor - Ash body. This has also had a neck reshape prior to my ownership, whoever did it was a genius. The sound is massive, loads of tonal variation, if anything it's a little too complex for me, but it plays like a dream.

The recent Inca silver was a massive winner for me

Yeah, after two weeks off work it’s stopped spectacularly. I’ve had no time. in saying that, I have started the neck pocket reshape, which hasn’t been as straightforward as I’d like. Will start again tonight. Currently looks like this... And all of the other bits arrived today (including @KiOgon loom which looks amazing!!!

You might even find it cheaper to have a luthier build you a replacement neck to your specification.

Yes I’ve been hit with handling charges before. It was from a courier fee to take the item to customs shed and collect it. Downright out of order as far as I’m concerned. I think your 20% vat is correct but those hidden handling fees will possibly need to be included into that. Alternately and as told to me by a U.K. customs official some years ago..... If you have a friend on ‘mainland’ Europe, get it sent there and then get them to re-post to you as this (apparently) skirts the U.K. import tax stuff from the USA into the U.K.

There will be a ‘handling fee’ too, which is a bit of a cheek

He’s got some neck attempting a job like that.

I heard he was a bit of a wind up merchant...

Or speak to a distributor not an online shop who buy ready built basses or basses they spec themselves based on what most people buy and find out

Plus, the natural finish looks stunning

Mr Al Krow My post started off as a jokey response to your idea that a retailer would swap out pickups at no expense to himself The scenario was that of a kid in a sweetshop which in my tired and emotional state I neglected to mention. Do not post when pisshed is my motto from now on

Really enjoying this little basses!! I'm going to make a couple more of these but also have a couple of other ideas I'll try at some point. I'll make a slightly longer scale one (27.5") and I'm also looking at a headed version. I've done a couple of scribbles for this and I think it could look rather nice (same body shape as before but a change to the neck pocket shape). Just need to find the time, which is the hard bit!!

I've got an American Basses book I'll add to the raffle. Will have a look to see what else I may have.

Oops how rude of me. Here is my alembic weapon of choice, that i picked up directly from Mica Wickersham at the alembic factory in California in 2012. Series II Europa.

Slap bass has no practical application in life or good music. It’s like learning to rap in Latin - technically impressive but entirely pointless.

Right, photos time. My Stanley Clarke.

Looks like a 14 year old's woodwork project. I'm sure it sounds amazing, but it looks like hell to play.

Well I failed utterly to keep a build diary, but the 'Deathburger III' is now complete, strung with the four middle strings froma guitar and tuned ADGC for the time being as a sort of 'piccolo bass'. Learnt a lot, chiefly don't trust spray varnish and don't fit your pickup to the scratchplate (or move its pole pieces) before you know where the strings will end up! Still it works, on both magnetic pickup and the piezo one in the bridge.

Aye, great site. Though I think I’ve found more musicians on Autotrader.co.uk