dmccombe7

To be fair the studios i use are really good. Plenty of space, well lit, air-con, great quality PA and backline of Marshall amps and 412 cabs with either EBS, Aguilar or Ampeg SVT2 heads into Ampeg 810 cabs. Clean toilets no matter what time of day you rehearse and seperate hand washing facilities / mirror area (for the ladies of course). Various seating areas and TV room. Pretty good coffee vending machine with snack vending machines too. All for £35 / 3hrs. They do get some very well known bands rehearsing in there as well usually before gigging in Glasgow. Few weeks ago Steely Dan were in for a few days, Michael schenker has been in with Chris Glenn band, Kaiser Chiefs and even Beyonce was in once before playing Glasgow SECC. I guess when you have that clientele you need things to be good. Dave

Yeah i guess so but taking 100% profit on a battery just seems a little extreme to me. Adding £1 on is more acceptable to most people. I should really have had a spare in my bag but i tend not to use batteries and i simply forgot to put my power supply in that day. Don't think i'll ever be convinced that 100% profit is OK. They know they've got you if you need to ask them for one. Maybe the guy was pocketing a £1 from the sale Dave

Make sure they are priced appropriately. I needed a 9V battery for my tuner and the studio charged me £4.50 for one. I can get 2 Duracell ones for £4 elsewhere. I appreciate they need to make a profit on them but 100% is a bit much. Oddly enough the studio cost is £35 with 1st class gear supplied so its a bit of a shame they charge so much for the little items you might need. Would hate to have to buy a set of strings from them. I'd need a 2nd mortgage Just a suggestion to be realistic with the pricing of these things. Dave

Good point with the strings. I found the DR Sunbeam nickels were a bit rough. Currently i'm back on Fender nickels and Sandberg steels on my Sandberg. I have Elixir strings on my Warwick Thumb and they are smooth but quite tense but again that has quite a low action. Dave

Is that your plucking hand index finger ? I get it on my fretting hand index finger but my new Sandberg bass has a super low action at 1.2mm and i don't seem to get it. I also found lighter gauge strings or less tense strings helped too.

now that's probably a better idea cause if they dont work you've lost nothing but time 👍

Think where i'm coming from on the pick up change thing is that i have no real experience or knowledge of the replacement ones on the market. Altho not hugely expensive for a reasonable set for say a PJ bass maybe typically £100 set and then a pre-amp maybe much the same. So a total of £150 - £200 would get you an ok set for a bass. If they work and are exactly what you had hoped for then all good. On the other hand if they aren't what you expected you need to sell them 2nd hand and look for something else. There's a lot of ick ups out there and it could be a never ending story. McNach - you've obviously had a fair bit of trial and error as you know what ones you like or prefer and they are the "relatively" cheaper ones compared to some. I'm quite happy setting my basses up and doing all the intonation, neck, string height, pick up height etc but once you get into the pick ups and pre-amps its like a busmans holiday for me. Of course i'm retired now and have a lot more time so it shouldn't really be a prob for me these days and i have considered changing them on my Overwater J4 and my Fender PJ. The Overwater is a nice bass to play but the pick ups i'm not overly keen. It has the Joh East pre-amp with V, Bal, T & B pots but i'm not sure if its the pick ups or the pre amp or maybe both and at some point i might take the plunge and experiment a bit but i have no idea what will work best fro me in that bass. I don't want to change the woodwork myself but i did consider asking Chris at McIntyre Guitars for some advice and help fitting them if need be. I'm just not too sure and with getting the Sandberg recently its put me off bothering. Jings i sound like a right lazy git after reading this Dave

My young brother had a BB3000 i think it was back in late early 90's i think and it was a stunning bass. I was very impressed by it. It was black with gold metal round the pick-ups. PJ set up but can't remember if active or not. He paid a fair amount for it 2nd hand back then as they were very opular basses around that time. He sold it without telling me or i would have bought it from him. I've always quite fancied getting one. I've always fancied getting one but not seen one like it at a decent price. Love the tone from them. Mate has a yammy at the moment but its a cheaper one with same PJ set up and active. Not had a chance to play that one tho. At some point i think i will get one for my collection. They have a super clean mid punch but a nice warm tone too. Dave

To be honest the Sandberg reminds me of the MM sound but i'm no expert on MM basses whereas you are if i remember right. I run the bass with the treble back a touch pick-ups centred and occassionally a little bass boost but very little. That gives me a nice mid punch with depth that for me sounds is something i've been looking for in a while but never quite manage it. I usually end up with a bass that's more treble and bass than a nice clean mid. I'm really happy with mine. I've tried the P on its own and i don't think it sounds exactly like a Fender P but its pretty good and i'm happy with that too. Using the MM on its own you need to boost the bass a bit to get a decent depth but it gives lovely clear mids at same time. The bass will do a far more treble sound too if that's what you prefer. Cant see me ever boosting the treble with this bass tho. Centre mid point on the treble is as high as i would ever take the tone. Hope you enjoy yours as much as i am McNach. Dave

I'm actually an Instrument, electrical and electronics engineer so soldering is second nature for me. I just can't be bothered to be honest plus the cost of buying them and maybe they just aren't what i thought they would be is a loss of money for me so i try and buy basses i've heard or tried. I've no idea what a set of pick ups sound like unless i try them on same bass. Too risky for me. Lot of the modern basses now have solderless connections now so it does make things a lot easier for people plus a good guitar shop or bass luthier if one in your area would fit for you but again life is too short for me to be doing that. Easier for me to just change the bass. The VM4 having one of the nicest necks i've played and well balanced i might have considered changing them if i needed to but the Sandberg pups are just fine for me at the moment. Dave

I have to admit i usually buy a bass as is and if after awhile its not what i thought it would be i sell on usually at a loss cause i tend to buy new. I've never in 40+ yrs changed pick-up or pre-amp in a bass. I've thought about it but always came to the conclusion that its easier to just buy a bass i like as is. Maybe i've had too much money and not enough brains over the years. Far more choice of basses and parts these days and for me that makes the decision to change even more daunting. I would hate to spend a lot of money on a pick or preamp to find its not much different to the one i already have. I would really need to hear or try the two different basses one on one to hear the difference. Every bass i've ever had was good at what it was designed for but none were able to cover every style i enjoyed playing. I'm not sure where my journey on the road of bass will take me and i may still end up with a Fender P bass at some point and that way i can cover all basses I enjoy having new gear and the boost it gives me when playing. If a bass does that for a couple of years then i'm happy with it. The one bass that i didn't keep too long was a Ric 4003 back in 80's. Loved the shape, loved the neck and feel of the bass but for me it had a very one sounding tone no matter what i did with it. Only kept it a few months. The VM4 i just bought gives me one helluva buzz every time i play it both in feel and tone so its gonna be a keeper i reckon. Dave

is the Glock preamp the standard fit one ?

Does seem to be pick-ups or pre-amps that are the common complaint with them. Never hear anyone complain about build quality and finish and the necks always seem to get high or at least good comments. Its difficult for me to comment on that as i still have the new bass euphoria syndrome and it usually takes me a few months of rehearsals or gigs with a bass to find its weaker points. Oddly enough the Fender PJ i own the complaint i have is opposite from what band members tell me. I think it sounds weak and lacks depth but they say the opposite. Only had the opportunity to do one gig with the Sandberg and loking forward to a rehearsal next week with it altho not my own amp so that wont help. Sometimes its a good thing to use a strange amp with a new bass to see if you can actually get "your sound" thru it. Dave

Here's something i've never seen done before

you've broke it You'll end up wie an extra bit short

Don't think i could justify another new bass this soon after my VM4 but like your confidence in me Cuzzie.

Just came across this on my FB page. 4 stringer maybe

That's a beaut in the middle right enough. Fantastic rich looking colour. Dave

I almost went for this instead of the white one i decided on but the white just had something a bit more.

For me i've always associated the large pole pick ups with that MM 80's slap thing and i've steared away from basses because of it but was asked to try the Sandberg VM4 in a few shops when i was looking for my Fender PJ few yrs ago and because of the tone i was getting (thru a MB mini amp which i can't remember the name and a 12" MB cab) i changed my mind. It was full, warm and deep and when required i ws able to get that old 80's sound without too much trouble. Every Sandberg i've tried had the large pole pieces and i think they all had the Sandberg logo on them. Maybe my Mesa rig helps with my tone. Maybe my taste in bass tone has changed with age or maybe i'm just enjoying the nice change. Dave

Hopefully someone with that experience will comment and share their thoughts. That's why i started the thread. Dave

Now that's pretty detailed and for me interesting to know your thinking behind your choices. Cheers Dave

deleted post - duplicate from me

To be honest i personally am very happy with mine but when buying it i didn't realise there were other pick up selections like Delano, Black Label and Hauser types and i'm curious to hear others experiences of them whether that be positive or negative. I might look at buying another one next year and it would be good to get both sides of the debate. Maybe a different pick up config or simply just another colour but who knows what life will bring along. I'm quite happy to hear other people's opinions on them and why they moved them on. I'm curious to know why someone would get rid of a bass that probably has the best neck i've ever played. Why would you get rid of that if its the pick ups that you don't particularly like then you would change them just the same as many Fender owners do. I guess i'm just curious. Dave

It was pointed out by the OP that the Appreciation thread was only for appreciative comments so thought best to start this one where everyone can comment positive and negative opinions and viewpoints Dave