dmccombe7

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

As ointed out this thread is an appreciation thread so i started another on what people think of Sandberg basses so we can keep this lovely nice Sanberg pics like mine

I've recently bought a Sandberg VM4 shown below. I've tried them several times over past few years and always liked them but thought they were a bit too expensive at the time. While looking for a good P bass i was pointed towards the VS4 as an option but came across my white VM4 while searching and i just liked the look of it and having the Humbucker was an added bonus. I love it. I get a nice mid punch with depth and its better than i expected from a tone perspective. The neck is simply unbelievable and the action is so low. That may have been down to Chris at Vintage and Cool Guitars but all Sandbergs i've trie had an amazing neck. I love everything about the bass. I honestly can't fault it. HOWEVER :- I know there are people out there that have differing opinions to Sandberg owners and this is the place to hear what everyone has to say without causing offence. Just opinions and viewpoints on the pros and cons of the Sandberg basses. No need for arguments just nice healthy viewpoints or at most debate/ So here's mine :-

Think that comment might have been aimed at us going of thread talking about other things. I personally value all comments on Sandbergs no matter what the thread title states. I guess we should have opened up a new thread for honest opinions on Sandbergs and keep this one for nice lovely Sandberg pics. Apologies if we have drifted off thread a bit. Dave

When i'm researching something i want to buy i always ask the people what style of music they play because their style, technique or EQ might not work for me. Pop and slap sound doesn't really work in a blues or reggae style band. Dave

100% agree You need both sides of a debate to allow you to make a balanced judgement on what might suit you more and you guys might all have different opinions but that's why we're on BC in the first place. It doesn't need to get nasty like FB. A polite healthy debate is all most of us want to see (or read). Lets be honest if we all agreed with everything it would be one heck of a boring forum cause i'd be right all the time without exception and you all know that aint the truth Now what's wrong wie Peavey amps 😜 Dave

I recently started looking at pick-ups for a bass and was really surprised just how many are actually out there even within the same company. I gave up because of that. It was as daunting as trying to find a new bass only difference is you can't try them out in a shop. Its a lot of money to spend only to find out its not what you had in mind. Oddly enough i've seen quite a few 2nd hand Ibanez Barts for sale since this discussion started. Dave

I value the expert knowledge across the BC group. You can be sure you'll get a balanced and more important an honest opinion from people on here. I know a lot of that is down to personal taste but if you find others with similar tastes or views then it helps you make that big decision if changing things around. Is that not what BC is all about. Helping each other along the road of bass. ? Dave

Its just good to have different points of view on a bass. Yep we are all different and like different things and that's how it should be or we might all sound like the same bass player. Think a healthy and helpful discussion is what i enjoy most on BC and having only recently purchased my Sandberg its probably that little bit more interesting for me. I had tried various Sandbergs over the past couple of years but were more than i was willing to pay for a project bass at that time. Gonna be a while before i get round to changing things on my basses but when i do i'll mention it on BC to get opinions or i might ask for advice before i do anything. I'm also considering changing the pickups on my Overwater J4 (its not the Tanglewood version. Chris put it together specially for me not long after buying my custom fretless 6er so it has no numbers on it) I just find the pick-ups a bit weak on the low end lack of depth. Still not sure tho as i like basses to stay as they were when i bought them Mmmmm dilemma.

I'm finding the pick up debate quite interesting. I have never changed pick ups on a bass in 45 yrs and tend to stick with whatever is on the bass as that's why i bought it. I can't say i've tried the exact same bass with "different" pick ups so i personally have no comparison to make. I'm happy with the original Sandbergs on my bass and can't see me changing them but i would like to try the same bass with other pick-ups just to see what the difference is. What this is has done for me is to consider changing the pick ups on my Fender Precision deluxe which i'm just not overly happy with. It has Fenders own P with the Nordstand J but it just doesn't have a good balance of volume or tone acrss the 4 strings. I'll work on which pick up is causing the problem but think it might be the Fender P. Cheers chaps Dave