TRBboy

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-7DU20Ob34"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-7DU20Ob34[/url]

It's not even places where the paint would wear off!? Gross.

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1344590146' post='1766693'] I have mine on order, should be with me early November: California VT (that's a PJ pickup configuration to you and me) Fretted 5 string Rosewood board with dots Three tone sunburst with tortoisehell scratchplate Hardcore aged (to match my 70 fretless P) 34" scale Can't wait! Cheers Gareth [/quote] Jealous! Mine's not gonna be ready until around Christmas apparently! I did keep changing the spec though, so it's my own fault......

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1344544690' post='1766346'] Northants ! Miles away alas. But if I have to travel for work I'll let you know. Very kind! [/quote] Are you a 4 or 5 string player? Might be worth asking of there's any BCers with a Basic of any sort near you. Have a look in the Sandberg Love thread in the porn forum, you might spot someone near you.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1344534347' post='1766160'] I'm deffo going to have to try one. I never thought I'd be pulled away from my beloved Status basses, but the Cali I have sounds amazing - it just weighs a bit too much, and if the Ken Taylor neck is actually a little slimmer then that would be perfect!!! [/quote] Whereabouts are you? You're more than welcome to have a go on mine if you're ever near Hereford!

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1344471028' post='1765240'] Is the Ken Taylor neck the same profile as the TT / TM models? That weight saving really appeals to me! [/quote] Ah, glad you asked! The neck is the main selling point for me on the Basic series. Don't get me wrong, the necks on the Cali's are great (much nicer feel than a Fender IMHO), but the necks on the Basics are just sublime. They're a bit more slender, but with a profile that doesn't feel excessively flat and modern, although the centre line does flatten out a little as you get higher up the neck. It's a hard thing to describe in words! They feel slim front to back, and fast and effortless to play, yet somehow still curvy and very, very comfortable. For me, I've never played any other bass which feels as good in my hands, it's like it was made to fit me!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1344443309' post='1764632'] I have contacted Synergy and Alan was very helpful, but the one I want isn't in and I've never played one yet, so really I need to try one out. I've heard they can weight quite a bit, which isn't that much of a problem as long as it isn't ridiculous. I think the P/MM type VM basses look great. Thing is, the conversion to the Euro is an advantage at the moment, so brands like Sandberg should be a pretty good deal. [/quote] Distributors and dealers tend to order some of the most commonly requested finishes for "stock" (mainly seem to be natural or sunburst californias), but remember that most Sandbergs are just made to order. Unless you want a natural or sunburst 4 string California TM, you're unlikely to find exactly what you want readily available. As far as weight goes, the Ash bodied matt finishes are the heaviest (Ash/matt Cali TM5 = approx. 10.6lb), while the alder highgloss finishes are a bit lighter (Alder/highgloss Cali TM5 = approx. 9.9lb). By comparison, an Alder/highgloss Basic Ken Taylor 5 weighs in at approx. 8.6lb (although mine's approx. 7.5-8lb on my bathroom scales!) due to the smaller, more ergonomic body. Weight was one of the main reasons I moved on the Cali VM4 I used to have, but on the flipside my current KT5 feels like a feather for a 5er! The euro exchange rate is great at the moment, but if you can get a very similar deal through a UK agent, then why not?

[quote name='snazz' timestamp='1344443101' post='1764626'] So, how did you go about the process of getting what you want? [/quote] Just chat about what you want with Alan. I initially contacted him to have a rant that I was having no joy with any of the UK retailers, and that I was annoyed that I couldn't get what I wanted, for the price I wanted, through a UK agent so would be buying from Germany. From there we established what I wanted, and how much I was willing to pay, and he set about finding the right route to take to make this happen.

[quote name='snazz' timestamp='1344441054' post='1764574'] I'm seriously thinking as much as I love this bass, it's the neck and body colour that does it for me, and I have to wonder why I am wanting to pay all that much extra to have it in a trashed condidtion. I am kinda thinking, how about not smashing the crap out of it and saving some cash too. [/quote] I kind of think it's nice to be able to choose the options you want too, after all the Marlowe DK is basically someone else's ideal bass and says something about them. Why not design your bass exactly how you want it to be (and save some money!)? The Sandberg I've got on order isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it's exactly what I wanted, and it will probably be the only one in the UK with those exact specs. I think that's one of the great things about Sandberg, instead of just having a handful of different finishes, you can mix and match quite a choice of different options without it even becoming a proper "custom" job. If you're able to afford a proper custom job, you can literally have anything you can think of! When you think that you can get a California, handbuilt, to your exact spec, for the same sort of money (or less than) a USA Fender (in some cases), it's kind of a no-brainer!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1344375413' post='1763762'] Will they get close to the Thomann price? [/quote] It depends how good your negotiation skills are! Seriously though, they got close enough for me to feel that it was well worth doing. And I'm a tightarse.

You need to speak to Alan Greensall at Synergy Distribution, the UK Distributor. I got prices from Thomann, Session Music, etc, but Alan has helped me get the deal I want through a UK seller. It seems much more straightforward dealing with a UK company, and far easier if there's any problems. Alan has also been very, very helpful advising me of the possibilities, and answering all of my relentless questions!

Hey guys, we just got our finished demo back from the studio last night. Just wondered if you'd be good enough to have a quick listen and comment on the production quality? Ta. http://m.soundcloud.com/twopushcharlie001

I love good punk covers of non-punk songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUehViMjRo0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVm-pTiyC48

[quote name='Alex Nikitin' timestamp='1343050170' post='1744286'] [color=#000080]Yea [b]175, 135, 105, 85, 65, 45[/b]. That's a killer set that works freakin' perfect for my tone. I used to play 135s but when switched to 175s .. [/color] [color=#000080]My goodness it was like driving Harley after Yamaha[/color] [/quote] Wow! And I felt that .045" - .135" was too heavy for me! What tuning are you using?

I keep my best bass(es) shut away in their hardcase, and just leave my modded RBX270 out on a stand in the living room. It's never been damaged at all, but it came close a couple of times, and has had sticky fingers on it on several occasions!

I know you're specifically asking about Fenders, but it would be well worth trying out a Sandberg California TT or TM if you can get your hands on one!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1342897466' post='1742603'] I've never understood this need to go through a dealer when you're ordering a custom bass. Dealers are for off the peg basses. Surely when you're going for custom options you should go direct to the manufacturer? IMO every extra person an order goes through increase the chance of something going wrong. [/quote] All Sandbergs are basically made to order, so even though there are "standard options" there are no off the peg ones as such. Models that you see in shops are usually pretty obvious popular choices which they know will sell. Sandberg are still a pretty small outfit, and I suspect that they would rather rely on their distributors and dealers to interface with the public, instead of having to employ a sales/customer service team and manage it all in-house. You could say that some of the British luthiers manage to do it all themselves, but Sandberg have a global presence and I expect produce significantly more instruments per year.

[quote name='Alex Nikitin' timestamp='1342799288' post='1741225'] I use .175 on my 6string babe. [/quote] Holy s#%t! I didn't even know you could get a string that thick!

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1342800145' post='1741246'] Go with the german stores. Much cheaper. Email Thomann and they'll get back to you in a few days with confimation of spec & price. [/quote] I really think it's worth speaking to Alan at Synergy. It's possible to end up with what you want, at the price you want, through a UK dealer........ I felt this was better in case I had any problems with the bass or needed anything else.

All Sandbergs are basically made to order. Obviously the shops that stock them order the most commonly requested options, but essentially whatever you want is possible! (I should know, I've got a custom spec one being built at the moment!) You need to speak to Alan Greensall at the UK Distributor, Synergy Distribution, who is extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and will be able to advise you of the best way to go about getting the bass you want.

Listen to it on repeat in your sleep. And just keep trying!