Cuzzie

Aye its difficult, maybe start with favourite artists and what they use?

Which pick ups? Active/passive etc.

Just a wee update for y’all I actually sold the bass to a Uni music student close to me and he demanded (!) I match the headstock and so I duly agreed. I also changed the capacitor on the tone pot, to give it more roll off, re-did the whole soldering (I did it tired last time) and it sounds way better and is rock solid. And a video of the scorched edges. E5D0F2FB-D2B8-4EBE-AF52-E629DB266EFF.MOV Happy now as the money can be re-invested into another build - and I am going to pay myself on the back a bit and say this chap got a decent bargain - it does sound good!

Nah you sound fine buddy! If you know what you want specifically then yes it can be easy and you can ‘risk’ or spend money new. In the other hand the second hand market can be relatively buoyant so that once something has dropped in price after being new, Trying it out leads to negligible if any money loss unless it’s hammered. It could be one of those ones where you keep an eye out for an interesting set to you - if they come up - grab em, have a go, then you know!

4 too many strings......🤦🏾‍♂️🤪

@mcnach i get you on dimensions I played a 44mm nut Alembic that felt like it was 2 MM and gorgeous-an absolute feat of craft and some others, and then other slimmer nuts which felt grossly ponderous

Believe me, chatting to Hölger he has put a lot of thought into pre-amp and pick ups and feels that they work overall as a balance of allowing the bass to shine through and to manipulate your sound how you want. He is a bass player of some repute himself, so he knows a thing or too

Yep true - you have shared your views on paying >£1k for a bass and not wanting to swap the electronics. You can also pay >£1k and around about the same price as the previous paragraph for a bass from Sandberg with the electronics that you want for example Sandberg own or black labels. You can also get an excellent second hand deal on a Sandberg, pop in the electronics you want, sell the old ones and come in <£1k after all wheeler dealings and we know you like a deal! Not sure how you can not agree with it not being so easy to make a fantastic well engineered and finished bass or guitar if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it! You only have to look at @mcnach and his recent experience. He found a neck he preferred on a 48 in a store in Glasgow- didn’t want that bass but wanted a different model. Using the serial number the store will contact sandberg and will be able to find out as reliably as possible what the exact neck proportions of that neck he played were, and will try to accurately replicate it for the customer. I haven’t heard of many manufacturers going to those lengths and I know of more examples. The crass point about Hölger not listening is absolute tosh and balderdash, he listens closely to artists and customers. You are basing opinions on a very small snapshot of people and magnifying the result exponentially. I would call that perfunctory and otiose. As you have said - may not be for you and that’s fine. I’d prefer to eat the peanuts out my own poo than use some of the ‘throaty’ nordstrand pick ups - but that’s me.

You have to also remember that even Sig models that ‘appear’ the same configuration have their own unique pick up placement for example TT, TSBS, DK very similar will sound different even accounting for now the TSBS no longer uses Duncan pick ups. VM, Nighthawk, Rammstein sig, 48 being another example

Yep 2 band for active basses as far as I know except for the Grand Dark Which is the DG tone capsule

It’s not Berg electronics it’s Glock plus or minus Delano’s electronics. Easy to have different pick ups, pre amps if you want them- not so easy to make a fantastic bass

You could try it one by one Keep it in passive - nowt wrong with that -

Will that not just be like a set neck?

Swap em!!!

@prowla it’s never too late, what’s the worst that can happen....??!!

Don - that’s entirely sensible. Go passive and pop Haüssels in and you will have a great sound and 2 lovely basses that will compliment each other. Of course I think the new DK’s have black labels in.....

That is gospel so far as others I don’t know - how many companies do Fender have financial fingers in pies? Its not worth going after Harley Benton selling basses for a packet of Pork scratchings, and possibly they are made in factories owned by Fender. For example CORT and Schecter share similar facilities if I remember right. To my mind, it must be because they are genuine competitors so far as the quality and price point they are at - and personally - they slay a Fender. Thats market force pressure, not as bad as the mad owner or Warwick who rings up normal guys on the shop floor and shouts at them for not selling enough of his basses. Don’t get me started on him smashing the Buzzard bass mould and then Building a horrific boat anchor......

So...... DK is old Sandberg pick ups TT Haüssel This is the most difficult of questions for me. The DK really is the most wonderful of basses, and so easy to play and the pup nearer to the bridge gives it the bite you want. On it’s own, no pedals it’s brilliant, but it also takes a pedal probably better than any bass I have played. It is punchy enough to be on its own, yet subtle enough to allow for tone shaping you desire. The White TT has big balls - the pick ups are hotter and the neck pick up solo’d is about as close to a P sound as you can get on a jazz. You have to remember this bass has a thicker neck, so will thicken the sound. The signal is hotter and great on its own, but, if you like a pre amp you have more trouble dialling in a sound as everything becomes very pushed and it’s almost too much at times so switching basses you have to be wary of this. For these reasons i use rounds on the DK and flats on the TT - the flats just tame it enough to give a fantastic sound. I did have rounds but didn’t quite like it, could have been the make of them that were not my usual. DK I play bridge blend favoured, TT I play Neck favoured or all the way Which do I prefer.........this really is just a smidge and it’s more based on playability - DK wins. Looks - TT Pick ups alone - would not want to do without either!

The new shape was forced on them when Fender rung distributors and shops and threatened to remove all of their basses from any shops that also sold Sandberg’s. I didn’t like it at first, but have grown to like and is better in the flesh and just sets them apart subtly

Oil finish is awesome

For those interested in the Haüssel pick ups Potted and shielded

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F173881106978 evil bay - not far away D Mac!

Looks like one of my jobs!

When I get home I will see if it comes off easily and let you know! I do know that Haüssel pick ups are mint

Don’t ask Glenn Hughes that - he has no recollection of the whole decade