Sandberg Basses...

[Musicman20]

I think I've caught the bug on these. They seem like a Fender upgrade at better prices.

Can anyone comment on the VM vs the VT 'P' style basses, and any information on the TM?

Cheers

[franzbassist]

I don't have one yet, but a VT5 will be winging its way to me when it's finished in November

In the meantime, I'm sure TRBboy will be along to give you all the skinny....

[Grand Wazoo]

Gareth they are really nice basses, I have not picked one up that I didn't like, put it that way. Guitar Guitar in Epsom has had most of the model in stock and the one I preferred the most was the road worn 4 string California PM (which has a P bass style pickup in the front and a musicman type humbucker at the bridge, they have Delano pickups which are well beefy and to top it up the icing of the cake is a Glockenklang preamp with a push / pull volume knob that goes active / passive.

See the exact model here: [url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=07032616312028"]http://www.guitargui...=07032616312028[/url]

Now I was about to pull the trigger on one of them but I decided at the time to stay traditional and get the Fender American Standard Precision instead, purely because I don't really need the musicman vibe sound and it was a lot more expensive to justify the purchase, the Fender Am / St was £950 while the Sandberg was £1450 at the time and now its £1499. The same configuration is also offered in non road worn with new paintwork and all but... what Sandberg has just brought out is much cheaper new line (perhaps made in the Far East) of very traditional P copies with just a single P style pickup which Or Lubianer made a fantastic demo of it on youtube, oh and they're only £599!! Check them out on this link and also watch the video with Or playing it.

[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Sandberg_ELCTRA.html"]http://www.bassdirec...erg_ELCTRA.html[/url]



[i][b]The sandberg family is getting a new member! Selected components made by leading manufacturers from all over the world unite in the sandberg headquarters to create the latest family member, the ELECTRA. From design and development to technical realisation the ELECTRA is 100% german precision work. [color=#ff0000]Wood, routing and varnish works take place somewhere else but assembling and quality control is still done at sandberg in braunschweig/germany where our highly skilled workers give life and soul to the “beauties from far east”. [/color]Through regular visits we are in steady contact with our selected suppliers. All externally made parts and production steps are under our permanent and strict quality control.[/b][/i]
[i][b]Neck - Bolted x 6 / Maple with vintage tint[/b][/i]
[i][b]Fretboard - 22 Frets [/b][/i]
[i][b]Body - Basswood[/b][/i]
[i][b]Scale - 34" [/b][/i]
[i][b]Finish - Tobacco sunburst Satin[/b][/i]
[i][b]Hardware - Sandberg Black[/b][/i]
[i][b]Pickup - 1 x Delano Split coil[/b][/i]
[i][b]Electronic - Sandberg 2 band active/passive[/b][/i]
[i][b]Weight: 4.1kg/9lb[/b][/i]

Edited September 5, 2012 by Grand Wazoo

[steve-soar]

That pickguard design is so elegant. And they support lefty players.

[Pinball]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1346878571' post='1794510']
Now I was about to pull the trigger on one of them but I decided at the time to stay traditional and get the Fender American Standard Precision instead, purely because I don't really need the musicman vibe sound and it was a lot more expensive to justify the purchase, the Fender Am / St was £950 while the Sandberg was £1450
[/quote]
Interesting as I played a couple of California's a few weeks back and was well impressed. I can't recall the models but one had active humbuckers and the other passive Jazz. Both impressed and were mighty fine. Then last week I played new MIA Fender P and J basses and found them mighty fine as well. In terms of sound they were different. I liked them all but felt the fender J was maybe more of an all rounder, while the Sandburg seemed more specialised. It depends what style of music you play really.

[fretmeister]

I have a TM4 that I will shortly be listing for sale (hint!!)

The only reason is that my old favourite (a very modified early 90s Status) gets all the bass love in my house to the point where if I was honest (don't tell the wife) I wouldn't need to own anything else.

Anyway - the TM4 - it is built like a much more expensive instrument, the 2 band active is brilliant but it still sounds great in passive mode - there doesn't seem to be a compromise at all.

And amazingly for a wood neck bass, I've got the action as low as on my status with zero rattle. The neck is superb.

I can't see anyone ever regretting buying a Sandberg.

[Musicman20]

Synergy Distribution have very good direct prices on them...close to Thomann!

[pietruszka]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1346881947' post='1794561']
I can't see anyone ever regretting buying a Sandberg.
[/quote]

I can without argue see this. I absolutely love mine to bits. I use it (4 string basic fretless) solely in my country rock band, used it in my rock band when that was about. The pre amp is excellent, the neck is pretty much perfect, I certainly can't fault it. The build is outstanding and the sound is sublime! I would love to get another, maybe a jazz I'm not sure. I'd need to play a couple as the only basses I've ever owned have had MM style humbuckers on.

Sandberg seem to be getting a lot of attention as of late. And rightly so I think.


Dan

[thodrik]

Good basses. When I was buying my Jazz bass I very nearly bought one of the 'hardcore aged' TM models. It really felt like a 'worn in' instrument and sounded great. I very nearly bought it but I ended up going with a Sadowsky Metro, which in the last 3 years has become a worn in instrument in its own right.

Sandbergs I have tried a generally really solid instruments and if I was looking for an active Jazz or active P bass I would maybe favour it over the Fender equivalent, as I have never been that impressed by the own brand Fender active eq systems and the Sandberg eq system is very flexible and user friendly. The build quality is generally up there with a top line Musicman or Sadowsky Metro, though I have played a couple that had sharp fret edges or a bit of a gap between where the fret should come into contact with the neck. I doubt this is a common problem though as with most things I would try before I buy.

If I was looking for a basic Precision bass though I would probably still stick with a Fender. When it comes to Precisions I really don't get tempted by active eq or additional pick up options. Its the simplicity of the design that I like.

[yorick]

[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1346878863' post='1794513']
That pickguard design is so elegant. And they support lefty players.
[/quote]

Yep.... I have two

[pietruszka]

[quote name='yorick' timestamp='1346926030' post='1794826']
Yep.... I have two
[/quote]

What, two pick guards?

[longtimefred]

just to add to the crowd, my PM4 (TM4) is incredible. I will never sell mine as i know it was hand made just for me. Everything on the bass just works perfectly. buy one!

[Musicman20]

Long waiting lists! Looks like early 2013 before they have any availability...

[longtimefred]

yeah i waited 4 months for mine. was worth it! Unless you can find one that a dealer has that you like the look of. There are usually a few knocking around.

[Ghost_Bass]

Finally pulled the trigger on a California VM-5 (PM-5) in tobacco, b/w/b pickguard and vintage tinted maple fb neck. I was quoted on about 10 week waiting period. So in a couple of months i'll be having some pics to add to the sandberg porn thread. I feel like a child a week before x-mas!

[edster]

You won't go wrong with a Sandberg. I have a JM4 and I'm really impressed with it.

[jezzaboy]

That Electra looks really good value for money but even better value from Thoman at £457 although they won`t have any in until October.

[TRBboy]

It's been said before, but the VM should pretty much be veiwed as a PJ tonally. Yes it has a MM pickup, but it's way further back, and basically sounds more like a beefed-up, muscular J pup IMHO. You can get a great, burpy bridge pup sound without some of the weakness that can be associated with a J bridge pup. I did used to find with mine though, that if you dial in some of the P pup to taste, you can get a pretty reasonable approximation of a 'Ray. It's worth noting that the TM has a coil split switch for the 'bucker whilst the VM doesn't. They both have passive tone control too.

I ordered my new KT5 in June/July and it's currently scheduled for sometime around Christmas BUT I did change the specquite significantly a couple of times, and I know it's well worth the wait

I don't think Sandberg make a bad bass, and it depends whether you desperately want something that looks like a Fender, but the Basic (specifically Basic Ken Taylor 5) series rule for me: Lighter (by a good pound or so), EVEN nicer neck, very comfortable, and twin 'buckers with coil split. I can get pretty much whatever sound I want out of it, and it feels like magic in my hands.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

[merello]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDFi3bz4bNk&feature=player_embedded#!

[Musicman20]

The Electra bass is fine value but I don't need a passive P style bass.

On another note, the guy who does those videos seems to grind my gears for no apparent reason. He is FANTASTIC on bass, no doubt, but something bugs me about the videos....silly really.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1346955626' post='1795359']
The Electra bass is fine value but I don't need a passive P style bass.

On another note, the guy who does those videos seems to grind my gears for no apparent reason. He is FANTASTIC on bass, no doubt, but something bugs me about the videos....silly really.
[/quote]

Probably because his playing is, like so many other young players nowadays, a load of sound and fury signifying nothing, to coin a phrase. Is it just me whose heart sinks every time one of these guys launches into another rapid fire sixteenth note double-thump with plucked double -stops slap routine followed by the obligatory sub-Jaco fingerfunk routine ? It's superficially impressive to the uninitiated but is easier than you would think to learn how to do and mostly useless in the real world of bass playing.
On the subject of these Sandberg basses, I would love to have a go on one-they look really good to me and somthing I have noticed about the sound even on Youtube videos of them is that, like a lot of other super-Fender designs, they seem to have a much more extended treble than the Fenders they are derived from. The only thing that bothers me about them is the single large polepieces on the Precision pickups and the abscence of fingerboard dots , it just looks wierd and wrong to me.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Dingus

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1346958150' post='1795399']


Probably because his playing is, like so many other young players nowadays, a load of sound and fury signifying nothing, to coin a phrase. Is it just me whose heart sinks every time one of these guys launches into another rapid fire sixteenth note double-thump with plucked double -stops slap routine followed by the obligatory sub-Jaco fingerfunk routine ? It's superficially impressive to the uninitiated but is easier than you would think to learn how to do and mostly useless in the real world of bass playing.
On the subject of these Sandberg basses, I would love to have a go on one-they look really good to me and somthing I have noticed about the sound even on Youtube videos of them is that, like a lot of other super-Fender designs, they seem to have a much more extended treble than the Fenders they are derived from. The only thing that bothers me about them is the single large polepieces on the Precision pickups and the abscence of fingerboard dots , it just looks wierd and wrong to me.
[/quote]

Agree...it come across pretentious to me.

I think you can order dots if you want them, and blocks/binding.

[Musicman20]

This guy on the other hand...its not his bass line, but his playing on every vid makes me jealous! Just a very solid and energetic player.

His Sandberg is a TM but with the pups the other way round!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLTKdWIgG5A

[Dingus]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1346963347' post='1795510']
This guy on the other hand...its not his bass line, but his playing on every vid makes me jealous! Just a very solid and energetic player.

His Sandberg is a TM but with the pups the other way round!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLTKdWIgG5A[/media]
[/quote]

I've seen this guy before and he's a fine player. The significant difference is that he is actually trying ( and succeeeding!) to play basslines , not display some kind of gymnastics. I am all for busy and up front bass playing, but so many kids on Youtube nowadays think that the tricks and frills are the be-all and end-all of playing the bass . That Sandberg looks and sounds very good , too. Those block inlays are most desirable , and the relic job looks like a good 'un..

[franzbassist]

For your consideration, just in at Bass Direct....