NBD: Sandberg VM4 in Candy Apple Red

[JapanAxe]

Took a trip up to Bass Direct today with my mate Darren (loves bass, hates frets). I also took my MIJ Squier Jazz for reference/comparison purposes. I had been GASing over a Sandberg TT4 in Creme/Torty, so that was the first bass I tried. However, it wasn't the last, as I shall now recount...

[u]Sandberg TT4 in creme/Torty (passive)[/u]

Liked: Colour/finish (I'm such a girl!), playability, build quality, even response, blend control.
Didn't like: Although I 'got' this bass more as I played it, I actually preferred the gutsier sound of my Squier (although I should point out that it suffers from an uneven response across its range).

[u]Mayones Jabba 4 (black IIRC)[/u]

Didn't like: The feel of the neck, so it went straight back on the stand, end of.

[u]Fender USA Jazz Deluxe in black, maple 'board[/u]

Liked: Very light weight, slim neck, nice action.
Didn't like: With the EQ flat, sounded no better than any cheap Jazz. No point in going further - active EQ is not turd polish.

[u]Sandberg VM4 in candy apple red (active/passive)[/u]

Liked: As TT4 above, plus the sounds. As a long-time Precision player, it was like coming home - but coming home after someone's kindly built you an extension and a 2-car garage, re-decorated the house, and filled your fridge with beer. The P pickup sounds very much as you would expect. Despite being nearer the bridge than on an actual MM, the M pickup does a very good imitation, especially when you boost the treble from the onboard preamp to give you that sizzle and zing. And with both pickups on and the treble backed off slightly, there is that fat sweet sound that I always hoped for from a Jazz but never got. Plus the bass control actually acts on the low mids, so it doesn't just lift the lowest notes, it also fattens fundamentals all the way up to the 12th fret on the G string. Finally, the passive mode gives you another flavour, as it were.
Disliked: I'm somewhat inclined against active electronics, but this just [i]works[/i]. I hereby retract the comments I made [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/152043-active-vs-passive/page__view__findpost__p__1899763"]here[/url]

[u]Fender USA Precision Deluxe 4 in blonde[/u]

Liked: Nice played-in feel.
Didn't like: EQ. Treble boost was tinny, mid control did bugger all. Superficially similar to the VM4, just nowhere near as good.

[i][b]INTERMISSION 1[/b][/i]

[i]At this point I feel the need to inspect the plumbing, and on my return Mark had pulled out a used...[/i]

[u]Dingwall ABI 5 in honey amberburst (passive)[/u]

This is a bass I would normally walk straight past, as (1) it has too many strings, (2) it looks too modern, and (3) fanned frets? - does not compute! However, I thought it couldn't hurt to have a go.

Liked: Wow! I really 'got' this bass. Despite never having tried a 5-er before, I took straight to it, playing across the strings instead of up and down the neck. The string and note balance was superb, the sounds from the neodymium pickups via 4-way rotary were excellent, there was plenty of range on the passive EQ, and you barely notice the fanned frets whilst playing.
Disliked: Way over my original budget (though nothing that the sale of some musical kit and spare internal organs wouldn't sort), and there would be a [i]bit[/i] of a learning curve...

[b][i]INTERMISSION 2[/i][/b]

[i]So now I have a dilemma - Sandberg VM4 or Dingwall ABI 5? One of them will be coming home with me. Darren and I retire to the cafe next door for steak sandwiches and coffee. I text Mrs Axe and she says 'Go with your heart' (what a woman!), but when we return I still haven't made up my mind.[/i]

I played them both again, this time through a TC RH750, which is a bit closer to what I'm used to. In the end I plump for the Sandberg - it just makes more sense as part of my bass-playing future I guess. And here are the pics from the Bass Direct website:

[attachment=125381:VM4Front.jpg][attachment=125382:VMTOP.jpg][attachment=125383:VM4Back.jpg][attachment=125384:VM4Head.jpg]

Footnote: That Mark bloke can't half talk!

[Horizontalste]

Great post & nice bass.
Enjoy

[dazzajl]

[quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]it was like coming home - but coming home after someone's kindly built you an extension and a 2-car garage, re-decorated the house, and filled your fridge with beer.[/font][/color][/quote]

Very nice analogy there.

You were very lucky and not many people get stuck between two right decisions. Although I still think I'd have made the "other" right decision, (that Dingleberry is a really fabulous instrument), your plain jane, flat fretted, numerically string challenged Sandburg is also just lovely. It only takes a minute sat with her to realise she's not a plain jane at all but much more the goddess next door.

[franzbassist]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1355787934' post='1902881']
it was like coming home - but coming home after someone's kindly built you an extension and a 2-car garage, re-decorated the house, and filled your fridge with beer.
[/quote]

Quote of the week for me so far!

Enjoy the new bass, it looks great and sound like you've got a great one

[hamfist]

Beautiful and congrats. I must get around to playing a Sandberg one day soon !

[TRBboy]

+1 GREAT analogy! They are superb instruments!

I always think that you need to think of the MM more like a j bridge pup on steroids; it sounds like a bridge pup but much fuller and without any of the weakness sometimes associated with a j pup. I used to find I could get a pretty close approximation of a ray with a little of the p blended in (although the real " sweet spot" for me was always just on the neck side of the centre indent).

The passive tone control is a useful feature too IMHO. Not only does it give you even more flexibility, but if your battery dies, you've still got a perfectly usable bass!

Anyway, congrats, she's a beaut! Cracking colour too!

Pretty excited too because I had word from Sandberg yesterday that they shipped my new one on Friday, so it should be here by the end of the week!

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1355823535' post='1903065']
+1 GREAT analogy! They are superb instruments!

I always think that you need to think of the MM more like a j bridge pup on steroids; it sounds like a bridge pup but much fuller and without any of the weakness sometimes associated with a j pup. I used to find I could get a pretty close approximation of a ray with a little of the p blended in (although the real " sweet spot" for me was always just on the neck side of the centre indent).

The passive tone control is a useful feature too IMHO. Not only does it give you even more flexibility, but if your battery dies, you've still got a perfectly usable bass!

Anyway, congrats, she's a beaut! Cracking colour too!

Pretty excited too because I had word from Sandberg yesterday that they shipped my new one on Friday, so it should be here by the end of the week!
[/quote]
I agree, the MM pickup makes up for the fatness that's lacking in the Jazz bridge pickup. I'm not in work today, so will be spending more time with the Cali!

[Pinball]

An interesting read, thanks for posting.

I currently have a couple of Sandbergs and want to sell or exchange one of them so that I can get a TT. I tried a few Sanbergs several times with the intention of buying. Differences between the VM4 (PM4) and TM4 is largely style as they are both very versatile.

I tried 2 TM4's, a VM4, an Umbo and a TT4 in a couple of local shops in Bristol. I loved them all. The sound and handling of the TT and Umbo are superb/top class but the others had more sounds so it could be argued that they are more versatile. I also noticed that I could dial in the VM4's to get a sound similar to the TT sound without much trouble and I actually thought the TT was a passive bass until kind assistant pointed out otherwise. To my ears the Umbo has its own personality, probably down to the use of different pickups.

I had the money saved up to buy one but then snagged a 2nd hand California Supreme on basschat and with the remaining dosh snapped an Umbo that come up BIN on ebay. My experience since owning them is that I play the Umbo all the time and fiddle around with the California occasionally so the California is up for sale. Its the old trade off of simple verses complicated I guess. They are both great basses so its down to personal preference.

Another thing that I noticed was that i preferred one of two identical PM4's. I couldn't figure out why and kept swapping between them and after a while decided there was a subtle difference in the hotness of the pups. The one I preferred had Sandberg rather than Delano PUPs. Nothing wrong with either of them so again its down to personal preference. You did the right thing in trying them out!

Congratulations on a nice bass!

Edited January 1, 2013 by Pinball

[franzbassist]

I'm about 6 weeks in to owning my VT5. I've owned loads of boutique basses (Smith, Wal, Elrick etc.) over the years, but I have to say I think the Sandberg basses are incredible value for money. The fit and finish is right up there, as good as anything else, and the price point makes them a no brainer.

Edited January 1, 2013 by walbassist