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Thinking of buying a SANDBERG CALIFORNIA II VT4


DBerriff
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Tomorrow I am off to Manchester to try a Sandberg Cali. II VT 4. I gigged a 5 string Mike Lull for a couple of years but I want to return to the (relative) simplicity of 4 strings and a P pickup. So, is there anything I should know about contemporary Sandbergs before I head up the M62 to try a couple out? They look terrific on paper. I am just looking for a few anecdotes to take my mind off fhe anticipation. :)

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I wandered into a well known music store in Liverpool this pm and was taken aback by the current price of well known USA basses. They seem to have caught up with and then overtaken some of the "boutique" makes. So now you can buy a hand-finished bass with German engineering and pay less for it than the mass-produced original.

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As a practical 4 string the California V ticks all the boxes for me. The workmanship is top-notch too. I like it so much I have ordered a fretless twin with an ebony fingerboard.

Perhaps Sandberg has upped their game over the last few years, but my experience is that for less than the cost of a certain mass-produced USA model you now get something crafted, largely by hand, in Germany that easily stands up to comparison in the quality stakes. Playability and sound are right up there with the best of the genre, too.

Well, I'm happy. I will post a picture if I can find a moment when our grandchildren have not taken over the house.

Edited by DBerriff
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I bought a Sandberg Cali II VS5 yesterday as it happens. I've owned a Sandberg in the past but this is lighter, much lighter. The neck on mine is shallow and really nicely finished with very dark rosewood and a nicely vintage looking finish to the rear. The 2 band EQ with passive tone sounds great both active and passive and I'm loving it. Mine has a Delano pickup and I think a Glockenklang pre. I do think they have upped their game. The hardware and construction are shouting quality at me. It's 'soft aged' too, something I've never been a huge fan of (that's an understatement) but the 'worn in' paintwork with steam punk hardware really works. Maybe knowing it's new helps? I'd not want a heavy relic however.

I'm chuffed to pieces with mine....

Edited by GreeneKing
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[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1490281679' post='3263925']
Just our of interest, why didn't you go for a Lull P4 (their simply/passive Precision)?
Just fancied a change?

Si
[/quote]

I almost did on a number of occasions but I think the quality gap has closed and I don't know what the Lull would give me that the Sandberg does not. I find the P/J Delanos are a bit better balanced than the Nordstrands on my Lull PJ5. The active circuit allows for a bit of bass boost on the bridge pickup which gives me a sound I want without needing to touch my amp.

My requirements have changed and most of my gigs now are on upright. When switching I find it easier to stick to 4 strings. I have been using a G&L Tribute JB2 but I wanted that "P" sound, and this is where it has all ended up. Part of this decision was a realisation that Drew really is closing down his business in Manchester, and that the fact that he had the exact configuration I wanted at a very fair price.

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[quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1490283354' post='3263943']
I bought a Sandberg Cali II VS5 yesterday as it happens. I've owned a Sandberg in the past but this is lighter, much lighter. The neck on mine is shallow and really nicely finished with very dark rosewood and a nicely vintage looking finish to the rear. The 2 band EQ with passive tone sounds great both active and passive and I'm loving it. Mine has a Delano pickup and I think a Glockenklang pre. I do think they have upped their game. The hardware and construction are shouting quality at me. It's 'soft aged' too, something I've never been a huge fan of (that's an understatement) but the 'worn in' paintwork with steam punk hardware really works. Maybe knowing it's new helps? I'd not want a heavy relic however.

I'm chuffed to pieces with mine....
[/quote]
Yes, same here - chuffed to pieces. The passive sound is a bonus and a really fine one at that. Quick-change battery and sensible tone-control sensitivity for the active side makes it all very useable. I like the matt finish on the body and it should stand up well to the odd knock.

[url="https://flic.kr/p/T9ijYN"][/url][url="https://flic.kr/p/T9ijYN"]Sandberg California II VT4[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/berriff/"]David Jones[/url], on Flickr

I asked Drew last year for a quote on a VS with, by coincidence, the exact same spec as this except for the fingerboard dots. That is when he told me he was getting this in. By the time it arrived I needed an upright and bought an NXT off him. But the nagging feeling that this was "my" bass would not go away, and now you all know the end result.

Edited by DBerriff
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[url="https://flic.kr/p/T1uh2X"][/url][url="https://flic.kr/p/T1uh2X"]Sandberg California II VT4[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/berriff/"]David Jones[/url], on Flickr

The neck looks quite a bit darker in the flesh.

Edited by DBerriff
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Very nice , I really can see me selling all my basses one day and just having a berg , I have the Korean made one it's nice but it's not the real thing and that colour is lovely 👍

Edited by kevvo66
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A pleasant surprise is how good the Delano pickups are. I think they must be JMVC 4 FE/M2 in bridge position, and PMVC 4 FE/M2 in neck position, judging by the single J poles. Active or passive they manage the trick of sounding warm and clear at the same time. This is all totally subjective of course but I particularly like the J in the bridge position. A touch of bass boost on the active setting and there is no need to touch the amp. The balance between P and J is pretty good too.

The next move is to try it with the big band.

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[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1490345874' post='3264409']
Beautiful bass
I someone had bought my double bass in time it would have been mine
[/quote]
Sorry about that but I cracked as the stock at the Great British Bass Lounge is disappearing quite quickly. You could still order one and have it built to your exact specification.

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[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1490478580' post='3265471']

Sorry about that but I cracked as the stock at the Great British Bass Lounge is disappearing quite quickly. You could still order one and have it built to your exact specification.
[/quote]
Lol
It looks beautiful but I can't do anything until I shift the DB.

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[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1489685263' post='3259004']
I wandered into a well known music store in Liverpool this pm and was taken aback by the current price of well known USA basses. They seem to have caught up with and then overtaken some of the "boutique" makes. So now you can buy a hand-finished bass with German engineering and pay less for it than the mass-produced original.
[/quote]

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