NBD - Sandberg VM4

[dmccombe7]

Bass just arrived 30mins ago and have only really just had time to tune it and play around for a short period. So far the neck feels super fast with a very low action and really well set up out the box. Strings are Stainless Steel and they have a very bright tone but they don't really feel much different to the various nickel strings i've been using. I changed to nickel because they were less damaging to my fingertips but might stick with the steels depending on how long they last.

In active mode there is so much choice in pickup selection along with treble and bass EQ cut / boost. In Passive mode the treble doesn't really do very much but maybe with a bit more volume from the amp it might change things a little. To be honest i like the everything set in mid points on active mode.

Can't believe just how good the neck feels. Little wider than my Geddy Jazz but less than my Overwater J4 and maybe even less than my Warwick. Both my Warwick and Jazz have slim depth of neck tho whereas the Sandberg has a little more depth of neck. The feel is really good tho and allows for some very fast playing.

EQ offers some amazing low end and you do need to boost the bass a little when just using the MM pick up on its own.

Sounds very full and i can see where some people have said the tone has no character. It does sound quite clean and none of the "warmth" associated with Fender J or P basses. The tone isn't too far away from my Fender PJ Deluxe tho when in active mode. Bit more depth i'd say.

Anyway time for lunch and then a bit more playing with the bass.. Here's a wee pic of the new bass hanging out with some friends.

Dave

 

[Daz39]

Nice - I'd love a VM5, maybe that pale blue with white pickups. 

[dmccombe7]

Have to say its one of the nicest necks i've played in a long time especially for this kind of money its superb.

Its definitely a modern feel to the neck but still very very nice and such a fast neck. No stray fret noise even when playing hard. Not sure what height the strings are but i reckon they are below 2mm.

Think i'll need to get used to how light the bass feels compared to my Jazz bass or even my PJ deluxe. Perfect balance on the strap too.

Has a nice punchy mid tone with a little bit growl when driven hard with both pick-ups on evenly. I've got the treble back a bit but no need to boost the bass at all at home volumes and i can play quite loud at home but things start rattling off shelves if i go overboard so i like to keep it at normal hi-fi listening levels to play along with.

Dave

[Merton]

Glorious

[martthebass]

Oooooh, is that the one that was at Classic and Cool?  I very nearly did a trade deal with my departed Caprice on that one.....

[Reggaebass]

Very nice Dave,     I love the tones on mine , and the neck is definitely the most comfortable of all the basses I own , looks great hanging there too , enjoy 🙂

[dmccombe7]

33 minutes ago, martthebass said:

Oooooh, is that the one that was at Classic and Cool?  I very nearly did a trade deal with my departed Caprice on that one.....

The very one and Mark gave me a great deal. Very easy to deal with too.

Would certainly go back to him. He has set this bass up amazingly well with a very low action, but the neck is superb on it.

Haven't quite got used to its lightweight feel tho but its no big issue.

Dave

[dmccombe7]

4 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Very nice Dave,     I love the tones on mine , and the neck is definitely the most comfortable of all the basses I own , looks great hanging there too , enjoy 🙂

The more i've played it today the more i love the neck on this bass. Very comfy. Just feels right.

Dave

[fretmeister]

Nice.

 

Can't go wrong with a 'berg!

[burno70]

Lovely looking bass!

[SpondonBassed]

Congratulations.  I wish you many years of enjoyment from it.

[dmccombe7]

58 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Congratulations.  I wish you many years of enjoyment from it.

Thanks you sir. I've ran out of those wee smiley emoji things so thought i would thank you and everyone else for replying.

Its nice to share happy moments with fellow Bass players (bassists for those that are professionals) 

Dave

[dmccombe7]

Just to add another wee note :-

String height at 12th fret on the E string is approx 1.25mm. That's the lowest i've ever played on.

Mark from Vintage and Cool told me had spent some time setting the bass up altho its very easy on Sandbergs because of the pleck'd necks.

My normal playing height is around 1.8 - 2.0mm except on 5 or 6 stringers

Dave

[Reggaebass]

5 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Just to add another wee note :-

String height at 12th fret on the E string is approx 1.25mm. That's the lowest i've ever played on.

Mark from Vintage and Cool told me had spent some time setting the bass up altho its very easy on Sandbergs because of the pleck'd necks.

My normal playing height is around 1.8 - 2.0mm except on 5 or 6 stringers

Dave

The guy at Sandberg told me that you can get the action on these really low,   mine is 1.2 mm at the 12th , which is perfect for me, and it would  go lower if I wanted 🙂

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Reggaebass said:

The guy at Sandberg told me that you can get the action on these really low,   mine is 1.2 mm at the 12th , which is perfect for me, and it would  go lower if I wanted 🙂

I tend to play hard at times with my plucking hand so i think this will be as low as i would take it. If i hit really hard on the G string i get a little fret noise but not enough to worry me. Sometimes its nice to hear that little bit of fret noise when digging in.

Dave

[Ricky 4000]

4 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Thanks you sir. I've ran out of those wee smiley emoji things so thought i would thank you and everyone else for replying.

Its nice to share happy moments with fellow Bass players (bassists for those that are professionals) 

Dave

Nice one Dave, I'm pleased for you. And I see you have a Wookie! 😃

[Skinnyman]

Nice......

I’ve used a VM4 as my main gigging bass for years and I love it. The neck is, as you say, fantastic and I love the sounds it makes. They’re great instruments - and that one of yours is a real looker; white on white with black hardware has an air of class to it.

I’ve been playing the Rick today but I think I’ll give the VM4 a blast tomorrow.

Enjoy the new bass, may it serve you well!

[Skinnyman]

PS is that a tiny Warwick on the wall at the top, or just a lot further away than the others?

[Osiris]

Congratulations on the new bass, Dave, the VM is certainly a beast. I recently let mine go, it was the earlier Fender body shaped one in natural finish with black hardware. Every bit as stunning an a pleasure to play as yours. The only reason it went was because I've got a damaged nerve in my left wrist that is making 34" scale basses increasingly uncomfortable to play for more than a few minutes so I'm moving exclusively to short scales these days. 

 

[dmccombe7]

9 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Nice one Dave, I'm pleased for you. And I see you have a Wookie! 😃

Yep Chewie came from Build-a-Bear few yrs back when i was doing the Xmas shopping. Just couldn't resist having him. If you haven't done Build-a-Bear yet then give it a try. Great fun and i guess i'm just a big kid at heart 

7 hours ago, Skinnyman said:

PS is that a tiny Warwick on the wall at the top, or just a lot further away than the others?

It is a miniature replica of my Warwick Thumb. The Warwick being my most valued bass from a sentimental reasons. I like my toys. Just never grown up. 

1 hour ago, Osiris said:

Congratulations on the new bass, Dave, the VM is certainly a beast. I recently let mine go, it was the earlier Fender body shaped one in natural finish with black hardware. Every bit as stunning an a pleasure to play as yours. The only reason it went was because I've got a damaged nerve in my left wrist that is making 34" scale basses increasingly uncomfortable to play for more than a few minutes so I'm moving exclusively to short scales these days. 

 

Sorry to hear about the nerve issue but hopefully you can play the shorter scale basses without issue. The Sandberg is definitely a great bass to play. First gig with it on Saturday at our drummers birthday party. Should be fun.

Dave