1st time playing a Sandberg

[fretmeister]

I had a Superlight TT5 for a little while as well - amazingly for a 5 it was only 7lb but the neck shape was just wrong for me. Too chunky, big shoulders etc.

 

I also find that I prefer the very very slightly narrower nut on a Stingray 5 at 44.5mm along with the 17.5mm string spacing at the bridge. Unfortunately ray5s do not get that light so I'm sticking with 4 strings for the future. Unless EBMM decide to do a paulownia body version anyway. Mind you that would probably be £4000 so I wouldn't buy it.

[E sharp]

I've been looking wistfully at that California 11 V5M in Bass Direct. A super light MM style with decent string spacing. 

But I'd have to some serious selling to be in the position to even contemplate it....

Looks lovely though 

[Mickeyboro]

It’s not the most characterful of my collection but it’s reliable, consistent, offers many different tonal options and looks good. Did I mention the lovely neck?

[Len_derby]

They look and sound lovely, but I haven’t even had a chance to try one. They seem very rare here in the grim East Midlands.

I really fancy a short-scale Lionel but there doesn’t seem much demand for a 66 year-old kidney.

[martthebass]

3 hours ago, Len_derby said:

They look and sound lovely, but I haven’t even had a chance to try one. They seem very rare here in the grim East Midlands.

I really fancy a short-scale Lionel but there doesn’t seem much demand for a 66 year-old kidney.

If you’re ever in my neck of the woods (Rotherham) you’re welcome to have a go on mine.

[Ed_S]

I like the idea of Sandberg as a brand, and enough of the ones that aren't factory-damaged appeal visually, but having had four of them I can't see me getting another.

 

Three were original cedar body superlight 4s (two TMs and a TT) which were great for my back problems but the recessed and un-filled fret slot ends felt weird, they all sounded somewhat lifeless in the same way, and the matt finish was stupidly easy to damage. My Maruszczyk Jake L4P+ wasn't far off the same weight, sounded lively, was finished in good strong gloss poly and had smooth fretboard edges, so it ended up winning.

 

The last one was a Central 5, which ended up with the finish peeling off the edge of the fretboard so had to go back to be refinished. They did it perfectly well, but I'd not had it long enough before the issue appeared to really bond with it in any way, and by the time it came back from refinishing I'd kinda lost interest; played a couple of gigs with it and just couldn't get excited about it so moved it on.

[martthebass]

14 minutes ago, Ed_S said:

The last one was a Central 5, which ended up with the finish peeling off the edge of the fretboard so had to go back to be refinished. 

Was that with an ebony fretboard Ed?  I've had a few Sandys with Rosewood boards and they've all been fine finish wise but the one I had with ebony had peeling on the edges in a few spots.

[Ed_S]

1 hour ago, martthebass said:

Was that with an ebony fretboard Ed?  I've had a few Sandys with Rosewood boards and they've all been fine finish wise but the one I had with ebony had peeling on the edges in a few spots.

 

I believe it was pau ferro - nice looking board, too. I had the issue with ebony once before on a Jim Root sig Telecaster but this was the first time with any other wood.