Opticaleye

I'm hoping to do a Youtube vid showing this bass with rounds and my other Umbo with flats going through a number of different styles. Within a week or two I hope.

[quote name='Thump' timestamp='1426272763' post='2716520'] That's a gorgeous shade of blue [/quote] [quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1426280400' post='2716647'] That is stunning...congratulations! [/quote] Many thanks. I got some funny comments from my band though so it's probably not to everyone's taste .

I have an early VM (soft aged) but in a band situation I find the blend of P and MM pickups, in the positions they are in, not useful. I preferred my old TM blend of J and MM. The Umbo's (at least the aged ones I have) are much more vintage and woody sounding and very versatile. The 3 position switch is very useful although I don't use the centre mid cut position. You can get a lot of really good passive tones from clean "Jazz" to dirty "P" The Umbo also has a thinner body to my Sandberg TT. The Umbo uses Alnico II pickups instead of the usual Alnico V's on Fender jazzes and there's a bit more complexity in the mids. I'm not so keen on Delano ceramic pickups personally, and I replaced my VM pickups with Alnico Haussels.

I ordered my soft-aged Umbo last June through Bass Direct and received it 5[sub][sup]1/2 [/sup][/sub]months later. It seems to be about the usual time at the moment. Sandberg appear to be at the height of their quality at the moment. I now have 4 and all are excellent but the newest builds are the best IME.

I use a NY121 with my TRV121H. With my LM2 it's a great combination.

I'm a little unclear about the versatility thing. Is it a vintage sound you are looking for? Normally I would say that the Delanos would be [b]more [/b]versatile as the neck pickup sounds fairly "P" like. Jazz pickups aren't usually any more versatile than each other but will vary mostly on the vintage/modern axis.

I replaced the Delanos on my Sandberg jazz with Nordstrand single coils and couldn't be more pleased. I've tried a lot of jazz pickups in the past (Wizards, DiMarzio, Basslines etc.) and the Nordstrands sound really good by comparison. The Glockenklang pre's in the Sandbergs are transparent and excellent quality. You can get a more vintage tone from the Delanos by cutting the bass and treble on the preamp a little as the Delanos are a little hyped in that area IMO.

I've just read the email with what you wrote before you edited it and I'm sorry if you thought my comment was a slight against Mike Lull. It was not intended that way and was just meant to be an explanation for how he manages to build 300 basses per year. He also does 30-40% of his repairs himself (as well as the 300 basses) despite employing the other 2 technical employees who you understand just do the other 60-70% of repairs between them ! Even with help it does not diminish his skills or the quality of his basses in my opinion but I doubt that he's superhuman.

I really don't have a metaphorical dog in this fight, I just read it that he does the final assembly himself.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1421414979' post='2660922'] It's possible if you do it all the time, you're motivated, you have a system and you have the best possible equipment. Going by his reputation and the quality of his output I'd say he's probably at the height of his powers. [/quote] According to the article he has an employee who went to luthier school and it just states that he assembles each one himself.

That one was around £1350. The Umbo was the same model used in the 100 bass riffs video (the same colour and spec as my other one). They really are the most versatile bass that I have owned and it's not a Jack of all trades/master of none situation as it excels at everything.

I do change strings a fair bit to get an idea of what suits each bass. I find the D'addario nickels ok but a little thin sounding. DR Lo-Riders are great for the style you are describing (if a little higher in tension). I have DR Fatbeams on my TT4 that has Nordstrand pickups and they are a little looser feeling but good also.

Yes, I have you to thank Pinball for my first Umbo . This one is a little brighter sounding and suits flatwounds perfectly.

Well, it seemed like more than 6 months since I ordered this but it's finally here thanks to Bass Direct. [url="http://s139.photobucket.com/user/optical_I/media/f6052580-c7a7-4422-89de-d2d451422ae3.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s139.photobucket.com/user/optical_I/media/blueumbo1.jpg.html"][/url] This is my 2nd Umbo and I now have 4 Sandbergs in total ! I immediately removed the Sandberg strings and put an old set of LaBella 760FL flatwounds on. The Umbo (IMO) can be very picky with strings and the original strings seem to make the Umbo sound nasal with the 3 position "varitone" switch in anything but mid cut position. The Labellas sound great and I have put an old set of DR Fatbeams on my other Umbo. Between the two basses I can cover just about any passive tone that I may need. Very much an old school vibe and exactly what I hoped when I spec'd this up.

I've changed the Delano's in my VM4 for a Fender Original P and a Haussel Alnico MM whilst also replacing the (faulty, older style) preamp with a passive VVVT circuit. It's certainly not overly bright now but I favour flatwounds anyhow. Lowering the pickups may tame the brightness.

I have an active TT4. Great jazz sound. It's possible to get a more vintage sound out of the Delano pickups by cutting bass and treble on the onboard pre by just a hair. The bridge PU soloed is pure Jaco. I put Nordstrand single coil J's in mine for a less scooped tone and I love them. The bass itself is more even across the fretboard than any Fender Jazz I've tried (or owned). The slightly wider neck at the nut and chunkier neck profile makes it feel less like a Fender though in the case of mine, although I read somewhere that newer Sandbergs have a more uniform skinny profile. My newer Umbo feels more "traditional" IMO

I think that the "speciallness" of a lot of basses can come down to the characteristics of the individual piece of wood. I've owned a few Fenders in the past and they've varied wildly. The only one I felt was special had a dodgy neck and when I replaced the neck with a stable one the mojo also went. Sandbergs, imo, are very solidly built but I'm not over keen on the Delano pickups personally. My TT4 came alive when I changed to Nordstrand J's.

I have 3 with another on the way and have also owned one more. I swapped that one for an aged Umbo on here and now realise that I prefer the way the reliced ones feel. I've never tried one that wasn't built to an extremely high standard especially for the bargain price.

I ordered some EMG JAX jazz pickups from the US when I couldn't get them in Europe. When they arrived they cost me about half the price that they would have been in the UK (£74-ish). I factored in the possibility of duty etc. but it wasn't picked up on this occasion.

I have a TRV 121H and a NY 121 and the 121H sits ok on the smaller cab and is stable. I tried the NY121 on top but I prefer to use the horn and so the TRV 121H has to be the higher.

I bought an Indonesian NY121 to go with my Italian 121H. It sounds great with the 121H and also when I've used it at rehearsal by itself (EUB and BG). No drop in quality if mine is anything to go by.

The Markbass TTE has an incorporated valve compressor. I use my Markbass Compressore as well but it still sounds tubey with all compression off. I've had all tube amps before and used rented ones on tours etc. and the TTE nails it IMO. No idea what their "tube tone emulation" power amp does that's any different to their standard power amp stage but it seems to work.

I can recommend the TTE500. Creamy valvey goodness. Alternatively I used to use a DHA VT1 EQ DI in front of a clean amp. It certainly has a very valvey sound if not the "feel" of the TTE.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1407861234' post='2524794'] I haven't had any trouble with Thomann either and at what point do they step in and get involved with a product? That Sandberg should not have been fitted with pickups or a neck once the crap pocket had been made never mind fitted with a crap neck and a dodgy pickguard, I guess Thomann could do without Sandberg trying to off load tat like that through them as it wont help Thomann in any way will it. [/quote] If they weren't the original necks though (plus the additional factor of the left handedness) this may explain the poor fit and paint missing. I read somewhere that all Sandbergs necks are now CNC made as well as the bodies but I don't know whether this applies to the left handed models which may have a more custom neck fitment. It would probably be politically difficult to blame the dealer hence the cryptic "if you ordered something custom built..." comment maybe?

I hope the Sandberg I have on special order doesn't have these problems! I already own 3 Sandbergs that have excellent build quality and previously owned another that was faultless too. One thing from the pics though- the zero frets are meant to have the grooves. I would certainly blame Thomann for the 2nd bass as it looks very secondhand.