TRBboy Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Well, after selling my beloved jazz last week (thanks Peteb), I knew I had to find another bass quick before my better half made plans for the money I'd raised! I love my Sandberg Basic 4, and thought about another Sandberg but new is just too expensive for me at the moment, and I hadn't seen anything I liked come up in the s/h market, until..... I was perusing eBay, and saw a California PM4 in Blackburst I contacted the guy, and as luck would have it, I was going to be in his neck of the woods on Saturday, so I arranged to pop round. Went round, picked it up, played it, fell in love instantly! It has obviously been used, but in really good nick (except a cople of minor niggles which can be easily rectified) and well set up. Came with a Fender ABS hardcase, and I'm not gonna tell how much I paid for it because you'll all throw up on your PCs! I think it was an absolute bargain, and the guy just said he's happy that it's going to a good home. I think I need to change my username to Sandbergboy! [attachment=85582:IMG_1202.JPG] [attachment=85584:IMG_1204.JPG] [attachment=85585:IMG_1205.JPG] [attachment=85586:IMG_1206.JPG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 That textured Blackburst is one of my all time favourite finishes.... and I don't even like black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Again.... Nice one dude. Welcome to the blackburst club. Enjoy it mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 Thanks guys, it is awesome, and I just can't put it down at the moment! It's so useful having the passive tone control too. Might have to see if I can get a 3-ply white pickguard, or white mop, see what that looks like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 That is just gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 White MoP? Copycat!!! Hahaha. Go for it dude, looks ace. I have pics somewhere of mine if you can find em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 [quote name='longtimefred' post='1316609' date='Jul 26 2011, 08:52 AM']White MoP? Copycat!!! Hahaha. Go for it dude, looks ace. I have pics somewhere of mine if you can find em![/quote] Yeah, then I can look just like my favourite Sandberg endorsee! No seriously, I don't know if it's just TOO black at the moment. Besides, It could never look like yours cos of the matching headstock, unless I get busy with the woodstain! Is the whole of your neck stained, or just the face of the headstock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Hhhahaha! Good one! I thought exactly that with the black plate which Is why I got the White one, breaks it up nice and the quality of the MoP is beautiful, can't really pick it up with my crappy camera but it's just stunning. Seriously. You should get one! It's just the front of the headstock that's painted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 So two PM4s eh? How do they compare tone, playability wise? Nice score BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I felt one of these when I went to see Rammstein. Is the P pickup in the same position as would be on a Precision? And the MM, somewhere between MM and J bridge pickup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 The P pup is very close to where it is on a fender, but it's reversed (no idea why). The bucker is closer to a J bridge but like one on steroids rather than MM. I have found a sweet spot blended between the 2 pups you can get a more snappy tight tone a bit like a MM but to be honest it don't really sound like one, if that makes sense. That saying mine has Haussel pickups rather than the Delano ones and they are more vintage voiced compared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rommi Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 W O W. Lovely bass man, congrats! -Rommi- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 [quote name='longtimefred' post='1317199' date='Jul 26 2011, 03:33 PM']The bucker is closer to a J bridge but like one on steroids rather than MM[/quote] Spot on description. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 (edited) [quote name='ezbass' post='1317135' date='Jul 26 2011, 02:49 PM']So two PM4s eh? How do they compare tone, playability wise? Nice score BTW.[/quote] Well, a California PM4 and a Basic 4. The PM has a slightly fuller, rounder neck, but still very slim for a P-type bass, and this one seems a fair bit slimmer than the one I tried in PMT a while ago. The basic is very slim and starts out as sort of a shallow D at the headstock end but then flattens out down the centre line as you get toward the top end. The fretboard radius seems to be about the same on both (quite flat), and they both feel kind of similar to play. Tone-wise, they're a lot more similar than I'd expected! Obviously you've got a bit more flexibility on the PM although the Basic does have the 3-band eq, which allows for quite a lot of tone sculpting. With everything centered on both basses, there's actually not much difference at all! I guess it's partly down to the pickup positions and the fact that the P pickup on the PM has the oversized pole pieces (one per string). This results in more of a MM sound with the blend centered, than what I would think of as a classic PJ sound. The MM at the bridge on the PM really is exactly as described above; like a jazz bridge pickup but with more guts and growl. I think that a lot of the more modern manufacturers are reversing P pickups because it gives a slightly more even tone across the strings. Sometimes in the traditional orientation, the D and G strings can sound a little thin compared to the E and A. Thanks for all the comments! I really feel at home with these Sandbergs, after 16 or so years of playing, and many basses, I think I've finally found an instrument that feels really natural and just seems to work for me. Edited July 26, 2011 by TRBboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigster Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Can we list you as officially GAS free then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted July 27, 2011 Author Share Posted July 27, 2011 [quote name='Jigster' post='1317955' date='Jul 27 2011, 09:31 AM']Can we list you as officially GAS free then? [/quote] Yep, I am now categorically GAS free! How long for, I can't be certain...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 [quote name='Ou7shined' post='1315268' date='Jul 24 2011, 11:02 PM']That textured Blackburst is one of my all time favourite finishes[/quote] Same here, very mad max. I almost got the 5 string version of this a few years ago but due to a few neck issues i didnt bother, but ever since ive been after one. I'm not too keen on the standard plain necks, i think i would need one with blocks or at least dots. Still, its not a bass i would ever turn down and i look forward to seeing it in the For sale section asap ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted July 27, 2011 Author Share Posted July 27, 2011 [quote name='dave_bass5' post='1318235' date='Jul 27 2011, 01:29 PM']......i look forward to seeing it in the For sale section asap ;-)[/quote] Not a chance! Although I did say a few months ago that I'd never part with my Jazz........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBass Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Gorgeous!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugget Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 beautiful bass - I love the finish. I think the P pup IS the right way round - I never really understood why the Fender one is the wrong way round (I'm sure I'll get abuse for that) Surley you want the trebble side thicker/bassier sounding and the bass side more defined and less muddy. Love the large pole pieces . Great pair of stunning basses, I do love Sandburgs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 [quote name='nugget' post='1318952' date='Jul 28 2011, 07:47 AM']beautiful bass - I love the finish. I think the P pup IS the right way round - I never really understood why the Fender one is the wrong way round (I'm sure I'll get abuse for that) Surley you want the trebble side thicker/bassier sounding and the bass side more defined and less muddy....[/quote] No arguments here (although maybe "muddy" isn't an adjective I find synonymous with P pups but I know what you're getting at). So far I've built 2 basses with reverse P's. The first in the natural position (like Sandberg do) where there's not much difference to tell you the truth although I think there may be a perceived extra warmth. The second has a bridge position P and when I was testing the idea it became obvious that the standard orientation was not going to work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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