Sandberg appreciation society

[krispn]

That swamp ash looks delightful!

[Osiris]

10 hours ago, krispn said:

That swamp ash looks delightful!

It certainly is, the wood grain is stunning. 

[Al Krow]

15 hours ago, Osiris said:

Here's a couple of mine,

The TT was an impulse buy purely on the aesthetics, I just love the red and black combination and I think the ebony fingerboard just adds to the looks. It's all passive with Hausell (can't find the umlaut key) pickups and it sounds utterly immense. The neck pup has a more P like mid range punch that you usually get with a J style single coil. 

The VM is a swamp ash body with 'Berg own brand pups and a Glockenklang pre-amp. The poor thing is currently looking for a new home  

 

I always thought red was not "my colour" for basses but it's definitely growing on me  

The VM4, however, ticks all the boxes! If I was buying my first Sandberg bass again today I would almost certainly go for a VM4 or VM5 (rather than the TM4 I originally went for) - there is something about a P/J or P/MM pup configuration that just works; for me it's all about having a 'P' in the mix. Whoever ends up with that bass is in for a treat.

[Bearfist]

Thought i'd chuck this in here.

Been thinking about one of these for a while now, finally found one i wanted.

There's a little confusion still on going with the shop as they had it listed with a reverse headstock which ultimately was the clincher in me ordering this one but at some point they sold the one pictured/described and got another in without the reverse headstock and didnt update it, bit annoyed but i do love it!

Anyway here it is.

[dannybuoy]

Nice. This one caught my attention recently:

http://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Sandberg_Chris_Childs_Enigma_5.html

Looks like the same pickups and colour scheme as yours, however it sounds like the neck pickup is actually a P-like split coil inside that MM-like housing. Perhaps yours is the same?

[Bearfist]

Yeah i like that too, spotted it when i was hunting for this 48 recently.

Funny you should mention the pickups, there was also some confusion on the listing about the pickup configuration this one had, part of the description said it was a TM and part said it was a VM configuration (which is standard on these i believe) so i spoke to Holger this afternoon and he clarified my one has the standard split coil (VM) in the neck, what ever it is sounded great but good to actual know.

[Cuzzie]

@Bearfist good score, awesome bass. Hölger is an absolute dude, and you could have asked me, i’d Have told ya!

This is high on my gas list and is just a badass bass, you will look the nuts.

@dannybuoy yeah that Enigma is cool. It is likely different again, split coil or not. Each Sig bass has the pup positioning slightly different to standard models so despite apparently looking the same there will be very slight differences.

And then of course there is the differences between Sandberg pick ups, sandberg black labels, Haüssel, delano

they are all great

[krispn]

The 48’s as standard have a p neck and power bucker bridge pick up config under the shiny covers. 

[Cuzzie]

@Bearfist FYI, this is a reverse headstock....

[Cuzzie]

@krispn apparently you come with a standard powerbucker

[krispn]

Yes, yes I do!

[Cuzzie]

I’m more Black label...

[uk_lefty]

9 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@Bearfist FYI, this is a reverse headstock....

Looks like a reverse body to me.

[Cuzzie]

I’d sound better playing it strings facing my body

[Bearfist]

9 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@Bearfist good score, awesome bass. Hölger is an absolute dude, and you could have asked me, i’d Have told ya!

This is high on my gas list and is just a badass bass, you will look the nuts.

@dannybuoy yeah that Enigma is cool. It is likely different again, split coil or not. Each Sig bass has the pup positioning slightly different to standard models so despite apparently looking the same there will be very slight differences.

And then of course there is the differences between Sandberg pick ups, sandberg black labels, Haüssel, delano

they are all great

Thanks mate!

Yeah i know these usually have the VM but the shop listing and the invoice i got both had this one down as a TM, i thought that was likely wrong as when i checked that with the shop they didn't have a clue what i was asking so i mailed Holger over the serial to confirm what this one actually had.

Your reverse headstock is lovely mate, bit jealous now ha! All the pictures on the listing for this one all had reverse a headstock and the description said this has one, turns out the shop sold that one but never updated the page so i got this one, never mind, still happy with it.

[FacStudio]

Well, here is the latest family photo.  Don't hate me for buying them all... but I think I have a problem...  😉

Top Left to Right

TT4 Creme - Masterpiece

TM2 Orange - HCA

Panther - Bocote Top & H/Stock

Bottom Left to Right

UMBO Red - HCA

48 Red - HCA

Grand Dark San Remo Blue

😀

[Cuzzie]

@FacStudio you are un-hateable🤗

[countjodius]

17 hours ago, FacStudio said:

Well, here is the latest family photo.  Don't hate me for buying them all... but I think I have a problem...  😉

Top Left to Right

TT4 Creme - Masterpiece

TM2 Orange - HCA

Panther - Bocote Top & H/Stock

Bottom Left to Right

UMBO Red - HCA

48 Red - HCA

Grand Dark San Remo Blue

😀

That's some collection @FacStudio! I've been looking to try some Sandbergs recently, and was wondering what your thoughts are on the tone/character of the TM versus TM2?

[Cuzzie]

@countjodius So that TM pictured is different in that it has a Darkglass Tone Capsule pre-amp, 35” scale, whereas your standard TM will have a Glockenklang preamp and be normal scale.

The first thing that people get wrong in their heads is expecting the bridge humbucker to sound like a Stingray. It won’t. Different position, different voicing, different Preamp. It is there to compliment the neck pick up whatever it is, or to sound a bit more jazz like solo’d

That being said that particular TM Grand Dark as you can imagine can go very deep and the tone shaping has sensible EQ points, obviously it’s a ‘Rock’ machine, but it will Do so much more.

A normal TM has a normal scale and is also a very very good bass covering so much ground.

That TM2 has just been fitted with the new Sandberg Black label pick ups and it has transformed what is a very very good bass into an astonishing one, so punchy when you want, but gentle also. 

I think probably the TM2 was my fave of the lot, there was a ‘feel’ about it. I was surprised as I got put off by double humbuckers after my G&L experience. It may not be the most exciting to look at compared to the other more striking ones, but it’s phenomenal.

Really though it’s like asking who is a better Supermodel, Christie Turlingron, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Yasmin LeBon etc.

If you get your hands on anyone, you won’t be disappointed!

Hole @FacStudio doesn’t mind me answering!

[countjodius]

Thanks for the detailed rundown @Cuzzie, very interesting!  I was edging towards the TM2 myself from researching so far, so am even more keen to try one now. Funnily enough it's my love of G&Ls and the double humbuckers that lead me towards the similar config of the TM2!

[Cuzzie]

@countjodius So here is my take, please ignore if you want!

G&L - fanstastically well made basses, brilliant craftsmanship and quality.

Problem is the pick up. Leo was suffering hearing loss and in particular high end hearing loss, so he rotated the magnet, changed the pole pieces, over wound them to compensate. That to me is why they have so much output and Treble. Personally, I could not tame them using any form of pre-amp type pedal I like to use, the signal was too much, and too hot. I imagine straight to amp especially a valve amp, it would be OK. That’s having owned an ASAT, a semi hollow ASAT and an L1500.

TM2 brings balance to the force, you will not be sad, and if you care for upgrades, get black labels in it, well worth it IMO.

Good Luck!

[Opticaleye]

12 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

@countjodius So here is my take, please ignore if you want!

G&L - fanstastically well made basses, brilliant craftsmanship and quality.

Problem is the pick up. Leo was suffering hearing loss and in particular high end hearing loss, so he rotated the magnet, changed the pole pieces, over wound them to compensate. That to me is why they have so much output and Treble. Personally, I could not tame them using any form of pre-amp type pedal I like to use, the signal was too much, and too hot. I imagine straight to amp especially a valve amp, it would be OK. That’s having owned an ASAT, a semi hollow ASAT and an L1500.

TM2 brings balance to the force, you will not be sad, and if you care for upgrades, get black labels in it, well worth it IMO.

Good Luck!

Interesting. I have an 81 G&L  L1000 and find the MFD humbucker to be less bright than the Delano's on the Sandberg VM's and TM's I've owned. I wonder if it has mellowed with age. I can get a really nice powerful but vintage passive tone out of it.

I have a MFD P pickup that I've tried on a couple of basses but found it very aggressive and put it away in the drawer because I couldn't tame it. My idea was to re-create the L1000 with a narrower neck by using it on my Sandberg VS4 and I wired it using the same passive bass and treble cut circuit as the L1000. Sadly it didn't work for me and it now has an EMG Geezer P pickup and a vol, tone and a Tonestyler for the 3 controls. It's nice and vintage sounding now 🙂.

[countjodius]

@Cuzzie  Must admit that I agree with @Opticaleye on G&Ls!  My L2500 is strung with nickels, and I generally favour more vintage-orientated gear like Aguilar or tube hybrids which may help, but have never found it too toppy.  I love the gooey P-bass like tone using the neck pup in passive, and the general versatility of sounds available.  I agree that those MFDs are hot and takes a bit of volume knob riding if you want a more conventional passive tone.  I just wish G&Ls were more numerous, and a bit more generous in the fiver string spacing.   For comparison, as much as I love the Stingray tone, I find that too mid-heavy and zingy for my own tastes!  

Back to Sandbergs though! I'm definitely keen to get my hands on a TM2 now!

[Cuzzie]

No worries, all experience is good experience and these things can be fixed with mods, for example the L1500 was made very Treble like by design, swap a resistor, add a second cap to the tone pot, it becomes very nice.

I think we all have love for G&Ls but for me anyway the Sandberg love is greater

Edited November 15, 2018 by Cuzzie

[FacStudio]

On 15/11/2018 at 12:59, countjodius said:

@Cuzzie  Must admit that I agree with @Opticaleye on G&Ls!  My L2500 is strung with nickels, and I generally favour more vintage-orientated gear like Aguilar or tube hybrids which may help, but have never found it too toppy.  I love the gooey P-bass like tone using the neck pup in passive, and the general versatility of sounds available.  I agree that those MFDs are hot and takes a bit of volume knob riding if you want a more conventional passive tone.  I just wish G&Ls were more numerous, and a bit more generous in the fiver string spacing.   For comparison, as much as I love the Stingray tone, I find that too mid-heavy and zingy for my own tastes!  

Back to Sandbergs though! I'm definitely keen to get my hands on a TM2 now!

The TM2 will as @Cuzzie says, ‘bring balance to the force’.  He recently played my TM2 which is now fitted with the Sandberg Black Label pickups.  I think he was quite surprised by how nice it was.  I even said to @Cuzzie that of my 6 Sandberg’s the TM2 is probably my favourite.