Musicman20 Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/180108320557002-1903874--sandberg-california-vm4-masterpiece-aged-3-tone-sunburs 3 grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaphaelD Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Seems a pretty general pattern, don't you think? Looks like that all makers have reviewed their price up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 It’s almost as if there had been some kind of avoidable event where a third of the population had voted for something that meant the pound dropped in value... 3 1 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted September 17, 2018 Author Share Posted September 17, 2018 Despite the Brexit/£ issue, £3000?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 It’s one of their “Masterpiece Aged” models. Looks like you’re paying an extra grand or so to have someone ruin a perfectly nice £1-2k bass for you. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opticaleye Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 I think it's a mixture of being a Masterpiece build and the price that the retailer has decided to put it up for 🤨. The masterpieces are thermally and sonically treated and take a while to produce if you order one. Simply "hardcore aged" that bass would be about £1585 elsewhere. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netcarlos Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 (edited) Quote Sandberg also offers a Soft Aged option with subtler notes, and a Hardcore Aged Masterpiece process that includes “strongly aged” hardware, fingerboard aging, as well as a vibration treatment that is said to coax a more vintage tone out of the wood. Source: https://www.bassplayer.com/gear/review-sandberg-california-tm-bass I think it's a mixture of being a Masterpiece build and I think that "Masterpiece" label is only matter of the finish. Edited September 17, 2018 by netcarlos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaky Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Ridiculous prices from Sandberg these days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 And shapes... what's the point in 'masterpiece ageing' a modern shape? Please tell me they still offer P & J shapes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opticaleye Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 (edited) 19 minutes ago, netcarlos said: Source: https://www.bassplayer.com/gear/review-sandberg-california-tm-bass I think that "Masterpiece" label is only matter of the finish. I don't think that the Bassplayer article is accurate. The Sandberg website is mostly down atm but the Hardcore aged didn't used to include any ageing to the neck and the Masterpiece is a Hardcore aged with neck ageing and thermal and vibration treatment. Because of the long wait times for the Masterpiece they introduced a Hardcore reserve model with the neck ageing and, i think vibration treatment. Irrespective of opinions regarding the Masterpiece I think that Sandbergs are still excellent value for money. Neither of my new shape Sandbergs are aged but it does add something extra to the instrument as with the Fender Roadworns IMO. Whether it looks right is as subjective as colour choice. Edited September 17, 2018 by Opticaleye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 11 minutes ago, visog said: And shapes... what's the point in 'masterpiece ageing' a modern shape? Please tell me they still offer P & J shapes? Nope. They moved away from being a Fender clone company. Good job too. The new ones are lovely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 The J in netcarlos' link is lovely... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 The silly prices are only for the extreme aged finishes. The VS4 active 4 string (P bass inspired) is £1099 at Bass Direct. The aged ones start at about £1500 for gentle ageing and hit £3000 for the master ageing process. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 41 minutes ago, fretmeister said: The silly prices are only for the extreme aged finishes. The VS4 active 4 string (P bass inspired) is £1099 at Bass Direct. The aged ones start at about £1500 for gentle ageing and hit £3000 for the master ageing process. This^ I have bought a couple new, both California IIs and both around £1,100. The Masterpiece range are mad money and frankly I'd rather save a bit longer and buy a genuine vintage Fender (which I did ). For an everyday working bass Sandberg basses are beautifully made, have fantastic necks and as a bonus are pretty light. Both mine are around 3.7kgs or just over 8lbs in old money. Don't do too badly in terms of holding their value either. In fact I'll be picking up a pre-loved one at the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted September 18, 2018 Author Share Posted September 18, 2018 Ah, thankfully they haven't lost it completely. This is much more reasonable... http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Sandberg_VM4_Gold.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverinebass Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Three grand for a bass that looks like its been tossed about inside a cement mixer? Er, no. Or you can choose "mild destruction" and just have it roughed up enough to get a skelf when you play fingerstyle. Hold me back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intime-nick Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 I guess it’s a good time to sell my PM5 hardcore aged one then ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 There are lots of reasons, materials, value of pound etc. That you can get into, but you have to look at what work is being put into each bass and that will be reflected in the cost. You have to remember that sandberg is about as close to a single luthier bass you will get from a global company. Wood selection, fixing the blocks together, shaping, top or no top. Neck work, shaping and sanding, routs, finishing, electronics, hardware final fixing. Any form of ageing is a process done by an individual painstakingly recreating the look. Also as mentioned sonic vibration and heat treatment. Lets say the whole process takes 1 man 5 days, a luthier is a skilled professional, so a plumber would earn maybe £200 per day, should a luthier earn the same? If so that’s £1k. If the standard cost of a bass is £1.5k then all the ageing etc is another 5 days work then you can see where the costs are. There will always be that debate of aged vs non aged, and some people say that a bass that has ageing is fake and no mojo compared to one that happened but itself, even if they look exactly the same. Everyone has their price, that’s their own business, but what are the facts, Sandbergs are some of the finest basses around, made with love care and attention to detail and they play and sound fantastic. If you look at their configurator they probably have close to a million different options (that’s no exaggeration by the way!). Moreover they care and they look after their customers. Someone I know broke a tuning peg on a second hand Electra (budget line) bass. He emailed the company asking where he could buy a Sandberg replacement. The owner himself replied simply asking his address and he shipped it for no cost to the punter. Sometimes quality costs, but what Sandberg provides is priceless. I am a massive fan boy, unashamed to admit it, but I like to think I am balanced. And on the new shapes, they are great, a good move away from the ‘fender’ shape although the ‘Fender’ shape is not patented, only the headstock, ageing if wanted is irrelevant of the shape, new, old or a Forty Eight. And yes, the masterpiece is not a label is a massively involved process 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted September 19, 2018 Share Posted September 19, 2018 (edited) But they also produce beauties like this less than 3kg, punchy loud and clear. It’s a great playing and sounding bass Edited September 19, 2018 by Cuzzie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted September 19, 2018 Share Posted September 19, 2018 (edited) I'm at a total loss as to the mindset behind ageing something that's clearly a new make/model of bass, which, unless it's been very very badly abused, couldn't possibly look like that in a couple of years...I get someone might want to own something that's been faked to look like a decades-old old Fender/Gibson, etc, but a Sandberg? Pfffft... Edited September 19, 2018 by Muzz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 19, 2018 Share Posted September 19, 2018 15 minutes ago, Muzz said: I'm at a total loss as to the mindset behind ageing something that's clearly a new make/model of bass, which, unless it's been very very badly abused, couldn't possibly look like that in a couple of years...I get someone might want to own something that's been faked to look like a decades-old old Fender/Gibson, etc, but a Sandberg? Pfffft... I don't understand the hate they get. It's just another finish option. Buyers either like it or they don't. No different to not liking sunburst or Nuclear Yellow Ibanez colours. But it takes longer to do, so it costs more. Green with pink spots wouldn't get such a reaction despite it probably appealing to even less people than an aged finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted September 19, 2018 Share Posted September 19, 2018 (edited) I could understand it more if amp manufacturers offered ripped tolex and cracked knobs (meticulously done and therefore at a huge premium, obviously) with their amps and cabs (especially the retro-looking ones), but it appears to be an overwhelmingly bass-centred phenomenon. I've never seen a factory-mauled Status or Steinberger, I think that's my point... Edited September 19, 2018 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 19, 2018 Share Posted September 19, 2018 Plenty of guitars as well as basses have it. Be difficult to age a graphite bass in that manner! But then again EBMM and Ricky don't do it, presumably because their bosses either don't like the look (even though they have been around long enough) or they don't want to add a grand to the cost of the instruments to do the job right. It's still just another finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted September 19, 2018 Share Posted September 19, 2018 At the end of the day it's simulated damage, and you could do that to a Status or a Steinberger; my point being it would seem odd on a non-vintage type of bass (tho ironically both makers have basses out there which are decades old), and so to me it seems odd to simulate decades of wear on a make/model of bass that couldn't possibly be that old... Mojo (aka real, actual wear) doesn't seem to be an issue with secondhand EBMMs, not so much with Rickys (possibly because they conceivably have a rep for being a little more, erm, fragile*), so yeah, it must be a manufacturers decision. I still smile at secondhand ads for reliced instruments that describe them as in 'Good cosmetic condition', tho... 😁 * Don't write in, Ricky owners...I'm thinking truss rods, binding and tail lift - they might be a real issues, they might just be rumours and falsehoods, either way, it's out there... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted September 19, 2018 Share Posted September 19, 2018 (edited) With @fretmeister on this seems to be one of those irrational hatreds. Aged finish bad, a bass looking exactly the same but 30yrs old and been in a few shows - mojo. An innocent chip in the paint of a bass and apparently it’s not cared for and may not play well and needs £500 off the asking price. I can’t stand turdburst, think Warwick’s look like a bass which a child has drawn with a chubby crayon of a still life melted wax candle, but some people love em. Markbass look like a swarm of bumblebees have plopped in a daffodil. What do we think about Sandblasting leaving tactile cavities? Fender done this and Fender do custom shop ageing, they don’t seem to get hammered as much for it? I tend not to slam them, horses for courses Edited September 19, 2018 by Cuzzie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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