I received my Sandberg VM4 last tuesday and I was testing it for the last few days.
You guys were right, a big improvement over my Fender MiM PJ bass. The Sandberg is lighter, feels better when holding it. The neck profile is flatter and more importantly, the action came set way lower. To a degree that is impossible to get with the MiM. In fact, that was the main reason why I wanted/needed a new bass. I adjusted the bridge as low as can get, and the tuss rod for the neck to be as flat as possible, and the action was still too high. I could throw arrows with it. Consequence: it make playing very hard.
With the sandberg I play better. It has made me a better player just by getting it. I can press the strings with a lighter touch and the distance I need to press down is reduced by a couple of mm. Therefore, I play faster and save me some stamina. Together with the flatter neck profile, which also helps a lot on this side of things, and the lighter overall weight, it makes the playing experience so much better.
My only regret is not having bought one years ago!!
Anything else, the finish is also nicer and makes ir feel more of a quality instrument.
The preamp is also better in the Sandberg, and the feel of the pots and knobs too. Regarding the pickups, this is the only department where I do not feel I am having a clear improvement. The Sandberg pickups sound very good, they have a beautiful vintage and smooth sound. No complains on their quality.
However, I prefer punchier pickups. In the Fender bass, I hated the original pickups and replaced them with a set of DiMarzios model PJ, wich I like quite a bit.
Comparing side by side, the Sandberg are nice and round, and feel great for smoother sounds. But the DiMarzios are punchier and more agressive, which I prefer. Also, I liked a lot that the pole pieces are 2 sets of screws per string, so I could adjust their height for even volume string to string. I kind of miss having that level of fine-tuning capability, but I guess is not that common in general. Not many manufacturers offer that.
I will give the new ones some time before I decide if I want to keep them or to replace them... I read that Sandberg has a punchier line of pickups that seem to be punchier... would those give me that sound I like? (I like the Dimarzios, but also love a Thunderbird kind of tone).
Finally, in my Fender, I had installed a Hipshot Bass Xtender tuner, and I enjoy the ability to drop tune on the fly. But it wouldn´t fit the Sandberg, so I can not do the transfer from one bass to the other. Anyone knows if there is a Hipshot Xtender that fits as a direct replacement for Sandberg Tuners?
