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Strandberg club thread
- Thread starter HeavyDuty
- Start date
Well, alrighty then - I’ll start one.
My playing has been curtailed for some time due to medical issues - back and hand. I’ve found my headless multiscale Ibanez gets the most play these days because it’s light and doesn’t hurt my fretting hand as much as my other basses.
Last year I ran across a used Strandberg Boden 5 Original in a Boston area store and was pleasantly surprised with the weight and comfort of the neck. I was in the middle of relocating from New England to Texas, so I didn’t buy it.
I’m settled now, and decided to sell off a few loud toys and buy a new Boden Prog 5. It will most likely be here Monday.
I found a few past threads where people had these, and also where they moved them down the road. Who is still playing one?
My playing has been curtailed for some time due to medical issues - back and hand. I’ve found my headless multiscale Ibanez gets the most play these days because it’s light and doesn’t hurt my fretting hand as much as my other basses.
Last year I ran across a used Strandberg Boden 5 Original in a Boston area store and was pleasantly surprised with the weight and comfort of the neck. I was in the middle of relocating from New England to Texas, so I didn’t buy it.
I’m settled now, and decided to sell off a few loud toys and buy a new Boden Prog 5. It will most likely be here Monday.
I found a few past threads where people had these, and also where they moved them down the road. Who is still playing one?
I love the Strandberg brand and played many of their guitars and still own 2 and will get a 3rd. But I never played a current bass said I never played a brand that had so many QC issues on $2500 + instruments so make sure you get one that has a return policy or willing to do more extensive setup works. Everyone I had and zero fret issues.
It’s from Sweetwater stock, so return is no issue plus they are pretty good at looking over basses before shipping. But I don’t know how often they see zero frets, either.
What kind of zero fret issues?
What kind of zero fret issues?
They was all too tall and had to be filed down. Now granted this was a few years ago, and not on a bass so they might have resolved it. But coming from sweetwater it will probably play well. The ones I bought was off the rack from guitar center.
I’ve always wanted to try one of those. Yours is sweeeeeet!!!!
And you now have a link here from the TalkBass Clubs & Special Interest Groups INDEX! Congratulations, and best wishes.
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Okay, so I will try to make my (possibly weak) point as to why I do not think these are not more common and why you do not really hear about them much.
It has mostly to do with the cost, materials used and manufacturing location vs the perceived value.
You are sitting at around 40k sek which is roughly 4k euro/dollars for a made in Indonesia bass, which I think doesn't translate well at all into what most, I guess I would say... "aware" bassists, would consider a good investment.
I can tell you that I have considered Strandberg since they are located just a bus/metro ride away from me in a neighbouring town and I wanted to support a local business, but ultimately completely dropped them off my radar simply because I was afraid that I would pay 40k sek for an instrument that wouldn't fare well in the Swedish climate, since these basses are made in Indonesia. I was afraid of any potential issues that could occur from bringing and having the woods/materials from a hotter country come all the way up here to the "harsh" Swedish climate.
So you are paying a boutique price for something that is made partially abroad to keep the costs down and in my own, PERSONAL OPINION, that just mostly ruins this entire lineup for me. Not to mention that up until recently, and I mean 2023, you couldn't really even find one of their basses anywhere in stock, in store, IN SWEDEN where it's technically made and as of literally right now there is one 4 string available in one store but you cannot try it out in person because its kept in the stores external warehouse, so its not on the floor and ready for you to pick up and play.
So boutique price for a made in Indonesia thing and that is not even getting into the sort of niche thing of a headless bass, their special neck design and so on. I just think they have priced themselves the heck out of any reasonable offering and neither the look, the sound or the materials make me go "OoOoh", instead it's just... "Okay. I see what you are doing. Not my thing". And for 40k sek you can get A LOT of bass literally anywhere else, especially used.
Old Swedish farts who got a lot of money to spend on their bass playing can throw down 40k on a classy Fender or a 4001 Ric and still have some money leftover after that, so paying 40k for a headless thing with a crazy neck is most likely not on most peoples radar.
Those are my thoughts on this - I could be completely off my mark here, it could be a lot of nonsense - but that's my perspective on it. I'm happy to discuss it and have a convo about this, if anyone is interested.
It has mostly to do with the cost, materials used and manufacturing location vs the perceived value.
You are sitting at around 40k sek which is roughly 4k euro/dollars for a made in Indonesia bass, which I think doesn't translate well at all into what most, I guess I would say... "aware" bassists, would consider a good investment.
I can tell you that I have considered Strandberg since they are located just a bus/metro ride away from me in a neighbouring town and I wanted to support a local business, but ultimately completely dropped them off my radar simply because I was afraid that I would pay 40k sek for an instrument that wouldn't fare well in the Swedish climate, since these basses are made in Indonesia. I was afraid of any potential issues that could occur from bringing and having the woods/materials from a hotter country come all the way up here to the "harsh" Swedish climate.
So you are paying a boutique price for something that is made partially abroad to keep the costs down and in my own, PERSONAL OPINION, that just mostly ruins this entire lineup for me. Not to mention that up until recently, and I mean 2023, you couldn't really even find one of their basses anywhere in stock, in store, IN SWEDEN where it's technically made and as of literally right now there is one 4 string available in one store but you cannot try it out in person because its kept in the stores external warehouse, so its not on the floor and ready for you to pick up and play.
So boutique price for a made in Indonesia thing and that is not even getting into the sort of niche thing of a headless bass, their special neck design and so on. I just think they have priced themselves the heck out of any reasonable offering and neither the look, the sound or the materials make me go "OoOoh", instead it's just... "Okay. I see what you are doing. Not my thing". And for 40k sek you can get A LOT of bass literally anywhere else, especially used.
Old Swedish farts who got a lot of money to spend on their bass playing can throw down 40k on a classy Fender or a 4001 Ric and still have some money leftover after that, so paying 40k for a headless thing with a crazy neck is most likely not on most peoples radar.
Those are my thoughts on this - I could be completely off my mark here, it could be a lot of nonsense - but that's my perspective on it. I'm happy to discuss it and have a convo about this, if anyone is interested.
After thinking on it again, removed. Sorry.
I really like my .Strandberg. It's a solid bass. And fairly priced, IMO.
I really like my .Strandberg. It's a solid bass. And fairly priced, IMO.
Sure
No idea what it is that you wrote.
I think they are too pricey for what they are. Each to their own and all that!
I‘ve had an Original 5 for a couple of years before I sold it.
To me, the whole concept was exceptional - a little less so nowadays with Ibanez‘s EHBs available - and the bass itself was, as well: Seemingly impossibly lightweight, very ergonomic and with a tonal quality I never encountered before: Every note had a bloom to it - it seemed to me as if the semi-hollow construction acted like a natural compressor.
Still, I don’t like active EQs, I didn’t really care for the aesthetic, I actually kind of hated the oh-so-easily-dinging superthin finish and all in all I kind of felt like a neanderthal with an electron microscope. I voted "great basses, but not for me".
To me, the whole concept was exceptional - a little less so nowadays with Ibanez‘s EHBs available - and the bass itself was, as well: Seemingly impossibly lightweight, very ergonomic and with a tonal quality I never encountered before: Every note had a bloom to it - it seemed to me as if the semi-hollow construction acted like a natural compressor.
Still, I don’t like active EQs, I didn’t really care for the aesthetic, I actually kind of hated the oh-so-easily-dinging superthin finish and all in all I kind of felt like a neanderthal with an electron microscope. I voted "great basses, but not for me".
Interesting how polarizing these are!
Mine arrived yesterday, one day early. I’ve only managed to spend a few minutes with it, but I’m impressed so far. Ergonomics were my main reason for pursing one, and I think that will work.
Sweetwater was pretty aggressive on pricing, too - I knocked several hundred bucks off their listing price. @Katoosie, they are considerably cheaper here stateside.
Mine arrived yesterday, one day early. I’ve only managed to spend a few minutes with it, but I’m impressed so far. Ergonomics were my main reason for pursing one, and I think that will work.
Sweetwater was pretty aggressive on pricing, too - I knocked several hundred bucks off their listing price. @Katoosie, they are considerably cheaper here stateside.
