This is my first post on TalkBass, and I felt compelled to write it because so many threads here have helped me
I have been playing bass for almost 30 years, always as an amateur—heavy metal band in my teens, and later a stable rehearsal/jam band just for fun. My musical “home base” is classic rock and heavy metal, though over time I added some funk and a bit of jazz/pop. But at my core, I'm a Rock/Heavy Metal player.
I started out with a very inexpensive Faim bass from Argentina made of guatambú (Balfourodendron riedelianum)—extremely heavy. After that came my first real PJ: a 1999 Ibanez SR300DX made in Korea, which I sold this year (SR300DX). Over the years I added a Music Man StingRay 5 HH (US made, 2013), then a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass (US made, 2012).
When it came time to fill the PJ void, I wanted a real quality upgrade, with one non-negotiable (At least, that was my preliminar thought): a 38 mm nut. I fell in love with the Jazz Bass neck very late in my life, unfortunately. After a lot of reading, I bought a Lakland Skyline 44-64 GZ B-Stock, fully aware of the mixed opinions on that model. But after a few months of use—and digging deeper into the specific unit I received—it just did not convince me. I returned it and bought another B-Stock, but this time a Sandberg VT4, after seriously considering a Japanese Fender Hybrid II (2024) with a possible pickup swap to EMG GZ.
What I Learned Along the Way
1. My old Ibanez SR300DX was better than I ever gave it credit for
The quality of the 1999 Korean SR300DX PJ was much higher than I assumed. After trying new Ibanez and even some higher-priced brands, I realized:
I had read repeatedly about its heavy weight, usually reported between 4.7–5.0 kg. Even the German distributor listed 4.6–4.7 kg.
Mine weighed 5.05 kg exactly. Even for home-studio use—and despite being used to heavy basses—it was simply too much from balance perspective and manipulation.
Other issues:
The EMG GZ pickups + ebony board + heavy ash body combination is great. Bright, aggressive, punchy—excellent for what I wanted tone-wise.
But between the weight, QC inconsistencies, and the confusing branding/outsourcing situation, I felt the instrument should cost significantly less (at least 30% of the B stock, 50-60% of a new)...moreover considering all the SIRE models like P8 or P10DX from the same origin in the market (it was also a brand that I considered together with Sadowsky MetroExpress)
3. Sandberg VT4 California II
After lots of back-and-forth, I finally gave up the 38 mm nut and accepted Sandberg’s 39.5 mm (which I had already tested on other units). Also, B-Stock, ebony fretboard, but with a visibly more uniform/black appearance despite they have type of wood (which means not the same specie).
What stood out immediately:
Final Thoughts
I hope this little journey—from the Ibanez to the Sandberg—helps someone else who is looking for their next PJ. Every instrument taught me something, and in the end, I found the one that really matches what I was looking for.
I have been playing bass for almost 30 years, always as an amateur—heavy metal band in my teens, and later a stable rehearsal/jam band just for fun. My musical “home base” is classic rock and heavy metal, though over time I added some funk and a bit of jazz/pop. But at my core, I'm a Rock/Heavy Metal player.
I started out with a very inexpensive Faim bass from Argentina made of guatambú (Balfourodendron riedelianum)—extremely heavy. After that came my first real PJ: a 1999 Ibanez SR300DX made in Korea, which I sold this year (SR300DX). Over the years I added a Music Man StingRay 5 HH (US made, 2013), then a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass (US made, 2012).
When it came time to fill the PJ void, I wanted a real quality upgrade, with one non-negotiable (At least, that was my preliminar thought): a 38 mm nut. I fell in love with the Jazz Bass neck very late in my life, unfortunately. After a lot of reading, I bought a Lakland Skyline 44-64 GZ B-Stock, fully aware of the mixed opinions on that model. But after a few months of use—and digging deeper into the specific unit I received—it just did not convince me. I returned it and bought another B-Stock, but this time a Sandberg VT4, after seriously considering a Japanese Fender Hybrid II (2024) with a possible pickup swap to EMG GZ.
1. My old Ibanez SR300DX was better than I ever gave it credit for
The quality of the 1999 Korean SR300DX PJ was much higher than I assumed. After trying new Ibanez and even some higher-priced brands, I realized:
- It had a surprisingly stable 2-piece neck with a quarter-sawn-style cut.
- The active DX pickups interact extremely well with modern amp sims.
- Overall construction quality was very respectable for its era and price.
I had read repeatedly about its heavy weight, usually reported between 4.7–5.0 kg. Even the German distributor listed 4.6–4.7 kg.
Mine weighed 5.05 kg exactly. Even for home-studio use—and despite being used to heavy basses—it was simply too much from balance perspective and manipulation.
Other issues:
- String height at the 12th fret on the E string could not go below 2.8 mm.
- The truss rod sounded loose, and tapping the neck produced an unpleasant resonant overtone (this I think it was a manufacturing issue)
- I knew the neck was plain-sawn, but I was surprised by how “outer-ring” the grain looked—not necessarily bad visually, but paired with the truss rod issue, it raised concerns.
- I tried to find out what exact wood species was used for the neck—this info is not available anywhere.
- Lakland states that Skylines are “inspected and finalized in Chicago,” but the ones sold in Europe are done in Germany. So that labeling felt misleading.
The EMG GZ pickups + ebony board + heavy ash body combination is great. Bright, aggressive, punchy—excellent for what I wanted tone-wise.
But between the weight, QC inconsistencies, and the confusing branding/outsourcing situation, I felt the instrument should cost significantly less (at least 30% of the B stock, 50-60% of a new)...moreover considering all the SIRE models like P8 or P10DX from the same origin in the market (it was also a brand that I considered together with Sadowsky MetroExpress)
3. Sandberg VT4 California II
After lots of back-and-forth, I finally gave up the 38 mm nut and accepted Sandberg’s 39.5 mm (which I had already tested on other units). Also, B-Stock, ebony fretboard, but with a visibly more uniform/black appearance despite they have type of wood (which means not the same specie).
What stood out immediately:
- Transparent wood-spec info, including a proper quarter-sawn neck.
- Despite being solid ash as well, it weighed 4.2 kg—almost 1 kg lighter than the Lakland.
- The active/passive versatility is excellent.
- Overall playability and build quality are simply outstanding (String height at the 12th fret on the E string 2.1 mm, nice balance and ergonomy).
I hope this little journey—from the Ibanez to the Sandberg—helps someone else who is looking for their next PJ. Every instrument taught me something, and in the end, I found the one that really matches what I was looking for.
