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NBD - Sandberg California TT4 Superlight

In January last year I bought my first Sandberg - a VM4 - which I absolutely love. I've never played a Sandberg that didn't feel great in my hand. They are so very playable. The fact that at 7 and a half pound it was 3lbs lighter than my other basses got me thinking… so in August I ordered one of their Superlight basses from Music Store (the artist formerly known as Digital Village). It was supposed to arrive around Easter but actually arrived last Saturday.

I'm absolutely chuffed with it! The black burst finish looks lovely over the paulownia wood and they aren't kidding with "Superlight". The bass weights in at only 6.2 lbs - and feels both featherlight and balanced on the strap.







The layout is basically standard active/passive Jazz with two band EQ. This produces all the sounds I would expect and also feels a little more alive and "springy" than many Jazzes that I've played - which is how I like it. There's lots of pleasant top end where it should be but the lightweight body doesn't remove and feeling of an authoritative bass end.

I got to use it properly pretty much straight away as I was playing in the church worship band on Sunday night.Sounded great through the church amp both for finger style and plectrum songs. I ended up playing about four songs at the following night's Monday Night Jam - ranging from Simon and Garfunkel and James Taylor to Steeleye Span and the bass fitted in whichever style was needed (it was a folk theme night at the jam on Monday). Can't wait to try it out in some more situations and styles but headline thoughts are that I just love this bass; it's perfect for my aging old bones. 😉🤣



 
Yes! Congrats! I have a black burst TM4 with matching headstock, ebony board, white pearloid p/g, white pearloid block inlays, and Black Label pickups set to be delivered sometime in May. Also having drop-D tuner installed. Sounds like yours is meeting or exceeding expectations. Love that!
 
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Yes! Congrats! I have a black burst TM4 with matching headstock, ebony board, white pearloid p/g, white pearloid block inlays, and Black Label pickups set to be delivered sometime in May. Also having drop-D tuner installed. Sounds like yours is meeting or exceeding expectations. Love that!

Nice! Hope you love it as much as I love mine. The stock Black Label pickups are really nice and the TM will be a nice and useful layout. The M pickup in my VM4 is great. Not at all like an Musicman to my ears but a really good bridge humbucker tone. Personally I wouldn't feel I'd have benefitted from going for the more expensive branded pickups like Delano.

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I like that in passive mode the treble acts as a tone control. It's a really nice touch and useful in practice. The Sandberg preamp is well thought out and implemented. To my surprise I actually use passive mode as much as active. I like that they also maintain a consistent output! No ridiculous volume drop. Hope you enjoy yours when it arrives. Will look forward to your NBD post.
 
Wow! That is beautiful. The blackburst is really nice and the overall layout is sleek. I have a couple Sandbergs myself (TM4 and VT4) and can attest to the quality, sound, and playability. Mine are not the superlight models and are still lightweight.

Congrats!
 
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Congratulations! The bass is stunning. I am also considering a superlight sandberg but five strings. The only concern is a possible neck dive. Can anyone share their experience of playing a five string sandberg superlight in terms of a balance?
 
Congratulations! The bass is stunning. I am also considering a superlight sandberg but five strings. The only concern is a possible neck dive. Can anyone share their experience of playing a five string sandberg superlight in terms of a balance?

I have a TT-5 Superlight, and haven't been bothered by neck dive when standing and using a strap. I'm not saying it doesn't neck dive at all, but if it does, it's not enough that I even notice. I think the bass overall is so light, including the neck and tuners, that if the strap is gripping my shoulder at all, it prevents any meaningful dive.

When sitting, the light body and short lower horn do contribute to neck dive if the strap isn't gripping my shoulder. For example, when I lean forward to adjust something and the strap goes slack, the neck dives. This can be annoying when I'm practicing at home, but I've gotten used to it.

So for me, it's completely acceptable in this respect. It isn't an issue during rehearsal or shows, and the light weight is worth the occasional annoyance at home.
 
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Congratulations! The bass is stunning. I am also considering a superlight sandberg but five strings. The only concern is a possible neck dive. Can anyone share their experience of playing a five string sandberg superlight in terms of a balance?
I have a TM5 super light that shows no neck dive at all. Sadly, I never bonded with it, so it's available if you're interested.
 
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I have a TT-5 Superlight, and haven't been bothered by neck dive when standing and using a strap. I'm not saying it doesn't neck dive at all, but if it does, it's not enough that I even notice. I think the bass overall is so light, including the neck and tuners, that if the strap is gripping my shoulder at all, it prevents any meaningful dive.

When sitting, the light body and short lower horn do contribute to neck dive if the strap isn't gripping my shoulder. For example, when I lean forward to adjust something and the strap goes slack, the neck dives. This can be annoying when I'm practicing at home, but I've gotten used to it.

So for me, it's completely acceptable in this respect. It isn't an issue during rehearsal or shows, and the light weight is worth the occasional annoyance at home.
Thank you for sharing this, it is very useful.
 
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Nice! Hope you love it as much as I love mine. The stock Black Label pickups are really nice and the TM will be a nice and useful layout. The M pickup in my VM4 is great. Not at all like an Musicman to my ears but a really good bridge humbucker tone. Personally I wouldn't feel I'd have benefitted from going for the more expensive branded pickups like Delano.

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I like that in passive mode the treble acts as a tone control. It's a really nice touch and useful in practice. The Sandberg preamp is well thought out and implemented. To my surprise I actually use passive mode as much as active. I like that they also maintain a consistent output! No ridiculous volume drop. Hope you enjoy yours when it arrives. Will look forward to your NBD post.
I have a TM-4, and one of the most notable things about it is the almost imperceptible volume drop between active and passive modes.
 
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