Sandbergs have always interested me but naturally, without playing one, it was very difficult for me to commit. This past week I found out that there was a dealer very close to me so I took the trip. They had some great models in stock including a harcore aged VM4, VT4, and some 5 bangers that had a fantastic B string. I was pretty set on taking the harcore aged VT4 in sunburst home when the sales associate said he had one more for me to check out. He went in the back and walked out with one of the most beautiful basses I had EVER laid eyes on. I lit up like a child on Xmas morning, but let fly a few choice words that only adults use.
It was a Hardcore Aged Masterpiece Umbo in Roqueforte Blue. The Masterpiece builds go even further than the Hardcore Aged models. They are handled by one one specific person in Germany and the entire bass gets the aging treatment as opposed to just the body. They also undergo a special vibration treatment to treat the wood so it behaves like a vintage instrument. While I can't verify that the vibration treatment definitely does anything, I can verify that this bass shakes the hell out of me more than any of mo other past and present instruments, and I have owned and currently own some really, really choice basses. The bass itself is extremely versatile for a passive instrument. The 3 way selector choose between bypass (straight signal), smiley face EQ (mid scoop), and a frown face EQ (bumped mids). It's really awesome to be access these on the fly without having to twist knobs on my active bass or amp's EQ. Also, due to the positioning of the neck pickup, I can anchor on the bridge and enjoy the higher string tension without the tone "honking out" too much from being too far back. The neck pickup continues to pick up those nice, juicy low tones. Finally, the hardware is the cherry on top. The bridge is a "3D" adjustable one. You can literally tilt this thing anyway, adjust the rollers for string spacing to your liking, and, most importantly, lock them down to eliminate any movement of shifting during string changes. A really wonderful design. The string retainer with added A string retention is the final bonus.
In short - I'm in love and so is my wife. I've owned A LOT of basses and she said it's the most beautiful one I've ever brought home.
Anyway - without further ado, I give you my Sandberg Umbo Masterpiece:
It was a Hardcore Aged Masterpiece Umbo in Roqueforte Blue. The Masterpiece builds go even further than the Hardcore Aged models. They are handled by one one specific person in Germany and the entire bass gets the aging treatment as opposed to just the body. They also undergo a special vibration treatment to treat the wood so it behaves like a vintage instrument. While I can't verify that the vibration treatment definitely does anything, I can verify that this bass shakes the hell out of me more than any of mo other past and present instruments, and I have owned and currently own some really, really choice basses. The bass itself is extremely versatile for a passive instrument. The 3 way selector choose between bypass (straight signal), smiley face EQ (mid scoop), and a frown face EQ (bumped mids). It's really awesome to be access these on the fly without having to twist knobs on my active bass or amp's EQ. Also, due to the positioning of the neck pickup, I can anchor on the bridge and enjoy the higher string tension without the tone "honking out" too much from being too far back. The neck pickup continues to pick up those nice, juicy low tones. Finally, the hardware is the cherry on top. The bridge is a "3D" adjustable one. You can literally tilt this thing anyway, adjust the rollers for string spacing to your liking, and, most importantly, lock them down to eliminate any movement of shifting during string changes. A really wonderful design. The string retainer with added A string retention is the final bonus.
In short - I'm in love and so is my wife. I've owned A LOT of basses and she said it's the most beautiful one I've ever brought home.
Anyway - without further ado, I give you my Sandberg Umbo Masterpiece:
