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NBD: Strandberg

J

joelns

Mar 10, 2014
3,087
15,848
#1
I went and did it. I don't know the verdict yet, but after 30 minutes the odd neck feels comfortable. It sits will on the strap. Intonation and setup are perfect for me right out of the box. Tones are beautiful. But I will need a lot of work to incorporate the 5th string. Oh, it weighs in at a measly 7lbs 2oz.

Hope you like it.

Strandberg.jpg
 
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#3
After I get more time with it, I'll post about my impressions. After an hour of noodling around and working on scales with the B string, I'm really liking it. The neck profile, while odd, lives up to it's billing. Much less fatigue, and my shoulders are a lot happier with it on strap than with my J bass. A little more than 2 pounds in weight savings is substantial.
 
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#4
joelns said:
After I get more time with it, I'll post about my impressions. After an hour of noodling around and working on scales with the B string, I'm really liking it. The neck profile, while odd, lives up to it's billing. Much less fatigue, and my shoulders are a lot happier with it on strap than with my J bass. A little more than 2 pounds in weight savings is substantial.
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Looking forward to hearing your impressions! I'm loving my Boden Prog 5. Had it a year and a half now and the love hasn't waned a bit. Just wish Ola would make a 6-string version (preferably with a longer scale length). I'd add that to my arsenal in a heartbeat.
 
#5
Are the notes solid with good sustain on the Boden 5? I'd like a headless bass with the smaller 2" fan and 18 mm string spacing but returned an Ibanez EHB1505MS because the notes lacked weight and sustain. The bass I got sounded light weight.
 
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#9
I have one with 17 mm spacing which is tight but easy to play for me since I don't have large hands and another at 19 mm which can be a challenge for rapid wide string intervals. Do you find the thumb guide on that neck to have a natural feel to it?
 
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#10
5StringPocket said:
I have one with 17 mm spacing which is tight but easy to play for me since I don't have large hands and another at 19 mm which can be a challenge for rapid wide string intervals. Do you find the thumb guide on that neck to have a natural feel to it?
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It sure does to me. It's one of my favorite things about this bass. I can't get enough of it. I wish I could add it to all my basses.
 
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#11
It's probably not stable yet, but truss rod is set, string height and intonation is set. There was one spot on the g string (9th fret) where the fret was ever so slightly high and buzzing on the C#. I fixed that too, didn't take long. There's no fret sprout. I imagine I'll be revisiting the setup in another few days.

The feel of the bass is outstanding, and it sounds great through both my amps. Passive mode is really useful and may be used more than active. I really like the pickup blend rather than V-V. Now I need to get into a mix and see how it sounds/feels.
 
#12
Tough call between the original and prog models. The prog seems to have a bit more defined lows and highs but the original is no slouch and seems to have more balance in the mids. Wonder which would be better for fingerstyle playing mostly rock, blues, funk, and country?
 
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#13
5StringPocket said:
Tough call between the original and prog models. The prog seems to have a bit more defined lows and highs but the original is no slouch and seems to have more balance in the mids. Wonder which would be better for fingerstyle playing mostly rock, blues, funk, and country?
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Seriously tough. I want one of each. Lol.

The Original is closer to a traditional jazz sound and that's where my home usually is. But it's also why I got the Prog model, because I have my jazz bass sound in my Sadowsky and Fender basses and wanted something a bit more modern but not so much as to be a Sadowsky Modern or Roscoe or something. Prog fit the bill perfectly. Just a bit of modern edge to a tone that's still close to home, but also very special.

What would be better for those genres? Man, that's entirely personal taste and what tone you're going for. The Original would be probably be the safest bet if looking to be as close as possible to traditional jazz bass tone.
 
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#17
5StringPocket said:
Tough call between the original and prog models. The prog seems to have a bit more defined lows and highs but the original is no slouch and seems to have more balance in the mids. Wonder which would be better for fingerstyle playing mostly rock, blues, funk, and country?
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That's why I opted for the original.

The more I play the bass, the more I like it.
 
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#19
5StringPocket said:
I have a 34" Sadowsky PJ5 and a 35" scale fanned fret bass and it sounded weak compared to either one. Maybe I got a lemon. It had all the right features but just didn't meet my expectations.
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As both a Sadowsky and Strandberg owner and fan, I don't mind being honest and saying that while my Strandberg's 35" B is good my Sadowsky's 34" B is better. Roger does something magical to get such a good B on a more traditional scale length bass. Not many have been able to do what he has done. This is not meant as a negative towards Strandberg but rather a props to Sadowsky's for being so extraordinary.
 
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