Sandberg electronics : activevs passive

[jid]

Ive narrowed a Sandberg purchase down to 2 gorgeous VM4’s. One is passive only and the other is active/passive. I tend to favor passive electronics BUT, I haven’t seen any reviews of the Sandberg California where people point out or compare.

Can anyone comment on the passive-only electronics vs. the active/passive on the Sandberg?

thank you in advance!

it is good to have these types of 1st world problems...

 

[Deleted member 271037]

This isn't specifically answering your question but maybe it can help a bit with your decision:

I love Sandberg basses in every way EXCEPT the sound. That may sound harsh but please let me explain:

The craftsmanship and materials are superb. They're some of the best production models I've ever played. You would have to pay Custom Shop prices to get a Fender of this quality IMO. The fretwork is excellent (and plek'd). The hardware is top quality and I love how they feel. If you like a slim neck (closer to Ibanez SR than Fender) you will LOVE Sandberg necks!

But they are also too bright sounding for me. At least with the stock pickups/electronics. Which is why I custom ordered a VS4 with passive only and a Kloppman PB63 pickup. But even then they used pot/cap values that made the bass too bright for me. It was an easy fix to replace the pots+ tone cap with Fender vintage specs but even then it has a slightly brighter/faster feel than a Fender P (but I guess that may be partly down to my choice of an ebony fretboard). It's a great bass and I absolutely love it but even as a passive only with a vintage '63 style pickup and vintage spec electronics it doesn't quite sound (or feel) like a vintage P. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing of course, just be aware that your not getting a straight P-bass (or in your case a J-bass) clone here.

The Sandbergs I've played never worked for me in active mode. I was never able to dial out the extremely bright highs without ruining the tone. With a passive tone control you can at least dial out the highs.

Lots of people love active Sandbergs though so it all comes down to personal taste. If you want that kind of bright tone you should consider active/passive. If you prefer a more classic/vintage tone, closer to a Fender, you won't really need active. But with the stock pickups and passive electronics it will still be brighter than a Fender, especially with the stock pickups. I guess you could call it a more "modern" tone but to me that kind of bright tone feels somewhat outdated. Vintage is the new "modern" for me I guess but this will of course depend a lot on what kind of music/genre you're playing.

In short: If it's possible, try before you buy and don't expect to get anything close to a Fender J. The build quality is much better than a Fender in the same price range (at least in my experience) but the sound/feel is also very different.

 

[jid]

This isn't specifically answering your question but maybe it can help a bit with your decision:

I love Sandberg basses in every way EXCEPT the sound. That may sound harsh but please let me explain:

The craftsmanship and materials are superb. They're some of the best production models I've ever played. You would have to pay Custom Shop prices to get a Fender of this quality IMO. The fretwork is excellent (and plek'd). The hardware is top quality and I love how they feel. If you like a slim neck (closer to Ibanez SR than Fender) you will LOVE Sandberg necks!

But they are also too bright sounding for me. At least with the stock pickups/electronics. Which is why I custom ordered a VS4 with passive only and a Kloppman PB63 pickup. But even then they used pot/cap values that made the bass too bright for me. It was an easy fix to replace the pots+ tone cap with Fender vintage specs but even then it has a slightly brighter/faster feel than a Fender P (but I guess that may be partly down to my choice of an ebony fretboard). It's a great bass and I absolutely love it but even as a passive only with a vintage '63 style pickup and vintage spec electronics it doesn't quite sound (or feel) like a vintage P. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing of course, just be aware that your not getting a straight P-bass (or in your case a J-bass) clone here.

The Sandbergs I've played never worked for me in active mode. I was never able to dial out the extremely bright highs without ruining the tone. With a passive tone control you can at least dial out the highs.

Lots of people love active Sandbergs though so it all comes down to personal taste. If you want that kind of bright tone you should consider active/passive. If you prefer a more classic/vintage tone, closer to a Fender, you won't really need active. But with the stock pickups and passive electronics it will still be brighter than a Fender, especially with the stock pickups. I guess you could call it a more "modern" tone but to me that kind of bright tone feels somewhat outdated. Vintage is the new "modern" for me I guess but this will of course depend a lot on what kind of music/genre you're playing.

In short: If it's possible, try before you buy and don't expect to get anything close to a Fender J. The build quality is much better than a Fender in the same price range (at least in my experience) but the sound/feel is also very different.

This really helps a ton and validates a lot of what i was hoping to find out. I've owned several more "modern" basses. I have loved many a PRS GG bass but the active electronics, while they cut through the mix and get tons of compliments, aren't what i'm aiming for.

I'm _glad_ i'm not getting a straight P or J bass clone. I have one of those in a killer Thorn PJ. That's my main go-to and i've been through several high end production-run fender PJs (deluxe, ultra, etc...) and they don't work for me with the pickups. I loved my 04 PJ with the humbucker in the bridge position but even that I didn't love the tone on.

thanks again for the feedback! I'm ordering something today!

 

[Iofflight]

This helped me a bit too. I just decided on the Sandberg California II TT Fretless in a passive configuration. It saves about 400 dollars that way as well and I truly don't need active electronics in most basses.

 

[Z-Bass]

I would not get a Sandberg anticipating vintage tones. As S.F.Sorrow pointed out, the design, and electronics choice will impart it's own characteristics on the bass. That being said, I think they take well to the type of pickups/electronics you put in, so getting a Sandberg with a passive system should get you what you want. I would avoid the big pole Delanos if you're looking for a classic tone. They are big and modern sounding but that's why I like them in my TM4. They are a nice departure from a vintage tone without going full on, uber modern (active pickups/active electronics). On the flip side, there is a video of a Sandberg Bass the World signature TT4 that has passive Klopmann pickups and dang if that doesn't sound like a jazz, I don't know what does. So having more vintage styled pickups installed seems to help get less of a modern tone.

The one thing that puzzles me is when someone refers to Sandberg necks as thin or slim. The neck on my TM4 is anything but. It's not massive by any means but the width at the nut is just a hair over the 1.5" typical jazz dimensions, and the thickness from front to back has a nice "Goldilocks" profile. Not too thick, not too thin, just right....for me I guess. But it's not close to an Ibanez SR or Fender's current offering with the slim C profile.

 

[Iofflight]

I made my choice based on a Julia Hofer video, which is not the best way to make decisions but I live so remotely that the nearest place to try out anything other than a fender is hundreds of miles away and even then a Sandberg wouldn't likely be anywhere in that region. What I can't tell is if the California II TT FL was active or passive in the video. I know both of her 4 and 5 strings are. I do already have a jazz bass that does solid vintage Jazz tones so that wasn't a consideration in my decision making.

I have been wanting a fretless for a long time and I kept going back and forth between many options from a StingRay Special 4 string (not easy to find any longer) G&L and Ibanez to a less expensive Sire - none of which was really quite what I was after until I heard this.

 

[Z-Bass]

What I can't tell is if the California II TT FL was active or passive in the video. I know both of her 4 and 5 strings are.

Wow, that sounded really good. Yeah, I can't quite tell either. Only if the camera shot was just a bit lower to show the controls. That being said, I'm inclined to think that a TT FL passive based on the double pole pickups. I think the alnico pickups (assuming that's the case) are what's giving it that warm tone, even if there was an active preamp in that bass.

 

[Iofflight]

Thanks for the response. You are correct it is the passive version. I found another video on her Instagram page where she leans forward to turn off the camera while holding the bass and you can see 3 knobs and the plug is in the front of the bass not the side where it's typically located when there are 4 knobs instead of 3.
I'm excited to get to this bass!