Sandberg or Mayones? Help please!

[Man_do_Lixo]

Hello fellow bassists, can someone give an opinion about these two basses? I'm very interested in buying one of them but unfortunatly in my country these basses are not available to try so it i'll be a bit of shoot in the dark!... So i count on your experienced opinions to help me make the final choice!


Thank you!

 

[BullHorn]

We got a total of 5 Sandberg basses in Israel, one was sold and 4 are at the Rash Gash shop.

I've heard 2 of them (The H+J and the H+H) and they sounded brilliant. Felt real heavy and sturdy with a very very good finish. Everything is hand-made.

I'd totally look into getting a Sandberg. Then again, if you can't play it before you buy it, either forget it.


What country you at? I'm sure thomann.de sends anywhere in Europe and GC is all over the US.

 

[Anscari]

I'm a very very very happy Mayones owner and a not-so-impressed Sandberg tester... so I'll say GO WITH MAYONES.

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

We got a total of 5 Sandberg basses in Israel, one was sold and 4 are at the Rash Gash shop.

I've heard 2 of them (The H+J and the H+H) and they sounded brilliant. Felt real heavy and sturdy with a very very good finish. Everything is hand-made.

I'd totally look into getting a Sandberg. Then again, if you can't play it before you buy it, either forget it.


What country you at? I'm sure thomann.de sends anywhere in Europe and GC is all over the US.

I'm from Portugal. Yes, thomann and other stores can provide basses to my country, maybe i'll order one to try it...

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

I'm sorry, i forgot to specify the two models i'm interested: Mayones Jabba 5 and Sandberg California JJ 5.

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

Anscari, do you have any track recorded with your Jabba?...

 

[Anscari]

The Jabba is precisely my bass, but the 4 string one.

Sincerely, you should try them, but Sandberg is way, way, way overrated. And Mayos are completely underrated.

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

My influences are jazz, latin, bossa nova, funk... but i'm currently playing in a disco funk band and i really need something with presence regarding bass and definition of mids...

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

Does anyone have more opinions?...

 

[Fender32]

You could PM "gillento". I know that he has (or had) one or two Sandberg California 5 stringers .

 

[jdicebassist]

Mayones all the way! I just purchased two of them and had to let one go so far to pay for some bills.. They have probably the nicest feeling neck I have ever played.

Tone is incredible!

 

[nrssab]

The Jabba is precisely my bass, but the 4 string one.

Sincerely, you should try them, but Sandberg is way, way, way overrated. And Mayos are completely underrated.

I wouldn't say that sandberg is overrated, they make good basses for a good price! Well that is just my opinion...

Nothing to comment about Mayones, try them out!

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

Thank you for all your opinions. I think both brands are underrated because they're at a similar price!

 

[gillento]

Thank you for all your opinions. I think both brands are underrated because they're at a similar price!

There's a Mayones in the classifieds. But that one is much more expensive than a new Sandberg (which goes for +-1100-1200€)

 

[gillento]

You could PM "gillento". I know that he has (or had) one or two Sandberg California 5 stringers .

Hi Andy,

I still hold on to my PM5. Mine is modded with Häussel AlNiCo PUs.
I was ready to let it go a couple of times, but right now it seems to take the #1 spot over my Sadowsky.

But maybe that's just the "P sound dimension"....

I wish I had the money for one of the "soon to be released" Sadowsky Metro Hybrid PJs. I still prefer the Sadowsky neck

 

[nrssab]

There's a Mayones in the classifieds. But that one is much more expensive than a new Sandberg (which goes for +-1100-1200€)

Wow! I just had a look at some prices of the Mayones basses, and thats way over Sandberg's.

I don't know how the Mayones basses are, but if you're going to pay for such a price, then why not save some more and get a Dingwall

Sandbergs are nice basses, I have played nearly all models and they all felt and sounded good.
I own a Terrabass, and must admit that I had some problems with the setup of the bass, but from what I hear I seem to be the only one...

Check out the Sandberg club on here, there are quite some people who own californias. Just search sandberg.

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

The thing is that, recently, sandberg basses have suffered a price rise in Europe, about 64€ higher than before, but the mayones are cheaper:

Example: Sandberg California JJ 5 Matt finish: 1229€ at soundland musicstore
Mayones Jabba 5: 1099€ at Thomann

Both of them have unique features that i like:
-They have the same PU's but the mayones is passive only;
-The body of the mayones is in Alder (which that's the main reason i didn't buy it
instantly because i prefer an Ash body like the sandberg...)
-The mayones has a 24 fret scale which is the most familiarized to me (the Sandberg has 22 fret scale)
-The Sandberg has maple fingerboard which is my favorite and the mayones not;
-The Sandberg bridge looks more solid to me...

Overall, the price between the two is a bit diferent and there's another problem, there are very few Sandbergs JJ5 with ash available to buy in Europe (i only saw one) but mayones are at least 3...

 

[Anscari]

Well... the Mayones can come with Active electronics from Nöll or Aguilar... and it can come with maple fretboard too... Apart that the optional schaller bridge is easily the best bridge I've ever played...

 

[Man_do_Lixo]

Yes, i know that, but as you say, i'd have to order which means more time an money spent. For that price i can have a mayones, which i think is a good price! Anscari, can i later put an active preamp on a passive Jabba? Does it have the compartiment for the batery already?

 

[Anscari]

No it doesn't, I don't know if you could fit a battery in the normal knob compartment...