Sandberg vs G&L

[two fingers]

I'm sure the build quality of the Sandberg SL (Super Light, by the way, not Ultra) is amazing.

There's just now way it doesn't neck dive. Roasted maple necks are pretty standard stuff these days. They're likely a little lighter than regular maple necks...but not POUNDS lighter. So you're saving almost three pounds or more in the body. I don't see how that balances at all. I would have to at least strap one one for a minute before I could pull the trigger on that.

 

[Jackcrow]

Pretty much echoing what others here have said, but having owned quite a few G&L's and 2 Sandbergs, the Sandbergs are definitely a notch above in quality. Both of the ones I had were basically flawless, great fretwork, great sound. Now you can get some G&L's that will deliver tones that are different from the Sandberg's, like the MFD equipped G&L's, but I see you are looking at the LB-100, so nothing out of the ordinary there. Resale value is no contest, the Sandberg will hold its value better, but may take a little longer to sell.

 

[sethlow3]

Sandberg

 

[MordBass]

FWIW Ive owned a few G&L and loved them but I'd say that about 20% of the ones I've played were something that I'd consider owning. With Sandberg I've only played four of them but they were all definitely worth a purchase if they'd have been what I was looking for at the time.

 

[Muttleybass]

I have a Sandberg TM5 Grand Dark. Amazing bass... Light, no dive, plays like a dream.

I was a dedicated MusicMan guy before, and in looking for the perfect 5er tried out many basses including the G&L. You can't go wrong, but IMO, the Sandberg is "next level".

 

[bhoff5150]

I played a L2000 for the entire decade of the 90's and I own a Sandberg VM4. You honestly can't go wrong and will be happy with either one. The Sandberg VM4 has pretty much been my #1 for a while although my custom shop jazz and 88 EBMM 2band stingray and Spector NS2 also make appearances. I also owned a TT (jazz version) Sandberg. I very much prefered the VM4 and the preamp. It is the newer one with the 4 dots on the pickups instead of "Delano" spelled out on them. My sandberg is my lightest bass, and yet it resonates as long as my neck thru Spector. Not sure how they pull that off, but it's really amazing. I also really like the zero nut. Without it I do hear a difference between an "A" played at 5th fret on E string versus the open A string. With the zero nut they sound pretty much the same and I like that.

I guess I'd say you can't go wrong, but for me it would be a VM4 version of the Sandberg.

 

[Ewo]

Have you ever actually played a bass that is 5.8 pounds? It might be uncomfortable in the opposite way that a heavy one is. I find full scale basses start to feel uncomfortably "floaty" when they get down to around 8 lb. I "get" the desire or need for light weight, but you really want to be sure you aren't going too far, IMO.

Yeah, I think this is a point to consider. For me the concern is that a chambered bass hangs on the strap more toward horizontal, while an unchambered bass points the headstock up a bit. I greatly prefer the latter; it makes my fretting arm and hand much more comfortable in first position.

This is from direct experience, and the backstory may provide useful context.

Several years back, I tried out some Sadowsky fivers. I found that I really liked a Japan-built Metro Will Lee; the ergonomics were perfect for me. (Balance on the strap, neck profile, string spacing.) So I went ahead and ordered an NYC build. The big difference was that NYCs are chambered unless you request otherwise, and when I got the bass I learned that I didn't like playing it as much as the Metro, only because of the balance on the strap.

Since then, I've been bitten by the Sandberg bug. In the last couple years I've been using a VM-5 or TM-5 for recording and gigging. If there are any doubts about the build quality, playability, and tone of the Sandbergs, consider that they displaced those two Sadowskys. (I'm gonna keep them, but they're not my go-to basses anymore.)

 

[spufman]

I own and love 4 older G&Ls, they are wonderful. I own and love one Sandberg - a Lionel delivered in December. I'd personally get the Sandberg Superlight, but be aware that the fretboard radius is rather flat. So if you prefer a 'vintage' feel, G&L might be more appropriate.

 

[asparaguspee]

Have never played a g&l but my Sandberg is absolutely flawless. The quality of the materials and workmanship is ridiculous. A proper hand crafted instrument.

 

[selowitch]

Both the Sandberg and the G&L are superb basses. The light weight of the Sandberg is intriguing but I wonder if there’s the potential for neck dive and whether that might bother you. I haven’t personally played a Sandberg but they certainly have a stellar reputation. G&L, on the other hand, consistently impresses me with the quality of their builds and I particularly like the bridge system and the electronics.

Many have described Sandbergs as boutique-level instruments at sub-boutique prices.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I have a chance to get a great bass for my 60th birthday this year. So. I could get a custom G&L LB-100 for $1800 Empress as I like it light weight or a Sandberg ultra lightweight for $2200. I have played the G&L Basses but not the Sandberg. And once I get older which one will hold its resale value more? I know Nothing about Sandberg. but I love the fact that is 5.8 pounds. I had a Sadowsky and was impressed but wasn't light weight. anyone have one they can give me a bit of advice. I do have $2500 to spend.

Sandberg

 

[andyk]

My very first bass, way back in the 80s, was an SB-2. I have an L-2000 and a couple of Legacy guitars as well. They're fine instruments and a great value, but were never quite "the ones". My main, for quite a while, has been a Mike Lull PJ4, I have a couple of other Lulls as well.

Last year I took a flyer on a Sandberg Ida Nielsen 4. When it came in - instant love - I could not put it down. I've never felt so ergonomically connected to a bass. Playability, tone, everything. Within a couple of months I picked up another Ida, a VM4, and a new Booster. They are uniformly awesome - so clearly I'm on the Sandberg side of the fence here.

As far as the Super Lights go, if you dig into youtube and such, you can find more detail on them. They are not chambered, their light weight is a combination of the inherent lightness of the body wood and the attention to detail that's customary for Sandberg. For example, "Norway maple" is used for the neck. It's lighter than regular maple & helps the balance. Extra light hardware as well iirc.

I've never played an SL or any empress/pauowlina instrument, but my understanding is that they are very resonant and dynamically responsive. If you're looking for a more vintage tone/response, you probably won't get that "out of the box". If you do find the "Bass the World" review by Gregor (If I'm remembering that right), keep in mind that it was done when the SL launched - they were using a different body wood then so his comment about "less low end" don't necessarily apply to how they are today.

 

[smtp4me]

Thanks but no beat up basses for me.

Yeah, I can't do the relic thing. I understand why some people like it, but I want a new bass to look new, the relic thing is just not for me.

 

[Cuzzie]

I'm sure the build quality of the Sandberg SL (Super Light, by the way, not Ultra) is amazing.

There's just now way it doesn't neck dive. Roasted maple necks are pretty standard stuff these days. They're likely a little lighter than regular maple necks...but not POUNDS lighter. So you're saving almost three pounds or more in the body. I don't see how that balances at all. I would have to at least strap one one for a minute before I could pull the trigger on that.

Believe it I played the prototype - no neck dive. They use Norwegian Maple which is already lighter than the standard Maple used in bass necks so you have to adjust what your weight thought ratio is.

On the dilemma - I had 3 G&Ls. I then bought 1 sandberg and the G&Ls got sold - make of that as you will!

 

[two fingers]

Believe it I played the prototype - no neck dive. They use Norwegian Maple which is already lighter than the standard Maple used in bass necks so you have to adjust what your weight thought ratio is.

On the dilemma - I had 3 G&Ls. I then bought 1 sandberg and the G&Ls got sold - make of that as you will!

That's pretty interesting. I need to try one of these things. Weight isn't a huge issue for me. But if you can strap on a featherweight, why not do it?

 

[pineweasel]

Last year I took a flyer on a Sandberg Ida Nielsen 4. When it came in - instant love - I could not put it down. I've never felt so ergonomically connected to a bass. Playability, tone, everything. Within a couple of months I picked up another Ida, a VM4, and a new Booster. They are uniformly awesome - so clearly I'm on the Sandberg side of the fence here.

As far as the Super Lights go, if you dig into youtube and such, you can find more detail on them. They are not chambered, their light weight is a combination of the inherent lightness of the body wood and the attention to detail that's customary for Sandberg. For example, "Norway maple" is used for the neck. It's lighter than regular maple & helps the balance. Extra light hardware as well iirc.

I've never played an SL or any empress/pauowlina instrument, but my understanding is that they are very resonant and dynamically responsive. If you're looking for a more vintage tone/response, you probably won't get that "out of the box". If you do find the "Bass the World" review by Gregor (If I'm remembering that right), keep in mind that it was done when the SL launched - they were using a different body wood then so his comment about "less low end" don't necessarily apply to how they are today.

I picked up a nearly new Superlight TM5 last year, having never played a Sandberg before. Completely agree with the above, it is a fantastic, high quality bass that is a pleasure to play (they are Plek'd which I suspect contributes to the great feel). No neck dive on a strap, slightly neck heavy when seated, but no worse than my Fender P, and under 7lbs. Highly recommended. One small caveat is that the Paulownia body is soft and picks up marks easily, so if you want your bass to remain immaculate it might not be for you

 

[Cuzzie]

That's pretty interesting. I need to try one of these things. Weight isn't a huge issue for me. But if you can strap on a featherweight, why not do it?

it’s worth a shout - weight aside it’s a very very well made bass as all Sandbergs are.

the lightweight body initially makes you think it’s a toy - but it’s not, it’s a serious bass.

They did the right thing in popping in their black label pick ups which are very very punchy indeed, I don’t slap and that thing made me really want to and dig into it.

 

[bdplaid]

There's just now way it doesn't neck dive

Absolutely false. I have two Sandberg SLs. Neither neck dive and are totally comfortable. One is 6.5lbs, the other 6.1lbs.
I also have a G&L jb4 in Empress at 7.5lbs. It neck dives a very slight bit.
Sandberg's hardware is proprietary making it super lightweight.

My Sandbergs are the first ones I play. The g&l is the last. The g&l is an awesome bass, but I've had fret playability problems with it causing a full fret leveling to be done. It still doesn't play as well as the Sandberg.

There's nothing I can say bad about the Sandberg. The g&l is also a top line bass and if ordered is fully customizable, but it's more like a Ford, whereas the Sandberg is more like a Mercedes.

Note that the comment about the Sandberg being returnable is mostly only true in Europe. In the USA, they mostly must be ordered and returnability depends on the dealer.

About the dealer: know that Sandbergs aren't boutique per se, but all options are on the table, for a price. The dealer will guide you but you have to ask about specific things you want. And even, all options aren't specified on the website. This is also true for g&l. So the quality of the dealer is critical. I asked for a non reversed p pickup on my Sandberg California PJ and they were happy to do it, no charge. Normally the p is reversed.

Ask about what pickups you're getting. That part is confusing. I ended up changing my p to a fender original, which I love.

Both basses can easily go to $3k, but either can be had for well under $2k. My sense is that a basic Sandberg California p will end up being LESS than a g&l.

The fretwork on the Sandberg is better. One thing to look out for though is a high zero fret. They seem to all come that way.

The Sandberg will take at least 6 months to make unless you can find a stocking dealer.

edit: There are a few. And for a Sandberg precision type bass made as an sl, you'll probably have to order it.

I don't care about resale and at your age neither should you. The Sandberg is a unique bass that is designed to fit your needs much better than any other non custom boutique bass in the world.

Those are random thoughts. Feel free to ask questions.

 

[two fingers]

Absolutely false. I have two Sandberg SLs. Neither neck dive and are totally comfortable. One is 6.5lbs, the other 6.1lbs.
I also have a G&L jb4 in Empress at 7.5lbs. It neck dives a very slight bit.
Sandberg's hardware is proprietary making it super lightweight.

My Sandbergs are the first ones I play. The g&l is the last. The g&l is an awesome bass, but I've had fret playability problems with it causing a full fret leveling to be done. It still doesn't play as well as the Sandberg.

There's nothing I can say bad about the Sandberg. The g&l is also a top line bass and if ordered is fully customizable, but it's more like a Ford, whereas the Sandberg is more like a Mercedes.

Note that the comment about the Sandberg being returnable is mostly only true in Europe. In the USA, they mostly must be ordered and returnability depends on the dealer.

About the dealer: know that Sandbergs aren't boutique per se, but all options are on the table, for a price. The dealer will guide you but you have to ask about specific things you want. And even, all options aren't specified on the website. This is also true for g&l. So the quality of the dealer is critical. I asked for a non reversed p pickup on my Sandberg California PJ and they were happy to do it, no charge. Normally the p is reversed.

Ask about what pickups you're getting. That part is confusing. I ended up changing my p to a fender original, which I love.

Both basses can easily go to $3k, but either can be had for well under $2k. My sense is that a basic Sandberg California p will end up being LESS than a g&l.

The fretwork on the Sandberg is better. One thing to look out for though is a high zero fret. They seem to all come that way.

The Sandberg will take at least 6 months to make unless you can find a stocking dealer. There are a few. And for a Sandberg price bass type bass made as an sl, you'll probably have to order it.

I don't care about resale and at your age neither should you. The Sandberg is a unique bass that is designed to fit your needs much better than any other non custom boutique bass in the world.

Those are random thoughts. Feel free to ask questions.

I stand corrected.

 

[bwoodman]

I have a Sandberg CA VM5 like this - it's super light at 8# and has been my go to since I got it a couple years ago. What I initially liked about this bass is that it looks like a MusicMan Sabre 5 - what a Sabre might have looked like if they ever made a 5. The previous VM was more like a P bass IIRC.

....and another one on order in white with dual H pups - should be here in June. My vote is for Sandberg. I've tried to like G&L's for years now - have bought and sold at least half a dozen, but just could never bond with any of them.