im going to buy a headless bass guitar! im thinking about Strandberg Boden Bass ( prog)( as u know its strandberg but they made it in indonesia) and Kiesel Zeus 5-String Multiscale (ZBM5), Who has played one of these and what was your experience with them? any idea ?
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Strandberg Boden Bass 5 Vs Kiesel Zeus 5 !
- Thread starter samanam67
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- kiesel strandberg
I just bought the boden prog 5, it will be here tuesday ill let you know how it stacks up to my warwicks(thumb and dolphin custom shop)
I received my Boden Prog 5 last week and had the opportunity to play it out after having it one day.
First impression is very, very positive. Our sound man is also a bassist, and I've played a few with him at the helm (Bongo HSP 5, Dingwall ABZ 5, Sandberg TT4, and a customized G&L L2500).
He was floored with how good it sounded out front. Clear, articulate, powerful. I have to go by him as I use in-ears with this project. While it sounded great with those, the true out-front sound is hard to pick up.
Felt great to play. I played the Dingwall so the fanned frets weren't a big deal for me to get used to. One of the reasons I wanted this bass was for the weight. I have some shoulder issues. It's like nothing is there. It's so stinkin light, but it still feels substantial, like there is an instrument there. The neck is really interesting. Took me a little bit to get used to the shape, but it is very comfortable. That said, I have very large hands, so your results may vary. I can't imagine you'd have much of a problem though.
The Norstrand Big Rigs with the Darkglass pre is phenomenal. I really love it.
I think the only thing I was a little disappointed in was the finish. I think I would have preferred a gloss to really bring out the best in the flame maple top. Not really an issue, more of a preference.
This instrument will work perfect for my current project which consists mainly of more aggressive 90's grunge stuff (maybe odd visually, but sonically it's great). I have to wait a couple of weeks to use with more more subdued project, but with what I have found with a little tweaking of the knobs, this beast can be tamed.
I also found it to be VERY responsive to different plucking techniques and right hand placement.
All in all, I am very happy with mine. I might even name her! Never did that before.
Sorry I have no experience with the Keisel models. I have heard good things about them, but I am not a big fan of their pickups or body shapes.
First impression is very, very positive. Our sound man is also a bassist, and I've played a few with him at the helm (Bongo HSP 5, Dingwall ABZ 5, Sandberg TT4, and a customized G&L L2500).
He was floored with how good it sounded out front. Clear, articulate, powerful. I have to go by him as I use in-ears with this project. While it sounded great with those, the true out-front sound is hard to pick up.
Felt great to play. I played the Dingwall so the fanned frets weren't a big deal for me to get used to. One of the reasons I wanted this bass was for the weight. I have some shoulder issues. It's like nothing is there. It's so stinkin light, but it still feels substantial, like there is an instrument there. The neck is really interesting. Took me a little bit to get used to the shape, but it is very comfortable. That said, I have very large hands, so your results may vary. I can't imagine you'd have much of a problem though.
The Norstrand Big Rigs with the Darkglass pre is phenomenal. I really love it.
I think the only thing I was a little disappointed in was the finish. I think I would have preferred a gloss to really bring out the best in the flame maple top. Not really an issue, more of a preference.
This instrument will work perfect for my current project which consists mainly of more aggressive 90's grunge stuff (maybe odd visually, but sonically it's great). I have to wait a couple of weeks to use with more more subdued project, but with what I have found with a little tweaking of the knobs, this beast can be tamed.
I also found it to be VERY responsive to different plucking techniques and right hand placement.
All in all, I am very happy with mine. I might even name her! Never did that before.
Sorry I have no experience with the Keisel models. I have heard good things about them, but I am not a big fan of their pickups or body shapes.
$3k is a tough sell for a factory bass for me. At that point you're not far off from Padalka territory. I have an Osiris guitar I'm really happy with. I've actually been considering a Kiesel headless bass. I think if you keep the build fairly simple you get a lot for your money.
I'd love to see Mayones do a Hydra bass.
I'd love to see Mayones do a Hydra bass.
I tried the Boden bass at NAMM this year. I hated it. The neck is insanely uncomfortable to me - they have the same weird blocky squared off back of the neck shape that the Strandberg guitars do. Problem is, a bass neck is so much bigger that your hand doesn't fit around the giant plateau on the back. Seriously the most uncomfortable bass I've ever had the displeasure of trying.
The theory behind the neck shape makes a lot of sense. It puts your left thumb in the correct playing position. You're not "supposed" to wrap your thumb around the entire neck. Doesn't mean your dislike isn't valid. Different strokes for different folks.
The Padalka looks interesting. I did notice that they are not nearly as light as the strandbergs though. That was a huge appeal to me. And it doesn't sound light. It still has a lot of "heft" to it's sound.
That's exactly where I put my thumb in any case - smack dab in the middle of the neck.
The squared off shape makes it harder for your fretting hand to clear the edge of the neck - the "web" of your hand between your thumb and index finger rubs right on the corner of the neck block, making it harder for your fingers to have the proper reach on the fretboard.
If weight is your main concern I'd probably go with the Strandberg since you can have the seller weigh it before you buy. Even though my Kiesel uses swamp ash and a roasted maple neck it really isn't as light as I had expected. It's maybe a pound lighter than a similar spec 7 string with headstock.
Overall, my favorite bass so far is my Peavey Cirrus 6.
In terms of just how it feels, I think the most comfortable bass I every played was a Ken Smith Black Tiger. The neck on that was crazy thin front to back, which I really like. I prefer the tone of my Peavey though.
I think the cost of those Strandberg basses is crazy, for some Indonesian instrument. I'd want American or Japanese built for that kind of money.
The level of fit and finish on Strandbergs just isn't worth what they're charging these days. Dingwall are better value for money, but even here in the UK, they're priced at way more than I think they are worth, but there are people queuing up to buy these £1500 mass-produced Asian basses.
That said, Kiesel aren't perfect and there are plenty of well-documented cases on the net of people getting shoddy builds and Kiesel's customer service being less than perfect.
The level of fit and finish on Strandbergs just isn't worth what they're charging these days. Dingwall are better value for money, but even here in the UK, they're priced at way more than I think they are worth, but there are people queuing up to buy these £1500 mass-produced Asian basses.
That said, Kiesel aren't perfect and there are plenty of well-documented cases on the net of people getting shoddy builds and Kiesel's customer service being less than perfect.
My pleasure. I know there aren't many of these around, so if you have any specific questions feel free to hit me up.thank you so much , that was so useful for me
My experience with the imported strandberg guitars has been fantastic. They're not a cheap instrument to build considering the neck shape, hardware costs(can't just throw on Asian market tuners and bridges), the stainless frets are a nice upgrade and the chambered body and quality of tone woods impact the overall cost of production.
Also genuine nordstrand pickups and darkglass electronics are a nice high quality feature.
I'd never pay $1800 for a premium Ibanez btb. And the USA kiesels I've played haven't been anything spectacular.. I'd say the boden bass is a fantastic choice given the premium appointments and overall design aspect.
Also genuine nordstrand pickups and darkglass electronics are a nice high quality feature.
I'd never pay $1800 for a premium Ibanez btb. And the USA kiesels I've played haven't been anything spectacular.. I'd say the boden bass is a fantastic choice given the premium appointments and overall design aspect.
