Should I return this Indonesian Boden Original 7?

[Emperoff]

Just got to this thread - honestly wasn't even aware that $2500 Indonesian guitars existed lol

Just so you can realize how powerful hype and Youtube marketing can be.

 

[jayarpeggios]

Just so you can realize how powerful hype and Youtube marketing can be.

They are great guitars though, if you manage to get one without issues. I bought my first Strandberg last year, an 8 string original. It completely changed my perspective on how good guitars can be, it plays, sounds, and feels amazing. I liked it so much I ended up buying another, the new NT prog 6, and it was even better, this is hands down the best guitar I've ever played... that said I had to return two of them before getting a good one. Now I am wanting to sell most of my other guitars, including my JPX. I've been hunting for other brands that cover what strandberg is able to do, but there is basically no competition sadly, and that's probably why the price is so damn high.

 

[Emperoff]

They are great guitars though, if you manage to get one without issues.

If I have to manage to get one without issues, then they're not great guitars. They're hit-or-miss. Two returns before getting a good one? I mean, c'mon...

I bought my Jackson Custom Shop 7s for what these go for, or less. 2500$ for a hit-or-miss Indonesian guitar is just insane.

 

[jayarpeggios]

If I have to manage to get one without issues, then they're not great guitars. They're hit-or-miss. Two returns before getting a good one? I mean, c'mon...

I bought my Jackson Custom Shop 7s for what these go for, or less. 2500$ for a hit-or-miss Indonesian guitar is just insane.

That's totally fair, depends on how much you are sold on the features strandberg offers. The first one (8 string) I got was perfect out of the box, and to me the hassle on the NT prog 6 was so very worth it. There is some sort of magic about them that I don't understand, the sound just perfectly aligns in a way that it's difficult to make it sound bad. I am constantly unhappy with my JPX, I've been really unhappy with Mayos, and a handful of customs, but strandberg... I don't get why, but there is something amazing about the sound and it's the first time I've been completely happy with any guitar, and I am completely happy with both strandbergs. Not to mention the design itself is damn near perfect, for me. Great guitars are so rare, at any price range (well minus like Rick Toone level prices maybe haha, not sure I only played one), I'm willing to go the extra mile to find one. The other thing too, for me, is that after I got that first one, I'm 100% sold on some features that are hard to find anywhere else. Namely two, headless and I HAVE to have that extra leg cut out. That's the minimum requirement for me now and that removes basically every brand, except a very small handful all of which are more expensive than strandberg. So... it sucks that the QC isn't better, and it sucks that the price is so high for an indo but... what other choice do we have if that's what you are going for?

Kiesel: great price (under ~2k isn't difficult), American built, but they are ugly as hell (IMO), they don't have the extra leg cutout, and they can be hit or miss on quality too... this is a no go, but worth mentioning because it always gets compared to strandberg. If they added something with a leg cutout and that wasn't ugly as hell, I'd jump on it as fast as possible.

Ormsby: great quality if direct from custom shop, price is expensive (~3.5k+), they only use their in house pickups, decent looking. But the pickup limit here is a no go for me personally. Not a bad option overall, but doubt I will like it better than strandberg.

Aristides: great quality, expensive (~3.3k+), long wait, they are decent looking. Personally I prefer wood, but not against synthetic. This is probably the best competition.

Skerv: great quality, long wait, not terrible on price but expensive ish (~3k+), personally the headless models are kind of ugly to me but not terrible. 2nd best competition IMO.

Notable mentions: Adversary, OD, Balaguer

Beyond that, there are a few smaller and higher risk brands from mostly unknown builders, or cheap crap. Given this, the prices for strandberg and the pain of potentially dealing with QC issues... I don't know, to me it seems worth it because well I like the neck on the strandberg too and everything else that's close to competing I'm meh about and it's more expensive. It sucks. If you or anyone else is aware of decent competition with strandberg please please let me know.

 

[Emperoff]

That's totally fair, depends on how much you are sold on the features strandberg offers. The first one (8 string) I got was perfect out of the box, and to me the hassle on the NT prog 6 was so very worth it. There is some sort of magic about them that I don't understand, the sound just perfectly aligns in a way that it's difficult to make it sound bad. I am constantly unhappy with my JPX, I've been really unhappy with Mayos, and a handful of customs, but strandberg... I don't get why, but there is something amazing about the sound and it's the first time I've been completely happy with any guitar, and I am completely happy with both strandbergs. Not to mention the design itself is damn near perfect, for me. Great guitars are so rare, at any price range (well minus like Rick Toone level prices maybe haha, not sure I only played one), I'm willing to go the extra mile to find one. The other thing too, for me, is that after I got that first one, I'm 100% sold on some features that are hard to find anywhere else. Namely two, headless and I HAVE to have that extra leg cut out. That's the minimum requirement for me now and that removes basically every brand, except a very small handful all of which are more expensive than strandberg. So... it sucks that the QC isn't better, and it sucks that the price is so high for an indo but... what other choice do we have if that's what you are going for?

Kiesel: great price (under ~2k isn't difficult), American built, but they are ugly as hell (IMO), they don't have the extra leg cutout, and they can be hit or miss on quality too... this is a no go, but worth mentioning because it always gets compared to strandberg. If they added something with a leg cutout and that wasn't ugly as hell, I'd jump on it as fast as possible.

Ormsby: great quality if direct from custom shop, price is expensive (~3.5k+), they only use their in house pickups, decent looking. But the pickup limit here is a no go for me personally. Not a bad option overall, but doubt I will like it better than strandberg.

Aristides: great quality, expensive (~3.3k+), long wait, they are decent looking. Personally I prefer wood, but not against synthetic. This is probably the best competition.

Skerv: great quality, long wait, not terrible on price but expensive ish (~3k+), personally the headless models are kind of ugly to me but not terrible. 2nd best competition IMO.

Notable mentions: Adversary, OD, Balaguer

Beyond that, there are a few smaller and higher risk brands from mostly unknown builders, or cheap crap. Given this, the prices for strandberg and the pain of potentially dealing with QC issues... I don't know, to me it seems worth it because well I like the neck on the strandberg too and everything else that's close to competing I'm meh about and it's more expensive. It sucks. If you or anyone else is aware of decent competition with strandberg please please let me know.

Glad you enjoy the magic Strandbergs among the lemons. I do (and anyone that likes videogames) agree that magical items are always rare to find.

 

[eclecto-acoustic]

It is such a powerful point though. Realistically, Strandberg stands alone in many respects. It's not great feeling locked in like that, but I can't find a competitive headless design anywhere.

 

[Avedas]

I love my Strandberg. It has the mojo. But I haven't played a single other one that I really loved (that's a lie, there was this one Boden J...). If you're not married to the Endurneck, I think Aristides is going to start eating their lunch though.

 

[bzhang9]

Kiesel: great price (under ~2k isn't difficult), American built, but they are ugly as hell (IMO), they don't have the extra leg cutout, and they can be hit or miss on quality too... this is a no go, but worth mentioning because it always gets compared to strandberg. If they added something with a leg cutout and that wasn't ugly as hell, I'd jump on it as fast as possible.

Its not even debatable that Kiesel quality is far ahead of indo strandbergs. From quality of woods, fret work, finishing, QC, pretty much every aspect. I've had 5+ of each in the past, although I enjoyed the strandbergs they are not at the same level of quality at the same price point. Semi loaded kiesels can be found in the low 1k range all day.

I would go used GOC for a budget multi headless with hit and miss QC but usually decent, Kiesel for a high value quality headless, and strandberg if their design is the only one you can tolerate.

 

[Wucan]

It is such a powerful point though. Realistically, Strandberg stands alone in many respects. It's not great feeling locked in like that, but I can't find a competitive headless design anywhere.

I hate how most production headless guitars seem to take a conventional design, remove the headstock, put the headless bridge and call it a day - not really understanding the ergonomics go beyond the headless part or the Endurneck. I think it's a big reason why Strandberg can get away with mind boggling prices for hit-or-miss imports. Sure they're producing at a price point similar to say, Ibanez' premium line, but design-wise their competition is still custom shops.

 

[Zhysick]

I think some people is missing the point here.

The problem is not that an Indo made guitar has flaws.

The problem is that a 2,5k guitar has flaws.

It could be made in China, Australia or Peru, it doesn't matter, for the price IT MUST BE FLAWLESS.

That's it.

 

[eclecto-acoustic]

I hate how most production headless guitars seem to take a conventional design, remove the headstock, put the headless bridge and call it a day - not really understanding the ergonomics go beyond the headless part or the Endurneck. I think it's a big reason why Strandberg can get away with mind boggling prices for hit-or-miss imports. Sure they're producing at a price point similar to say, Ibanez' premium line, but design-wise their competition is still custom shops.

Exactly. It's a big part of the reason I couldn't get on with the Kiesel headless designs; they have the advantage of the Hipshot hardware, but otherwise the guitars are pretty standard shapes with the head stock lopped off. You can tell that Strandbergs and a few other custom shop creations were drawn up by a design nerd (I use the term with utmost respect).

I think some people is missing the point here.

The problem is not that an Indo made guitar has flaws.

The problem is that a 2,5k guitar has flaws.

It could be made in China, Australia or Peru, it doesn't matter, for the price IT MUST BE FLAWLESS.

That's it.

Agreed here, too. A guitar can be made flawlessly virtually anywhere in the world. There are realities to face with manufacturing, contract companies, volume requirements, etc, but it is ultimately up to the contracting entity to ensure that the end result meets the quality standards they desire.

 

[Wucan]

I think some people is missing the point here.

The problem is not that an Indo made guitar has flaws.

The problem is that a 2,5k guitar has flaws.

It could be made in China, Australia or Peru, it doesn't matter, for the price IT MUST BE FLAWLESS.

That's it.

I totally agree. With the issues I hear about Strandbergs, they surely cost no more to make than a midrange Ibanez. But then again, why charge $1000 if you can charge twice as much and still have people pay that much?

 

[Zhysick]

I totally agree. With the issues I hear about Strandbergs, they surely cost no more to make than a midrange Ibanez. But then again, why charge $1000 if you can charge twice as much and still have people pay that much?

Yeah, that's a problem with society... You know you can make a bigger profit so you do it... Too sad

 

[SpaceDock]

About 7 years ago I bought a brand new Suhr for 2600, I would never pay this much for any guitar that is not impeccable.

 

[Emperoff]

I think some people is missing the point here.

The problem is not that an Indo made guitar has flaws.

The problem is that a 2,5k guitar has flaws.

It could be made in China, Australia or Peru, it doesn't matter, for the price IT MUST BE FLAWLESS.

That's it.

Problem is: A mass-produced guitar made in indonesia with cheap labour and quality control shpuld not cost 2500$. The employees of that factory are gonna earn the same money making these 2500$ Strandbergs than any other brand, and will probably have the same quality control as the other brands. But the offense is much worse paying 2500$ than paying 1000$.

And of course if paying 2500$ for a guitar a would expect nothing less than the guitar to be perfect after a standard setup.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Exactly. It's a big part of the reason I couldn't get on with the Kiesel headless designs; they have the advantage of the Hipshot hardware, but otherwise the guitars are pretty standard shapes with the head stock lopped off. You can tell that Strandbergs and a few other custom shop creations were drawn up by a design nerd (I use the term with utmost respect).



Agreed here, too. A guitar can be made flawlessly virtually anywhere in the world. There are realities to face with manufacturing, contract companies, volume requirements, etc, but it is ultimately up to the contracting entity to ensure that the end result meets the quality standards they desire.

"Design Nerd"

The early days of EGS development wad pretty much started with a Squire Strat that Ola just kept chopping down until it was both light and still balanced decently. The end result looks good, but it's pretty obvious where it's heritage lies, and knowing the history helps frame it.

Brands pay OEMs to make a certain number of guitars, but it's up to them to invest in final QA/QC which is the industry standard procedure. That's why PRS, Fender, ESP/LTD, Dingwall, etc. have entire departments devoted to QA/QC of the stuff they receive from thier OEM partners.

Strandberg just doesn't give a shit. I've had double digits come through my bench, and that's the only conclusion that can be drawn. Not that other companies don't really care (Legator comes to mind), but they also don't charge this much.

 

[SpaceDock]

Back when I bought my OS6 in 2014, all import Strandberg guitars were supposedly inspected and setup by one guy in California. I think his name was Ed. I had problems with my guitar and he had to set me to Ola directly to correct a problem with the trem. Do they not even have that anymore?

 

[eclecto-acoustic]

"Design Nerd"

The early days of EGS development wad pretty much started with a Squire Strat that Ola just kept chopping down until it was both light and still balanced decently. The end result looks good, but it's pretty obvious where it's heritage lies, and knowing the history helps frame it.

Brands pay OEMs to make a certain number of guitars, but it's up to them to invest in final QA/QC which is the industry standard procedure. That's why PRS, Fender, ESP/LTD, Dingwall, etc. have entire departments devoted to QA/QC of the stuff they receive from thier OEM partners.

Strandberg just doesn't give a shit. I've had double digits come through my bench, and that's the only conclusion that can be drawn. Not that other companies don't really care (Legator comes to mind), but they also don't charge this much.

I think anyone who successfully designs, manufactures, and sells guitars squarely aimed at being ergonomic, including the bridge hardware when there weren't other options, qualifies as a design nerd. Your definition may differ, but that's my read of things.

I don't disagree that the QC error rate is unacceptable for the price. I could understand how this rep was built in '17-'18 when they were changing factories and expanding product lines, but I don't see a very good excuse for it now.

That said, I ordered one yesterday. I'm both excited and nervous for obvious reasons. Problem is, I can get any kind of Strat (for example) I want from a bunch of manufacturers. There is only ONE place I can get a Boden, so I have to brace myself in case I get a lemon. It isn't right, but my alternatives include paying custom shop prices.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Back when I bought my OS6 in 2014, all import Strandberg guitars were supposedly inspected and setup by one guy in California. I think his name was Ed. I had problems with my guitar and he had to set me to Ola directly to correct a problem with the trem. Do they not even have that anymore?

Ed Yoon. That "QC" was a joke even back then. I had an OS8 LE that I bought around 2016 that supposedly passed his QC with godawful action and intonation. All of my other 8 strings at the time came with way better factory setups (2 Kiesel V8s, Ormsby Goliath 8, Hype 8 and Schecter Avenger 8)

 

[SpaceDock]

Ed Yoon. That "QC" was a joke even back then. I had an OS8 LE that I bought around 2016 that supposedly passed his QC with godawful action and intonation. All of my other 8 strings at the time came with way better factory setups (2 Kiesel V8s, Ormsby Goliath 8, Hype 8 and Schecter Avenger 8)

Ah yes, that was his name. Yeah the setup was crummy and the guitar was dirty.