Strandberg Standard after a year of owning it

[DropTheSun]

I have had this guitar about a year now and I guess the honeymoon season has passed and it’s time to give it a little review.

Built Quality 9/10
There has been no problems. Tuning is spot on even after whammy divebombs. This is a really beatiful guitar and the finish is flawless. I take one point away, because only a handbuild guitar, that is build really really well can get 10/10.

Tone and Feel 10/10
Strandberg Standard line guitars come equipped with OEM pickups. I was little sceptical at first, but after playing with them a lot I really like them. I did change the bridge pickup to BKP SILO, but could easily kept the OEM bridge as well. The feel is where Strandberg guitars really make a difference vs regular guitars. Such a lightweight and fun to play, that I wouldn’t want stop playing!

I am a very happy Strandberg owner after a year with this guitar and I’m gonna get a third one someday. (I have a Boden OS8 too).

 

[brandon7s]

What has been your experience with neck dive? I have a strandberg Metal 7 and while I really like it, the neck dive on it is the worst I've ever experienced on a guitar. Thinking about having the horn strap-bolt moved to the front of the horn like it would be on a strat rather than pointing straight out of the back of the guitar. Not sure if that'd actually fix it or not though.

 

[DropTheSun]

What has been your experience with neck dive? I have a strandberg Metal 7 and while I really like it, the neck dive on it is the worst I've ever experienced on a guitar. Thinking about having the horn strap-bolt moved to the front of the horn like it would be on a strat rather than pointing straight out of the back of the guitar. Not sure if that'd actually fix it or not though.

Doesn't sound right!
I have had four strandbers in total and they all have been the most balanced guitars to hold, I have ever experienced.

 

[brandon7s]

Neck dive on a boden? Is your strap made of pudding?

My standard 8 has virtually zero neck dive. Super well balanced. That said, the standard series isn't chambered.

Rather than mutilate your strap button, try putting some weights in the control cavity or so.

Weights might be a solution, I'll look into that. I actually use the strandberg branded strap though I've tried quite a few varieties of straps in order to reduce neck dive. The body on my Metal 7 is very light so I'm guessing it's chambered. Now I just gotta find some heavy object to stick in the control cavity to test that out, definitely easier to reverse than changing button placements!

 

[eddyrox]

I have had this guitar about a year now and I guess the honeymoon season has passed and it’s time to give it a little review.

Built Quality 9/10
There has been no problems. Tuning is spot on even after whammy divebombs. This is a really beatiful guitar and the finish is flawless. I take one point away, because only a handbuild guitar, that is build really really well can get 10/10.

Tone and Feel 10/10
Strandberg Standard line guitars come equipped with OEM pickups. I was little sceptical at first, but after playing with them a lot I really like them. I did change the bridge pickup to BKP SILO, but could easily kept the OEM bridge as well. The feel is where Strandberg guitars really make a difference vs regular guitars. Such a lightweight and fun to play, that I wouldn’t want stop playing!

I am a very happy Strandberg owner after a year with this guitar and I’m gonna get a third one someday. (I have a Boden OS8 too).

can you comment on the bridge's action adjustment? I'm speaking specifically about the trem bridges

 

[ixlramp]

Thinking about having the horn strap-bolt moved to the front of the horn like it would be on a strat rather than pointing straight out of the back of the guitar. Not sure if that'd actually fix it or not though.

Being someone who (hopefully) understands balance mechanics (see my thread on the subject), this modification will only help to a small degree, such that i would consider it not worth doing.
Button on the back of the horn is also better orientated to the strap orientation, more secure at high playing angles (strap is not trying to pull itself off the button), and the tip of the horn looks much better.

Tip: Attach weight to the rear end of the strap, not to the guitar. This is mechanically more effective (more torque per weight), no guitar modification needed, no limited space for the weight.

On this subject, i have noticed that many headless guitar designs are using the headless feature not to create *perfect* balance (by 'perfect' i mean a specific mechanics situation where there is zero tendency to rotate away from the desired playing angle) but are using the headless feature to allow weight reduction while still remaining a little unbalanced.