The .strandberg* Thread

[Alberto7]

I opened my phone as soon as I woke up this morning and saw the announcement. I clicked to go to the website and saw that you could configure your own and pre-order. All of the standard woods were sold out. So I built a 10 layer Kvarberg out of concrete and air freshener. My half asleep brain thought it was weird but I did not comprehend exactly what was happening. And then I hit pre-order to look at the price. The result was pretty good.

Gotta say that as much as Strandberg has disappointed, they pulled this off pretty damn well

 

[Selkoid]

Picked up a Boden standard 8, what passive pickup sets are you guys reaching for for replacements? Anything weird I need to keep in mind while finding a replacement set?

 

[Lemonbaby]

All of the standard woods were sold out. So I built a 10 layer Kvarberg out of concrete and air freshener.

Very McGiver move, bro.

 

[SCJR]

Picked up a Boden standard 8, what passive pickup sets are you guys reaching for for replacements? Anything weird I need to keep in mind while finding a replacement set?

You probably have less to worry about as they don't angle the pickups on their multiscale models so anything that fits the route should drop right in.

As far as tones I can't comment, never gone past 7 strings myself.

 

[IwantTacos]

You probably have less to worry about as they don't angle the pickups on their multiscale models so anything that fits the route should drop right in.

As far as tones I can't comment, never gone past 7 strings myself.

Pickups are definitely angled on 8 strings other then the classic 8. Which is a travesty.

 

[Alberto7]

Pickups are definitely angled on 8 strings other then the classic 8. Which is a travesty.

I think what he meant is that they don't use slanted/multiscale pickups. (Other than the couple of models that use slanted Lundgrens) Any pickup would drop right in, sure, but then they'd be misaligned with the strings. And if you want to replace the fishmans with any other slanted pickups, then you're shit out of luck, as they won't be able to use those routes.

 

[SCJR]

I think what he meant is that they don't use slanted/multiscale pickups.

Yup sorry if that wasn't clear, definitely should've said slanted/multiscale.

Edit: From what I've seen Strandberg seems to be one of the only builders not using slanted pickups on multiscale guitars. Not sure what side of the debate I'm on as to the significance of that. Not educated enough either way, really.

 

[IwantTacos]

Yup sorry if that wasn't clear, definitely should've said slanted/multiscale.

Edit: From what I've seen Strandberg seems to be one of the only builders not using slanted pickups on multiscale guitars. Not sure what side of the debate I'm on as to the significance of that. Not educated enough either way, really.

they don't do it on the 7 trem because lazy. They didn't do it on the classic 7 or 8 because those designs were obviously phoned in.

they don't do it on a lot of the jbodens because Japan is the land of the Ibanez multi scales and should not be allowed to design multi scales.

the rest of the guitars do have slanted routes and they are usually loaded with soapbar fishman moderns which are rail pickups and more then adequately cover the strings.

if you want to replace those with passives you can just get regular passives and cover them with a soapbox cover but your pole pieces will be very off or you can have bkp, elysian, or guitararmoy make you a slanted pickup that is then covered with a regular rectangle soapbox.

 

[Thrav]

Anyone play the Korean made OS8s ? I’m trying to decide between a Biden original 8 and a OS8 both the same price.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Anyone play the Korean made OS8s ? I’m trying to decide between a Biden original 8 and a OS8 both the same price.

they're hit or miss. I wouldn't bother with the korean ones.

 

[Ralyks]

Welp, just ordered a Boden Prog 6 NX in Earth Green. Gonna be the Eb Standard/Drop C# guitar.

 

[Lord Voldemort]

Has anyone else noticed that the used market for these is getting a little less expensive? I'm honestly only gleaning from Facebook, but you can find standard Bodens for $1k on the regular now, as well as the more expensive ones like Progs and Metals for $12-1300 all the time.

 

[SCJR]

Has anyone else noticed that the used market for these is getting a little less expensive? I'm honestly only gleaning from Facebook, but you can find standard Bodens for $1k on the regular now, as well as the more expensive ones like Progs and Metals for $12-1300 all the time.

Quick look on Reverb and you're mostly not wrong. A lot of original listing prices being the usual but a ton of price cuts on them so for whatever reason people are not biting on them. There's a purple Metal 6 neck-through at $1750 dropped down from $2000. I paid $1800 shipped for my Prog 7 right before COVID. Mine is a 7 and the Prog commands slightly more money but still.

I can't imagine people want the NX stuff that bad that the older models take that kind of a hit. Unless the updated hardware really is that much of a dealbreaker/gamechanger for people.

 

[profwoot]

I love my black nx 6 metal, to the point that I play it far more than my various nicer and more expensive guitars, so my next one will almost certainly be another Strandberg. The finishes are so bad though. The Indonesian ones are mostly very light pastel bursts over poor-quality flame veneers, and even the Japanese ones are usually a weird color, burl, or both.

 

[Alberto7]

Everyone and their mothers own a strandberg now, and I'd like to think that the used market has realized that these guitars don't merit their price tag. They are generally very good guitars, yes, but the only reason they could justify the price was because they were the only ones offering that set of specs. Couple that with crappy QC and it is very difficult to convince anyone to pay the price of a new one.
Seems that now that you can find them everywhere the msrp doesn't make sense anymore, and people can't get away with selling them without taking a bigger loss.

Too bad I won't get much out of mine if I decide to sell it. I was thinking of potentially selling my Original 8 to partially fund my custom 8 string coming in next year, depending on how I feel about the new one.

 

[SCJR]

Everyone and their mothers own a strandberg now, and I'd like to think that the used market has realized that these guitars don't merit their price tag.

Not to mention anyone who isn't willing to accept some of the ridiculous QC issues has most likely gone through the process of finding one worth keeping. And once they find it they never want to go through that again. Looking at you, @SCJR

 

[Alberto7]

Not to mention anyone who isn't willing to accept some of the ridiculous QC issues has most likely gone through the process of finding one worth keeping. And once they find it they never want to go through that again. Looking at you, @SCJR

I getchu there

You see, I tested mine at a shop before I bought it, but I was so overwhelmed by the experience of playing such a different instrument in front of the shop owner (given I've only ever owned single scale superstrat 6 and 7 strings that I almost always played in my living room by myself) that I totally missed the terrible fretwork it had. Then the honeymoon period made me tolerate the fretwork for quite a while. Then I decided that I was tired of notes choking out even after a proper setup. I sent it to get a fret level and polish, and it was only after that I realized this guitar was MUCH better than I had initially thought.

However, I DEFINITELY do NOT want to have to pay another $3-400 CAD for fretwork on a brand new guitar at this price point. And I definitely don't want to go through what you went through to find one without QC issues. Unless an amazing deal pops up on one, I'm passing on strandbergs, sadly.

... I feel like I keep telling that story on this forum over and over. I should stop behaving like an old man.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Honestly it was about time the prices calmed down. Strandberg quality has been lacking for years but some rabid fanboys deluded themselves and others into thinking they were worth the price of entry.
I've played a bunch of the newer indo ones and owned korean/US ones, and they were never worth the price ime.
Also the 2x4 neck is a stupid gimmick.

 

[Lord Voldemort]

I had a near-mint neck thru metal up for $1800 for about 4 months before I finally caved and sold it for $1400. As well a Boden RAS indo for about 2 months, sold her for $1k. Both fairly recent, the metal was just last week. I generally deal through FB to avoid fees and I'm telling you, the prices are getting to be...well, about what you'd expect of a high end Indonesian production guitar really. Never been a better time to pick up a used Boden than now.

Now that all of the exclusivity and mystique of them is gone though I don't know that as many people are clamoring for them.

 

[profwoot]

Everyone and their mothers own a strandberg now, and I'd like to think that the used market has realized that these guitars don't merit their price tag. They are generally very good guitars, yes, but the only reason they could justify the price was because they were the only ones offering that set of specs. Couple that with crappy QC and it is very difficult to convince anyone to pay the price of a new one.
Seems that now that you can find them everywhere the msrp doesn't make sense anymore, and people can't get away with selling them without taking a bigger loss.

Too bad I won't get much out of mine if I decide to sell it. I was thinking of potentially selling my Original 8 to partially fund my custom 8 string coming in next year, depending on how I feel about the new one.

No shade, as I agree that they're too expensive and lamely manufactured and I wish the company itself was a lot better, but this "people only like Strandbergs because they're designed really well and you can't get all its features from any other brand" argument that I hear occasionally doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Literally yes, that's why I love my Strandberg. Mine also happens to be free of any QC issues, but that doesn't seem entirely the norm.