I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
User avatar
tammyw
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 804
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 4:21 pm

I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by tammyw » Wed Oct 28, 2020 6:47 pm

I first tried one some while back, but it didn't initially leave a strong impression. Although you'd think the weird geometric neck profile would be a polarizing love-it or hate-it kind of thing, it doesn't really feel much different than any other neck if you don't think about it. It made me start to rethink the whole obsession with neck profiles altogether.

But the guitar had no natural sustain or resonance, and combined with it's compact stature it gave an impression of being a plunky little toy guitar. The Fishman Fluence active humbuckers in it were predictably sterile sounding.

And the two biggest issues I still hold against them: they're quite expensive, and the Indonesian made guitars don't live up to the quality you should get at that price.

But at some time I ended up with a Made in Japan model. I think they're made by Dyna exclusively for sale in Japan. The prices are crazy high, but the quality is great.

Slowly, it began to grow on me over time. The small size is convenient and very light weight, around 5-6lbs. It's designed around ergonomics, and it's comfortable in a way that you don't think about it. The tuning stability is perfect. While I wouldn't say the hardware design is perfect, there's no play or rattle, and it works well. Overall it's low maintenance and durable, something you don't have any worries about. It became a guitar I would frequently reach for.
All pain and troubles melted away like lemon drops beyond the contrails across the sky.

User avatar
tammyw
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 804
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 4:21 pm

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by tammyw » Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:37 am

It has a quilt maple top and maple fingerboard. Fishman Fluence pickups with push-pull pots for changing the settings.

Image

The inlays glow in the dark, and I think the "binding" on the neck and body are flame maple (but it might be lacewood). The fretwork is perfection.

Image

The back of the neck is three piece roasted maple with a really nice satin finish.

Image

Image
All pain and troubles melted away like lemon drops beyond the contrails across the sky.

User avatar
sookwinder
Mods
Mods
Posts: 11179
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:47 pm
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by sookwinder » Sun Nov 01, 2020 8:16 am

Have no love for the design but :-* :-* :-* the finish
relaxing alternative to doing actual work ...

User avatar
postchrist
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 8:48 am

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by postchrist » Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:42 pm

the necks on these are incredible, i’ve wanted one for ages but haven’t found one i liked the sound of.
lying dog-faced pony soldier.

User avatar
PorkyPrimeCut
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 24464
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Leipzig
Contact:

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Sun Nov 01, 2020 2:58 pm

I think I'll give this one a miss.
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.

User avatar
mackerelmint
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 13674
Joined: Sun May 05, 2013 9:51 pm
Location: トイレ国、ウンチ市

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by mackerelmint » Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:18 pm

I really like the way that fretboard fans. I've always seen them fan much more dramatically, and as a consequence, they've never actually been comfortable for me at either end of the neck. This looks like it could really work.
This is an excellent rectangle

Singlebladepickup
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2831
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2014 4:12 am
Location: U.S. of fuckin' A.

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by Singlebladepickup » Sun Nov 01, 2020 4:23 pm

I'm sure it plays great, but looks hideous to me

User avatar
Embenny
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10363
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by Embenny » Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:10 am

mackerelmint wrote:
Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:18 pm
I really like the way that fretboard fans. I've always seen them fan much more dramatically, and as a consequence, they've never actually been comfortable for me at either end of the neck. This looks like it could really work.
It doesn't look like a fan to me. Multiscales always have an inflection point (parallel fret) that can be set anywhere on the fretboard and progressively tip away from it in either direction.

This just looks like angled frets to me, kind of like the old Rickenbacker 481s.

Image

Never paid attention to these guitars before, the use of punctuation in the name rubs me the wrong way and I'm trying to think of a way to describe their aesthetics without using the words "hideous" and "derivative" but am coming up short. It irks me that they're so blatantly based on 80's Steinberger guitars that they couldn't even bother to make the name more different.

They just took an old Steinberger design, reshaped it slightly, moved the decal from the treble side of the body to the bass side, added some punctuation marks to try to make the name "Strandberg" look less like "Steinberger" and added a weird neck carve. It still looks a whole lot like the Steinberger to me, which isn't a compliment.

Image
Image
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

User avatar
mackerelmint
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 13674
Joined: Sun May 05, 2013 9:51 pm
Location: トイレ国、ウンチ市

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by mackerelmint » Mon Nov 02, 2020 3:15 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:10 am
mackerelmint wrote:
Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:18 pm
I really like the way that fretboard fans. I've always seen them fan much more dramatically, and as a consequence, they've never actually been comfortable for me at either end of the neck. This looks like it could really work.
It doesn't look like a fan to me. Multiscales always have an inflection point (parallel fret) that can be set anywhere on the fretboard and progressively tip away from it in either direction.

This just looks like angled frets to me, kind of like the old Rickenbacker 481s.

Learn something new everyday. In any case, it actually looks like a playable fretboard to me.
This is an excellent rectangle

User avatar
postchrist
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 8:48 am

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by postchrist » Mon Nov 02, 2020 3:19 pm

i’m pretty sure just looking at it that it’s fanned, just less so than we’re used to seeing - appears to start straight and angle more extremely as it moves towards the bridge.
lying dog-faced pony soldier.

User avatar
mackerelmint
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 13674
Joined: Sun May 05, 2013 9:51 pm
Location: トイレ国、ウンチ市

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by mackerelmint » Mon Nov 02, 2020 3:26 pm

^^^

Right. I think we're all seeing the same thing, but Mike's pointing out that since it's not angled on both sides of the inflection point (in this case the zero fret), it's technically just a multiscale and not a "fan". It's a distinction I wasn't aware of before.
This is an excellent rectangle

User avatar
Embenny
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10363
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by Embenny » Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:05 pm

Well, the one I posted is definutely a multiscale- the third fret appears to be the perpendicular one (i mistyped "parallel" in my original post).

The first one posted definitely throws me off, because even the zero fret is slanted. But looking at it closer now, the lpws fret do look the tiniest bit less angled than the higher frets, so maybe it's a multiscale by a 1/4" or 1/2" or something.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

User avatar
tammyw
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 804
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 4:21 pm

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by tammyw » Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:07 am

The picture might be a little skewed from the angle, but on the 6-string the zero fret is straight perpendicular, and the scale goes from 25.5" down to 24.875". The 7 and 8 strings have a much more pronounced fan with longer scales.

I don't think you can blame the guy for being named Ola Strandberg. There's a slightly interesting story behind the design, but I suppose it's impossible to avoid drawing a line to Steinberger. In fact, I was probably looking for a Steinberger when I came across this. But it's definitely different in good ways, the shapes are well designed for functionality and comfort.
All pain and troubles melted away like lemon drops beyond the contrails across the sky.

User avatar
postchrist
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 8:48 am

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by postchrist » Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:37 am

yeah, as a big fan of both strandberg and steinberger’s guitars, the similarities kinda end at headless-ness and body shape. the neck on a strandberg is unlike anything else i’ve ever played, it’s incredibly comfortable in a way that you really wouldn’t expect just looking at the profile. beyond that, bolt neck, and they’re all made of actual wood, which puts them closer to just a normal guitar in terms of sound. they sell on comfort and ergonomic perfection(and prog-metal looks/endorsements).

steinberger sold on unique sound and even output, as well as over-engineering i’m sure, which imo can’t be said of strandberg’s designs(this is also *steinberger*, not the spirit line by gibson, which i can’t imagine sells many guitars at all). my steinberger bass is easily my most uncomfortable instrument to hold, albeit easy to play, and it sounds absolutely nothing like a p-bass, where as a strandberg can be made to sound like a tele or a les paul pretty easily(in general they sound pretty damn boring to my ears, but i suppose these are the indonesian models op mentioned already).
lying dog-faced pony soldier.

User avatar
UlricvonCatalyst
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7193
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:05 am
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Re: I've become rather fond of .strandberg*

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Tue Nov 03, 2020 10:35 am

I'm not a fan of the overall aesthetic, but I had no idea about what was going on round the back till I saw it in this thread. If it's a genuine innovation, rather than just a rehash of someone else's idea (as the obvious Steinbergerism of the whole appears to be), then hats off to them for redesigning the wheel.

Interesting to note that it can be made to sound like both a Telecaster and a Les Paul, too. So it's a Line6 Variax meets a Steinberger, then...?

Post Reply