Sandberg California II VS 4 RW FR

Considering how bad I am at playing bass, I’ve owned an embarrassing number of basses—including quite a few good ones: an American Fender Jazz Bass, a German Warwick Streamer, a Nate Mendel P-Bass, and several Warmoth basses (I should’ve kept the one with the wenge neck). Oh yeah, and a Sandberg Electra 5-string.

When I received this bass, I wasn’t immediately blown away—compared to the photos on Thomann’s website, the neck’s grain wasn’t as attractive and the color was lighter. The body’s color was also lighter—maybe almost orange, or salmon-colored. The nut was narrower than expected—close to the width of a jazz bass. All in all, not the best start to our acquaintance. (However, the patina on the metal parts was more to my taste).

On the other hand, the bass feels rock-solid and is really well-built. It’s well-balanced, the neck is really nice, and the volume and tone controls turn with a bit of resistance and don’t wobble when you turn the knob. The tuning machines work smoothly. The body’s finish, even though it’s semi-gloss, is pleasant to the touch (unlike on a Fender, where I think it feels a bit plasticky). And it sounds great!

It’s the first bass I’ve felt a real connection with—I’m not quite sure what makes it so. It just speaks to me.

I actually like the color—I like orange. And if that’s not your style, it’s available in other colors, of course ;-)