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SKU SDG-48-ORNG-RELIC

Sandberg Forty Eight Bass, Orange Metallic, Birdseye Maple Fretboard, Hardcore Aged, 8.9 lbs.

$2,711.83
Free 2-Day Shipping
  • Sandberg Forty Eight - Hardcore Aged
  • Orange Metallic w/Cream Racing Stripes Finish
  • Alder Body
  • Canadian Hard Rock Maple Neck
  • Birdseye Maple Fretboard
  • Black Block Inlays
  • Zero Fret
  • 34" Scale
  • 14" Fretboard Radius
  • 39mm (1.53") Nut Width @ Zero Fret
  • Thin D-Shape Neck
  • Neck Thickness: 21mm @ 1st Fret
  • Graphite Nut
  • Black Pickguard
  • Chrome Hardware
  • Sandberg Reverse Split Coil and Power Humbucking Pickups
  • Sandberg (designed by Glockenklang) Custom 2-Band Boost/Cut Preamp (9V)
  • Controls: Volume (push/pull for active/passive), Blend, Bass, Treble
  • Sandberg Custom Bridge: 18.5mm - 20mm Adjustable String Spacing
  • Sandberg Gig Bag Included
  • Serial #: 31811
  • Instrument Weight: 8.9 lbs
  • Made In Germany

Player's Perspective

Music Store Live is proud to be an official Sandberg dealer! Made in Europe, with the finest German engineering, this bass will slap a smile on your face that you just can't shake. This one has been tastefully relic'd to look like it has been through some serious stuff. At the same time, it's not over-the-top and doesn't look like you just dragged it from the back of a truck down a brick road. Sandberg does some of the best relic jobs, in our opinion, as well as building some of the finest instruments in the world. This one hits the mark in every way and instantly became a shop favorite. We see a lot of nice instruments roll through here... But when we pulled this one out and plugged it in, everyone stopped what they were doing and the impression that this Forty Eight left on everybody here was noteworthy, for sure.

Sandberg basses are already very well known over in Europe and are now gaining popularity here in the U.S. for being some of the finest hand-made boutique basses available. The playability is just simply off the charts. Whether you're a 4-string player or used to 5-strings, you'll feel right at home on this one. The bass a classic and timeless look to it, but the fun really starts once you put it in your hands. Along from the simply divine neck, you'll notice a very flat fretboard on there. This makes grooving or playing fast licks a breeze up and down the fretboard. Runs that require string skipping are a breeze and even if you make your living on just the first 5 frets, you'll want to explore the entire neck/fretboard on this because it's just so easy to do so.

The design of this bass is clearly pure Rock n' Roll through and through. But here's the kicker - it balances really well and doesn't at all feel heavy nor does it have any neck dive! So this beauty will be a joy to play whether you have a long studio session, a long gig standing up on stage, or a long rehearsal/jam session with some friends.

As well as being effortless to play, this Sandberg Forty Eight comes loaded with some powerful and thoroughly kickass electronics. Under those pickup covers lies the same pickup configuration found in the VM models. A reverse split-P pickup in the neck and a big ol' humbucker by the bridge. By placing the E, and A string pole pieces closer to the bridge, you end up with a tighter, punchier, and more focused tone on the bass strings while having a slightly fuller and rounder sound out of the D and G treble strings. The resulting tone is one that will sit perfectly in a mix, no matter how many other instruments are playing along with you, and will never be muddy or indistinct. Add to that, the zero fret, and you truly have a bass with even response across all strings AND fretted as well as open strings.

Rest assured, you can still achieve traditional P-bass tones with this as well. Overall, along with tightening up the bass response and providing fuller treble response, the giant pole pieces on the pickups help produce a powerful tone that is rich with just enough mid-range while still having loads of that P-bass wooliness we've all come to know and love. Located directly behind that is a big MM-style humbucker to add bite, growl, and attack to your notes. By adding that humbucker close to the bridge, you can achieve super growly and barky tones that compliment the P-pickup or stand out on their own with the pickup solo'd. The ability to run this in active or passive mode only further adds to the immense versatility found here. A simple 2-band boost/cut EQ allows you to tweak your sound on the fly, without every having to turn around and fiddle with your amp knobs. For a more vintage sound, just pull the volume knob to disengage the preamp and you'll instantly be transported to bass sounds of the 60's and 70's. With or without the preamp engaged you can really dial in a huge array of tones ranging from modern hi-fi to old-school and vintage.

It doesn't get much more rock n' roll than this beauty!

 

*note: While we have become giant fans of Sandberg and feel that every bass they make helps make you a better player with the way they are constructed. This one was particularly jaw dropping and impressive.

Special Features

Sandberg Guitars was founded back in 1986 by Holger Stonjek and Gerd Gorzelke. Since then, they have been producing hand-made instruments at the highest quality. This bass features Sandberg's Forty Eight body shape. The body is made out of European ash and the neck is Canadian hard rock maple with a maple fretboard sporting black block inlays. Sandberg reverse split-coil and power humbucking pickups as well as a custom wound Glockenklang 2-band preamp round out the electronics. 

Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized Sandberg Guitars dealer. Along with our amazing inventory, we can custom order any Sandberg bass or guitar you'd like.

Overall Condition

Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for Sandberg. This Forty Eight is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer's warranty. Photos are of the exact bass you'll receive.

Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.