Sandberg California TM-5 Super Light 5-String Bass, Matte Violet Burst

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. For those that need to be conscious of the weight of their bass... How about just barely over 6.5 lbs for a 5-string? And here's the thing, it balances really really well, is not neck heavy, and sounds thunderous. Compromise nothing and save a bunch of weight!

They use a paulownia body so the end result is a bass that is beautifully balanced, but yet only weighs 6 lbs! This is the solution for all the bass players out there that need to be mindful of how heavy their instrument is. You can rock for hours and hours and you'll barely even feel it. For these, they also use a Norwegian maple neck instead of Canadian maple and aircraft grade ultra-light hardware. The result is a surprisingly even balance and lack of neck dive to help combat some of the typical issues with overly light basses.

As well as being effortless to play, this Sandberg TM-5 comes loaded with a beautiful sounding electronics package packed with loads of versatility and lush tone. Sandberg's Black Label pickups are becoming their new "go-to" and for good reason (I, personally, have them on 2 of my Sandbergs and love them). They offer plenty of punch while still having the ability to get a bit of an old-school sound to them as well if needed. Loads of growl and bark, especially with the bridge pickup in full humbucking mode. The pickups are paired up with a 2-band EQ that is subtle, but powerful. The bass and treble frequencies are notched perfectly for a punchy bottom and snappy top end.

But of course, the big question is how did they manage to build this and have it still be so light? The paulownia body sounds like a hybrid in tonality between alder and swamp ash. It's got great clarity and a very pronounced natural attack. You may have also seen paulownia referred to as empress wood. More and more builders are experimenting with this. Then Sandberg uses the lightest weight tuners in the industry, which they craft out of aircraft-grade aluminum, and it ensures that you aren't struggling with neck-dive while playing. The bass balances surprisingly well and very much feels like a real, pro-caliber boutique instrument, despite this weight that is hard to believe. This is going to allow bass players to play for longer periods of time in complete comfort. Young or old, everybody can benefit from this!

The build quality is amazing, and now you don't have to sacrifice any of your tone to get a bass that is so light you might forget you even have it on! Another big score from Sandberg, for sure!

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 California body shape. The body is made out of paulownia and the neck is Canadian hard rock maple. Sandberg Black Label pickups and a custom wound Glockenklang 2-band preamp, made just for Sandberg, round out the electronics.

Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for Sandberg. This TM-5 SL 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.

Along with our amazing inventory, we can custom order any Sandberg bass or guitar you'd like.