Will Chen
Roadie
- Messages
- 233
After a while with my Dullahan Headless I was itching to take a long term spin with a Strandberg so pulled the trigger on a B-Stock.
- First up...no idea why this is a B stock outside maybe the grain pattern of the laminate with some perpendicular grain lines. Some of the fret ends could maybe be a bit better dressed, no sprout or anything just a few frets with a slight roughness to them.
- Endurneck is genius. I can totally understand how some will absolutely hate it, especially those who play with a more non-traditional technique or like to play their guitar slung very low, but for me it's pretty amazing and I'm kinda surprised no one thought of it before. The trapezoidal shape both forces the thumb into more proper position yet at the same time allows a more firm anchor point for certain chord shapes/hand position and the offset just seems to work and flow naturally. It took me maybe 10 minutes to get used to and moving back and forth between a traditional neck and this isn't an issue at all.
- Pickups and switching are extremely versatile and all positions sound great. Of note, you give up a dual humbucker setting but it provides inner coils, outer coils, and neck split options. The inner coils offer a very, very good Strat #2 position emulation best I've had in a guitar without a middle pickup and the neck hum split sounds very much like a Strat neck single coil. That said...my Dullahan neck pickup is perhaps my favorite neck humbucker pickup I've had on a guitar, very clear attack with no muddiness and I do prefer it to the Strandberg, which is a bit shocking really. Not that the Strandberg neck pickup is bad, just not quite as articulate and clear as the Dullahan, warmer I guess is a good description which I'm sure some would prefer. Though it's worth noting these are the Strandberg OEM pickups not the Suhr's which come on higher end models.
- Lightest guitar I've owned. I can't think of a lighter guitar I've even played with the exception of maybe a Parker Fly back in the day.
- Awesome backpack style gigbag. The zipper has a rubber cover over it to help keep water out, there's extra internal material around the headstock and down around the controls to help prevent wear, and a nice sized outer pocket.
- Strandberg multi-tool along with it's magnetic sticker to mount it to the guitar is genius, all headless guitar companies should do something similar.
Meh Things:
- As mentioned, I have a Harley Benton Dullahan headless as well, and outside the neck pickup (which of course is subjective) one thing the Benton actually does slightly better is include thrust bearings in their tuners making tuner action incredibly smooth and easy. The Strandberg has some sort of plastic or maybe Teflon washer which has more friction. I was actually kinda shocked that they weren't employing the types of washers used in the Benton and will absolutely be upgrading them on the Strandberg at some point. My only true disappointment in the guitar. Given how cheap thrust bearings are, it seems like a no brainer "upgrade" Strandberg should be doing.
- Side marker location past the 12th fret is kinda weird. I've been playing so long that I rarely use visual markers, just thought it odd. I think it has to do with the fanned frets, but if one relies on side markers significantly it would definitely take some getting used to.
- Very thin matte finish. Some people love them and think it let's their guitar "breath" or something, but I would've preferred a slightly thicker (don't care it it's gloss necessarily) finish which I think would provide a bit more protection from small scuffs scratches. I've already gotten a small chunk out of my Dullahan's matte finish which I think would've been avoided with a more traditional finish.
- Strap buttons could be slightly repositioned for perfect balance. It doesn't dive, simply wants to sit more parallel and I prefer an upward tilt. Again something pretty subjective here, just trying to cover everything.
- Volume pot texture feels just a little rough. Nothing that I'd call sharp, just feels like maybe it wasn't from the "A" batch.
- First up...no idea why this is a B stock outside maybe the grain pattern of the laminate with some perpendicular grain lines. Some of the fret ends could maybe be a bit better dressed, no sprout or anything just a few frets with a slight roughness to them.
- Endurneck is genius. I can totally understand how some will absolutely hate it, especially those who play with a more non-traditional technique or like to play their guitar slung very low, but for me it's pretty amazing and I'm kinda surprised no one thought of it before. The trapezoidal shape both forces the thumb into more proper position yet at the same time allows a more firm anchor point for certain chord shapes/hand position and the offset just seems to work and flow naturally. It took me maybe 10 minutes to get used to and moving back and forth between a traditional neck and this isn't an issue at all.
- Pickups and switching are extremely versatile and all positions sound great. Of note, you give up a dual humbucker setting but it provides inner coils, outer coils, and neck split options. The inner coils offer a very, very good Strat #2 position emulation best I've had in a guitar without a middle pickup and the neck hum split sounds very much like a Strat neck single coil. That said...my Dullahan neck pickup is perhaps my favorite neck humbucker pickup I've had on a guitar, very clear attack with no muddiness and I do prefer it to the Strandberg, which is a bit shocking really. Not that the Strandberg neck pickup is bad, just not quite as articulate and clear as the Dullahan, warmer I guess is a good description which I'm sure some would prefer. Though it's worth noting these are the Strandberg OEM pickups not the Suhr's which come on higher end models.
- Lightest guitar I've owned. I can't think of a lighter guitar I've even played with the exception of maybe a Parker Fly back in the day.
- Awesome backpack style gigbag. The zipper has a rubber cover over it to help keep water out, there's extra internal material around the headstock and down around the controls to help prevent wear, and a nice sized outer pocket.
- Strandberg multi-tool along with it's magnetic sticker to mount it to the guitar is genius, all headless guitar companies should do something similar.
Meh Things:
- As mentioned, I have a Harley Benton Dullahan headless as well, and outside the neck pickup (which of course is subjective) one thing the Benton actually does slightly better is include thrust bearings in their tuners making tuner action incredibly smooth and easy. The Strandberg has some sort of plastic or maybe Teflon washer which has more friction. I was actually kinda shocked that they weren't employing the types of washers used in the Benton and will absolutely be upgrading them on the Strandberg at some point. My only true disappointment in the guitar. Given how cheap thrust bearings are, it seems like a no brainer "upgrade" Strandberg should be doing.
- Side marker location past the 12th fret is kinda weird. I've been playing so long that I rarely use visual markers, just thought it odd. I think it has to do with the fanned frets, but if one relies on side markers significantly it would definitely take some getting used to.
- Very thin matte finish. Some people love them and think it let's their guitar "breath" or something, but I would've preferred a slightly thicker (don't care it it's gloss necessarily) finish which I think would provide a bit more protection from small scuffs scratches. I've already gotten a small chunk out of my Dullahan's matte finish which I think would've been avoided with a more traditional finish.
- Strap buttons could be slightly repositioned for perfect balance. It doesn't dive, simply wants to sit more parallel and I prefer an upward tilt. Again something pretty subjective here, just trying to cover everything.
- Volume pot texture feels just a little rough. Nothing that I'd call sharp, just feels like maybe it wasn't from the "A" batch.
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