Cutting Edge Design

bleujazz3

bleujazz3

Fractal Fanatic
Now that I've decided that the loaner guitar my friend allowed me to check out is above my pay scale, I thought it wise to invest in the new tech idea of lightweight, dual humbucker, fixed tailpiece, and some fairly simple instructions even a 4 year old can follow. The kicker? No headstock. Yup, a simple, no frills Boden Strandberg Essential 6.

My only concern may be that the HH pickups are OEM HH with a 5-way switch. What's that you say? What are OEMs? Fancy jargon for factory humbuckers, that's what. What might need to occur is to swap a Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz for my whattheheckweretheycalledagain OEMs. The alternative is to save for some Suhr HH pickups that many of the remaining Boden models utilize. Will do my due diligence and research. Fortunately, it was possible to locate a wiring diagram for said OEMs, in order to better choose what is demoed and what is repaired.
 
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Burning the early morning lamp oil checking out Fralin and Lollar pickups. I think I might need spring for the warmer sounding standard Imperial Lollars. Also located a modified Strat HSS diagram that displays how to connect a set of HH to a 5-way blade switch. Will check the Lollar site for their input as well, and call it an evening...
 
bleujazz3 said:
Boden Strandberg Essential NX6
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Did you mean Essential or NX6? These two are different, two times the price, wood, some furniture.
NX6 and the rest are pretty similar, fanned frets, etc. Essential is the cheapest model with normal frets.
I have Boden Metal which is twice the price of Essential, but I'd switch them without second thought, as Essentials have so many infuriating issues fixed, like better bridge, etc. One thing that is slightly concerning is that Essential doesn't have some fancy wood.

bleujazz3 said:
My only concern may be that the HH pickups are OEM HH with a 5-way switch. What's that you say?
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I guess you play jazz - me too (mostly), but I didn't have time to check them under relevant conditions. They sound really good with clean and edge of breakup amps in all switch positions, I enjoyed the sound much more than Fishmans which I currently have in Metal. Don't ask why I have Metal when mostly playing blues and jazz stuff, we all did mistakes in our youth.
 
bleujazz3 said:
Burning the early morning lamp oil checking out Fralin and Lollar pickups. I think I might need spring for the warmer sounding standard Imperial Lollars. Also located a modified Strat HSS diagram that displays how to connect a set of HH to a 5-way blade switch. Will check the Lollar site for their input as well, and call it an evening...
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I've played the Lollar High Winds, and they are excellent.
 
Chromatizm said:
Did you mean Essential or NX6? These two are different, two times the price, wood, some furniture.
NX6 and the rest are pretty similar, fanned frets, etc. Essential is the cheapest model with normal frets.
I have Boden Metal which is twice the price of Essential, but I'd switch them without second thought, as Essentials have so many infuriating issues fixed, like better bridge, etc. One thing that is slightly concerning is that Essential doesn't have some fancy wood.
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The Essential 6 Astro Dust. It's the imported Indonesian model for under $1K. Strandberg recently improved the Essential's design and took care of the QC issues that were prevalent in earlier models. It made sense to try a low-weight entry level model and not need fork over wads of cash for more complex designs.
Chromatizm said:
I guess you play jazz - me too (mostly), but I didn't have time to check them under relevant conditions. They sound really good with clean and edge of breakup amps in all switch positions, I enjoyed the sound much more than Fishmans which I currently have in Metal. Don't ask why I have Metal when mostly playing blues and jazz stuff, we all did mistakes in our youth.
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I thought to swap the pups out with a Lollar Imperial Standard and High Wind. The high wind will provide enough breakup at higher volumes, while still providing clean, warm tones associated with the standard neck just before EOB.
 
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WKSmith said:
I love my Strandberg and it's Lollars! I had mine routed for p90s. I think that is a smart move.
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WK,
You wouldn't happen to own a wiring diagram for the Lollar HH - 5 Way Blade config, would you? It was possible to compare a Fralin diagram for HH - 5-Way, but the color coding of Lollar's may be something else...
 
bleujazz3 said:
WK,
You wouldn't happen to own a wiring diagram for the Lollar HH - 5 Way Blade config, would you? It was possible to compare a Fralin diagram for HH - 5-Way, but the color coding of Lollar's may be something else...
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In case this helps ...

The Guitar Electronics website has a lot of example wiring diagrams as well as pickup wire color diagrams for many manufacturers.
 
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bleujazz3 said:
The Essential 6 Astro Dust. It's the imported Indonesian model for under $1K. Strandberg recently improved the Essential's design and took care of the QC issues that were prevalent in earlier models. It made sense to try a low-weight entry level model and not need fork over wads of cash for more complex designs.

I thought to swap the pups out with a Lollar Imperial Standard and High Wind. The high wind will provide enough breakup at higher volumes, while still providing clean, warm tones associated with the standard neck just before EOB.
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Hardware is poor though. I don’t see anything different in the QC. In truth this is an overblown issue that mainly comes from people not liking the country of origin at the price point.
I’m not saying it’s not there but it’s not anywhere as common as the internet tells you.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Hardware is poor though. I don’t see anything different in the QC. In truth this is an overblown issue that mainly comes from people not liking the country of origin at the price point.
I’m not saying it’s not there but it’s not anywhere as common as the internet tells you.
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IDK, it's not always wise to compare USA made and Indonesian without learning a little backstory about the builder first. Pull up a chair and bring your beer glass with you, I'll try to be entertaining with as few as microagressions I might begrudge that would normally slip through the door mail slot.

Ola Strandberg (CEO of Boden Strandberg) is traveling a similar flight trajectory that PRS chose when he wanted to make his USA core guitars more affordable for the frugal and low-income guitarist. Although I don't know about the factory which builds these imported models, once employees have been trained properly to build to spec, repeat consistently, without introducing major "paradigm shifts" in your model, a well-staffed and maintained factory can produce decent work.

That being said, Ola himself lamented recently that his early release imports had significant QC issues (fret sprout, zinc-cast tuning bridge issues, among others). My concern was the described OEM no-name humbuckers. Yet, like PRS, Ola listened to his customers via feedback channels and addressed the majority of QC issues.

It's important to remember that we're speaking about a just under $1K price-tagged guitar here. A USA made higher price tagged of course would be better quality; it stands to reason. Ola has made it possible with his accessories and parts page to repair almost his entire inventory of models. Eventually, I might also look into replacing the zinc-cast tuning bridge if it fails. There is an inclusive 2 year warranty with new models.

It may very well be that Ola's flight trajectory will allow his low-cost models to be repaired or upgraded once a market niche for these has been made. Gotta tell you, these guitars are exceptionally lightweight, mid-3 to 4 lb range, and ergonomically, you can sit with them at a workstation and practice or work with your amp modeling device du jour and not find yourself knocking into surrounding things.

Tell you what, once the Essential 6 has arrived and its OEM pups heard through several of my FM9 choice presets, a review will follow. And once the Lollars will have been installed, I can only hope my words will be adequate description for judging the Essential's pros, cons and remaining QC issues if they still exist.

Sadly, my home recording skills are slim to nil, otherwise I'd link a clip from SoundCloud. The potential timeframe may be several weeks moving forward for the guitar ro acclimate to my collection. Yet, like Romeo awaited his star-crossed Juliet, my bated breath for this guitar may need to remain steady until the FedEx guy knocks. It'll be likely next weekend before we can break out the bubble gum cigars and celebrate proper.
 
bleujazz3 said:
IDK, it's not always wise to compare USA made and Indonesian without learning a little backstory about the builder first. Pull up a chair and bring your beer glass with you, I'll try to be entertaining with as few as microagressions I might begrudge that would normally slip through the door mail slot.

Ola Strandberg (CEO of Boden Strandberg) is traveling a similar flight trajectory that PRS chose when he wanted to make his USA core guitars more affordable for the frugal and low-income guitarist. Although I don't know about the factory which builds these imported models, once employees have been trained properly to build to spec, repeat consistently, without introducing major "paradigm shifts" in your model, a well-staffed and maintained factory can produce decent work.

That being said, Ola himself lamented recently that his early release imports had significant QC issues (fret sprout, zinc-cast tuning bridge issues, among others). My concern was the described OEM no-name humbuckers. Yet, like PRS, Ola listened to his customers via feedback channels and addressed the majority of QC issues.

It's important to remember that we're speaking about a just under $1K price-tagged guitar here. A USA made higher price tagged of course would be better quality; it stands to reason. Ola has made it possible with his accessories and parts page to repair almost his entire inventory of models. Eventually, I might also look into replacing the zinc-cast tuning bridge if it fails. There is an inclusive 2 year warranty with new models.

It may very well be that Ola's flight trajectory will allow his low-cost models to be repaired or upgraded once a market niche for these has been made. Gotta tell you, these guitars are exceptionally lightweight, mid-3 to 4 lb range, and ergonomically, you can sit with them at a workstation and practice or work with your amp modeling device du jour and not find yourself knocking into surrounding things.

Tell you what, once the Essential 6 has arrived and its OEM pups heard through several of my FM9 choice presets, a review will follow. And once the Lollars will have been installed, I can only hope my words will be adequate description for judging the Essential's pros, cons and remaining QC issues if they still exist.

Sadly, my home recording skills are slim to nil, otherwise I'd link a clip from SoundCloud. The potential timeframe may be several weeks moving forward for the guitar ro acclimate to my collection. Yet, like Romeo awaited his star-crossed Juliet, my bated breath for this guitar may need to remain steady until the FedEx guy knocks. It'll be likely next weekend before we can break out the bubble gum cigars and celebrate proper.
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1. I am a full time tech.
2. I know the factory .
3. I have spoken to Ola about various things.
4. I own an Original 6.
 
Just to make sure I got this right: You bought new pickups before you received the guitar?
But now you have the guitar in hands?

I'm interested in your opinion. My Strandberg Boden also has the OEM pickups and I love them. They even sounds great in split-mode. But I am well aware, that a lot of customers change them for something different.
 
nangillala said:
Just to make sure I got this right: You bought new pickups before you received the guitar?
But now you have the guitar in hands?

I'm interested in your opinion. My Strandberg Boden also has the OEM pickups and I love them. They even sounds great in split-mode. But I am well aware, that a lot of customers change them for something different.
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Yessir, that's correct.

The guitar will arrive by this weekend. Perhaps my haste in considering a pup swap was fueled by the OEM moniker. Strandberg was not forthcoming with what brand name these OEM pups were. Had they been Seymour Duncan JB or '59s, they might have been considered.

However, at least one or more of my past guitars had Lollar Imperial Standard and Low Winds put in, and the Lollars greatly improved the sustain, feedback, clean headroom, EOB and singing lead. My experience with Lollars was entirely enjoyable, just quality pups. Yes, they're expensive, but they have that extra upper-mid-range push and chime that can be attenuated with the tone and volume knobs. Great for cutting through the mix in most all situations.

May I ask which model Boden did you settle with? The reason for this post is to ask about the possibilities of upgrading imported parts for better electronics while my guitar tech will have my guitar up on his bench. This is one of my first "parts" guitars that will allow me to improve the quality of the pups and electronics, while allowing the hardware to remain mostly stock. But, if any of the hardware should fail, Strandberg's accessories page can provide replacements.
 
bleujazz3 said:
Yessir, that's correct.

The guitar will arrive by this weekend. Perhaps my haste in considering a pup swap was fueled by the OEM moniker. Strandberg was not forthcoming with what brand name these OEM pups were. Had they been Seymour Duncan JB or '59s, they might have been considered.

However, at least one or more of my past guitars had Lollar Imperial Standard and Low Winds put in, and the Lollars greatly improved the sustain, feedback, clean headroom, EOB and singing lead. My experience with Lollars was entirely enjoyable, just quality pups. Yes, they're expensive, but they have that extra upper-mid-range push and chime that can be attenuated with the tone and volume knobs. Great for cutting through the mix in most all situations.

May I ask which model Boden did you settle with? The reason for this post is to ask about the possibilities of upgrading imported parts for better electronics while my guitar tech will have my guitar up on his bench. This is one of my first "parts" guitars that will allow me to improve the quality of the pups and electronics, while allowing the hardware to remain mostly stock. But, if any of the hardware should fail, Strandberg's accessories page can provide replacements.
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The essential hardware is different and not available. Pickups don’t add sustain.
 
I had wrote a response a couple times, but deleted them because sometimes it’s just better to let people follow their own trajectory and learn something along the way. This is coming from someone who knows Strandberg (and PRS) rather well. I own a Boden Prog NX6 and 3 Core PRS that I love. In fact I’m out of state in a hotel room and my Strandberg is right next to me as I write.

IMHO, I would buy the Essential and wait until you see, hear and feel what it is you actually have before putting a bunch of money into it and blowing the reasonable “bang for the buck” that the guitar is. Of all the cost cutting aspects of the Essential line the pickups would be my least concern. The Zinc hardware of the bridge is more of a turn-off. Unfortunately it is one thing that can’t be upgraded. At least at this point. As @Andy Eagle is suggesting be careful what you read on the internet…negative or positive before finding out for yourself.
 
GitGuy513 said:
I had wrote a response a couple times, but deleted them because sometimes it’s just better to let people follow their own trajectory and learn something along the way. This is coming from someone who knows Strandberg (and PRS) rather well. I own a Boden Prog NX6 and 3 Core PRS that I love. In fact I’m out of state in a hotel room and my Strandberg is right next to me as I write.

IMHO, I would buy the Essential and wait until you see, hear and feel what it is you actually have before putting a bunch of money into it and blowing the reasonable “bang for the buck” that the guitar is. Of all the cost cutting aspects of the Essential line the pickups would be my least concern. The Zinc hardware of the bridge is more of a turn-off. Unfortunately it is one thing that can’t be upgraded. At least at this point. As @Andy Eagle is suggesting be careful what you read on the internet…negative or positive before finding out for yourself.
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Thanks for this. I sensed that the Essential already had a decent foundation (body, neck, structure) but my issue like many others who try to research online, there is a multitude of conflicting evidence that indicates it may not yet be possible to upgrade Essential's hardware. I'm OK with that. I did read the OEM specs and the resistance seemed somewhat high (I'd need to check again to be sure). I don't mind waiting to learn how the guitar feels, plays, as well as the guitar's sound and tone.

FTR, you are among many whom I've chatted with today who had similar feelings about tossing money at a new guitar. You may be right. It may be neither the time nor the place for trying to improve on something until it's been given a chance first.
 
bleujazz3 said:
May I ask which model Boden did you settle with? The reason for this post is to ask about the possibilities of upgrading imported parts for better electronics while my guitar tech will have my guitar up on his bench. This is one of my first "parts" guitars that will allow me to improve the quality of the pups and electronics, while allowing the hardware to remain mostly stock. But, if any of the hardware should fail, Strandberg's accessories page can provide replacements.
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I own the Boden Standard 10 year anniversary edition (but the only difference should be the color). As mentioned above I am more than happy with the pickups. In my "bubble" (which is not Jazz) it seems people only change them if they want to have something heavier for metal. I heard they are based on the Suhr pickups the originals come with, but I have no idea how true that is. (I may ask during this years Guitar Summit).

The only problem I had was with the output jack. It was a known problem and there even is a help article on the strandberg site. This should not happen anymore. I bought a new one for 10€ and practiced my soldering skills. Annoying, that this happened, but ok in the grand scheme of things.
 
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