NGD: Strandberg Boden

Sleestak

Sleestak

Power User
Over the past few years, I'veI spent a lot of time looking at, and playing, various models of headless guitars. I decided to purchase a Strandberg Boden neck-through model, with HSH Suhr pickups. The guitar arrived a few days ago, and I've been putting this instrument through its paces with the AxeFX III. In addition to the distinctive sculpted body shape, Strandbergs have a unique back-of-neck profile with three curving trapezoids, designed to give the player an ideal thumb placement while working up the neck. It also has fanned frets, and a Multiscale Trem,
So, with all those nonstandard characteristics, what's it like to play? Honestly, it took me about sixty seconds to get comfortable with the fanned frets and neck profile. It is perfectly balanced, both when on the step, and when sitting. It has a chambered body, and the instrument weighs 4 pounds 10 ounces. The neck-through profile is very nice, and has great tone and sustain.
I don't necessarily love a satin finish on guitars with a figured top, as it somewhat flattens the depth of the wood. That said, most of my guitars are painted a solid color (usually black), so this amounts to a matter of taste.
I took a number of photos of the guitar with my iPhone, and am also including a few that were taken by Sweetwater, from home I made the purchase. They always take pro photos of the instruments in the Guitar Gallery, and they sent me high-resolution shots so that I could virtually inspect this specific guitar.

Also, I will refer to this instrument as "The Zoidberg" Wub wub wub!
 

Attachments

  • C1909022-front-large.jpg
    C1909022-front-large.jpg
    38.7 KB · Views: 191
  • C1909022-back-large.jpg
    C1909022-back-large.jpg
    33.1 KB · Views: 181
  • IMG_2151.jpg
    IMG_2151.jpg
    683.7 KB · Views: 159
  • IMG_2152.jpg
    IMG_2152.jpg
    926.8 KB · Views: 177
That’s a very nice looking guitar. I would like to try playing one of those. Looks fun.
 
Welcome to the tribe. I have a plethora of guitars but my Boden os6t is the only one thats gotten play time in the last three years.
 
I do like my headless Steinberger. I think all guitars should really be headless and tunable from the bridge. I've been wondering about those Bodens (thanks to Plini), but without first trying it I can't really justify the outlay.
 
plexi59 said:
I do like my headless Steinberger. I think all guitars should really be headless and tunable from the bridge. I've been wondering about those Bodens (thanks to Plini), but without first trying it I can't really justify the outlay.
Click to expand...
So, go try one. Guitar Center carries them now.
 
Nice! I tried one a couple of years ago, and discovered I couldn't play natural harmonics on it. Does that happen to you?
 
I've often considered giving a Boden a try since I play sitting and they look like they might be ergonomically good for that. I do like the neck thru design on the OP's Boden.

Looking forward to hearing your after honeymoon review @Sleestak. Are you happy with the HSH Suhr config? Curious about the trem as well...
 
I love to try one of those! And that weight... my back almost reached and took out my wallet when I read that!
 
cobbler said:
I've often considered giving a Boden a try since I play sitting and they look like they might be ergonomically good for that. I do like the neck thru design on the OP's Boden.

Looking forward to hearing your after honeymoon review @Sleestak. Are you happy with the HSH Suhr config? Curious about the trem as well...
Click to expand...
Well, after a week of putting this machine to work in the studio, and prepping for upcoming shows, I can say without question that THIS THING IS A WORK OF ART. It is the most comfortable, and tonally versatile guitar I have ever owned. Mine has the Suhr pickups, which are voiced more like a classic mid-output rock guitar; some of the Strandbergs come with significantly higher output pickups, and I find they tend to over-squish my right-hand dynamic control. I had to tweak all of my presets a little bit, to accommodate for the humbucker in the bridge and neck position (I am a Strat guy usually), but once I dialed in the tones, it's gorgeous. The high-gain rock tones positively LEAP off of the guitar, and the feedback is very controllable. As far as the Trem, it's as good as any that I've used. It comes with two springs installed, and they provide a third if you like a stiffer feel. I left it with two, and it feels great to me.

No question about it. This is a weird guitar in many ways, and definitely not everyone's cup of tea. You can tell by the design and construction decisions that the weirdness is absolutely by deliberate choice, and the creator felt unbound by typical conventions in guitar design. I have had a couple of friends play it, and they all have commented that despite the futuristic concepts involved, the guitar really works as a complete concept.

YMMV. If you are ever in the Seattle area (or catch my band on tour), I'd be happy to hand it to you for a test drive.
 
unix-guy said:
You might want to check with them. My local GC didn't have any when I was there a couple weeks back and I've never seen one there before.
Click to expand...

^This. There are two GC's here in Vegas and I called and neither had them. I'm really interested in the new Neck-Thru like @Sleestak purchased (Fusion Tremelo NT?) with the Suhr HSH. I wanted to try one specifically for the sitting down ergonomics and to see if I could bond with the EndurNeck.

Well, as it turns out the guy at GC calls me back a few minutes later and says a customer was in the store and overheard him talking about the Boden on the phone and commented how he loved his. So they called me back and the guy went home and returned with his and let me try it out. You know, even in these crazy days, there are still a lot of people with kind hearts.

He handed it to me and I was shocked at the weight. It just might give the Parker a competitor on that front. The ergonomics are perfect for me sitting in the (wheel)chair. I am constantly bumping the body of my guitars below the end pin on my wheels. The cutout on the Boden is actually perfect in that it stops at the edge of my leg and curves up over the wheel. Check one! It took me about 30 seconds to realize I will have no problem adapting to the EndurNeck. Check two. I have some neck and wrists issues that welcome both the EndurNeck and serious lack of weight of the Boden. Check three.

Really looking forward to @Sleestaks' review of the tonal qualities with the Suhr pickup config. My only wish is they were available in more that two color/finishes. However, being a new product (Oct) I imagine that will expand. BUT I WANT ONE NOW! :)
 
Sleestak said:
Well, after a week of putting this machine to work in the studio, and prepping for upcoming shows, I can say without question that THIS THING IS A WORK OF ART. It is the most comfortable, and tonally versatile guitar I have ever owned. Mine has the Suhr pickups, which are voiced more like a classic mid-output rock guitar; some of the Strandbergs come with significantly higher output pickups, and I find they tend to over-squish my right-hand dynamic control. I had to tweak all of my presets a little bit, to accommodate for the humbucker in the bridge and neck position (I am a Strat guy usually), but once I dialed in the tones, it's gorgeous. The high-gain rock tones positively LEAP off of the guitar, and the feedback is very controllable. As far as the Trem, it's as good as any that I've used. It comes with two springs installed, and they provide a third if you like a stiffer feel. I left it with two, and it feels great to me.

No question about it. This is a weird guitar in many ways, and definitely not everyone's cup of tea. You can tell by the design and construction decisions that the weirdness is absolutely by deliberate choice, and the creator felt unbound by typical conventions in guitar design. I have had a couple of friends play it, and they all have commented that despite the futuristic concepts involved, the guitar really works as a complete concept.

YMMV. If you are ever in the Seattle area (or catch my band on tour), I'd be happy to hand it to you for a test drive.
Click to expand...

Haha! We were typing at the same time. I really appreciate you responses. I too felt the guitar was a work of art and for me it just fit like a glove. I am definitely interested it the same pickup config. I know the other neck thru model uses the Fishman Fluence pickups but I have never been a fan of high output pickups either.

...and thanks for the offer!
 
cobbler said:
Haha! We were typing at the same time. I really appreciate you responses. I too felt the guitar was a work of art and for me it just fit like a glove. I am definitely interested it the same pickup config. I know the other neck thru model uses the Fishman Fluence pickups but I have never been a fan of high output pickups either.

...and thanks for the offer!
Click to expand...
Awesome. Glad you had a chance to check out that guitar. Yes, I wasn't all that knocked out by the color choices (as in: one), but it's definitely great looking on that flamed maple.
 
Sleestak said:
Awesome. Glad you had a chance to check out that guitar. Yes, I wasn't all that knocked out by the color choices (as in: one), but it's definitely great looking on that flamed maple.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies and sorry for the hijack. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom