Strandberg Fusion ?’s

Bmk5140

Member
I am looking at a couple Boden Fusion models, the neck-thru model and the base Fusion.

Is the neck-thru model drastically different from the bolt-on insofar as playability and tone are concerned?

The TN model comes equipped with the HSX circuit. I like the YouTube samples and it sounds like a very versatile instrument. Does the HSX make a difference in the “real world?” Has anyone retrofitted the HSX into a base Fusion?

For background, I’m looking at the Strandberg simply because I want one; I’m not looking to make it fit a certain style or genre, I tend to gravitate toward “versatile” guitars or guitars with unique features - the Strandberg would appear to check both boxes.
 
I've got a Classic 6 and Standard 8 that I love but one of the few gripes I have is that upper fret access can be awkward. I'm not familiar with the HSX circuit but my Strandbergs are really versatile. In fact, I've recording prog songs and metal songs with them as well as doing my jazz homework when I was in school.
 
I like Strandberg designs but I have reservations about the longevity of the hardware particularly as it is unique. Also the usual gripes about the price considering it is a third party product from the Far East. I generally find the Indonesian ones better than the Korean but that should be judged on a by guitar basis. Compare it to Ibanez Premium and it is not value.
 
I don’t know how helpful this is, but I did not like the trem range. It technically floats, the way Pennywise would like, but there is not enough recess to allow for pulling up on the vibrato bar. I really felt that you’d be better off with it blocked for dive only in that case. Like I said, most people might not mind, but it made it not worth it to me.

I found the neck fine, but there’s no way I’m keeping my thumb where Ola thinks it should go. To me, I was surprised at how easily and comfortably I could ignore the thumb placement he’s trying to prescribe. I always thought it was the weirdest decision to create that neck, because I might investigate (but not treat as gospel) that kind of advice from someone who is a really thoughtful player, but not from a luthier. But I never followed his original blog posts in detail, so I don’t know the background fully as to how he came to design it that way. It just seemed like a massive presumption on his part. Take this with a grain of salt though; a lot of people love them, and it’s easy to get around if you’ve got big hands.

One wired thing to look for: definitely put it through a big stress test with bends and dives. I was checking return to zero and general tuning stability, which was great, but the high E or B string went something like three semitones flat out of nowhere. I researched this, because I didn’t do anything crazy to cause that, and it turns out it’s a problem Strandberg owners have experienced, in which the mechanism that holds the strings at the headstock can somehow lose grip on the string and loosen, and I think I read the only fix involves new hardware, which only comes from them directly; you can’t even get parts from a dealer, in the United States, I was told. Especially since, as @Andy Eagle points out, their hardware is proprietary, that could possibly be a pain in the ass. Maybe it’s rare, but it did happen to me.
 
I don’t know how helpful this is, but I did not like the trem range. It technically floats, the way Pennywise would like, but there is not enough recess to allow for pulling up on the vibrato bar. I really felt that you’d be better off with it blocked for dive only in that case. Like I said, most people might not mind, but it made it not worth it to me.

I found the neck fine, but there’s no way I’m keeping my thumb where Ola thinks it should go. To me, I was surprised at how easily and comfortably I could ignore the thumb placement he’s trying to prescribe. I always thought it was the weirdest decision to create that neck, because I might investigate (but not treat as gospel) that kind of advice from someone who is a really thoughtful player, but not from a luthier. But I never followed his original blog posts in detail, so I don’t know the background fully as to how he came to design it that way. It just seemed like a massive presumption on his part. Take this with a grain of salt though; a lot of people love them, and it’s easy to get around if you’ve got big hands.

One wired thing to look for: definitely put it through a big stress test with bends and dives. I was checking return to zero and general tuning stability, which was great, but the high E or B string went something like three semitones flat out of nowhere. I researched this, because I didn’t do anything crazy to cause that, and it turns out it’s a problem Strandberg owners have experienced, in which the mechanism that holds the strings at the headstock can somehow lose grip on the string and loosen, and I think I read the only fix involves new hardware, which only comes from them directly; you can’t even get parts from a dealer, in the United States, I was told. Especially since, as @Andy Eagle points out, their hardware is proprietary, that could possibly be a pain in the ass. Maybe it’s rare, but it did happen to me.
Happened once, out was it a common thing? Did you have the relevant parts replaced?
 
Happened once, out was it a common thing? Did you have the relevant parts replaced?

Oh sorry, I should've stipulated that I never owned one; this just happened when I was trying it at a store! I was really really interested and very intrigued, but it just wasn't for me. But yeah, it just happened once. I played the guitar for maybe 25 - 30 minutes, really putting it through its paces, but that detuning really disconcerted me when I found a couple of forum threads of owners talking about it.

On the positive side, I felt like the fretwork was stellar, and I did like the trem for diving at least. Oh, and it had great freakin' tone, to my ears, it seemed very very versatile.
 
I could tell that this guy hasn't owned a Strandberg based on the description. Of COURSE you can pull up on all of the Strandberg trems - I've had 4 of 'em - and they go up in pitch the same amount as any guitar with a recessed Floyd. In fact, I just picked up my Strandberg Classic 6 off the rack, pulled the trem all the way back, and checked that yep, the E string goes up a semitone, the B up 2, and the G up 3, the same as my Jackson RR5FR with a recessed Floyd. I find that a properly setup FR and Strandberg trem have similar tuning stability.

Regarding the "mechanism that holds the strings" at the headstock it's literally a screw that screws down on the string just like a Floyd Rose nut clamps down. There's nothing "proprietary" about it and I can buy replacement screws from my local Ace Hardware store(although if you want chromed you'll be ordering from Strandberg). Clearly the Strandberg design isn't for State of Epicicity and that's okay - it's not for everybody. With a 30 day return policy you really can't go wrong buying one to try out and if it doesn't work for you just give Ed a ring and he'll square you away.
 
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Regarding the "mechanism that holds the strings" at the headstock it's literally a screw that screws down on the string just like a Floyd Rose nut clamps down.

I could tell that this guy hasn't owned a Strandberg based on the description.

Man, I am actually trying to be helpful by providing an accurate description of my encounter with one. Haha is this intended to question my veracity or something? It sure doesn’t sound like it’s okay with you if the guitar I played wasn’t perfect for me.

I was heading to the guitar store ready to buy the thing and hoping it would be as awesome as it seemed, really excited, but I walked away nonplussed. These guitars are not at many dealers in the United States, and I had wanted to try one for years, having been aware of and read some of the original blog from early on. If anything, I was biased toward loving it, because I’m always looking at real advancements in guitar technology that can actually survive in the market. This detuning did happen to me, and I did find owners writing about it online when I researched it afterward; it’s just something to watch for.

As for the trem range, the one I tried did not go back far at all. That’s why I caution anyone to try it if a float means something to you; I’m not cautioning anyone to avoid it, just to make sure it goes back far enough for you. If you find one set up for more range, or you can angle it for a range that covers what you’d like, that’s great, but what I tried was very limited compared to the range I go for in a Floyd. This was at a store where the clerk was selling his own guitar, and I didn’t get an honest vibe from the guy. He may not have known the best way to set it up.
 
It technically floats, the way Pennywise would like, but there is not enough recess to allow for pulling up on the vibrato bar.
is this intended to question my veracity or something?
Ya know, when you jump on internet forums and start presenting your own anecdata as if it were technical specs somebody's going to call you out and it's probably best that it's someone like me who's not here to belittle you. I'm sorry you got a dud - I got a dud too that I had to return - it happens. I have no skin in the guitar game as I'm a hobbyist. But to tell people there's not enough recess to physically do what they want to do is demonstrably false and doesn't really contribute quality information to the OP so that he can make an informed gear decision.
 
Ya know, when you jump on internet forums and start presenting your own anecdata as if it were technical specs somebody's going to call you out and it's probably best that it's someone like me who's not here to belittle you. I'm sorry you got a dud - I got a dud too that I had to return - it happens. I have no skin in the guitar game as I'm a hobbyist. But to tell people there's not enough recess to physically do what they want to do is demonstrably false and doesn't really contribute quality information to the OP so that he can make an informed gear decision.

Okay, so according to you, I need to withhold anything negative I've experienced and assume off the bat it's a dud. I recommended to try out the guitar looking at a few specific things in an attempt to be helpful, not to avoid it because I've all of a sudden deemed the whole brand to be crap. How should I present my experience, or would it be better if all guitar reviews are completely positive? Would you withhold your experience with your dud?

And yes, I completely forgot to mention in my first post I'm not an owner. Big deal. I'm not withholding anything here, I forgot. Have you ever forgotten an important detail when trying to help someone?

And what are you saying, the way you've responded is not belittling? I've said repeatedly; it's my experience with one. What, do I need to track down every other guy who's experienced this, present a paper by a statistician, and have it approved by you, to present a problem I experienced within 30 minutes of playing this guitar?

Let me tell you, even the most loved brands of guitars can have problems that could cause a player real misery, and I try, in a spirit of benevolence, to help if I have any experience that could help. I've dealt with enough problems with guitars over my life that I would've loved to have found just the problem I was experiencing on a forum, so I try to provide whatever help I can. You're acting like some sort of passive aggressive bodyguard to this brand. Come on, every brand has problems, and it's no big deal.
 
I could tell that this guy hasn't owned a Strandberg based on the description. Of COURSE you can pull up on all of the Strandberg trems - I've had 4 of 'em - and they go up in pitch the same amount as any guitar with a recessed Floyd. In fact, I just picked up my Strandberg Classic 6 off the rack, pulled the trem all the way back, and checked that yep, the E string goes up a semitone, the B up 2, and the G up 3, the same as my Jackson RR5FR with a recessed Floyd. I find that a properly setup FR and Strandberg trem have similar tuning stability.

Regarding the "mechanism that holds the strings" at the headstock it's literally a screw that screws down on the string just like a Floyd Rose nut clamps down. There's nothing "proprietary" about it and I can buy replacement screws from my local Ace Hardware store(although if you want chromed you'll be ordering from Strandberg). Clearly the Strandberg design isn't for State of Epicicity and that's okay - it's not for everybody. With a 30 day return policy you really can't go wrong buying one to try out and if it doesn't work for you just give Ed a ring and he'll square you away.
Yes it's proprietary in everything except bolts but it's not the bolts that will be the problem. It's not like a Floyd it is like the Steinberger string adapter and they are not great. I like the design but I'd be interested in what the hardware is actually made of and by who.
 
@jljesse One more important point, to me, the most important one, is that several times I've only found solutions to a weird guitar problem by reading anecdotes on forums, one-offs. I never assume they're indicative of any entire brand, or of any particular situation. Guitar materials and QC are so all-over-the-place that maybe guy some dude halfway across the world may have encountered this weird thing, and he found the weird solution. I don't think any brand is all good or all bad. To me, the best thing about forums is openly sharing knowledge so we can all get past whatever QC issue or inherent flaw, or just weird thing that's in your way, so we can all get on to playing.
 
Lol the point you seem to be missing is not that you shouldn't say anything negative about a brand but that you shouldn't present your 20 minute experience with a brand as if it's a design flaw inherent in the brand.

I'm just calling out your BS on the trem not being able to be pulled back that's all - and it was total BS. If you can't handle that then I don't think the internet is for you partner.
 
Lol the point you seem to be missing is not that you shouldn't say anything negative about a brand but that you shouldn't present your 20 minute experience with a brand as if it's a design flaw inherent in the brand.

I'm just calling out your BS on the trem not being able to be pulled back that's all - and it was total BS. If you can't handle that then I don't think the internet is for you partner.

And, that being my only experience with the guitar, how am I supposed to know how they are in general? And how is experience with one guitar irrelevant, or as you put it, BS? Do you know how many reviews I've read of gear in which a person ordered something and returned it because of some problem on the piece they came in contact with? Did they need just to shut up because their experience was with one unit, and they didn't compare it to a bunch of other ones?

And did you not read that I forgot to include initially that I tried one but that I'm not an owner? This is an irrational criticism. People make assertions based on their experience with gear.

And what exactly is it that I'm not "handling"? I wrote honestly, not as a troll, and now the internet isn't for me? Need I remind you that you don't know me? Is there anything else you need to let me know about myself that only you can divine? Buddy, why betray so much?
 
It technically floats, the way Pennywise would like, but there is not enough recess to allow for pulling up on the vibrato bar.
This is BS. Literally the only thing I'm telling you is to stop telling others that Strandbergs don't have a recess to allow for pulling back, because they very much do. That's it.
 
This is BS. Literally the only thing I'm telling you is to stop telling others that Strandbergs don't have a recess to allow for pulling back, because they very much do. That's it.
Do you work for Strandberg or have any affiliation ? If you do your not exactly selling them with this. If you want me to call BS I'll start with your comment about bolts and not proprietary hardware that looks like painted zinc and not exactly looking like it's built for the long haul , and the string clamp is nothing like the design of a Floyd lock nut which is hardened steel and easily obtained. Now lets see what else Cort makes that costs anything like this much. Any more BS to call out?
 
Thanks everyone for the input so far; I truly appreciate all opinions.

I have played a Boden Metal (bolt-on) and in general I already know I like the ergonomics (particularly the weight and the leg cutout for seated playing). I also really enjoyed the multi-scale aspect, not necessarily a game-changer but my hands liked it. The things I haven't experienced first hand are what the original post asked about: differences between the bolt-on vs. the thru-neck and the HSX circuitry. Has anyone any experience on those items?

I've got a Classic 6 and Standard 8 that I love but one of the few gripes I have is that upper fret access can be awkward. I'm not familiar with the HSX circuit but my Strandbergs are really versatile. In fact, I've recording prog songs and metal songs with them as well as doing my jazz homework when I was in school.
I have to imagine that the thru-neck models eliminate the upper fret access (who'd want to play anything up there anyway... :tearsofjoy:)

I like Strandberg designs but I have reservations about the longevity of the hardware particularly as it is unique. Also the usual gripes about the price considering it is a third party product from the Far East. I generally find the Indonesian ones better than the Korean but that should be judged on a by guitar basis. Compare it to Ibanez Premium and it is not value.
I agree that Ibanez makes a hell of a nice guitar for the money and I own several. The Strandberg is scratching a "I want something totally different" itch for me... at the end of the day I could get by with my war-wagon Strat, Tele, and Les Paul, but I like to try new and different things. As stated before, there really is something neat about the Strandberg ergonomics for me. The issue of proprietary hardware could be an issue down the road but I think there's enough of a critical mass of these guitars that I'm not too worried about it.

I don’t know how helpful this is, but I did not like the trem range. It technically floats, the way Pennywise would like, but there is not enough recess to allow for pulling up on the vibrato bar. I really felt that you’d be better off with it blocked for dive only in that case. Like I said, most people might not mind, but it made it not worth it to me.

I found the neck fine, but there’s no way I’m keeping my thumb where Ola thinks it should go. To me, I was surprised at how easily and comfortably I could ignore the thumb placement he’s trying to prescribe. I always thought it was the weirdest decision to create that neck, because I might investigate (but not treat as gospel) that kind of advice from someone who is a really thoughtful player, but not from a luthier. But I never followed his original blog posts in detail, so I don’t know the background fully as to how he came to design it that way. It just seemed like a massive presumption on his part. Take this with a grain of salt though; a lot of people love them, and it’s easy to get around if you’ve got big hands.

One wired thing to look for: definitely put it through a big stress test with bends and dives. I was checking return to zero and general tuning stability, which was great, but the high E or B string went something like three semitones flat out of nowhere. I researched this, because I didn’t do anything crazy to cause that, and it turns out it’s a problem Strandberg owners have experienced, in which the mechanism that holds the strings at the headstock can somehow lose grip on the string and loosen, and I think I read the only fix involves new hardware, which only comes from them directly; you can’t even get parts from a dealer, in the United States, I was told. Especially since, as @Andy Eagle points out, their hardware is proprietary, that could possibly be a pain in the ass. Maybe it’s rare, but it did happen to me.
Appreciate the input on the bridge, I use a vibrato bridge for very light vibrato more than anything else - not much pulling.

I'd start at the ibanez quest, if that leaves you wanting more then pony up for a boden.
Seven string Quest is on-order... not sure about the slanted frets as it's not a multi-scale guitar but we'll see.

Look at an AZ premium or two for the same money .
The AZ224BCG is my next superstrat.


Anyone have any experience with the thru-neck vs. bolt-on or the HSX?
 
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