Strandberg Fusion ?’s

Andy Eagle said:
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?
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I'm not trying to sell anything. I own and enjoy many different brands of guitars.

Your bit about the "painted zinc" hardware is simply wrong and had you bothered to look it up you'd learn that it's actually aircraft grade aluminum and remarkably durable.
 
jljesse said:
I'm not trying to sell anything. I own and enjoy many different brands of guitars.

Your bit about the "painted zinc" hardware is simply wrong and had you bothered to look it up you'd learn that it's actually aircraft grade aluminum and remarkably durable.
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Are you affiliated or not is a simple question, so yes or no.
The link you post is information I already had and only refers to the tuner housing . It carefully excludes listing the tremolo baseplate and the string lock housings. The trem base is probably zinc with a steel insert but there is no information on it and if you read my post is stated "LOOKS like painted zinc" . The original design was better but this one is a lot easier and cheaper to make.
Now as for the string lock housing, even if it is aluminium with a steel anvil at the base and a steel screw it still relies on a 3mm thread in the soft metal to hold the string .This is not going to last. As for your patronising and rude response about the trem not pulling up;
This is a known fault that happens and there is even a video about it on their web site. So an apology to members here would be a start for your incorrect calling out of BS.
Here is the problem on Strandbergs Website ;67-my-tremolo-will-not-pull-up-what-can-i-do.
You also fail to acknowledge any of my points about proprietary hardware (even many screws) being a potential issue particularly when it is so different and made of less durable materials than other guitars in the price point.
I look forward to your apology here to other members, your affiliation status with the company and acknowledgment of all the factually incorrect information and statements you made above.
 
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The trem works on a reverse concept compared to a Floyd Rose: the knives are on the posts. The bridge itself has 2 positions where the knives can make contact. Depending on the position which you choose (higher or lower), you get more or less range when using the whammy bar. The response (more or less aggressive) will also change.

I have a Boden 8 string and using the 23rd and 24th frets is clearly harder than on an Ibanez 6 string.

I am waiting for a 6 string Prog neck thru model to get back in stock myself.

IIRC most of the hardware is aluminum with stainless steel for the parts in contact with the string. You can also buy a trem block of another material on their site. I don't recall what the stock trem block is made of. Their support site has loads of information about what is made of what, how it works, and the rationale behind design choices.

I am looking into buying a 6 string strandberg because I like the sound of the 8 string, how easy it is to play (sometimes too easy, I had to change my left hand muting technique a little because of the low pressure needed to make notes ring), the sound even at lower volumes (probably due to the chambered body and the stainless steel frets and fretjob), and the low weight.

In my opinion, the current version of the hardware is kind of a nightmare for a guitar tech working on a tour: there are a lot of small parts. The newer design they launched today with the NX series improves quite a few things. If you play live shows, think about buying some extra screws. Which is not that much different than what you would need with a Floyd now that I think about it.

I am just a person writing, playing, and recording music at home. I used to play live regularly in clubs and festivals. I have also worked as guitar tech for top artists. I am not affiliated with strandberg or any other company in the music or instrument field.

I hope this long post helps clearing out some of the doubts raised in this thread.

EDIT: you can buy the HSX, I forgot to write that :) https://strandbergguitars.com/product/strandberg-hsx-hyper-single-coil-circuit/
 
I do remember thinking that on the six string I played that it had great upper fret access, which is always something specific I look for. @GiRa I'm guessing then that the person whose Strandberg I played just had their trem set in the wrong position for pull ups. I had asked him if all Strandbergs are like that, and he said yes haha, that they're just dive-only guitars! It's funny, I don't take salespeople's word for anything else, but he said he has owned several guitars in this brand, and was getting really specific about everything else, so I thought, maybe he's a prick, but he seems to know this brand pretty well. I guess this is just another example of why I usually instead try to gain consensus from forums for anything relatively important to me. That aspect, that you can in fact pull up if it's set for the correct position, I guess the right slot for the knife edge, is very cool, and I'm with you on the need to have spare parts. I still feel burned by the Floyd Speedloader, so I reluctantly have mostly resigned myself to sticking with hardware where I can get parts for at least a couple of different places.

@Andy Eagle The idea of soft metal dealing with the tension of strings is something that's always bugged me. That was one thing Bill Edwards was telling me over the phone about his nuts, that he makes sure to use something that won't have grooves in it after a little while; I remember that you have found those not to work well regardless. But for these screws on a Strandberg, it does confound me if they are using any kind of soft metal around where strings are held in place. These guitars seem so thoughtfully engineered in so many respects, I hate to see extremely important details like that fall by the wayside. Of course, I have no idea how widespread the problem I encountered is; it could really be something rare, or even some kind of user error, maybe stripping the screw or the slot or something like that.
 
GiRa said:
I am waiting for a 6 string Prog neck thru model to get back in stock myself.
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GiRa, I’m not sure whether or not that model will ever be back in production. I was paying towards one for four months at Sweetwater, and halfway through August the word came through that it was “No Longer Available.”

I switched my order to a DR Titanium they had in stock, which I absolutely love – still, I’d really like to also have a Strandberg with a trem bridge. (I am completely sold on Strandbergs … I’m selling my customized Strat; it feels like an anchor around my neck now.)

Just today, Strandberg rolled out their new NX line. Among them are the new Prog NX 6 and Prog NX 7. They both incorporate innovations from the DR, including a modified bolt-on configuration for enhanced access. I’ve been very happy with that aspect of my DR, and will decide next week if there’s a Prog NX 7 in my future. (Just between us? Chances are good.)

To make a long story short, I think the modified bolt-on may be taking the place of the neck-thru in their product line. I can’t know for sure, but the complete cancellation of my NT order would seem to indicate so.

P.S. – the new Progs and Fusions are made of Sassafras (!) with a maple top, plus a figured maple veneer. Non-roasted maple neck with a Richlite fretboard, like the DR (except the DR does have a roasted neck.)
 
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I just read the NX improvements, and those are very very promising. It makes me want to try one of I’ll ever find one in a store again, although I’m still antsy about very proprietary parts. Regardless, from the neck heel to the new nut, to the new adjustments on the trem, I’m very interested.
 
I see the new NX hardware acknowledges the shortcomings of previous ill advised design choices by a completely redesigned lock nut and an increase is size of some of the parts and bolts that were not fit for purpose. Still a bit of a way to go before we see the threaded housings that are subject to string tension being steel. Also why the Eppiphone quality top on guitars of this price from the Far East???
 
randyman said:
I was paying towards one for four months at Sweetwater, and halfway through August the word came through that it was “No Longer Available.”
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Ouch, yesterday during the livestream presenting the NX they wrote a comment in the line of "NX are not replacing the neck throughs".
I can only hope.
 
I bought a Boden 6 directly from Strandberg, it was a huge disappointment. The maple top had some sort of glue type substance rubbed into it just below the pickups. Those tiny metal shims in the nut were a nightmare when changing strings. The volume and tone knobs were loose and looked like the cost 20c each. It played and sounded well but the quality of the guitar was shockingly bad, it was sent back.
 
GiRa said:
Ouch, yesterday during the livestream presenting the NX they wrote a comment in the line of "NX are not replacing the neck throughs".
I can only hope.
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Glad to hear that – my speculations seem to have been off base.
 
Musikron said:
I keep wanting a Strandberg, but the hardware looks like a point of failure and not easy to remedy, do haven't. That and the fact they are horribly overpriced for a import.
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I would buy one too but the for the same issues. I think the non trem NX is the best bet of the range from a value and hardware perspective. The fixed bridge is less likely to have serious issues down the line.
I keep seeing bad fret dressing on them too which means you would have to find one in a shop in person. Over beveled fret ends and too much off the top leaving a big flat .
 
Musikron said:
I keep wanting a Strandberg, but the hardware looks like a point of failure and not easy to remedy, do haven't. That and the fact they are horribly overpriced for a import.
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I was also worried about the hardware and all the screws and stuff, then I realized which is the same thing with a Flody Rose or a Fender trem.
It's not a huge expense to buy some extra saddles and screws. If you gig, it's a must no matter what hardware your guitar has in my opinion.
 
GiRa said:
I was also worried about the hardware and all the screws and stuff, then I realized which is the same thing with a Flody Rose or a Fender trem.
It's not a huge expense to buy some extra saddles and screws. If you gig, it's a must no matter what hardware your guitar has in my opinion.
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I think it's close to the same as a Floyd or Fender, except with a Floyd or Fender you can get parts from a ton of different places, sometimes even in stores, but for Strandberg, I think they are the only source. That could be fine, because they might be awesome and responsive to customers, and careful to keep enough inventory, but I've been badly burned by stuff you could only get from one place, so it just makes me a little hesitant.
 
GiRa said:
I was also worried about the hardware and all the screws and stuff, then I realized which is the same thing with a Flody Rose or a Fender trem.
It's not a huge expense to buy some extra saddles and screws. If you gig, it's a must no matter what hardware your guitar has in my opinion.
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BUT, you just don't need to carry spares for fender hardware and Floyd Rose parts are hardened steel (the original ). Also all but the string saddle bolts are standard hardware store items. It is probably an idea to have a few string clamp blocks but that's all. The issue is all Strandberg hardware has critical load baring threads in small diameters cut in to aluminium or what ever the base plate of the trem is and I still would guess zinc. the fact that the string clamp is not steel bodied is problematic at best .
 
I will have a Boden Original 6 in next week so I will photograph it .It is getting a full once over .
This is probably the best production model if you don't count the Boden J .
It has the full thickness AAAAflame maple top, ash body and Suhr pickups. Also a roasted neck.
I see the the new NX has some significant downgrades in speck along with the better hardware and nicer neck joint.
Sassafras, veneer top and a non roasted neck will all save quit a bit of cost.
 
Andy Eagle said:
I will have a Boden Original 6 in next week so I will photograph it .It is getting a full once over .
This is probably the best production model if you don't count the Boden J .
It has the full thickness AAAAflame maple top, ash body and Suhr pickups. Also a roasted neck.
I see the the new NX has some significant downgrades in speck along with the better hardware and nicer neck joint.
Sassafras, veneer top and a non roasted neck will all save quit a bit of cost.
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Now this assessment I must know!

I glanced at the window while practicing last night and caught a glimpse of my reflection, noting that my fretting hand thumb position changing depending on the lick and the feel. I knew this, but it’s interesting for me to see it. I need to look back at the original blog and see why Ola thought there is only one proper position for the thumb; that part still confounds me. But I guess it works for a lot of people, that’s what matters. And, like I wrote, I found it easy to place my thumb above his guide when I tried it.
 
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