Talk me out of (or into) buying a Strandberg Guitar

RoshRoslin

RoshRoslin

Power User
Hey All,
I've been doing some international travel to work with clients over in Europe and the UK. I have more travel on the horizon and am looking into better options for a travel guitar. I've toured all over using standard guitars. Both Les Pauls and Fender style guitars. Usually begging for the guitar to go into an overhead, storage/wardrobe locker etc. I'm currently in London with my Suhr Modern in a mono vertigo ultra gig bag. I got lucky and did the usual things like catching the last flight out of LA, checking in online as early as possible to not get seated in the last rows etc. Checked luggage has been clothing with either an FM3, a tech21 flyrig or sometimes even an Axe FX 3. I always travel with everything in various size pelican and pelican air cases

I'm looking ahead and trying to see if a Strandberg model may be something I can rely on in the future. Most of the smaller international airlines already force you to check even carry-on sized luggage and with it being small format, it has more of the "violin" vibe and may even count as a personal item or just fit much easier in overhead bins.

So, just seeing what everyone's experience has been in terms of travel with these guitars. I'm currently looking at the Alex Machacek signature model or some variant of it. Price isn't an issue and while the look may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's not a concern of mine. I'm just looking to avoid bringing my Les Pauls and Suhrs on the road for the forseeable future.
 
I’ve been in your shoes a couple of years back. Always petrified about traveling with my Suhr , wondering when they’d force me to check it in.
I got a strandberg NX6 with Suhr pickups before a set of dates that needed me to fly around. It really is like a violin, no one bats an eyelid. I can usually lay it on top of my other carry on or keep it with me in the seat , not making it too obvious. Never had a problem.
You really need to try the neck out though, it’s not for everyone. And you need a special stand which is a bit annoying, can’t use something from the venue.
 
I've got a few and they've been rock solid for me. The Endurneck seems to be a love/hate thing so if you can get your hands on one before that's the way to go. FWIW I've had no trouble setting my Strandbergs on normal guitar stands(the kind with three feet, a pair of arms for the bottom, and a neck holder towards the top).

If you play past the 17th fret often you might find the heel on the pre-NX models cumbersome(I do) however the newer models have more of the AANJ-style heel. The Plini model I have is the neck-through model and there's nothing in the way of the fretting hand at any point on the fretboard; it feels so good.
 

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Strandburg was showing off a new travel guitar prototype at NAMM. It may be worth the wait.
BTW. I bought, then sold a STrandburg Boden because I couldn't get used to the Endurneck. I second the advise to try to get your hands on one before buying.
 
I personally like them but the trans finishes are not durable. The multi scale frets on the 6 string are not particularly helpful and even though the inlays glow in the dark the ones on the fingerboard surface are not position well for clear viability in daylight (not helped on mine because of the heavy figure in the wood) . I need to look at them because of the parallax in the neck angle added to the frets angle. Now add the endurneck which I like but I doesn't add anything in terms of ergonomics over any flat backed D profile.
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The Ergonomics would also be better if the neck was set in deeper with a slight angle. The Boden Js are like this and it feels a lot better with the strings not so high off the body. The tone are good and versatile on this version with the Suhr SSH+ SV combination and 5 way switching. String changing is only ok and there are issues with the previous hardware. Tuner buttons fall off suddenly as you unscrew washers as well. The segmented locknut is garbage and moves if you tighten it even a bit over just holding a string. There is also a tiny disk that goes under the string. A few of these frankly unacceptable design flaws have beed corrected but not all of them. You also need to buy one you can see because QC is a bit variable. Oh and NX models have better hardware but seriously downgraded wood .
 
why strandberg? a steinberger spirit (cricket bat shape) would be 10x cheaper and even smaller. if you're not gigging with it, does it need to be all that?
 
I have a couple Strandbergs and one has been my main guitar since 2018. They're great in some ways but I'm selling them. The pros, for mine at least, have been stability, light weight, good tone, ergonomic body shape and control layout. The cons are medium jumbo frets (too short for my taste), poorly designed hardware (bridge and string locks), poor standing ergonomics due to strap button placement, and the neck profile doesn't fit my hand. About the neck, the problem for me is that the flat part is too narrow or too close to the treble side, like it was designed for people with shorter fingers than mine. When I go above the 12th my thumb ends up on the line between the flat part and the slope, nothing ergonomic about that.
 
biddilets said:
poorly designed hardware (bridge and string locks), poor standing ergonomics due to strap button placement
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biddilets said:
When I go above the 12th my thumb ends up on the line between the flat part and the slope, nothing ergonomic about that.
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My experience exactly.
Plus very badly constructed neck-2-body connection, which makes access to top frets harder than on Strats. I wish I ordered neck-thru back then.
 
Chromatizm said:
Take a look at https://aristidesinstruments.com/guitars/h-series, Rosh.
I have a very bad experience with a stability issues of Strandberg, and I've heard a few more stories on this. I tune it many times a day with a fixed bridge. The wood they use these days can be meh. Changing climates might cause you some stress with S's.
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Tuning stability is user error. The lock nut needs to be a lot tighter than they want to say because it makes the old lock nut segments loose.
It has little to no issues with climate because it is a three piece neck with carbon fibre reinforcement. The Ergonomics of the neck and multiscale on a 6 string is highly questionable.
 
biddilets said:
I have a couple Strandbergs and one has been my main guitar since 2018. They're great in some ways but I'm selling them. The pros, for mine at least, have been stability, light weight, good tone, ergonomic body shape and control layout. The cons are medium jumbo frets (too short for my taste), poorly designed hardware (bridge and string locks), poor standing ergonomics due to strap button placement, and the neck profile doesn't fit my hand. About the neck, the problem for me is that the flat part is too narrow or too close to the treble side, like it was designed for people with shorter fingers than mine. When I go above the 12th my thumb ends up on the line between the flat part and the slope, nothing ergonomic about that.
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Yes the fret size is odd considering the core market.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Tuning stability is user error. The lock nut needs to be a lot tighter than they want to say because it makes the old lock nut segments loose.
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So you are saying the guitar goes 15 cents [higher] or lower because the string wants to go "back" into the nut lock, right? And it happens almost every day, and I have to tune it more times a day than my other guitars in a week?
Here's a twist: for all strings at the same time?
And no matter how hard you tight the nut lock, i.e. there is no room to tighten it up, but it still a user error?
 
Chromatizm said:
So you are saying the guitar goes 15 cents [higher] or lower because the string wants to go "back" into the nut lock, right? And it happens almost every day, and I have to tune it more times a day than my other guitars in a week?
Here's a twist: for all strings at the same time?
And no matter how hard you tight the nut lock, i.e. there is no room to tighten it up, but it still a user error?
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Yes because I've never had a tuning issue on a Strandberg that is anything but user error. Fixed bridge with straight pull and a carbon reinforced neck is not going anywhere. You'r doing something wrong for sure or something loose in the bridge or nut failure. The guitar is not moving in the way you think because it can't.
 
Post some close up pictures of the bridge ant nut and we can try a figure out what the issues are and fix it because there is no logic to this so far.
If we do this in full public view Ola will need to get involved if there is anything really amiss.
 
As a starting point;
Restring it with the tuners removed and only a couple of turns on them before you fit the strings.
Also remove the lock screws and discs and make sure the screws are tight.
Then when you put the strings through the lock sections make sure they run over the disc and sit in the middle of the hole under a bit of tension as you tighten the hex screw. This is to ensure the string is as short as possible and clamped in the centre of the hex screw. If you bridge is tightened in place properly this will be the end of your problems.
 
Also, thank you to everyone providing their input so far.

For an update. I'm not particularly picky about necks and such. I usually travel with a set of tools and am competent with setups for different climates. (I also work/tour as a tech). And i'm used to getting absolutely atrocious backline guitars on the road that I have to rehab with minutes to spare.

I'm confident I can play whatever music is thrown at me on most guitars as long as they work and stay (generally) in tune.
 
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