Sandberg Basic 5 Ken Taylor

This ia 2004 (i think?) Sandberg Ken Taylor Special 5
It is a 24 frets , 5 string bass with Wenge Top (with Matching Headstock) over a Mahogany Body.

It has pretty basic controls
Volume which is a push-pull and makes the bass passive-active
Pickup blender knob between neck and bridge Delano Humbuckers
3 Band EQ (Low-Mid-Hi) and a Coil-Split switch

Its has 2 Delano Humbuckers which are very aggressive with great great output. Its an active bass, working on a 9v battery.

It has a natural finish (Wenge top as i said)

Came with a Sandberg gig bag (really nice one actually )

This bass is freaking amazing. it just makes me play better and want to play more and more.

It sounds extremely beefy and has a great sound for whatever purpose i'm using it. from old Rock N' Roll to modern Groove metal/hardcore.

I'm going through an Artec Tuner -> Boss Old japanese flanger -> Maxon AF-9 AutoFilter and using a Markbass Little Mark 250 head with an Avatar 4x10 NEO Bass Cab

And this bass is TIGHT, just great sound to whatever you need.
The only thing i can notice about noisiness is i think theres a little hum when i'm in the middle pickup position but i think its a matter of electronics which can be resolved and it doesn't bother me much either way :)

I usually play pick and finger simultaneously, depends on the song.
I've used it in the studio and live and soundmans just keeps getting amazed at how great it sounds and the way it cuts the mix.

I love this bass in every way , i don't think i will need another bass for the next 10 year at least (:

I'm not sure about the factory action as it was sent to me from the US while the neck and body were apart so i had to set it up in my country. but still it feels amazingly well.

The bass didn't contain any problems and even my guitar technician said a sentence like "damn, these german know how to make their guitars" .

Just a high quality craftsmanship.

This bass withstands a huge amount of gigs every month, and we're talking about metal shows where you just run all over the stage and this little baby holds it up without a freakin' problem.

It seems like it will last forever, it feels amazing since the day i got it and i never had to fix it except for set-ups and string changing.

The strap buttons were changed to Straploks so i'm not sure about the originals.

My sandberg goes through setup every 6 months or so, but i do it not because its a necessity ... just because i feel my baby needs her treatment :)

I would and i do gig with it without a backup , it is extremely dependable and sounds great in every situation.

I often get asked what bass i'm using when getting off the stage.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing bass and electric guitar and as a session musician for the last 6 years, and this is an amazing bass in my opinion.

Just the best hand-crafted bass this kind of money can buy.

It it was stolen i would definitely get the same one except maybe putting a maple fretboard but thats a matter of taste :)

This bass is able to cut through any possible mix i've ever had live or in the studio, theres nothing i hate about it. and its beautiful. the Wenge top with the matching headstock makes this one stand out everywhere :) i always get compliments about it.

I have some recordings with it with my band:
http://myspace.com/godwrathband

You are most welcomed to check them :)

2002er Sandberg Basic Ken Taylor 5-String
5 String, 34" Longscale, 2 Delano SplitCoil Soapbars, Kluson Mechanics, 3-Band active EQ, Pickup Blend, Pickup Split Switch, a 3D-Bridge.

AMAZING!!!!! I CAN GET EVERYTONE I WANT!! exept that Fender Precision growl. But I know not one Bass that can really imitate that.

All adjustments were made carfully and very well. Just fine. The Body is Made of Ash, the Neck Rosewood.
It is handcraftet very good and completely handmade as well as all Sandberg basses are.

It seems very durable! And I treat my Intruments not the way I should =)

Very good... had a Problem, did one call... sent the Bass, they fixed it sent it back within a weak.

I think it is very good handcraftet Bass. Of course there are some Things which could be better, but not for the money. It has got the best value ever.
It is really cheap. if you concern it was handcraftet. It sound really good and looks sharp. I think i'll never play another Bass for the next 10 years.
Take a look at the Sandberg-Homepage.

This bass was made in 2002 in Germany. It has 24 frets and 5 strings. It's a solid top bass. Controls are volume, balance, treble, mid, bass. Pickup configuration is two Delano humbuckers, but one humbucker at a time can be switched to single coil. Electronics are active (9 V). Don't know body and neck materials. Finish is transparent. Body style is a bit like a Jazz bass but check out the Sandberg website for pictures. Hardware is Sandberg. Scale seems to be 34".

This bass will suit most music styles, except those who require a very trebly sound. I use a compressor with any of my basses. Electronics are a bit noisy whith treble boosted. The sound is well balanced, warm, not uterly bright but has a bite. The three way sound control in combination with two humbuckers which can be switched to single coils give loads of variantions. It can be used for both studio and live. I like the whole feel of playing it and the fact I don't need to turn down the treble as much as on other basses but I find the noise levels rather annoying, especially when I have to boost the treble. 9 because of the noise, otherwise 10. Then again I've never encountered a bass that bucked the hum as well as this one. I mean I was able to stand 1 m away from a running TV and no hum. Try that with a Warwick single coil (or even humbucker), so that noise may not so important after all. :)

I got it used, so I can say much about factory settings. I was able to setup the bass to my taste easily. Pickups were adjusted just fine. I could not find any flaws.

This is a very stury bass. Hardware looks like it will last forever. Finish does not look thin. I don't have the bass that long to wear anything off. Strap buttons are rock solid. I can depend on this bass. Truss rod adjustment is only necessary when I change gauge. I would use it on a gig without a backup but I always use backups in case a string breaks to save time.

I've had email contact with the company. The owner is very nice, but not overly responsive. Then again, all I asked was about a gig bag (it was missing since it was a used bass I got via eBay) and T-Shirts. Nothing important. No repairs needed so far. I hope it stays that way.

I play bass since 1987. I own basses from Warwick, Sandberg, Spector, Yamaha and a Zerberus but I used to own and play other brands as well. If my Sandberg Basic 5 Ken Taylor was stolen I would get one again. I love the ease of play, great feel and rich sound, however, I wish it was less noisy even though it's not too bad. The fact that those humbuckers do their jobs extremely well compensate for it. Sandberg definitely is an alternative to both Warwick and Esh, also from Germany. Their website is at http://www.sandberg-guitars.com/