I love how despite not being into some design choices behind the gear you're literally doing all you can to distinct your preferences from the quality of the product because we all are into different things. Best gear reviews out there.
I feel bad that no one is mentioning underoath is the headliner😂 I do honestly feel like loathe and periphery kinda stole the show, at least at my venue, but idk wasn't really feeling it when underoath came on, I did see lots of people having the time of their lives when they started playing tho, so maybe I just don't like underoath that much (i dont but theyre cool and not bad by any means)
what you said about not liking the sound is exactly why I love how this guitar sounds. It has some unique depth to it that is unmistakable in my opinion. There are some Japanese Strandbergs that have the pickups completely straight and this effect is even stronger!
As someone who owns 3 Strandbergs, they aren't for everyone, and they do take some getting used to. Don't feel bad if you don't bond with it. There are plenty of people who would be more than happy to have it.
The bridge pickup point is actually really interesting, it would make a tone of difference, never played a strandberg but I have always been interested in them
you're 100% allowed to not like something, if anyone flames you for having a preference they're not worth listening to. Everything you listed is just preference and you're being incredibly respectful of explaining your gripes while also pointing out what it does well.
My strandberg was a lifesaver for me thanks to the neck (have carpal tunnel), but it’s definitely not for everyone. It’s tailored more towards the tighter kinds of music. Rapid response, easy playing, a neck that encourages good technique throughout several hours of practice, low weight for maximum comfort, and so on. It was originally designed around exclusively ergonomics, and the prog metal community picked it up fast due to the ergonomics making it much more reasonable to play upwards of 10-12 hours a day locking in a song or technique. For me, (sälen jazz) I use it for jazz and a bit of fusion, and it’s amazing for that. In something like deathcore i think the strandberg works, but it’s not going to shine in the same way. The guitar is more flexible than people give it credit for, but if you want a very specific sound you are going to want a guitar tailored to it
How is the neck and 20" fretboard radius like when holding complex, stretchy jazz chords and that kind of stuff? I hear a lot of people say that a rounder fretboard radius is better for chords, but Holdsworth seemed to make it work, so I don't know. I haven't been able to try one myself, but I'm really curious about the Strandbergs since I have tendonitis and I'm not young anymore, so I want a more ergonomic guitar.
I don’t think you’ll be flamed. Not by anyone who’s played one (and you shouldn’t be flamed by people who haven’t). They’re definitely different in both feel and sound and just not for everyone. They are absolutely well made no doubt, but they have their own thing going. Personally my biggest hang up was the neck profile too.
A someone who owns both a Boden 7 and an H0/8, I somehow agree with your thoughts on the sound. It is very mid heavy and sometimes hard to mix, it works in some contexts and doesn't in others. As you mentioned, the Endurneck is either a love or hate thing. It works great if you play leads, but when you add the very flat radius it makes some stuff harder to play sometimes.
Nice to hear an honest review. I’d look at different pickups but, that clanky tone mixed with very different pickups is something I’ve loved about Strandberg.
i have a boden nx7, and personally i absolutely love it, but i can also very much see how it is not for everyone. Imo the best feature isnt actually the neck, its the cutaway next to the tone knob that allows you to play in a position way closer to standing while keeping the guitar very stable.
Two main things I love about the strandberg: the neck design and the cutaway near the tone knob, which makes easier to play in sitting position, giving you the ability to hold the guitar at roughly a 45 degree angle.
Those necks do feel awkward, and if you don't like the sound either... It's for a select user group. I have a fan fret eight with Fishmans, it play nice and comfy, to me. My only 8 string so I've only lived with this 8. The pups are high output with much sustain and compression. Works for me.
Richard Henshall from Haken has a signature model with Strandberg and I really want THAT model. It's killer. I think maybe these are more tailored for the progressive side of the 8 string world where, like you said, there is more detail and articulation. 🤘🤘
I ended up liking them so much that I own 7. Last year, I went to GC while they were installing hangers for 2 new Strandbergs, I picked up the NX Prog 7 and was immediately sold.
Strandbergs just seem like one of those guitars you get that you either love them or hate them. Unless it’s kinda where I get one for free or an amazing deal, I think I’m good with what I have.
I’m a chugg thug too. Woefully under qualified to play a Strandberg, and yet, it is my favorite guitar I’ve ever played. I can’t even see myself buying other brands at this point. Ya like what ya like I guess.
Respect the honest review! Anymore, I hardly notice the trapezoidal shape when moving back and forth between my Plini model and other guitars. It definitely felt strange at first though.
I feel you’re right about the pickup angle. That’s why I ordered a 18 degrees angle bridge pickup from Lundgren (Black Heaven) for my DIY 8 string project. I keep the same scale lengths and neutral fret as the Boden 8 but I change the angle of the pickups.
Dude, I just tried a 7 string Strandberg that my friend got and it turns out that the neck profile is suuuuper inconvenient if you want to play the high frets on the low B and E strings. It was definitely built with a lead guitar player in mind, or someone who only likes to riff in the first 5-ish frets.
I used to put my thumb over the top of the neck. When I got my first strandberg (it was an older model with a thicker and even more angular neck than the current models) it bothered my thumb and even hurt at times. It didn’t take long before the discomfort caused me to unintentionally change how I held the neck. And I realized my new grip kept my wrist straighter which resulted in less tension in my hand and the angle of my fingers gave me better access to the fretboard. Because of the neck, the bridge, the weight and the under cuts that force you to seat the guitar properly when you’re sitting, Strandberg guitars made me a better player by improving my technique and allowing me to play for extended periods of time with less stress on my body. They’re pretty much the only guitars I play now. The pickup distance from the bridge on the 8 string does seem odd. I play seven string and those models have the pickup much closer to the bridge.
as a strandberg boden owner your points are very valid. The enduraneck design definitely takes getting used to, took me like a month to get comfortable with it but now regular necks feel odd to me lol its definitely not a guitar everyone will love but one I think everyone should try at least once. Also absolutely love how light it is
you should check out NAZARE, their guitarist Yoh has 4 8 string Strandbergs and makes them sound great imo. they are sweden custom shops though so that might make a significant difference
i bought a Boden 8 used from my local guitar store and took it back after a week because i could not get on with the Endurneck or the fanned frets. I just could not get on with it. I will say though that it had faultless build quality and the EMG pickups in it sounded great, I just could not play it for longer than an hour at a time without my hand cramping up. Strandberg has a really internally coherent design philisophy and I want to try their 6 & 7 string models to see if a less extreme fan would help with playability, but the 8 was just too much in my hands. I ended up getting a used Ibanez RG8 and swapping out the stock pickups for a Dimarzio PAF 8 and Ionizer 8, my hands are much happier for that decision.
So in my experience with my NX8 Metal (I do play deathcore-ish stuff and chugs most of the time) it can handle every situation very good imo. Usually i‘m in drop E but for some stuff I go -3 semitones or -7 so C# or double drop A. In the beginning I had problems with the neck but only because I was so used to my Schecter Damien platinum 8. On the schecter I had wrist pain fairly often and for the same within the first couple of days with the strandberg but after that never again, because I adjusted my playing to fit the neck shape and it helped. Oh and for me the guitar basically plays by itself. It’s amazing All in all I can say I’ve never been happier with a guitar, even though I tried some Ibanez, Mayones or Hapas guitars (humanities last breath play hapas). But for me the strandberg does it the best and also does it all. From clean, to lead, to thumpy and especially just st00pid chugging. Maybe in the video the sound just was not suited for the guitar. I found out wat works the best for me in my helix with pre eq, boost and mostly the impulse response is crucial. :)
I don’t think anyone should be afraid of getting backlash for not liking an instrument. There are a lot of features that I personally love about strandberg guitars, but I can totally see how other people would not like those same features. This was a great video, and it’s awesome to see people giving honest, constructive opinions about gear 🤘🏻
I feel the same way Andrew, and it's kind of a bummer because strandberg was my dream guitar for years. Playing metalcore/hardcore/deathcore, I need to push the tone a bit with EQ around the high range because it just doesn't have the bite needed for this genres (something that never happens with my 6string ibanez).
I have a 7 strings Strandberg. I did change the pickups to Bareknuckles and now I love how it sounds. For the Endurneck, I got used to it, but yeah the first days my bends and solo playing was a bit awkward. But the 2 most annoying things about the strandberg are 1) the straplock position that just stabs my chest. I moved it to the side like a strat and now it's way more comfortable and 2) the things on the "head" that lock the strings that are super sharp, so when you slide down for some fierce riffing, you might hurt your index finger on the high E string head locking thing. If you consider buying a strandberg, make sure to see if those things annoye you or not :) ! But I must say, after 3 years having it, it's my favorite guitar.
Great playing/review! Totally align with your pickup criticism. Straight away in your demo I thought it sounded very single-coily and figured you'd flipped a switch. Those tones are great but if it's impossible to get a humbucker tone out of a humbucker after paying that money... that would hurt lol. But that part is definitely subjective!
I owned the predecessor to this (an Original 8) and noticed the same thing about the bridge pickup - I just couldn’t get the kind of chugs out of it that I expected. The Enduraneck felt a little weird too on the 8-string, but I can work fine with it on 6-string strandbergs. I ended up selling it after several months and bought a different fan-fret 8-string with a more traditional neck carve and passive BKP bridge pickup and it was just way better for me
Yo i had a set of fishmens in my schecter v and I had a very similar issue..I opened the back panel and noticed one of the white wire wasn't fully soldered where it should be. A quick solder fix and bam..no more weird split sound in the bridge position.
I fully agree with your criticism regarding the regressive angling of the bridge pickup. I have multiple Strandbergs, kept one stock, and modified the other. On the one which I've modified, the first modification I made was to re-angle the bridge pickup. I performed this modification on one of the old Korean-made OS-L models, with those controversial Lace Alumitone pickups, which I know are much less well-suited to heavily-overdriven metal tones, due to their susceptibility to feedback - I personally defend them, since I keep my OD down to a moderate level - but even the Boden Metal series didn't re-angle the bridge pickup to align with what I am pretty certain the majority of player preferences happens to be. Regarding your growing pains with the Endurneck, you gotta work on your technique. Keep that thumb on the back of the neck, where it belongs :P
I play chuggy deathcore on a Boden 8. I switched out the Fishmans for Lundgrens though. I was expecting you to mention the chambered body as a possible reason for it not sounding as chunky, because I wonder that sometimes. But tbh with the right cab/IR it sounds fat af so I’m not convinced that it matters much.
I agree with your opinions. Regarding tone: I've noticed similar with Fluences. I don't think the Fluence Moderns are necessarily bad for chugging, but every guitar I've tried them in has been bad at chugging. The endurneck doesn't bother me, but I don't think it feels better, either. I've given them a pretty good try, too, and I never got more used to it after three months than I was after 3 minutes.
I own a Boden Classic 8 with Fishman Abasi's and I loveeeeeee the way it plays but yes due to the pickup position I find the tone a bit "quacky" and less chuggy. It's a great lead instrument but I always go back to my custom RG8 for all rhythm tracking.
Theres different types of playing the endure neck, when i had my Strandberg i started using the flat part of the neck that guided my hand to reach all strings.
Love your review. Would be interesting to see how you feel about a 6 string model. As for 8 strings, it is something i would like to have again. Had borrowed a cheap on and had a lot of fun.
I've got a Strandberg Boden 8 string. My least favorite thing about it is the neck. I've got a Harley Benton 8 string that I can play for hours. I can only play the Strandberg for a few minutes before my hand starts cramping up.
Dude. So, I have the same guitar in charcoal black, and while the tone wasn't an issue for me, the Endurneck is definitely a mixed bag. I feel like, in theory, it allows you to do some things with less effort because of how the flat surface can reduce tension. But, is there really any evidence that this reduces tension more than just a nice thing C-shaped neck? I also really dislike that the neck is so much fatter toward the "headstock." And some things are definitely harder to do because you have to sort of navigate the different surfaces of the neck. I recently procured a Kiesel 8-string multiscale Aries, and I like it a lot more than the Strandberg. I like the fan better (same fan, slightly different scale lengths and different parallel fret), I like the neck a lot better (both the profile and the tung oil finish), I like the frets better (stainless jumbo vs. med-jumbo on the Strandberg), it's just as well balanced, and the body contour is more comfy. I also wanted to like Strandberg, and you're on the money that they're really well made, it's just not quite the GOAT guitar for me either.
The caught stuff you did on voice 1 and 2 on the bridge sounds kinda like ERRA. I’m actually going to build a guitar similar to this myself, and I appreciate your thoughts!
I own 7 strings metal nx and i absolutely love it. Its seems like people love it or hate it. Ive tried some 8 strings and every guitar except strandberg feels like a damn surfboard. Never noticed how bad is pickup placement at 8 strings, it really doesnt feel so good. And yeah, black anodized hardware wears off quite easy, my knobs starts looking like shit after just 3 months.
Stranbergs are those kinds of guitars that it's a better idea to try in a store or if your friend has one to see if you like the feel first it's one thing to be told how it feels but holding and playing it is another
i'm not sure what it is either, but the Strandbergs I've had the opportunity to play just feel like... 75% out of 100% resonance and lacks output. Even with different pickup configs and different EQ tones, IMO they lack a certain "mojo" when it comes to their 7 & 8 strings models. but with that being said, Had a chance to play the 6 string Koa Plini sig model few years back and it was a cool concept with the specs, featherweight shred stick with endurneck was fun and easy on the back, but just couldn't vibe with the ERG Strandbergs, but cheers to giving it a shot!
I wish they would give us a few more choices with pickup.. Would be nice to get a set of Lungren's instead of the fishman's I feel it would tame the weird honky mid sound somewhat!
I had a 6-string Boden Original. I was very hyped waaay before I could afford to buy it and once I got it I loved it a lot but after a while it started to feel like a dead chunk of wood. The sustain just wasn't there and the feel of the guitar was somehow clunky. I tried different kind of setups, replaced the pickups and got the frets leveled but I still couldn't get over the feeling of how dead it sounded. I sold it after a couple of years. My friend has a 7-string Boden Original and somehow that one feels way better to play.
Dude, I thought the same thing with mine. It took awhile to dial something in that I liked with my FM3. Fortunately the FM3 is a tweakers dream so I ultimately found something and I'll definitely be keeping mine and those fishmans are very unforgiving so I think it's gonna make me tighten up my playing.
Being a variant of the V-neck style (as in, 1940's cowboy chord guitar, not the Gib-V of 58), this neck is more likely to appeal to those who've got a classical (nylon string) background, or those of us who grew up on old, pre-60's gear. As soon as I saw you demo your 'thumb-sliding experience, I knew that neck wasn't for you. While I don't own a Strandberg, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't ever find my thumb on the bass-strings side of the neck. It's a very different hand position, but it works well for certain playing styles. And of course, to each their own. Perhaps it's like.... sauerkraut and habanero : for some, it is "the joy of fermented-acidic flavor opening up the tastebuds then being slammed by the combo of fruity+intense capsaicin" ... and to others its "sour and omg-my-tongue-is-on-fire". Nice review tho. Good stuff.
O'ly hell dude, that guitar has a sick hum-diing sound though! ;-) I did the reverse choise of you in regards to the Music man, and Strandberg - I get really good chop sounds and clarity on the first pick-up though! After getting the NX8 I started now playing with my thumb below the trapeze, and it pretty much forces me to use better technique, and thus now, i have an easier flow throughout the fretboard. So i can really recommend thumb below the trapeze, especially down below the 12 fret.
Strandbergs are cool but I feel like they charge a bit too much for their import line. It also seems like they have a lot of qc issues for guitars at that price point. Design is great though.
I personally can't get on with the endure neck. It just feels so square and uncomfortable to me. plus, on mine the neck is way thicker at the 1st fret then at the 12 and the extreme taper of the thickness feels so wrong. Other issues for me were: 1) The coil split function is pretty useless too imho because the fluence moderns don't use traditional coils and aren't designed to be split. 2) Tuning is a pain due to the tuners being nigh impossible to turn without a wrench. 3) Changing strings is a pain for multiple reasons. 4) the price isn't justified either imho. It seems a lot of the costs comes from the proprietary hardware, which I can't imagine being easy (or cheap) to replace if something ever broke on it.
Hey Andrew, I owned an older 8 string Boden (when they were equipped with Lace pups, Aluma-X's I think) Personally, the Strandberg design just didn't do it for me with the neck shape, either. I love the build quality, they play wonderfully, but their just not for me.
Headless guitars are always a coin flip for me. On the one hand, I had a Strandberg 7 and it was phenomenal. On the other hand, I feel like it was lacking a little in tone, but it could have just been the pickups. Also Andrew, I was gonna ask. I’m thinking of an Aristides H/08. Do you have a better opinion on their headless as opposed to Strandberg?
It is hard for me to believe that any guitar manufactured in Indonesia is worth $2500. Indonesian guitars do NOT get the same quality control of the South Korean counterparts. Regardless these import guitars are not manufactured to the same standard and level that $2k and up guitars made in Japan or the US. In the same price point a Keisel headless is a much higher quality instrument, with nicer finishes and WAY better fit and finish. Just my personal experience.
Instead of a full demo mix, can we get a demo on tape with only 4 tracks max recorded live. Then burned to cassette. Then uploaded and converted to mp3.
First of all, loving the song choice. I feel like Stranger Things doesn't get brought up enough for how damn good it is. It's probably one of the most complete songs in the genre, front to back, imo. Also, dope review, man. Nice to see someone able to point out a guitar's drawbacks in their opinion without turning it into a smear campaign or conversely just not doing a review at all. It kinda irks me when a channel won't green light any reviews or demos where they're not overwhelmingly positive. It's OK to dislike something based on opinion and separate it from objective quality, and it's nice knowing what someone in my genre/I respect feels are pluses and minuses in a guitar that might save me some money/headaches - or encourage a buy, because someone's drawback might be another person's preference. Like a big old fat neck on a vintage Tele, for example.
I have one with the TT frets. The only good thing about it are the frets & fingerboard. The rest is bad parts, bad paint bad design, bad quality control, bad construction. Could have been good...just a total fail...walk the other direction...fast.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I love how despite not being into some design choices behind the gear you're literally doing all you can to distinct your preferences from the quality of the product because we all are into different things. Best gear reviews out there.
BUT ITS GREEEEEMMM REEEEEE
Periphery 🙌
Just saw them live with LOATHE. Both, incredible. Loathe though…🤯
Loathe is so good, my favorite band atm 🤘
they were both so good live, wish they had longer sets though. (even though they played reptile)
@@Dyeslexic same! I was wanting to hear a lot more from Periphery.
I feel bad that no one is mentioning underoath is the headliner😂 I do honestly feel like loathe and periphery kinda stole the show, at least at my venue, but idk wasn't really feeling it when underoath came on, I did see lots of people having the time of their lives when they started playing tho, so maybe I just don't like underoath that much (i dont but theyre cool and not bad by any means)
@@ianwaking bro dont feel bad, i didnt even stay for underoath
what you said about not liking the sound is exactly why I love how this guitar sounds.
It has some unique depth to it that is unmistakable in my opinion. There are some Japanese Strandbergs that have the pickups completely straight and this effect is even stronger!
I played one of these at my local guitar center and it was the most comfortable guitar I’ve ever played
That's crazy they had one there!!
@@brandonTHEshiadosthere a Stranberg dealer so not super uncommon
@@brandonTHEshiadosthey still have one there.
Surprised it’s still there.
have you by any chance tried a legator headless? If so, how would it compare the strandberg?
@@mykindom666 a bit late but I just played a legator 7 string and it was very comfy
it's bizarre but also extremely refreshing to see someone give a 100% honest review of a guitar like this
This is my favorite rhythm tone I've heard from you
As someone who owns 3 Strandbergs, they aren't for everyone, and they do take some getting used to. Don't feel bad if you don't bond with it. There are plenty of people who would be more than happy to have it.
The bridge pickup point is actually really interesting, it would make a tone of difference, never played a strandberg but I have always been interested in them
you're 100% allowed to not like something, if anyone flames you for having a preference they're not worth listening to. Everything you listed is just preference and you're being incredibly respectful of explaining your gripes while also pointing out what it does well.
My strandberg was a lifesaver for me thanks to the neck (have carpal tunnel), but it’s definitely not for everyone. It’s tailored more towards the tighter kinds of music. Rapid response, easy playing, a neck that encourages good technique throughout several hours of practice, low weight for maximum comfort, and so on. It was originally designed around exclusively ergonomics, and the prog metal community picked it up fast due to the ergonomics making it much more reasonable to play upwards of 10-12 hours a day locking in a song or technique.
For me, (sälen jazz) I use it for jazz and a bit of fusion, and it’s amazing for that. In something like deathcore i think the strandberg works, but it’s not going to shine in the same way. The guitar is more flexible than people give it credit for, but if you want a very specific sound you are going to want a guitar tailored to it
How is the neck and 20" fretboard radius like when holding complex, stretchy jazz chords and that kind of stuff? I hear a lot of people say that a rounder fretboard radius is better for chords, but Holdsworth seemed to make it work, so I don't know. I haven't been able to try one myself, but I'm really curious about the Strandbergs since I have tendonitis and I'm not young anymore, so I want a more ergonomic guitar.
I don’t think you’ll be flamed. Not by anyone who’s played one (and you shouldn’t be flamed by people who haven’t). They’re definitely different in both feel and sound and just not for everyone. They are absolutely well made no doubt, but they have their own thing going. Personally my biggest hang up was the neck profile too.
It’s just a guitar tbh it’s not much different than any other so I don’t get what you mean. I love my Boden 8
A someone who owns both a Boden 7 and an H0/8, I somehow agree with your thoughts on the sound. It is very mid heavy and sometimes hard to mix, it works in some contexts and doesn't in others. As you mentioned, the Endurneck is either a love or hate thing. It works great if you play leads, but when you add the very flat radius it makes some stuff harder to play sometimes.
Nice to hear an honest review. I’d look at different pickups but, that clanky tone mixed with very different pickups is something I’ve loved about Strandberg.
i have a boden nx7, and personally i absolutely love it, but i can also very much see how it is not for everyone.
Imo the best feature isnt actually the neck, its the cutaway next to the tone knob that allows you to play in a position way closer to standing while keeping the guitar very stable.
Two main things I love about the strandberg: the neck design and the cutaway near the tone knob, which makes easier to play in sitting position, giving you the ability to hold the guitar at roughly a 45 degree angle.
Those necks do feel awkward,
and if you don't like the sound either...
It's for a select user group.
I have a fan fret eight with Fishmans, it play nice and comfy, to me. My only 8 string so I've only lived with this 8. The pups are high output with much sustain and compression. Works for me.
Richard Henshall from Haken has a signature model with Strandberg and I really want THAT model. It's killer. I think maybe these are more tailored for the progressive side of the 8 string world where, like you said, there is more detail and articulation. 🤘🤘
Great band 🤟
I appreciate your honest thoughts
Honestly thought this was the best tone I've heard from you , sounded killer , articulate and defined and heavy as heck
I ended up liking them so much that I own 7. Last year, I went to GC while they were installing hangers for 2 new Strandbergs, I picked up the NX Prog 7 and was immediately sold.
Strandbergs just seem like one of those guitars you get that you either love them or hate them. Unless it’s kinda where I get one for free or an amazing deal, I think I’m good with what I have.
Agreed, I love them and I want to buy one so badly
@@bolillo5013 I hope you get one! They are cool but just not my style of cool! But I hope you get an awesome one soon!
I loved mine. It was so comfortable to play. Had to sell it but I'm definitely buying another soon.
I’m a chugg thug too. Woefully under qualified to play a Strandberg, and yet, it is my favorite guitar I’ve ever played. I can’t even see myself buying other brands at this point. Ya like what ya like I guess.
Respect the honest review! Anymore, I hardly notice the trapezoidal shape when moving back and forth between my Plini model and other guitars. It definitely felt strange at first though.
I feel you’re right about the pickup angle. That’s why I ordered a 18 degrees angle bridge pickup from Lundgren (Black Heaven) for my DIY 8 string project. I keep the same scale lengths and neutral fret as the Boden 8 but I change the angle of the pickups.
Dude, I just tried a 7 string Strandberg that my friend got and it turns out that the neck profile is suuuuper inconvenient if you want to play the high frets on the low B and E strings. It was definitely built with a lead guitar player in mind, or someone who only likes to riff in the first 5-ish frets.
Just got to 12:25 this is exactly what I was talking about! Really uncomfortable design if you play this style!
I used to put my thumb over the top of the neck. When I got my first strandberg (it was an older model with a thicker and even more angular neck than the current models) it bothered my thumb and even hurt at times. It didn’t take long before the discomfort caused me to unintentionally change how I held the neck. And I realized my new grip kept my wrist straighter which resulted in less tension in my hand and the angle of my fingers gave me better access to the fretboard. Because of the neck, the bridge, the weight and the under cuts that force you to seat the guitar properly when you’re sitting, Strandberg guitars made me a better player by improving my technique and allowing me to play for extended periods of time with less stress on my body. They’re pretty much the only guitars I play now.
The pickup distance from the bridge on the 8 string does seem odd. I play seven string and those models have the pickup much closer to the bridge.
as a strandberg boden owner your points are very valid. The enduraneck design definitely takes getting used to, took me like a month to get comfortable with it but now regular necks feel odd to me lol its definitely not a guitar everyone will love but one I think everyone should try at least once. Also absolutely love how light it is
One fairly important spec to mention would be the scale length(s).
28" to 26.5"
you should check out NAZARE, their guitarist Yoh has 4 8 string Strandbergs and makes them sound great imo. they are sweden custom shops though so that might make a significant difference
i bought a Boden 8 used from my local guitar store and took it back after a week because i could not get on with the Endurneck or the fanned frets. I just could not get on with it. I will say though that it had faultless build quality and the EMG pickups in it sounded great, I just could not play it for longer than an hour at a time without my hand cramping up. Strandberg has a really internally coherent design philisophy and I want to try their 6 & 7 string models to see if a less extreme fan would help with playability, but the 8 was just too much in my hands.
I ended up getting a used Ibanez RG8 and swapping out the stock pickups for a Dimarzio PAF 8 and Ionizer 8, my hands are much happier for that decision.
So in my experience with my NX8 Metal (I do play deathcore-ish stuff and chugs most of the time) it can handle every situation very good imo. Usually i‘m in drop E but for some stuff I go -3 semitones or -7 so C# or double drop A. In the beginning I had problems with the neck but only because I was so used to my Schecter Damien platinum 8. On the schecter I had wrist pain fairly often and for the same within the first couple of days with the strandberg but after that never again, because I adjusted my playing to fit the neck shape and it helped.
Oh and for me the guitar basically plays by itself. It’s amazing
All in all I can say I’ve never been happier with a guitar, even though I tried some Ibanez, Mayones or Hapas guitars (humanities last breath play hapas). But for me the strandberg does it the best and also does it all. From clean, to lead, to thumpy and especially just st00pid chugging.
Maybe in the video the sound just was not suited for the guitar. I found out wat works the best for me in my helix with pre eq, boost and mostly the impulse response is crucial. :)
Yeah the trapezoidal neck is uncomfortable for me too. I need flat like Ibanez or ESP
I don’t think anyone should be afraid of getting backlash for not liking an instrument. There are a lot of features that I personally love about strandberg guitars, but I can totally see how other people would not like those same features. This was a great video, and it’s awesome to see people giving honest, constructive opinions about gear 🤘🏻
I feel the same way Andrew, and it's kind of a bummer because strandberg was my dream guitar for years. Playing metalcore/hardcore/deathcore, I need to push the tone a bit with EQ around the high range because it just doesn't have the bite needed for this genres (something that never happens with my 6string ibanez).
I love this guitar
Hi! I'm undecided between the Ibanez Rgdms8 and this Strandberg, which is the most comfortable? considering I have rather small hands?
Nice video. Great talking and explaining how the guitar works.
I have a 7 strings Strandberg. I did change the pickups to Bareknuckles and now I love how it sounds. For the Endurneck, I got used to it, but yeah the first days my bends and solo playing was a bit awkward. But the 2 most annoying things about the strandberg are 1) the straplock position that just stabs my chest. I moved it to the side like a strat and now it's way more comfortable and 2) the things on the "head" that lock the strings that are super sharp, so when you slide down for some fierce riffing, you might hurt your index finger on the high E string head locking thing. If you consider buying a strandberg, make sure to see if those things annoye you or not :) ! But I must say, after 3 years having it, it's my favorite guitar.
Great playing/review! Totally align with your pickup criticism. Straight away in your demo I thought it sounded very single-coily and figured you'd flipped a switch. Those tones are great but if it's impossible to get a humbucker tone out of a humbucker after paying that money... that would hurt lol. But that part is definitely subjective!
I owned the predecessor to this (an Original 8) and noticed the same thing about the bridge pickup - I just couldn’t get the kind of chugs out of it that I expected.
The Enduraneck felt a little weird too on the 8-string, but I can work fine with it on 6-string strandbergs.
I ended up selling it after several months and bought a different fan-fret 8-string with a more traditional neck carve and passive BKP bridge pickup and it was just way better for me
Yo i had a set of fishmens in my schecter v and I had a very similar issue..I opened the back panel and noticed one of the white wire wasn't fully soldered where it should be. A quick solder fix and bam..no more weird split sound in the bridge position.
I fully agree with your criticism regarding the regressive angling of the bridge pickup. I have multiple Strandbergs, kept one stock, and modified the other. On the one which I've modified, the first modification I made was to re-angle the bridge pickup. I performed this modification on one of the old Korean-made OS-L models, with those controversial Lace Alumitone pickups, which I know are much less well-suited to heavily-overdriven metal tones, due to their susceptibility to feedback - I personally defend them, since I keep my OD down to a moderate level - but even the Boden Metal series didn't re-angle the bridge pickup to align with what I am pretty certain the majority of player preferences happens to be.
Regarding your growing pains with the Endurneck, you gotta work on your technique. Keep that thumb on the back of the neck, where it belongs :P
I play chuggy deathcore on a Boden 8. I switched out the Fishmans for Lundgrens though. I was expecting you to mention the chambered body as a possible reason for it not sounding as chunky, because I wonder that sometimes. But tbh with the right cab/IR it sounds fat af so I’m not convinced that it matters much.
I agree with your opinions. Regarding tone: I've noticed similar with Fluences. I don't think the Fluence Moderns are necessarily bad for chugging, but every guitar I've tried them in has been bad at chugging.
The endurneck doesn't bother me, but I don't think it feels better, either. I've given them a pretty good try, too, and I never got more used to it after three months than I was after 3 minutes.
I own a Boden Classic 8 with Fishman Abasi's and I loveeeeeee the way it plays but yes due to the pickup position I find the tone a bit "quacky" and less chuggy. It's a great lead instrument but I always go back to my custom RG8 for all rhythm tracking.
At the beginning of the video the switch is on the neck pickup. U good Andrew? 😅
Theres different types of playing the endure neck, when i had my Strandberg i started using the flat part of the neck that guided my hand to reach all strings.
I felt the same about the few I’ve tried. Thought I was the only one who felt that way!
Love your review. Would be interesting to see how you feel about a 6 string model. As for 8 strings, it is something i would like to have again. Had borrowed a cheap on and had a lot of fun.
I've got a Strandberg Boden 8 string. My least favorite thing about it is the neck. I've got a Harley Benton 8 string that I can play for hours. I can only play the Strandberg for a few minutes before my hand starts cramping up.
How is this compared to your pink Vajra?
I’ve given up on djent tones and trying to make the best of the lower strings however they come out the amp
Dude. So, I have the same guitar in charcoal black, and while the tone wasn't an issue for me, the Endurneck is definitely a mixed bag. I feel like, in theory, it allows you to do some things with less effort because of how the flat surface can reduce tension. But, is there really any evidence that this reduces tension more than just a nice thing C-shaped neck? I also really dislike that the neck is so much fatter toward the "headstock." And some things are definitely harder to do because you have to sort of navigate the different surfaces of the neck.
I recently procured a Kiesel 8-string multiscale Aries, and I like it a lot more than the Strandberg. I like the fan better (same fan, slightly different scale lengths and different parallel fret), I like the neck a lot better (both the profile and the tung oil finish), I like the frets better (stainless jumbo vs. med-jumbo on the Strandberg), it's just as well balanced, and the body contour is more comfy. I also wanted to like Strandberg, and you're on the money that they're really well made, it's just not quite the GOAT guitar for me either.
Vibing with a guitar is very important for a person that makes music if we dont vibe nothing comes out
The caught stuff you did on voice 1 and 2 on the bridge sounds kinda like ERRA.
I’m actually going to build a guitar similar to this myself, and I appreciate your thoughts!
That clean tone sounds like Apollo from Crystal Lake. Kept getting excited 😅
Love a man whose honest.
I own 7 strings metal nx and i absolutely love it. Its seems like people love it or hate it. Ive tried some 8 strings and every guitar except strandberg feels like a damn surfboard. Never noticed how bad is pickup placement at 8 strings, it really doesnt feel so good.
And yeah, black anodized hardware wears off quite easy, my knobs starts looking like shit after just 3 months.
I love the honesty. I do like Strandberg, but they can take people some time to get used to them
Stranbergs are those kinds of guitars that it's a better idea to try in a store or if your friend has one to see if you like the feel first it's one thing to be told how it feels but holding and playing it is another
It’s beautiful!
Great review dude
Well I love it
Great and honest review!
i'm not sure what it is either, but the Strandbergs I've had the opportunity to play just feel like... 75% out of 100% resonance and lacks output. Even with different pickup configs and different EQ tones, IMO they lack a certain "mojo" when it comes to their 7 & 8 strings models.
but with that being said, Had a chance to play the 6 string Koa Plini sig model few years back and it was a cool concept with the specs, featherweight shred stick with endurneck was fun and easy on the back, but just couldn't vibe with the ERG Strandbergs, but cheers to giving it a shot!
I hate the endure neck so much maybe on the 6 string versions its fine but I never feel like my thumb can move freely
I wish they would give us a few more choices with pickup.. Would be nice to get a set of Lungren's instead of the fishman's I feel it would tame the weird honky mid sound somewhat!
Strange sound coming from the low string I don’t know why. Has this really weird mid frequency that kinda ruins the pitch
I had a 6-string Boden Original. I was very hyped waaay before I could afford to buy it and once I got it I loved it a lot but after a while it started to feel like a dead chunk of wood. The sustain just wasn't there and the feel of the guitar was somehow clunky. I tried different kind of setups, replaced the pickups and got the frets leveled but I still couldn't get over the feeling of how dead it sounded. I sold it after a couple of years. My friend has a 7-string Boden Original and somehow that one feels way better to play.
It definitely has that "closed vowel" sound of that pickup position.
I played a 7 string guitar of thier and also felt like the neck wasn't for me. I prefer thin necks.
The only reason I’ve not ordered a Strandberg is because of the neck shape. It just doesn’t look like it’d be something I’d like.
Dude, I thought the same thing with mine. It took awhile to dial something in that I liked with my FM3. Fortunately the FM3 is a tweakers dream so I ultimately found something and I'll definitely be keeping mine and those fishmans are very unforgiving so I think it's gonna make me tighten up my playing.
Should i get this or ftm33? ❤
I have that very same guitar and I absolutely love it, so much that I bought the Prog 7.
I think the tone might also have to do with the immensely thick 84 for just an f#
I think the pickup is too close to the bridge. As a result, it makes you mute closer to the neck, so your notes are getting choked.
It’s the opposite problem, the bridge pickup is too far away from the bridhe
Being a variant of the V-neck style (as in, 1940's cowboy chord guitar, not the Gib-V of 58), this neck is more likely to appeal to those who've got a classical (nylon string) background, or those of us who grew up on old, pre-60's gear. As soon as I saw you demo your 'thumb-sliding experience, I knew that neck wasn't for you. While I don't own a Strandberg, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't ever find my thumb on the bass-strings side of the neck.
It's a very different hand position, but it works well for certain playing styles.
And of course, to each their own.
Perhaps it's like.... sauerkraut and habanero : for some, it is "the joy of fermented-acidic flavor opening up the tastebuds then being slammed by the combo of fruity+intense capsaicin" ... and to others its "sour and omg-my-tongue-is-on-fire".
Nice review tho. Good stuff.
O'ly hell dude, that guitar has a sick hum-diing sound though! ;-)
I did the reverse choise of you in regards to the Music man, and Strandberg - I get really good chop sounds and clarity on the first pick-up though!
After getting the NX8 I started now playing with my thumb below the trapeze, and it pretty much forces me to use better technique, and thus now, i have an easier flow throughout the fretboard. So i can really recommend thumb below the trapeze, especially down below the 12 fret.
Strandbergs are cool but I feel like they charge a bit too much for their import line. It also seems like they have a lot of qc issues for guitars at that price point. Design is great though.
I personally can't get on with the endure neck. It just feels so square and uncomfortable to me. plus, on mine the neck is way thicker at the 1st fret then at the 12 and the extreme taper of the thickness feels so wrong.
Other issues for me were:
1) The coil split function is pretty useless too imho because the fluence moderns don't use traditional coils and aren't designed to be split.
2) Tuning is a pain due to the tuners being nigh impossible to turn without a wrench.
3) Changing strings is a pain for multiple reasons.
4) the price isn't justified either imho. It seems a lot of the costs comes from the proprietary hardware, which I can't imagine being easy (or cheap) to replace if something ever broke on it.
That is a very Ensiferum intro.
Andrew sure loves his green ha.
Hey Andrew,
I owned an older 8 string Boden (when they were equipped with Lace pups, Aluma-X's I think)
Personally, the Strandberg design just didn't do it for me with the neck shape, either.
I love the build quality, they play wonderfully, but their just not for me.
Is it made in Indonesia?
Y'know theres also a good chace the pots went bad when u got it as that can happen lol
Strandberg owners seem pretty reasonable, so I think you'll be fine.
It’s a shame. The tone in this one sounded good for once. I could actually hear what was being played.
there's nothing wrong with having personal preferences. there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution
Headless guitars are always a coin flip for me. On the one hand, I had a Strandberg 7 and it was phenomenal. On the other hand, I feel like it was lacking a little in tone, but it could have just been the pickups.
Also Andrew, I was gonna ask. I’m thinking of an Aristides H/08. Do you have a better opinion on their headless as opposed to Strandberg?
It is hard for me to believe that any guitar manufactured in Indonesia is worth $2500. Indonesian guitars do NOT get the same quality control of the South Korean counterparts. Regardless these import guitars are not manufactured to the same standard and level that $2k and up guitars made in Japan or the US. In the same price point a Keisel headless is a much higher quality instrument, with nicer finishes and WAY better fit and finish. Just my personal experience.
hot take, it really doesn’t matter where a guitar is made
Instead of a full demo mix, can we get a demo on tape with only 4 tracks max recorded live. Then burned to cassette. Then uploaded and converted to mp3.
I’ll take it off your hands!
Just bought this one.
I somehow want to love these too ... but I can't. The body shape and headless design makes my brain yell "Yuck... NO !!".
First of all, loving the song choice. I feel like Stranger Things doesn't get brought up enough for how damn good it is. It's probably one of the most complete songs in the genre, front to back, imo. Also, dope review, man. Nice to see someone able to point out a guitar's drawbacks in their opinion without turning it into a smear campaign or conversely just not doing a review at all. It kinda irks me when a channel won't green light any reviews or demos where they're not overwhelmingly positive. It's OK to dislike something based on opinion and separate it from objective quality, and it's nice knowing what someone in my genre/I respect feels are pluses and minuses in a guitar that might save me some money/headaches - or encourage a buy, because someone's drawback might be another person's preference. Like a big old fat neck on a vintage Tele, for example.
Love my NX 6 Boden 😎
You know what, understandable.
You love them or don’t. But these guys make some of the best made guitars on the market. The neck profile cannot be beat.
I have one with the TT frets. The only good thing about it are the frets & fingerboard. The rest is bad parts, bad paint bad design, bad quality control, bad construction. Could have been good...just a total fail...walk the other direction...fast.