Sandberg Classic Booster 4 Fretless Bass, Ebony Fretboard, Swamp Ash Body, Matt Violetburst

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

Bringing in another beautiful Sandberg bass from our luthier friends in Germany! We are huge fans of every Sandberg instrument we've come across, and this beautiful Classic Booster 4 Fretless bass in Matt Violetburst with a smooth ebony fingerboard is no exception. When they told us that they were bringing out a fretless instrument that was price-conscious without making any compromises, we were all ears.

This bass is an awesome addition to Sandberg's lineup. It's actually an original design that they started with back at the company's inception with some contemporary tweaks to it. The 3-band EQ, for example, is not something found on many Sandberg basses. Most of them just have 2. Adding the ability to control your mid-range makes a lot of sense, especially in the lead-focused context of a fretless. Just look at where those 2 pickups are positioned. While in passive mode and with the preamp disengaged, the treble EQ knob doubles as a passive tone control for when you want some sounds that are a bit more vintage.

You can tell just from its looks that this bass is going to have a punchy and growly tone with loads of bark. You can scoop your mids for killer slap or more aggressive rock tones, or boost the mids to give your notes more attack. Even with the EQ set flat, there's definitely some serious punch to every note played. It's definitely meant to be noticed even when you're surrounded by screaming guitars, whacky synthesizers, and drummers who think they're Bam Bam from the Flintstones. 

The feel is quintessential Sandberg, through and through. We've truly come to expect this level of playability from these guys. We admittedly wondered if there would be any compromises made with the more affordable price point (relative to their other German-made offerings), but it really feels incredible - this is a thoroughly professional quality instrument with immense versatility.

The bass was probably designed for the type of player that wants a more aggressive yet articulate tone. However, we're sure this will also appeal to funk-meisters and R&B guys who like that "stand-out" sort of bass tone that is punchy, growly, and can be noticed in the mix.