Sandberg Basses California VS4 Lake placid Masterpiece

VS4 Lake placid Masterpiece

Holger Stonjek is a man that lives and breathes bass guitars and has been building basses since 1986.

He has done it with such massive success that Sandberg is now one of the biggest brands in the bass community.

The focus from Sandberg has always been to produce high-quality instruments at an accessible price point. Hence you get a great and well-balanced bass for the money every single time when you choose Sandberg.

The VS4 is a P-bass on steroids! In Active Mode it’s a bass that’s more open and powerful than a normal P-bass, but when you play it in Passive Mode the sound turns into unmistakably classic P-bass with a beautiful sound that takes you back to the golden age of the 60s and 70s.
The Sandberg VS4 Lake Placid Blue Masterpiece is a great example of Sandberg top model quality craftsmanship.

The body is made from alder which has a very balanced sound with a slight emphasis on the midrange frequencies. Combine that with the fingerboard that is made from rosewood, that has a smooth and warm vibe to it. Then you get a warm full sounding bass that can cut through in a mix without being overpowering. This gives the bass a warm and solid midrange, suitable for a lot of different styles of music.

The neck is more narrow than a normal P bass, which makes it very comfortable and the tone just pops out at you with ease.

A highly skilled artisan is responsible for the relic work on the Masterpiece basses, meticulously crafting each instrument’s unique wear and tear. This process is made on every bass with its own distinct history, detailing the origins of each scratch and dent.

A key feature of the Masterpiece series is Sandberg’s heat and vibration treatment.This is not just some marketing voodoo, the technique ages the wood, enhancing the sustain, attack and the stability of the bass. The result is a bass that sounds like it has been played for years, offering a rich, mature tone. The varnish on the masterpiece basses is thinner which allows the sound to vibrate more freely.

The VS4 Masterpiece is equipped with Sandberg’s custom single-coil pickups and features a passive control layout. It includes 2-band preamp for managing volume treble and bass.The bass’ single pickup is a split-coil from Sandberg, which brings the bass alive no matter if you play active or passive.