Strandberg Essential - Anyone got one?

Elwood

The Strandberg Essential was announced earlier this year, a stripped back and more traditional flavour to the headless formula they are known for.

Has anyone ordered one, or got an Original and has hands on with an Essenital. They look like brilliant guitars and I am very interested to hear your impessions.

The Boden Essential | .strandberg* Guitars (strandbergguitars.com)

Link about for reference 

richh

I haven't got one, but I thought I'd bump the thread, to see if anybody does have any information on this?

I'm curious as to what the differences will be to the 'full fat' Strandbergs - can't quite work it out from all the marketing stuff.  I suppose they need to differentiate from the more expensive versions, and are trying to expand the market to people who can't or won't shell out £1700 - £3000 for the current ones?

Bowks

richh said:

I haven't got one, but I thought I'd bump the thread, to see if anybody does have any information on this?

I'm curious as to what the differences will be to the 'full fat' Strandbergs - can't quite work it out from all the marketing stuff.  I suppose they need to differentiate from the more expensive versions, and are trying to expand the market to people who can't or won't shell out £1700 - £3000 for the current ones?

Looks like the following:

Solid meranti body, fixed zinc cast bridge, OEM pickups, no fanned frets and a roasted maple neck with unbranded stainless frets 

Philly_Q

Bowks said:

richh said:

I haven't got one, but I thought I'd bump the thread, to see if anybody does have any information on this?

I'm curious as to what the differences will be to the 'full fat' Strandbergs - can't quite work it out from all the marketing stuff.  I suppose they need to differentiate from the more expensive versions, and are trying to expand the market to people who can't or won't shell out £1700 - £3000 for the current ones?

Looks like the following:

Solid meranti body, fixed zinc cast bridge, OEM pickups, no fanned frets and a roasted maple neck with unbranded stainless frets 

That was my impression too, although their website's a bit confusing and I didn't know enough about the existing specs to immediately spot the differences.  I would like to try that wacky neck of theirs.

TheBigDipper

Philly_Q said:

<snip>

That was my impression too, although their website's a bit confusing and I didn't know enough about the existing specs to immediately spot the differences.  I would like to try that wacky neck of theirs.

It's very comfy and easy to play. Andertons seem to have these now. When I bought mine (Boden Original NX6) about 18 months ago it was only Guitar Guitar that had them in. 

timmypix

It really is the most comfortable neck I've ever played. It does wonders for your hand posture.

Philly_Q

I think it'll take much more than good hand posture to improve my playing, but the neck design is intriguing.  Especially when they claim it'll suit anyone, whether they prefer thin or fat necks.

TTBZ

Been interested in these as well, I've played a Boden and really liked it but they're quite expensive for what's potentially a novelty for me. They're a breath of fresh air in an industry that is obsessed with the past. The neck shape is great, got used to it quickly and it's comfortable. I kinda feel like if I was getting a Strandberg it'd be with fan frets as well for the full experience, not sure it'd be the same with normal frets! Then again I did find the fan frets a bit odd but I suppose you get used to it.

Philly_Q

Are fanned frets a bit weird for string bending, or again is it just a case of getting used to it?

Jez6345789

I got a Boden back in Feb
And love it  mostly to see if the neck would help with the Arthritis and it does to the point where I would like my other guitars to have Enduro neck. They really are a nice innovation of the guitar, comfortable and they sound good. Cant say enough good things about it.

They use PT Cort for most of their production and I believe it was a collaboration to make a Strandberg for a bigger market. Looks like they have not really left anything out the neck is roasted maple no CF laminate. I think they have just jiggled the recipe a little to make it affordable. So making a 3 piece neck with CF is a hand production process roasted maple is just slap wood on cnc let rip. The essential only comes with conventional scale and it has new hardware but they seem to be saying the new hardware is an evolution and will be on all Bodens going forward. 

As for the multiscale thing after 24hrs you barely notice and the whole thing seems totally irrelevant  by the end of the first week I was all guitars should be like this. lol

guitarmangler

New essential don’t have fanned frets. They’re pretty subtle on the strandbergs, so you’re not missing out, on the 6 strings at least. 

Also, no graphite reinforcement in the necks. Different hardware, woods etc. 

baderica

Philly_Q said:

Are fanned frets a bit weird for string bending, or again is it just a case of getting used to it?

I found no adjustment needed - no bigger a change than moving from 24.5 to 25.5 scale.  They’re a little bit more natural feeling as your fingers are naturally slightly pointing back, and are parallel with the frets. 

Likewise I find the neck super comfy - really easy to shift from a from “thumb on the back” classical position, to thumb over the top and treating the neck as soft V shape as you play. 

I know some folk struggle so ymmv but, for me, the boden doesn’t feel anything like as freaky as it looks. 

TheBigDipper

My 2p in an attempt to be helpful... From a perspective of owning and gigging a Boden Original NX6 for 18 months or so. Boden is the style. Original means it has a chambered body. NX6 is the latest hardware spec (bridge, etc.) and it's a 6 string hardtail.

• The light weight is a joy.
• Transporting it in the supplied gig bag is also a joy. But it's not as protective as a hard case or flightcase.
• It is very resonant when played unplugged.
• The Endurneck is a very good thing for my left hand. I'm generally classical dropped wrist, but thumb over works well too. 
• The fanned frets are a non-issue regarding playing it. Really. But there is a better tension balance between the strings.
• Intonation is perfect. 
• Restringing is the easiest I've ever had. 
• Tuning is easy, it stays in tune when playing, and you can tune up to pitch or down to pitch, it works both ways - unlike most headstock-based guitars.
• People continue to come up and ask me what it is at a gig - and I enjoy the interaction! 
• Mine has passive Suhr humbuckers, with an unusual (to me) wiring system. I'm reviewing it right now and may change the switching. Or just buy another Boden with different pickups as an alternative... :-) 
• There is a flat spot on the volume and tone knobs that is at the top (and parallel to the ground) when fully on and perpendicular at the side when at 75%. That is so noticeable when playing, so rolling the single coil from 100% to 75% for the humbucker using your little finger is so easy without actually looking. 
• On my body, the guitar tends to stay in place with a strap. No neck dive. 
• You don't see how it looks when you're playing it. :-) 
• Oh, and the fret markers are luminous. Great for dark stages when you're looking for the 15th fret in a hurry... 

Currently, the pickup switching works like this...

1 - neck humbucker
2 - coil split of neck humbucker (noticeably quieter at home, not so much at gig volumes)
3 - coil split of neck humbucker and bridge humbucker (either outer or inner col, can't remember)
4 - coil split of neck humbucker and bridge humbucker (opposite of 3, they do sound different, this one is the "quackiest")
5 - bridge humbucker

There's quite a lot of tonal variation, but I tend to use 1, 2 and 5 most of the time. 

Elwood

I really want to buy a strandberg - leaning towards and original but the price of the essential is quite attractive

Bigsby

I bought a Boden Standard NX 6 Tremolo about 6 months ago, (the Standard has a solid body rather than the chambered body on most Strandbergs). I've just updated my NGD post with reflections, so rather than repeat them, here's the topic:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/254403/ngd-headless-chameleon-strandberg-boden-standard-nx6?new=1

(It's basically positive - no regrets!) 

Philly_Q

@Bigsby I read and enjoyed your update on the other thread.

I've been successfully ignoring Strandberg guitars for a very long time - instantly dismissed as "too modern" - but in the last couple of days I've been feeling faint stirrings of GAS.  Or it may just be IBS.

Elwood

Philly_Q said:

@Bigsby I read and enjoyed your update on the other thread.

I've been successfully ignoring Strandberg guitars for a very long time - instantly dismissed as "too modern" - but in the last couple of days I've been feeling faint stirrings of GAS.  Or it may just be IBS.

GAS = IBS (I Bought a Strandberg)?

A lot of useful info here folks, thanks very much.

steveh

I bought a Boden a few years back and returned it.

Positives:
Extremely comfortable to play: The endurneck is fabulous and the body shape amazing. 
Nice big frets also.
Weighed practically nothing.

Negatives:
The fact that it weighed so little made it feel a bit like a toy. Very different to what I was used to (i.e. "normal guitars"). I couldn't decide if I liked that or not.
Very poor top - supposed to be flamed, but practically none. I think they've upped their game here subsequently?
Some fit and finish issues. That's fine if it were a PRS SE, but it wasn't. Suhr prices for a Korean guitar (at the time). 
It sounded OK. Not bad, but not great. I wasn't djenting all the time...
Seriously stiff bridge tuners. Stiff. Did I say they were stiff? And it was the trem version, and I like it floating. Nightmare.

I would buy another in a heartbeat if they were as well made as Suhr/PRS (at the time I bought mine, prices were similar; USA more expensive now). It was such a joy to play. But, also made me dread having to tune the thing.
The Essential is interesting because it's half the price I paid.

Just my 2p. YMMV. You owe it to yourself to try one.
I play a Silver Sky now, so I must be a conservative blooze lawyer...but it's an immaculately made guitar, that feels and sounds great, and way under 2K used.