Introduction to Strandberg Guitars
Strandberg Guitars was founded in 2005 by Swedish luthier Ola Strandberg, who set out to revolutionize guitar design through innovative construction and ergonomic principles. Frustrated by the limitations of traditional guitars, Strandberg aimed to create instruments perfectly suited to the needs of modern guitarists.
After years of research and prototyping, Strandberg introduced several groundbreaking features that have become hallmarks of the brand’s guitars. These include the headless design, multi-scale fretboards, and deeply contoured body shapes. By removing the traditional guitar headstock, Strandberg redistributes the weight of the instrument for better balance. The multi-scale fretboard enhances comfort and playability through improved string tension and intonation. Meanwhile, the ergonomic body carves allow effortless access to even the highest frets.
These innovations come together to provide an unrivaled playing experience – lightweight, ergonomic guitars with top-tier tones and sustain. While unconventional at first glance, Strandberg’s designs showcase the company’s unrelenting focus on pushing the boundaries of guitar building.
Headless Guitar Design
Headless guitars have the guitar tuners at the bridge instead of the traditional headstock. This design, popularized in the 80s by Steinberger, provides a number of benefits:
-
The lack of a headstock significantly reduces the weight of the guitar, making it more comfortable for extended playing sessions. Strandberg guitars are known for being extremely lightweight.
-
Without the weight of the headstock, the guitar’s center of gravity shifts down towards the body. This results in better overall balance and playing feel.
-
The straight string pull from bridge to tuner increases sustain and tuning stability. Strandberg headless guitars are praised for their tuning reliability.
-
The minimalist headless design has a very modern and sleek aesthetic.
Strandberg has optimized and advanced headless guitar design in a few key ways:
-
Their unique hardware design and carefully calculated string angles provide excellent tuning stability and pitch accuracy.
-
By using ball-end strings and optimizing string slots, string changes are quick and easy.
-
Strandberg headless bridges allow optimal transfer of string vibration into the body for increased sustain and resonance.
Overall, Strandberg’s headless design offers guitarists the main benefits of headless construction – lightweight, comfort, and tuning stability – while improving on traditional headless drawbacks. Their guitars have set a new standard for optimal function and tone in a headless guitar.
Ergonomic Guitar Body Shapes
Strandberg guitars feature patented ergonomic body designs that enhance comfort and playability. The most notable innovation is their EndurNeck, an asymmetrical neck profile that follows the natural shape of the hand. It allows the thumb to comfortably rest on the back of the neck while playing, reducing fatigue.
The guitars also utilize lightweight chambered body constructions, with strategically placed chambers and cavities to reduce weight without sacrificing tone. Models like the Boden Original are incredibly lightweight at under 7 pounds. This helps offset the weight of the guitar for playing comfort, especially when standing with a strap.
The ergonomic shapes extend beyond just the neck to the overall guitar body as well. The upper bout features an extended belly cutaway to allow easy access to the upper frets, while the lower bout curves inwards for playing comfort.
Overall, the ergonomic design aspects allow for greater playing ease over long practice or performance sessions. The guitars feel extremely comfortable to hold and play, with no sharp edges digging into the body. Players report much less fatigue in their hands, arms, and back compared to more traditional guitar shapes.
Multi-scale Fretboards and Extended Range
Multi-scale fretboards, also known as fanned frets, utilize a design where the fret spacing gradually increases from the nut to the bridge. This creates a "fan" shape along the length of the neck. The main benefit of multi-scale is improved intonation across all strings. On a standard guitar with a single fret scale, the bass strings can have less than ideal intonation due to their increased tension and vibrating length. With a multi-scale board, the bass side of the neck has a longer scale length to compensate, resulting in accurate intonation across the entire range.
Multi-scale designs also provide a more balanced feel and tension across all strings, rather than a jump in tension between the bass and treble sides. This improved ergonomics allows for easy playability and makes it easier to bend strings or apply vibrato evenly. For guitarists playing in extended range tuning with 7 or 8 strings, multi-scale helps maintain tension balance on the extra low strings that would normally be too loose on a standard scale.
Strandberg offers both 6 and 7-string models with multi-scale fretboards. Their standard models utilize a 25.5" to 26.5” fan, while custom options can go up to a 28” scale on the bass side. This allows their extended range guitars to have optimal intonation and playability on the low B and F# strings. Even their 6-string models benefit from the balanced tension and ergonomics provided by the multi-scale design.
Electronics and Tonewoods
Strandberg guitars offer a wide range of pickup and electronics options to suit different playing styles and genres. Many models allow you to choose between passive or active pickups from leading brands like Bare Knuckle, Seymour Duncan, and Fishman.
The Boden Plini signature model showcases Strandberg’s creative use of tonewoods. It pairs a swamp ash body with a roasted maple neck and ebony fingerboard for a bright, articulate tone balanced with low end punch. The combination of woods allows for versatility to get vintage style cleans as well as high gain modern metal tones.
Other Strandberg models utilize tonewoods like mahogany, alder, and basswood paired with maple or roasted maple necks. This broad selection allows players to find a tonal balance suitable for their needs, from warm and smooth, to snappy and defined. The electronics and thoughtful wood choices give Strandberg guitars unmatched tonal flexibility from classic vintage vibes to the heaviest of metal rhythms and leads.
Strandberg Guitar Series and Models
Strandberg offers several core model lines with distinct features and appointments. The flagship Boden series comes in both a standard and an Original version, with the Original featuring premium tonewoods and components. Other popular lines include the Prog and Metal series designed for more aggressive playing.
For players seeking a more customized experience, Strandberg’s Made-to-Measure program allows choosing from a wide selection of woods, finishes, and hardware options to create a fully personalized instrument. Made-to-Measure models provide the ultimate in customization direct from the Strandberg shop in Sweden.
In addition to the core model lines, Strandberg also offers several signature models designed in collaboration with renowned artists. These include guitars made for guitar virtuosos like Plini and Jason Richardson. Each signature model aims to capture the artist’s distinctive tone and playing style with tailored pickup configurations and neck profiles.
The key difference between the Made-to-Measure and standard production models lies in the level of personal customization available. Made-to-Measure enables a plethora of options for woods, colors, and components. Production models offer players high quality Strandberg instruments at lower costs by limiting customization to a set of standard options. Both provide excellent playing experiences with Strandberg’s innovative designs.
Strandberg Playability and Feel
Strandberg guitars have a truly unique feel and playing experience thanks to the innovative design features. The neck profiles are crafted for comfort, featuring an asymmetrical carve that is slightly more rounded on the bass side. This provides a natural and organic contour for the fretting hand. Many players describe the Strandberg necks as feeling "broken-in" right out of the box.
The headless design also dramatically improves the overall balance of the guitar. With the weight centered on the body instead of the headstock, Strandbergs feel lighter than a traditional guitar even at the same weight. There is no neck dive, allowing effortless transitions across the entire fretboard. The upper fret access in particular is unmatched on Strandberg models.
Prominent artists who have played Strandberg guitars rave about the comfort and playability. Plini, who helped co-design his signature Strandberg model, said "it plays like butter" and that the EndurNeck profile allows him to play for hours without fatigue. Other artists like Wes Hauch of The Faceless praise the balance, fret access, and tone of their Strandbergs for enhancing their playing capabilities. Across reviews, it’s clear that Strandberg has succeeded in building exceptionally playable instruments.
Pricing and Availability
Strandberg guitars are considered high-end instruments, with most models ranging from $2,000 to $4,000. However, they also offer more affordable options.
Their production line models like the Boden OS start around $1,500, providing an entry point into Strandberg’s innovative designs. Higher-end custom shop models can reach over $5,000 depending on options selected.
Used Strandbergs can sometimes be found for under $1,000 on sites like Reverb. As the brand becomes more popular, more of these deals are popping up on the used market.
Strandberg guitars are available through authorized dealers globally. Popular online retailers like Sweetwater and Guitar Center carry a selection of Strandberg models. You can also order directly from the Strandberg website, especially for full custom builds.
The Made to Measure program starts around $3,000 and allows you to customize your own guitar with preferred woods, finishes, and options. This is the best way to get your dream Strandberg built just for you.
So while Strandberg sits at the higher end of the market, they do offer productions models that are more affordable. The used market also opens up deals for those looking to spend under $2,000. Overall, Strandberg provides excellent value given their high quality and innovative designs.
Accessories and Maintenance
Strandberg guitars require some special considerations when it comes to cases, straps, and maintenance due to their unique designs. Here are some recommendations:
Cases and Bags
Since Strandberg guitars have an ergonomic body shape without a headstock, they require a custom fitted case or gig bag. Strandberg offers branded cases and bags tailored specifically for their guitars on their website. These are molded to fit the unique body contours. Other options are cases by companies like Mono that are designed for headless guitars. Soft gig bags by Gruv Gear and others also work well.
Straps
The balanced design of a Strandberg means you don’t need a heavy leather strap to support its weight. Lightweight woven straps work great. Make sure to get a strap with end buttons that fit the rear strap pin and tuner location. Levy’s and other brands make straps designed for headless guitars.
Setups and Maintenance
The multi-scale fretboard requires a special compensation adjustment when setting up a Strandberg guitar. The tuners and hardware also need periodic maintenance. Cleaning and polishing the ebony board is advisable. Overall the guitars are well crafted for stability but a professional setup is recommended, especially when changing string gauges or tunings.
Conclusion
Strandberg guitars bring innovative and modern designs that offer tangible benefits for guitarists. By utilizing a headless design, Strandberg guitars do away with unnecessary headstocks to create lightweight, balanced instruments. The ergonomic body shapes crafted by Ola Strandberg provide unparalleled comfort and playability compared to traditional guitar designs. Features like multi-scale fretboards and extended range options accommodate modern playing styles and improve intonation across all strings.
Throughout their history, Strandberg has never been afraid to push boundaries and try new ideas to advance guitar design. While some features may seem radically different at first, each element of Strandberg guitars is carefully considered to improve upon the playing experience. Artists around the globe have embraced these forward-thinking instruments and validated the improvements Strandberg offers.
For any guitarist looking to elevate their comfort, sound, and performance, Strandberg guitars deserve serious consideration. The innovations brought to the table deliver tangible benefits that can be felt immediately when picking up one of these superb instruments. There’s no better way to understand the Strandberg difference than experiencing one of these guitars first-hand. Check out your local authorized dealer or explore the custom options direct from Strandberg to find your perfect guitar. The expansive Strandberg lineup has a model waiting to become your new favorite instrument.