Sandberg Forty Eight 4 hardcore aged metallic red

General

Back in 2015, the German boutique masters dropped an entirely fresh model: the Forty Eight. This four-string stomper of an electric bass bears a unique shape that gives a deep and respectful nod to the classic, heavy bodies of the seventies, and this fierce look matches up with the thick sound produced by the two mighty Sandberg Power-Humbuckers that have been mounted and coupled with two-band EQ controls for accurate bass and treble filtering and boosting. Pop out the volume pot to bypass the active preamp, and these pickups deliver pure, passive tone.

The Sandberg Forty Eight 4 Bass: Hardcore Aged

Sandberg's instruments are usually built to order, so this edition of the Forty Eight is one of many possible variations. The alder body comes coated in a Metallic Red paint job; the raised centre-piece has been highlighted by two white stripes, and every inch of the bass, including the hardware, has been given Sandberg's famous hardcore aged treatment, gifting this model with the matured character of an instrument that's seen decades of action. Completing the picture is a mint-green pickguard with black pinstripe detailing.

Neck & Hardware

The neck of the Forty Eight has been carved out of a chunk of high-grade Canadian maple fitted with a rosewood fretboard and 22 frets, while the position markers have been removed for a cleaner look, and the neck joint has been secured with no less than six bolts to guarantee maximum stability. The technical cherry on top is the Sandberg-signature zero-fret, which ensures consistent tone whether the strings are played fretted or open. At the bridge, the set of four solid saddles can be adjusted in three directions to support precise intonation as well as a deeply personalised setup, and capping it off is a set of tuners with adjustable resistance and a custom string guide for the A, D, and G strings.

Tips or comments about this product

• Order code: FE4-MC:VM-N-4S-34-HCA-MR:CS-ALD-NOT-RWF-F-NOI-NOM-ANIH-CLT-2EQ-MP-X-RH
• You can also build your own custom instrument using the Sandberg Configurator. It's actually pretty simple. Just select the specifications you want and email the generated Configuration Code to Bax Music using this form.