Sandberg California II SL TT 5 BB MN

Great instrument under every aspect

I was looking for a lightweight 5-string bass with singlecoils. I prefer black hardware, so I ended up ordering this bass and so far it has met all my expectations.

First of all, this bass is really light, it weighs less than 3.5 kg. This means it is lighter than all my 4-string basses! Also very important thing, when wearing it with a strap, it sits well without neck diving. Next, I really like the blackburst finish coupled with black hardware and maple fingerboard.

Talking about playability, this is definitely the most comfortable 5-string bass I've ever owned. The fingerboard is quite flat and it is also very easy to play in the upper registry.

The pickups are noiseless but sound very much like true singlecoils. The electronics with onboard eq allow to obtain a lot of useful sounds. The volume knob also acts as an active/passive switch, which I always appreciate on any bass. Despite being so lightweight, this bass has a very rich sound in my opinion. The low B sounds good in comparison to the other strings, although I would prefer I higher gauge (this is a .128) for better tension.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend to buy this bass!