Prowling online at my local Bass shop and saw this little beauty with a reverse headstock. What do people think of the reverse headstock. Anyone have experience with it? Does it really make a difference?
Ooh the AntiFender, I like it
That’s gorgeous
An all matte black Sandberg…buy it!
Wow
Very nice!
AFAIK this lil beauty is called “Darkhawk”. A German company offers a special version with Darkglass preamp, but without the reversed headstock.
Took me a while to decide between their pimped version and the original Sandberg.
Great choice man. Buy it!
They must not sell enough left handed basses, to have extra reverse headstocks to put on a right handed model!
YEP! I am the big bad guy making you waste your funds for some dots.
Maybe the pickups are different coz Darkglass was responsible for the electronics. The finish is different too.
Some dots, German engineering, killer electronics, mouth watering aesthetics and somewhere to park some hard-earned cash! I am so tempted by this one, it has a pickup configuration I like, slim neck, light weight body, it looks killer … except I’m just not sure about the reverse headstock, I’m wondering if it would affect re-sale, should I decide to sell it in the future. If it was cheaper then I wouldn’t worry so much, but it’s going to be a big investment. Need to keep researching the reverse headstock thing, have not found much written about them on a bass.
I think it looks cool, and there should be no effect at all on playing.
The unmodified version would be the Nighthawk.
I can’t find it anywhere with a reverse headstock. That one might be pretty unique.
From what I found out about reverse headstocks is that it should make the string tension on the higher strings a bit lighter and on the lower strings stronger. But I am pretty sure that this should be subtle, at best. I myself am pretty sure I wouldn’t even notice it.
You get a much more pronounced effect by getting higher gauge E and A and lower gauge D and G.
Got one in down under:
@Malyngo
Yes, the Nighthawk is completely made by Sandberg. Darkhawks are limited editions from collabs. Many with “Musik produktiv”, but I am not sure if this reversed headstock darkhawk has the same origin.
I am with you on that string tension theory.
@Bassdacious
If it is important for you, I would call “Musik produktiv” to find out if they did this model and gathering some insider details too.
Ah, now I also see the pickup difference:
Nighthawk: Humbucker + Split Single Coil
Darkhawk: Humbucker + Humbucker
Nighthawk can be in different pickup configs too. You have TM (j/m) and VM (p/m). I got a TM with non-standard pickups. The MM one looks wicked but I think that one is custom.
Pretty sure you can create different configs on the Sandberg website with the bass configurator. They ship international too but you just have to wait a long time before it is processed since it’s all handmade.
Also really like the black open pore finish. Got it on one of my guitars and bass.
I think it’s based on the California VM(2) serie and not the Nighthawk. I will have to check it on the website but iirc you can’t make this config with the Nighthawk body. The “Darkhawk” is just a branding name they came up as alternative for the Darkray from Music Man. It’s still a California VM with some Nighthawk elements (pickguard, tuners, etc.).
Also I want this bass
Congrats @Bassdacious it is freaking gorgeous!
… Damn you…
You owe me a reasonable consultancy fee. Maybe a Glockenklang 4x10"
I have been looking for a P type bass and the combo of P and Humbucker is something I really like. I plugged in the specs of the one above (although there is no option to do a reverse headstock) into the Sandberg site and it comes out more or less the same price, after conversion and shipping costs. I’m expecting to be very happy with this bass - but that is it, the shop is definitely now shut … No More Basses!!
- sounds very reasonable.