Bought a strandberg OS7 and carvin holdsworth

[jzucker]

I recently purchased a carvin holdsworth and a Strandberg OS7

ok, first impressions

• sounds great. Sort of like a maple neck tele on steroids.
• has inset/flush mount strap locks. Meaning I had to buy a set of them. Guitar Center didn't even know what they were. (What a surprise?!? but I happened to have a set laying around. I hate inset strap hardware. I don't think it's any more secure and it becomes an issue if you ever forget your strap or want to swap the strap out quickly.
• Neck Heavy. What a bummer. Probably exacerbated by where the neck strap button is and the 7 string neck. This could be a deal breaker for me. They should have utilized one of the neck screws to put a strap button near the heel. This might have solved the neck dive issue.
• Lighter than my carvin holdsworth 6 string!
• Pickups aren't ideally suited for my "thing" but they are better than I expected. I was expecting them to be much worse. Still, I'd like to swap them out for a set of EMG 57/66 or Dimarzio PAF-7
• Upper fret access better than the carvin holdsworth
• Ergonomically, the leg cut is not in the right place for me. Resting the leg cut on my right leg while sitting, it puts the guitar at a 45 degree angle but when standing, the natural angle the guitar falls to is not the same as the sitting angle using the leg cutout. In order to get the same angle, I have to seat the guitar with my leg against the tuners...
• I love the fanned frets but i'm not crazy about the string tension on the D A and E strings. With a set of .010 to .056 strings (7 string set) the A and E strings have way more tension then a strat with .010 strings on it. The lack of slinkyness and the more tone are not as nice on those strings as a standard 25.5" scale instrument. However, the Low B sounds way better on 26.25" scale than a 25.5 so I understand the compromise.
• Not crazy about the Endurneck. In general, the neck is a bit fatter than what I would want in a shredder and the angled cuts don't do much for me.
• 7th string is easy to get used to but certain things are more difficult for me to play. For example, for funk rhythm playing I'm used to muting the Low E string with my thumb. Can't do that anymore. I'll have to adapt.

Not sure that it's a keeper. I may end up just sticking with the carvin holdsworth but i'm intrigued enough that I want to try the Strandberg OS6.



as I'm going through a period of working on legato playing ala holdsworth / miller and I wanted an instrument that would allow me extreme upper fret access as well as very low action.

I'm excited to check out the EndurNeck



the 7 string, and fanned fret features of the strandberg. I had a fanned fret dingwall bass at one time and really loved it. The scale of the strandberg is 26.25 on the bass side and 25.5 on the treble side.

Some more info on the EndurNeck: https://strandbergguitars.com/strandberg-endurneck/

Read my review of the Carvin here: Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: The Carvin HH2 Holdsworth

And look for my review of the strandberg over the next couple weeks.

[helios]

The top on the Carvin looks beautiful! Jeff

[sgcim]

Let us know if the reduced tension is cool for bebop playing, too.

[mr. beaumont]

Those Strandbergs are cool...

Is that essentially a "thumb channel" on the back of the neck?

[jzucker]

The top on the Carvin looks beautiful! Jeff

Yeah, the walnut is gorgeous though it's also heavy. Most of the holdsworth guitars are really light. This one weighs about 6.5-7lbs which isn't super heavy but it's not a feather-weight. On the other hand, some of the super light headless guitars move around too much because of the weight. The strandberg weighs 5lbs so it'll be interesting to see if it works for me. I should get it wednesday or thursday.

Let us know if the reduced tension is cool for bebop playing, too.

It definitely is. The issue is that for bop playing I raised the action of the holdsworth up but for legato playing, you want the action lower so it's a compromise...

Those Strandbergs are cool...

Is that essentially a "thumb channel" on the back of the neck?

Yep. Can't wait to try it out.

[jads57]

Well the good news is that I'll be able to get a Strandberg 7 at a very righteous price,LOL! Seriously, good luck w/ that. I'm very curious as to your thoughts on the Strandberg and 7 strings in general!

[MilesPG]

I'm really gasing for a Strandberg, they are a bit pricy though but what the heck they are awesome!
The koa model is georgous but they told me koa is hard to find nowadays and are limited runs

[jzucker]

Re: Koa, I've always wondered about the sound of the exotic woods that are offered as options from carvin and others. Many times, the exotic woods end up being heavy (like walnut) or just don't sound as good as the original. The holdsworth is spec'd out with an alder body and neck but almost everyone who buys one gets a 10-top or some other exotic piece of wood.

It's interesting to note that holdsworth plays the stock model with a painted finish. Those are only $1250 though you can buy the same guitar from japan for 2x carvins price like this one:

Free Shipping Carvin HH1X Pearl Blue Electric Guitar Pickup H22 | eBay

[jorgemg1984]

Sorry to derail the thread but I've been wondering that too - I'm having a custom archtop made soon and still undecided between koa and mahogany for backs and sides (top is spruce and neck is mahogany). Maybe Koa doesn't offer any advantage?

[MilesPG]

From Taylor's website

"A tropical hardwood, koa's tone blends the midrange of mahogany with the top end of maple. Due to its density, a new koa guitar tends to start out sounding a little bright and tight, somewhat like maple. But the more a koa guitar is played, the more the sound opens up, expanding the midrange and rewarding the player with a richer, sweeter, more resonant tone. A common mistake is when a bright player buys a koa guitar in part for its visual beauty, finds it to be too bright, and doesn't play it enough to allow the wood to warm up.Goes Well With: Fingerstylists who play more with the pads of their fingers and tend to have a meatier touch. Bright players need to be careful because of koa's existing brightness (one might try experimenting with different pick materials)."

It depends on the amount of Koa used, having an ash body with a Koa top is not gonna be the same that having a full Koa body I guess. Same for weight, just a Koa top is not gonna be significantly heavier.

[jzucker]

I think the claims about a wood "opening up" are dubious. Maybe in 50 years or more but I can't imagine it changing much in 10 years, particularly with a poly finish. My experience with Koa guitars and basses is that it's a dark sounding wood. Certainly doesn't have the top end of maple IMO.

From Taylor's website

"A tropical hardwood, koa's tone blends the midrange of mahogany with the top end of maple. Due to its density, a new koa guitar tends to start out sounding a little bright and tight, somewhat like maple. But the more a koa guitar is played, the more the sound opens up, expanding the midrange and rewarding the player with a richer, sweeter, more resonant tone. A common mistake is when a bright player buys a koa guitar in part for its visual beauty, finds it to be too bright, and doesn't play it enough to allow the wood to warm up.Goes Well With: Fingerstylists who play more with the pads of their fingers and tend to have a meatier touch. Bright players need to be careful because of koa's existing brightness (one might try experimenting with different pick materials)."

It depends on the amount of Koa used, having an ash body with a Koa top is not gonna be the same that having a full Koa body I guess. Same for weight, just a Koa top is not gonna be significantly heavier.

[rob taft]

In my opinion if you are looking for a noticeable sonic difference between Koa and Mahogany in an archtop or for that matter most guitars, you will be disappointed. If you like the visual difference between Koa and Mahogany then by all means go for it. Again in my opinion the back and side material of full bodied guitar matter significantly less than the stiffness of the back and sides and the shape of the back e.g. flat or arched

[jzucker]

I thought that too but my '89 175 with mahogany ply back and sides sounds considerably different acoustically and electrically than the same period maple ply 175

In my opinion if you are looking for a noticeable sonic difference between Koa and Mahogany in an archtop or for that matter most guitars, you will be disappointed. If you like the visual difference between Koa and Mahogany then by all means go for it. Again in my opinion the back and side material of full bodied guitar matter significantly less than the stiffness of the back and sides and the shape of the back e.g. flat or arched

[rob taft]

Jack, You have good ears and have played a good size number of 175s so I don't disagree with your experiences. I guess my point is that if I was deciding between Koa and Mahogany, and cost wasn't a factor, I would go with my visual preference. As I don't think their will be much difference between the two tone wise. As has been pointed out in the past, the guitar is a system of systems if you will where all parts including the player contribute to some degree to the overall sound.

Below is a link to an interesting blind study using classical guitars with east Indian Rosewood and different wood species.


Research Report LGRP#1 - Leonardo Guitar Research Project

[jzucker]

Several friends of mine own mahogany back/sides 175s and have similar results. Additionally, I have two '60s Gibson Kessels, both with plywood tops and one has spruce ply, the other maple. They sound drastically different. This goes against conventional chat-forum wisdom. I think wood species *DO* sound drastically different. The alder/walnut-walnut-neck holdsworth I have sounds very different than the alder/maple/maple neck version.

On an unrelated footnote, I got the strandberg today. I haven't had time to do anything other than look at it today but it's significantly lighter than my Holdsworth. That's a good sign.

Jack, You have good ears and have played a good size number of 175s so I don't disagree with your experiences. I guess my point is that if I was deciding between Koa and Mahogany, and cost wasn't a factor, I would go with my visual preference. As I don't think their will be much difference between the two tone wise. As has been pointed out in the past, the guitar is a system of systems if you will where all parts including the player contribute to some degree to the overall sound.

Below is a link to an interesting blind study using classical guitars with east Indian Rosewood and different wood species.


Research Report LGRP#1 - Leonardo Guitar Research Project

[rob taft]

Don't disagree with you as far as tops and necks go just to the extent of influence regarding backs and sides. Regardless, and to get back on topic, I'm really interested in your impressions about the neck profile on the Strandberg.

[jzucker]

Don't disagree with you as far as tops and necks go just to the extent of influence regarding backs and sides. Regardless, and to get back on topic, I'm really interested in your impressions about the neck profile on the Strandberg.

I did play a few licks on it . About 30 seconds worth. It felt awkward but it may have been because of the width and the 7th string. I'll post more tonight. I'm going to do a 1.5 hour practice session on it.

[jzucker]

ok, first impressions

• sounds great. Sort of like a maple neck tele on steroids.
• has inset/flush mount strap locks. Meaning I had to buy a set of them. Guitar Center didn't even know what they were. (What a surprise?!? but I happened to have a set laying around. I hate inset strap hardware. I don't think it's any more secure and it becomes an issue if you ever forget your strap or want to swap the strap out quickly.
• Neck Heavy. What a bummer. Probably exacerbated by where the neck strap button is and the 7 string neck. This could be a deal breaker for me. They should have utilized one of the neck screws to put a strap button near the heel. This might have solved the neck dive issue.
• Lighter than my carvin holdsworth 6 string!
• Pickups aren't ideally suited for my "thing" but they are better than I expected. I was expecting them to be much worse. Still, I'd like to swap them out for a set of EMG 57/66 or Dimarzio PAF-7
• Upper fret access better than the carvin holdsworth
• Ergonomically, the leg cut is not in the right place for me. Resting the leg cut on my right leg while sitting, it puts the guitar at a 45 degree angle but when standing, the natural angle the guitar falls to is not the same as the sitting angle using the leg cutout. In order to get the same angle, I have to seat the guitar with my leg against the tuners...
• I love the fanned frets but i'm not crazy about the string tension on the D A and E strings. With a set of .010 to .056 strings (7 string set) the A and E strings have way more tension then a strat with .010 strings on it. The lack of slinkyness and the more tone are not as nice on those strings as a standard 25.5" scale instrument. However, the Low B sounds way better on 26.25" scale than a 25.5 so I understand the compromise.
• Not crazy about the Endurneck. In general, the neck is a bit fatter than what I would want in a shredder and the angled cuts don't do much for me.
• 7th string is easy to get used to but certain things are more difficult for me to play. For example, for funk rhythm playing I'm used to muting the Low E string with my thumb. Can't do that anymore. I'll have to adapt.

Not sure that it's a keeper. I may end up just sticking with the carvin holdsworth but i'm intrigued enough that I want to try the Strandberg OS6.

[rictroll]

With so much guitar buying taking place over the wire perhaps it's time to include 'weight distribution' as a spec much like car manufacturers do.

Not sure how feasible it would be given all the variables, but...

Thanks for sharing your impressions, Jack.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

ok, first impressions

• Neck Heavy. What a bummer. Probably exacerbated by where the neck strap button is and the 7 string neck. This could be a deal breaker for me.

It's not on the upper horn? I don't see it.

[jzucker]

It's not on the upper horn? I don't see it.

it's on the back side of the guitar on the upper horn. I'm guessing one of the reasons it's neck heavy is that the body meets the neck at the 18th fret

[jzucker]

well, it's not a keeper. Too many issues for me. The balance is the biggest deal breaker. With the neck / body joint so high and then the fact that the neck sits really low, it's a huge stretch for me to reach the lower positions.

The other issue is that even with 10-46 + (.059 B string) the D A and E strings have a lot of tension and just don't feel "right" to me for what I'm comfortable with.

So if anyone wants a good deal on it, i'm listing it forsale.

[jads57]

Dang! I thought you'd at least give it a week Jack. Was the seven string endurneck a deal breaker? How did it sound?

[jzucker]

Dang! I thought you'd at least give it a week Jack. Was the seven string endurneck a deal braeker? How did it sound?

i didn't like the endurneck. It was not comfortable. I would prefer to let my thumb find it's own position rather than have the neck try to dictate where it should be. I'm sure I'd get used to it. And the six string would be better balanced and with a slightly shorter scale would feel normal in terms of string tension.

In terms of tone, it sounded tele-ish but with a bit more harshness on the lower strings due to the longer scale. Frankly, I dug the tone. I thought it had a bit more character than the carvin which has a bit more of a neutral "input device" tone to it.

[mr. beaumont]

Too bad.

That neck had "love it or 'what the fuck is this?'" Written all over it, I guess...