The Panther Special Sandberg bass guitar reviewed

Despite the huge amount of different instrument manufacturers in business today, most players settle on buying the same brands over and over again. There are a great number of really superb instruments which players won’t even consider, simply because they aren’t a mainstream brand. This article aims to change all that by reviewing a Sandberg bass guitar which really does hit all the right notes, the Panther Special.

I want to start off this review by stating that Sandberg basses are not cheap guitars, the majority of their models cost the best part of £1000 and aren’t intended for the casual player. However if you can look past the rather intimidating price tag you will begin to understand exactly why they cost what they do.

The Panther Special uses a blend of different exotic tonal woods. It’s body is made out of maple which is finished off with additional layers of maple and walnut. The Special features a walnut top and uses rosewood for the fretboard. Players who like their necks fast and small will find this bass really agrees with them, the thin neck makes the instrument incredibly comfortable to play and easy to move around on.

The Panther Special Sandberg bass combines its unique blend of tone woods with an incredibly elaborate electronics system to produce a sound which is unlike anything you will find on any other instrument. The guitar features dual power humbuckers; these work in combination with the in-built 3-band EQ to really perfect the tones. Players have the opportunity to use these pickups at the same time; this is great for light passages which require a cleaner and even tone. If you’re into your shrills and slaps then you will definitely make use of the EQ knob, this allows you to adjust the levels to extenuate your slaps.

Right, now here’s the bad news. The Panther Special retails at around £1300; this is a huge investment and bassists really need to be serious about their playing if they considering purchasing one. If you do decide to take the plunge you can rest assured that you’ve bought a completely unique instrument which has its own distinct sound, no other instrument provides the same quirky combination of tone woods and elaborate electronics that the Panther Special does. If you can’t quite meet the price tag of this model but are interested in a Sandberg bass, you may want to check out their basic ranges, these offer superb value for money and excellent tone.