With a client list including Tosin Abasi, Devin Townsend, Guthrie Govan, Allan Holdsworth and Misha Mansoor, and signature models by Chris Letchford, Paul Masvidal, Per Nilsson and Plini, Sweden-based Strandberg Guitars isn't exactly a secret anymore.
Luthier and founder Ola Strandberg uses interviews and player analysis to choose specifications that not only provide unsurpassed playability and sound, but that are adapted to the player’s body and playing style for optimal ergonomics.
The ergonomics, in turn, minimize the risk of repetitive stress injuries and facilitate ease of play throughout the most grueling stage sets and practice sessions.
“Two of the pillars of an ergonomic guitar are low weight and balance, and the key to achieving both is a headless design. By removing the weight at the headstock, we can create a lightweight guitar that balances well," Strandberg says.
“We designed our own aircraft-grade aluminum modular hardware and carbon fiber reinforcements to achieve our goals, and by using a fanned layout of the frets, we allow playing with a more relaxed wrist angle as well as get a better tone. But the key is our patented EndurNeck profile that really reduces stress on muscles, joints and tendons.”
The .strandberg* custom headless guitar line has recently been complemented by the more accessible seven-string Boden OS line of production guitars that provide all the ergonomics, playability and sound of the custom-made counterparts, with the specifications chosen from leading players. Six- and 8-string guitar versions are soon to be released.
For more about .strandberg*, see the specs and video below and visit strandbergguitars.com.
To see .strandberg* guitars in action, check out Scale The Summit guitarist Chris Letchford's demo of his signature guitar, courtesy of EMGTv:
Boden OS 7 Specs:
- Bolt-On construction
- Book-matched Flame Maple top
- Chambered Swamp Ash body
- EndurNeck™ profile neck
- 5-pc (3x) Birdseye Maple neck with Carbon Fiber/(2x) rosewood fillets
- Birdseye Maple/Rosewood fretboard
- 26.25” – 25.5” scale
- 20” radius
- 24 x stainless steel frets
- Glow in the dark side dot markers
- Glow in the dark fret markers (offset low > 12th < high)
- .strandberg* EGS Series 4 fixed bridge & string locks, Black
- EMG 707X pickups
- 3-way switch
- Ebony Volume/Tone controls
- 2.3 kg / 5 lbs approximate weight
- .0095– .064 .strandberg* Optimized Tension strings
- Natural/Red/Black Matte Poly finish
Price: $1,895
