I've had this bass for about a year but don't play it enough to justify having such a beautiful instrument in my collection. This is by far the best feeling and sounding bass I've owned and it looks stunning with the aged finish. The Plek'd frets and craftsmanship make this bass a dream to play at 8.5 lbs. Includes Sandberg gig bag.

Details:

The Sandberg California TT-4 Hardcore Aged Masterpiece is a premium, German-crafted boutique electric bass heavily inspired by the traditional "J-Bass" style. It combines a deeply distressed aesthetic with innovative modern engineering. The "Masterpiece" designation is Sandberg’s highest tier of instruments. It is defined by an intensive artificial aging process.

• Pre-Aged Lacquer: Finished in an ultra-thin nitrocellulose lacquer, the body undergoes up to 100 hours of precision pre-aging.
• Heavily Gigged Aesthetic: The "Hardcore Aged" treatment replicates 30 years of severe stage wear. It features extensive paint chipping, raw bare wood exposures, realistic weather checking, and simulated string dents across the pickup covers.
• Seamless Relicing: Unlike cheaper relic jobs, the bare wood transition spots lack sharp ridges. The back of the neck is worn down completely to bare wood for a smooth, played-in feel.
• Aged Hardware: All nickel hardware—including the bridge, control plate, and open-gear tuners—comes chemically patinated and oxidized.

Proprietary Tonewood TreatmentsThe wood on Masterpiece instruments is optimized to look and sound like an authentic vintage instrument.

• Thermo Treatment: The body tonewood (typically hand-selected European Alder or Swamp Ash) is baked at high temperatures. This removes moisture, artificially simulating decades of natural drying to increase structural stability and resonance.
• Vibration Treatment: Before final assembly, the instrument undergoes a dedicated, long-term vibration process. This settles the wood fibers, improving sustain and response out of the box.

Construction & Playability

• Precision Fretwork: Every bass undergoes automated PLEK computer analysis. The frets are leveled and polished within 0.001 mm accuracy, providing an exceptionally low, effortless action with a Zero Fret design.
• Neck Anchor: Features a hyper-stable 6-bolt Canadian hardrock maple neck. The exact positioning of the neck pocket was engineered in collaboration with the Technical University of Braunschweig.
• Adjustable Hardware: Outfitted with a proprietary bridge allowing string spacing adjustments from 18.5 mm to 20 mm, preventing the bass from becoming top-heavy.

Pickups & Electronics:

• Delano Setup: Dual Delano J-style single coils paired with a custom active/passive 2-band EQ. The volume knob acts as a push/pull mechanism to bypass active electronics. When in passive mode, the treble knob smoothly transforms into a traditional passive tone control.