Sandberg Announces Steamed Oak Fingerboards

Sandberg VM4 Steamed Oak Fretboard

To keep up with the new CITES regulations on rosewood, Sandberg Guitars has turned to a new fingerboard option: steamed oak. The innovation was first shown at NAMM this year as a prototype.

“Oak is a very eco-friendly and sustainable wood with very desirable sonic qualities and dynamic response,” the company wrote in a press release. “Sandberg has adopted a process which changes the chemistry of the wood’s pigments and oxidizes the naturally occurring tannins in the wood. Oak is loaded with tannins so the final ‘steamed’ result is a permanently deep and warm dark wood with accentuated grain patterns that will look familiar to those who favor rosewood. Once steamed, it has the warmth of rosewood yet gives the player improved right-hand dynamic response similar to maple and a sharper attack like ebony. The final results are permanent and easy to maintain.”

Steamed Oak will be Sandberg’s new standard dark colored fingerboard wood. The option is shipping now and will be added to the company’s online configuration utility soon.

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  1. Pete Nemec

    I would like to see some articles on some budget basses {i.e. “Harley Benton” etc.} A few reviews on them would be most entertaining. I own 13 basses some are pretty high end Moduluses and the like along with a bunch of Fender J and P basses along with some more eclectic pieces. I recently bought a $100 1951 P bass copy , I tweaked it a bit . I am fairly impressed I will use this on some gigs. Just a thought Pete Lobo Nemec