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The cornerstone of what .strandberg* was founded on, having an ergonomic playing experience is at the core of all .strandberg* guitars and basses. From the headless, lightweight body design to the EndurNeck™ neck profile, there are a plethora of features that go into making the .strandberg* playing experience as natural and comfortable as possible.
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While it’s important to understand the technical details of these ergonomic features, perhaps the most useful display of their potential lies in actual player feedback. Below are several testimonies from real .strandberg* guitar and bass players who can speak on the benefits of these ergonomics first-hand.
“I can’t express enough how much .strandberg*’s design has changed the game for me. I have intense carpal tunnel and tendinitis in both arms. The ability to use multiple sensible postures with my instrument ON TOP of the EndurNeck advantages? Life changing. My playing time exploded, and my fine motor skills accelerated so greatly that my longevity on things like my Tele or my acoustic has at least doubled. Endlessly thankful. Seriously. From the bottom of my heart. .strandberg* for life. Good luck ditching me.”
Sun Scarred (sunscarredmusic), Guitarist.
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The feature most people might notice upon first glance is the headless nature of a .strandberg* guitar. The lack of a traditional headstock creates several ergonomic benefits, including the removal of conventional tuning hardware which helps to cut down on the weight of the instrument. It serves to promote good balance, as the reduced weight on the “headstock” end of a headless guitar means the instrument sits with more stability towards the center of the player. The instrument is also easier to play while traveling, as the compact nature means it is less likely to bump into things in the environment, whether it be on a plane, bus, train, etc.
You can learn more about the benefits of headless guitars here.
Potentially the singular most defining feature of a .strandberg*, the patented EndurNeck™ neck profile is an exclusive feature on all .strandberg* instruments. This flat, angled neck design provides several ergonomic benefits for the player, including a more restful and natural grip for the thumb and the encouragement to play in a more correct playing position with a straighter wrist. These key features result in far-less stress and tension on joints, muscles, and tendons, and allow for a more relaxed and sustainable playing experience overall.
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There are a few key benefits that play off of each other when it comes to the unique body shape of a .strandberg* guitar. Because of the contoured wings, chambered interior, and overall design, the body has a substantial reduction of wood, as compared to more traditional guitar designs, meaning it is exceptionally light in weight. This flexible form-factor is then able to provide several comfortable seated playing positions for the player (traditional guitar position over the right leg, traditional guitar position over the left leg, classical guitar position over the right leg, and classical guitar position over the left leg). The highly ergonomic and lightweight design is also ideal for players who suffer from nerve and lower back pain.
The multi-scale design (or “multiscale”) refers to the fact that the frets on a .strandberg* guitar are laid out in a fanned shape, which has several ergonomic benefits. In addition to improving intonation and string tension, the multi-scale design provides a more organic left-hand playing experience than the standard fret layout on most guitars. Because of both the “windshield wiper”-type motion of the left arm as it goes up and down the neck and the natural way your fingers spread out over the fretboard, the multi-scale fret layout helps to reduce wrist/hand pain and enables much easier fret access.
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“I have a health condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, is a connective tissue disorder that makes your joints very loose and easy to dislocate and a whole bunch of other stuff. Long story short I am a little girl and I had tried playing guitar with no results because of my shoulder pain. Now I’m proud to say I don’t have to give up learning to play the guitar thanks to your ergonomic design! My .strandberg* just arrived last Saturday and the difference is so huge I can’t believe it.”
マルティナ ピンナ (livingafk), Guitarist.
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“My wrist stopped hurting when I played standing up. Literally game changing. Now I can play stretchy chords easier without getting carpal tunnel.”
Evan Vaske (evan_1942), Guitarist.
“I taught myself how to play and never had proper form. Playing my Boden has 100% improved my awareness of thumb and wrist position and I feel like it’s reflecting in better overall playing. Not an easy thing to do when you’re a dude that’s been playing wrong as long as I have.”
Matt Johnson (no_muse), Guitarist.
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“Helped me with left wrist pain from damaged cartilage, the ergonomics and weight are a godsend.”
Cammy Scott (cammy_scott_), Guitarist. Photo by Caleb Cuthbert.
“For me, it’s the design and quality that inspires me. I have a Boden Original 8 and it feels so well-built and comfortable that I just play for hours. It is easily my favorite guitar I own and I just feel like it helps me express whatever I’m feeling.”
Donald Padgett (donpatch18), Guitarist.
“The EndurNeck is the best neck ever. After years of struggling with a hand injury I tried one, and god, it was perfect! I’m planing on getting one in the next months.”
Carlos SanAvi (carlossanavi), Guitarist.
“It has definitely helped me with my playing posture and the EndurNeck keeps me reminding of better thumb placement.”
Rousseau Mannan (rousseaubaba), Guitarist.
“In the 20 years I’ve been playing guitar, .strandberg* is by far the most comfortable I’ve laid my hands on. I have large palms, so the typical thin fast necks give me a lot of fatigue, especially when playing 5-8 fret stretches (depending on where I am on the neck). The EndurNeck profile is the answer to my woes. I can easily do my stretches, play all kinds of weird chord voicings for hours. Doing it live is also pretty damn easy.”
Kay Tyagi, Dhara (horizon.distorted), Guitarist. www.dharamusic.com
“It’s allowed me to play chord clusters and pretty much anything else, much easier than any other guitar. So much so that .strandbergs* are all I play now.”
Oreste Rodriguez (oresteguitar), Guitarist.
“I got mine less than a week ago and I can feel the neck encouraging me to play in better ways. Things that were difficult on my other guitar are like almost mindlessly easy on this one. I’ve not wanted to put it down and I feel super connected to it and ~one~ with it in a way I haven’t with other instruments.”
Amanda Morin (a_man_duuh__), Guitarist.
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“I suffered from Quervain Syndrome in my left hand thumb, the only guitar I could play without pain was my Boden Metal.”
Alex Torres (alex_gtrist), Guitarist. Photo by @gchiprout.
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“I bought a Boden Bass Prog 4 and I’ll never look back. The EndurNeck makes my finger positioning so much better and the speed of the neck is amazing. I love that bass.”
Anthony Wilkinson (defencepunk), Bassist.
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“I had a teacher tell me my thumb positioning was awful, after I was playing for ~6 years. So trying to correct it was really difficult. But when I finally got my .strandberg* it got so easy to adjust my thumb positioning to have proper form! It also helped me correct my playing posture. I don’t get soreness or tightness in my wrist anymore too.”
Flawless Walrus (flawlesswalruss), Guitarist.
“I own 1 of the 24 Poplar Burl Boden made for Modern Guitarist. I baught this while in hospital going through chemo for spinal cancer, I wasn’t able to play for about 7 months, looking at that .strandberg* case in my hospital room kept me going. I’m now back to full health and playing everyday, I was surprised to see that I had improved in the time that I hadn’t been playing.”
Ewan Gentle (thevaienthusiast), Guitarist.
“Strandberg has definitely been my game changer. Since I’m self taught; I used to get skinny/thin necks thinking it was the best way to go, but over time my hands started to get uncomfortable during practice. Not to mention I had terrible form.”
baesplaya, Guitarist.
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“The first time I played a .strandberg* it was a model for right handed players. I was surprised how easy it felt too play as a lefty on this guitar. 3 years later I got my lefty and it changed some ways of how I play. Shredding was more easy and accessible, my preferred music genre evolved and expanded and let me try out new music. In general it inspired some playing of me, writing new music (although I’m not brave enough to release it) and changed a lot about my ideas of sound and playing technique. To put in a short sentence: I love it since I saw my first strandberg when Rich Henshall played one and I got to know Plini‘s music!”
Simon Alfert (simonalfert), Guitarist.
“For me it started with my wife buying a piano or Thomann and we had a few minutes left so asked the guitar guys if they were having .strandberg* guitars. We drove home and the next day I called them to buy the Boden Original 6 they had on display. It just feels like I thought a guitar should feel like when being picked up. Lightweight, I can play for hours without neck pain and without wrist pain.”
Johannes Schmillmann (derguitarjo), Guitarist.
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“I picked up a Boden Bass Original in December. Before then I’d been encountering a few biting pains in my left hand thumb joint and wrist from years of playing incorrectly that I was starting to become concerned about by February 2020, when it felt like it was becoming chronic. I’d heard about the EndurNeck and its ability to curb some of these issues, and was skeptical at first, but after playing daily for close to two and a half months now I haven’t encountered a single bit of pain in my left hand, and in fact can now translate the positioning to regular circumference basses without it being uncomfortable or painful anymore. This bass is a revelation and will never leave my side.”
Dave (skybounddave), Bassist. Photo by @beyondthepit613.
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“The first time I played a .strandberg* it was a model for right handed players. I was surprised how easy it felt too play as a lefty on this guitar. 3 years later I got my lefty and it changed some ways of how I play. Shredding was more easy and accessible, my preferred music genre evolved and expanded and let me try out new music. In general it inspired some playing of me, writing new music (although I’m not brave enough to release it) and changed a lot about my ideas of sound and playing technique. To put in a short sentence: I love it since I saw my first strandberg when Rich Henshall played one and I got to know Plini‘s music!”
Simon Alfert (simonalfert), Guitarist.
“For me it started with my wife buying a piano or Thomann and we had a few minutes left so asked the guitar guys if they were having .strandberg* guitars. We drove home and the next day I called them to buy the Boden Original 6 they had on display. It just feels like I thought a guitar should feel like when being picked up. Lightweight, I can play for hours without neck pain and without wrist pain.”
Johannes Schmillmann (derguitarjo), Guitarist.
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“The day I got my .strandberg* something in my brain changed. I felt and still feel much more connected to my guitar and much more inspired to play each day. I practically smile every time I pick it up. I got it in 2018 and I’m still so glad each day I got one. Best musical decision in my 35 years as a musician.”
J (mmorbiduss), Guitarist.
“Since I started playing my Boden Standard, I can play bar chords pain free again. The neck profile helped immensely.”
Ken Penney (ken_penney), Guitarist.
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“I 100% play better on my .strandberg*. It’s greatly helped me with speed and accessibility to more intricate chords. I feel beyond inspired by the variability in pick up selection. Everything about it is wonderful. So glad my first expensive guitar was a .strandberg*.”
Griffin (ihavetouchedthesky), Guitarist.
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“Totaled my car a few years back and while it helped certain pinky movements and its freedom. It caused pain when moving to male quick figures across the frets. Not anymore. Most comfortable guitar I’ve ever held. Most relaxing to play. Best bang for your buck. Non bulky. Lightweight. Ergonomic for those who have issues with finding right relief vs. correct tension for playing notes. All around purchasing a .strandberg* makes you question if you ever want to buy another brand of guitar again.”
James Wolfe (beammeupskawdie), Guitarist.
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“I was looking to buy a new guitar around half a year ago just before the start of the harder pandemic here in the states. Went to my local guitar center looking at Jazzmasters and spotted a lonely Boden OS6 behind the counter and asked the tech working about it, he asked if I wanted to play it and after spending an hour noodling around on it I fell in love, the comfortability is superb, the tuning stability is impeccable, the styling is flawless. I now own two .strandbergs*, and with the help of playing the Boden 6 I’ve become confident enough to start playing a 7 string and was inspired to try to expand my playing and music. Still not that good like a lot of these Instagram guys but I’m working and practicing and experimenting with some of the best guitars available on the market. Thanks .strandberg* Guitars and Ola Strandberg, your work is truly inspirational and has helped me ignite a spark in me to elevate my skillset on the guitar.”
4lyx (hello_4lyx), Guitarist.
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“After 9 years of heavy basses killing my shoulder I can finally say it hasn’t happened since owning my Boden bass, it’s the lightest bass I’ve ever owned and possibly the lightest bass in the market today and the neck allows my hands to fly around with ease with next to no fatigue.”
John Wells (resuko77), Bassist.
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“In PT rehab for shoulder and neck injuries, could no longer stand and play my Godin Spectrum SA but the balance, weight and ergo versatility of my Sarah Longfield .strandberg* Boden Metal 8 string allows me to play for extended durations in several positions. Game changer in tonality and expressiveness too.”
Rejyna (rejyna.usa), Guitarist.
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“.strandbergs* play great and sound good. But most importantly, they help me maintain proper posture. This enables me to play longer, easier, and not feel it afterwards. I own 50+ guitars in my studio, and almost always play my .strandberg*.”
Alex B (aclintonb88), Guitarist.