Show Full Spec Comparison
| Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame | Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Strandberg | Strandberg |
| Year: | 2022 | 2022 |
| Configuration: | HH | HH |
| Strings: | 8 | 6 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | Indonesia |
| Series: | Boden Original | Boden Original |
| Colors: | Green, Natural, Grey | Red, Natural, Grey |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Chambered Swamp Ash | Chambered Swamp Ash |
| Bridge: | Strandberg EGS Rev7 fixed & string locks | Strandberg EGS Rev7 fixed & string locks |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | At bridge | At bridge |
| Fretboard: | Birdseye Maple | Birdseye Maple |
| Neck Material: | Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | Offset Illuminlay Dots | Offset Luminlay Dots |
| Scale Size: | 28" to 26.5" | 25.5" to 25" |
| Shape: | EndurNeck | EndurNeck |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 1.2'' (30.5mm) - 12th Fret: 1.1'' (27.9mm) | 1st Fret: 1.2'' (30.5mm) - 12th Fret: 1.1'' (27.9mm) |
| Frets: | 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel | 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel |
| Fretboard Radius: | 20" | 20" |
| Nut: | Locking | Locking |
| Nut Width: | 48.8mm (1.92'') | 36mm (1.417'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic, Black Plastic (Humbucker / Active) | Suhr SSH+ Bridge (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico, Black Plastic (Humbucker / Active) | Suhr SSV Neck (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 3 Way | 5 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | Coil Split | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Black | Black |
Reasons to Get
Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame over Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt
Reasons to Get
Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt over Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame
Other Key Differences
Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame vs Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt
Shared Features
Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame vs Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt
Common Strengths
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- High-Quality Nut
- High-Quality Frets
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Retainer Bar
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt Prices
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Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame favors large hands more than the Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt.
Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame:
Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt:
Beginner Friendliness
The Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.
Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
The Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame's pickups are Active while the Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt's are Passive.
Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt gives you 5 switch options while the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame gives you 3. This means that the Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Both offer you the same type of pickup mod: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame compares to the Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
In this case, both have Locking nuts. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
Unfortunately, neither of them have a retainer bar for the nut, which would be a helpful addition. Without it, the strings will change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'll have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Both in this comparison come with stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
In this case, both lack regular machine heads because they're headless guitars. Instead, the strings are tuned at the bridge. This gives the guitars better balance and will prevent neck dives. It also makes them more travel friendly.
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Weight Relief
- Luminescent Inlay
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame has the wider nut with 48.8mm (1.92'') vs 36mm (1.417''). This is a 12.8mm (0.503'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a multi-scale. The Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame has a 28" to 26.5" scale, and the Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt features a 25.5" to 25" size.
They incorporate two scale lengths at the same time. This is present in some instruments with long scale to give different tension to the lower strings than the higher strings. The thickest strings need more tension to avoid fret buzz (especially when tuned low), so the scale is longer for these strings, while the thinnest strings will need less tension (because they have a lower gauge), so they have a shorter scale to reduce stiffness for bends.
It can feel awkward if you've never played a multi-scale because the frets will have more separation for the higher strings, but a lot of people love their versatility.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame and the Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
Both the Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Natural Flame and the Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 Natural Quilt have the same fretboard radius of 20". This fretboard is almost completely flat, which makes it perfect for playing single notes and bending comfortably. However, chords are harder to perform due to the lack of space for your fingers.
Fret Size
Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.
