Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite - Overview and Best Prices

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Review
Add to Compare
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
  • 3 Prices - New from $2,095 >
  • From Strandberg's 2021 Boden Metal series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5" to 25"'' scale
  • 20" Fretboard Radius
  • Chambered American Basswood body
  • Maple neck – Quartersawn, Carbon Fiber reinforced neck
  • Richlite fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Suhr Aldrich Bridge (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Suhr Aldrich Neck (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Strandberg EGS Rev7 fixed & string locks bridge
  • EndurNeck Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • At bridge tuners
  • Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Specifications
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite
General
Brand: Strandberg
Year: 2021
Configuration: HH
Strings: 6
Made in: Indonesia
Series: Boden Metal
Colors: White, Black
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Chambered American Basswood
Bridge: Strandberg EGS Rev7 fixed & string locks
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On
Tuners: At bridge
Fretboard: Richlite
Neck Material: Maple neck – Quartersawn, Carbon Fiber reinforced
Decoration: Offset Illuminlay Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" to 25"
Shape: EndurNeck
Thickness: 1st Fret: 1.2'' (30.5mm) - 12th Fret: 1.1'' (27.9mm)
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 20"
Nut: Locking
Nut Width: 36mm (1.417'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Suhr Aldrich Bridge (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Suhr Aldrich Neck (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5
Knobs: Dome
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No
Hardware Color: Black
Show Diagram
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's switch options

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 78
Sound 79
Build quality 70
Value for money 66
Overall Score 76
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Weight Relief
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $800, which means that the Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite costs around 162% more than the competition. It might be due to it having additional features, but know that you can find cheaper similar alternatives. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in Indonesia.

SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

User Reviews & Feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

Vote

Tuning stability

Vote

Neck speed (thickness)

Vote

Neck access to high frets

Vote

Neck profile shape

Vote

Fret edges

Vote

Pickups noise

Vote

Pickups power

Vote
No Reviews Yet

Often Compared With

Explore All From Strandberg >

Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's construction favors people with relatively small hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. 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 to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Videos

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Unboxing & Review
Allan Marcus Demos the .strandberg* Boden Metal NX 6
Per Nilsson Demos the .strandberg* Boden Metal NX Series
New Guitar Day! strandberg boden metal 6
Are Strandberg guitars worth the Hype?
Haunted Shores - Blast Inc. | Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6
WILL IT CHUG? - STRANDBERG BODEN NX
Strandberg Boden Original NX6 Demo
.strandberg* MF Metal Pickups demo
As I Lay Dying - My Own Grave | Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6

Playability

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's 25.5" to 25" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Scale Length Comparison
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite features a multi-scale fingerboard, which means that it incorporates two scale lengths at the same time. This is present in some 7+ strings guitars to give a different tension to the lower strings and 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.

Neck Profile

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Neck Profile
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's neck thickness is approximately 1.2'' (30.5mm) at the first fret, and 1.1'' (27.9mm) at the twelfth.

These measurements were taken either from the official Strandberg website, or, in case this information wasn't provided, by researching multiple online marketplaces and forums where owners of this model have posted their measurements.

It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.

Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.

More for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite has a 20" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's fretboard radius compared to others

This radius makes the fretboard almost completely flat, which means that it's perfect for playing single notes and bends. However, making complex chord shapes will be harder because you might mute the strings accidentally. It's a fretboard made for shredders, and probably for heavy music genres.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

Multiscale Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.417'' Nut Width
20'' Fretboard Radius
Multiscale Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.417'' Nut Width
20'' Fretboard Radius
Multiscale Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.417'' Nut Width
20'' Fretboard Radius
Multiscale Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.417'' Nut Width
20'' Fretboard Radius
Multiscale Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.417'' Nut Width
20'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Nut Width
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Nut Width

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite has a nut width of 36mm (1.417''). This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Frets

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite has 24 frets. A lot of people mistakenly believe that having more frets will always be better because it gives you a higher octave. This is certainly an advantage, but there's also a disadvantage to this.

Since the fretboard will be longer, the neck pickup will need to be placed closer to the bridge. And as you may know, the further away the neck pickup is from the bridge, the warmer it sounds. This means you'll have a brighter-sounding neck pickup when using a 24-fret guitar, even if you use the same pickup on a 22-fret guitar.

Finally, these are stainless steel frets. They're the best fretwire available. This means you won't need to change your frets since they should last as long as your guitar. Some people also feel easier bendings after swapping to stainless steel.

More with stainless steel frets:

Fret Size

Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite Fret Size Comparison
Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's frets are Medium Jumbo size. These sit somewhere between a Jumbo and a Medium fret. They're not quite as tall as a full Jumbo, so you'll still feel the fretboard, but you won't feel it as much as with medium frets. This is a good size if you want to make it easy to press the strings but would also like a little bit of ''feedback'' to know when to stop pressing so the notes don't go out of pitch.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 78

Tone

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood Body
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Neck
Richlite wood pattern used for guitar building
Richlite Fretboard

Basswood Body: This is a soft type of wood that is very light and easy to work with. It's cheaper than many other kinds of wood used for guitar building, but it doesn't mean it's low quality. In terms of sound, it accentuates the mid-range, which matches the frequencies that a Humbucker produces.

Maple Neck: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

Richlite Fretboard: It's very similar to Ebony, but it is much cheaper to make. The main reason is that it is made from resin-infused paper. It is very durable and soft, so it's often used for fretboards and tops.

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Suhr. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite's configuration is HH. With this pickup combination, you'll get warmer tones and more output than using single coils. Humbucker pickups cancel the noise that single-coil suffer from, which also results in a warmer tone. This pickup combination isn't only for high-gain music like Hard Rock or Heavy Metal. Their warmness is also popular for Jazz, Indie, R&B, Blues and more.

Versatility

It gives you a good amount of tone options with its 5-way switch. You can use it to choose at least 5 different pickup combinations.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with more options for coil split or coil tapping. This makes it less versatile than some competitors.

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with HH configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Heavy Metal or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 85
Sustain 75
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79

Build Quality

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite is made in Indonesia. Many people prefer the quality of an Indonesian guitar over a Chinese. Respectable brands like Epiphone, Ibanez and Schecter are building in this country because of the great quality and lower price. Some people like to compare them to the ones built in Japan during the 80s, when Japanese guitar makers made a name for themselves.

Bridge

Strandberg EGS Rev7 fixed & string locks: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.

More with the same type of bridge:

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6 Black Granite has a Locking nut. Instead of the typical nut, this nut locks the strings in place and will make them stay in tune even after heavy tremolo use. This type of nut provides the best tune stability, but they also make the guitar more expensive.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with 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.

More with the same nut material:

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Bolt-On neck joint. Even though this type of neck was looked down upon for a long time, nowadays bolt-on necks are well built and provide just as much sustain as any other join method. First of all, it's cheap to make because it consists of simply 4 bolts that attach the neck to the body. And you can travel with the guitar more easily, swap out the neck if you damage it, or upgrade to a more comfortable neck later on.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 59
Features 65
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 70