Sanden True Temperament Guitars

Written by Marc Noel-Johnson on February 10, 2010

The Sanden SRB TT True

Temperament acoustic guitar was

heavily featured back in November

when Michael Sanden himself and his

demonstrator, Homesick Mac, paid

DV247 a visit to show off his own in-

house models built with the True

Temperament fretting system. Just to

recap, The TT fretting system is a

patented invention which Sanden uses

on his guitars under licence. The frets

are shaped to ensure true intonation

all over the fingerboard, no matter

how tricky the chord. The

design works by reducing the

intermodulation between the fretted

notes which has the effect of making

every chord ring true. It is universally

accepted that the normal method of

fretting a stringed instrument is at best a compromise and that our ears have to recalibrate

sounds to make them musical and pleasing. The True Temperament system solves this

problem

The frets on the Sanden TT models are of a highly polished brass/alloy composition and quite

unlike their nickel counterparts. There is a zero fret and a non-angled bridge saddle, the

intonation is all done on the fingerboard. The SRB TT is the smallest guitar in a range of three

hand-built models – the width at the lower bout is just under 15″ – and has a Sitka Spruce top,

East-Indian Rosewood back and sides, Mahogany neck and Ebony fingerboard. The

soundhole rosette features layers of herringbone and abalone and all Sanden models have the

B-band pickup system installed which has a long-life power supply, basically a wall-wart that

plugs into the jack socket and charges the preamp battery. This is supplied with the guitar. To

add strength to the headstock and to improve tonality, a laminate is added to the rear, which

also provides extra stability to the Schaller machine heads. The bridge is also another Sanden

innovation – a teardrop shape that adds extra bass response.

The Sanden VRB TT has the same appontments as the SRB but has a lower bout of just under

16″ and an upper body bout of just over 11″, and is in effect an ‘Auditorium’ size guitar.

Sanden cite the VRB as their most popular model. All guitars are available with or without the

True Temperament fretting system, the inclusion of which adds about £500 to the price. There

is a cutaway version of the VRB, called the VRB-C TT. It features all the same appointments

but has a ‘Vintage Round Bell’ cutaway for easy access to the upper frets.

This picture shows the remaining two

guitars of the order of three being

made for DV at Michael Sanden’s

workshop in Sweden. He started them

in December after returning from his

brief visit to the UK. Lead time on his

hand-made instruments is usually a

couple months, so he’s well on

schedule and we should be receiving

the instruments within the next two

weeks, ready for full reviews.

Playing a Michael Sanden model with

the True Temperament fretting is a

pretty special experience. The frets

don’t actually feel any different under the fingers but everything just rings sweeter. At last, a

guitar that’s really in tune with itself.

About Marc Noel-Johnson

Marc Noel-Johnson has written 463 articles on this blog.

DOB: 1954. Occupation: Musician, Songwriter, Reviewer. DAW: ProTools

8/iMac. Guitar Rig: Les Paul/Dr Z Maz 38, Strat/Matchless DC30. Guitarist:

Billy Gibbons. Songwriter: Brian Wilson. Album: Joni Mitchell, Hejira. Fear:

Hearing loss. Where it all began: Chuck Berry, The Beatles.