Sadowskys Can't Fly!!

brandau · #1 08-30-2009, 01:01 PM

This story happened a while ago, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

Couple years ago I picked up a brand new MS5. Wow! Great bass. Well naturally I was playing it on every gig I had and then some. That same week I was on a gig and a good buddy and monster bass player was there and wanted to sit in. "Of course. No problem..." So he's obviously loving the bass and my set up because he just gettin it. In fact he's gettin it so much the band drops out and gives him a solo. We'll he's quite the showman, so he's pulling out all his tricks. He kept hitting a chord and then grabbing the body of the bass, holding out in front of him, and shaking the whole bass... kinda had a vibrato effect. So, his solo is coming to a climax, the audience is cheering him on -including myself. Here we go! He hits one last chord, holds the bass up and starts shaking it. Just then the bass strap literally snaps in two as he's pushing the bass away from his body. This next part was in slow motion. The bass goes soaring thru the air end over end (think Jaco in his glory days). Here I am just feet away from the stage ... NOOOOOOOOO!!! The bass comes crashing down on the concrete floor and bounces a couple times!! Band stops, I run over trying to stay cool. My buddy is horrified-not half as much as me, but I'm trying to stay cool and not strangle him. My eyes were kinda glossed over. "Its cool bro, everything's allright, I know it was an accident... Nice solo!" Luckily the bass didn't suffer too much damage. The worst being that it landed upside down on the B tuning machine which caused a hairline crack in the headstock plus a nice finish crack in the body. Anyway, I tuned it back up and finished the gig! What a trooper...

The only thing worse that F-ing your brand new instrument is watching someone else do it! At least I got a good story out if it....lol -matt

millsbass5 · #2 08-30-2009, 01:20 PM

Wow...NOT GOOD.
I done the same thing to a good friends Alembic.I was sitting in with his band.The input jacks on the majority of an Alembic bass is on the front of the body(a design flaw if you ask me).
Anyways,he did have his cord running up and over the strap.Long story short,I got "too involved" in the moment,stepped on the cord,and absolutely tore out a huge chunk of wood,along with the cord.Not good,at all.He was pretty cool about it.The following day we glued it back into the bass.You have too look really close to even tell something had ever happened to it.Whew!!Close one,indeed.

**lowendfriend** · #3 08-30-2009, 03:33 PM

Ben Franklin said it best..."Neither a borrower nor a lender be!"

MikeBass · #4 08-30-2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandau

This story happened a while ago, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

Couple years ago I picked up a brand new MS5. Wow! Great bass. Well naturally I was playing it on every gig I had and then some. That same week I was on a gig and a good buddy and monster bass player was there and wanted to sit in. "Of course. No problem..." So he's obviously loving the bass and my set up because he just gettin it. In fact he's gettin it so much the band drops out and gives him a solo. We'll he's quite the showman, so he's pulling out all his tricks. He kept hitting a chord and then grabbing the body of the bass, holding out in front of him, and shaking the whole bass... kinda had a vibrato effect. So, his solo is coming to a climax, the audience is cheering him on -including myself. Here we go! He hits one last chord, holds the bass up and starts shaking it. Just then the bass strap literally snaps in two as he's pushing the bass away from his body. This next part was in slow motion. The bass goes soaring thru the air end over end (think Jaco in his glory days). Here I am just feet away from the stage ... NOOOOOOOOO!!! The bass comes crashing down on the concrete floor and bounces a couple times!! Band stops, I run over trying to stay cool. My buddy is horrified-not half as much as me, but I'm trying to stay cool and not strangle him. My eyes were kinda glossed over. "Its cool bro, everything's allright, I know it was an accident... Nice solo!" Luckily the bass didn't suffer too much damage. The worst being that it landed upside down on the B tuning machine which caused a hairline crack in the headstock plus a nice finish crack in the body. Anyway, I tuned it back up and finished the gig! What a trooper...

The only thing worse that F-ing your brand new instrument is watching someone else do it! At least I got a good story out if it....lol -matt

Wonder if that will be covered under warranty???

brandau · #5 08-30-2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Wonder if that will be covered under warranty???

Nope. I spoke to Roger when it happened. I didn't even mention the circumstances, and said he would never replace a neck due to that type of crack-even if it was only a couple weeks old. He said he sees them all the time and they're no biggie. Honestly, it doesn't effect anything. I took it to a luthier who injected it with glue. Cost $20. It hasn't moved and I'm not worried about it. Might effect re-sale value though??

Disappear · #6 08-30-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendfriend

Ben Franklin said it best..."Neither a borrower nor a lender be!"

And by Ben Franklin, you mean The Bard.

Hamlet, wasn't it?

MikeBass · #7 08-30-2009, 07:37 PM

I was joking BTW!

Jazzdogg · #8 08-30-2009, 07:56 PM

I guess your story proves that I'm an old fart, because I cannot imagine standing idly by while somone disrespected me via my bass with those kinds of childish antics.

If he wants to play stupid games with his own axe, that's his choice, but with my bass? No effin' way!

Steve Clark · #9 08-31-2009, 08:08 AM

MasterCard, my personal sponsor

says I should never let anyone else use my basses.

Dr. Cheese · #10 08-31-2009, 08:20 AM

I don't care if it's an SX or a Ritter, you should be careful with another person's gear. brandau, you are a better person than I am. I probably would not have slugged him, but I would have been very cross with my "friend" if he had pulled some crap like that with me.

brandau · #11 08-31-2009, 08:29 AM

Quote:

I don't care if it's an SX or a Ritter, you should be careful with another person's gear. brandau, you are a better person than I am. I probably would not have slugged him, but I would have been very cross with my "friend" if he had pulled some crap like that with me.

It was a genuine accident. I mean the strap broke. Actually I blame the strap. If he hadn't been jerking it around it might not of snapped then, but if would of happened sooner or later...

Dr. Cheese · #12 08-31-2009, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandau

It was a genuine accident. I mean the strap broke. Actually I blame the strap. If he hadn't been jerking it around it might not of snapped then, but if would of happened sooner or later...

In that case, I would have acted the way you did. There is no point in dogging someone who already feels badly.

OshKoshJoash · #13 08-31-2009, 08:45 AM

you're an awesome friend for keeping your cool! sorry that happened!

ehque · #14 08-31-2009, 09:13 AM

Hrmmm. I would like to say i don't lend or borrow basses, but i do. What will happen, will happen.

MatticusMania · #15 08-31-2009, 12:25 PM

You should have payed for the wings upgrade.

Pilgrim · #16 08-31-2009, 12:29 PM

I would have had the bass refinished back to new condition and sent him the bill. And I would have made it very clear that he could expect to see it.

It doesn't MATTER whether it was the strap's fault or his - he was using the bass when it was damaged, he is therefore responsible for restoring it to the condition in which he received it. No excuses, no exceptions.

If I had been using the bass, that's exactly what I would expect to be responsible for.

josbroek · #17 08-31-2009, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

You should have payed for the wings upgrade.

i needed a good ol' LOL to cheer up my day, here i got it

RTL · #18 08-31-2009, 01:04 PM

Wow..

Yeah, I wouldn't have been cool with that at all. The minute the dude started pulling acrobatics with my bass, I'd beat his ass, friend or not.. I hold other people's instruments like they're made of glass - I don't think it's unrealistic to expect the same in return.

Then again, I don't find myself in these kinds of situations because I usually gig boutique basses and am extremely picky about them (I won't pick up an instrument without washing my hands first). I'm by no means a jerk about it, but people know better than to ask to use my instruments.

johnnydi · #19 08-31-2009, 01:53 PM

Wow! You were real cool about it. In rehearsal my signer tripped in a mic cable in a very clumsy way and the mic stand fell on my Sadowsky NYC that was brand new. It was just sitting in the corner. Boom! big gash on the headstock.

Sometimes I wish I would've never ever try a boutique instrument and stick with my first Squier at $200. Now that i have a couple of nice basses, I can't go back and I'm always nervous when someone pass by my bass.

The least he could have done is offer to have it fix.

ChronicPyromaniac · #20 08-31-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disappear

And by Ben Franklin, you mean The Bard.

Hamlet, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was Polonius in Hamlet.