Cheap cure for my Sadowsky GAS.

Fender32 · #1 10-25-2007, 12:39 PM

Since getting my first Sadowsky (Metro M5-24) last month, I've been completely obsessed with that "modern, clean, warm hi-fi" (there's a contradiction for you

) Sadowsky tone and have been figuring out ways (legal and otherwise

) to find the money for a Sadowsky Jazz Bass.

Well, I've found a solution, which works for me, but is sure to upset the purists

. I bought one of these today ...

I won't go on for pages about it here, firstly because I haven't had it long enough, but mainly because this isn't the right forum for it. I believe that this post belongs here* (*was in "Bass Guitars", has subsequently been moved by a moderator), though, as its' aimed at those who are looking for new instruments and may not have considered this possibility.

What I simply wanted to convey was this:

If you've ever played a Sadowsky and got to know "that sound" (which I tried to describe earlier), then it's my opinion that you will find at least 70% of it in this pedal

. Of course, it depends what you're amplifying (in my case it was a heavy-bodied '76 Fender Jazz), but for me at least, I'm quite satisfied with the way that it makes that (and my other basses) sound and no longer feel the need to spend (literally) ten times as much money, just to add more basses to my collection. With this preamp, it's like having new versions of all my basses, anyway

. Goodbye GAS

!!!!

DISCLAIMER:

I am in no way suggesting that this product will turn every bass into an exact sonic replica of a Sadowsky

. I understand most of the other factors, which conspire to make Rogers' basses so wonderful. If money was no object, I'd have a room full of them, myself

.

My suggestion is simply that anyone with a half-decent sounding, passive bass, may well be pleasantly surprised by what this box (with only bass, treble and volume controls) can do for their sound.

OK, let me have it .....

YCBass · #2 10-25-2007, 12:58 PM

I thought about doing this also Andy... Specially since I have never owned a Sadowsky. I think the pedal is awesome!

I just put a stop to it cause I want to save the sound for when I have a Sadowsky.

BobWestbrook · #3 10-25-2007, 01:05 PM

Thanks for the info - I've been considering the acquisition of one of these, for similar reasons.

Fender32 · #4 10-25-2007, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YCBass

I thought about doing this also Andy... Specially since I have never owned a Sadowsky. I think the pedal is awesome!

I just put a stop to it cause I want to save the sound for when I have a Sadowsky.

Yeah, I can relate to that

. As I said, I'd rather have a Sadowsky bass, than a Sadowsky pedal and an 11 pound Fender, but this solution is more about economics than ergonomics

.

droskobass · #5 10-25-2007, 01:42 PM

the sadowsky pre amp is one of the best pieces of gear that a bass player can own. I have the older belt-clip type and I highly recomend it to anyone. I use it on all of my bases except for the Music man. It does wonders for My steinberger.

If you havean Eden or SWR or other transparent amp then it really delivers. it's also great on flatt wounds with a pick. Note: the original circuit was designed by aguilar so the aguilar pre is probably identical.

droskobass · #6 10-25-2007, 01:43 PM

yours has a mute and tuner out? cool I just might have to upgrade. how much does this go for?

srh · #7 10-25-2007, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fender32

S
My suggestion is simply that anyone with a half-decent sounding, passive bass, may well be pleasantly surprised by what this box (with only bass, treble and volume controls) can do for their sound.

so your saying that I cant use this with an active bass?

sb69coupe · #8 10-25-2007, 02:43 PM

My Sadowsky preamp/DI is a mandatory piece of my rig whenever I'm using a passive Fender-style bass, precision or jazz. I run the bass and treble around the 9:00 position and find that it really tightens up the bottom end and provides a bit more clarity to the high end.

srh, I've only tried one active bass through mine, an Aria SB-1000 and it didn't work well at all. The input sensitivity of the preamp is set for a passive input, and the active signal is just too hot and causes some nasty distortion and signal break-up.

Baird6869 · #9 10-25-2007, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fender32

If you've ever played a Sadowsky and got to know "that sound" (which I tried to describe earlier), then it's my opinion that you will find at least 70% of it in this pedal

.

+1. This $239 pedal cost Sadowsky a Metro 5er sale without a doubt. As soon as I played my 2 week old Sadowsky NYC, I was literally about to sell a bunch of other guitars and order a new Metro.

I tried this pedal out with my Geddy Lee Jazz and my pair of MIA Jazz V's, and voila!...my Sadowsky Metro GAS is gone.

It really does make my Fenders sound much more modern. 85% of the Sadowsky I would say.

Baird6869 · #10 10-25-2007, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by droskobass

yours has a mute and tuner out? cool I just might have to upgrade. how much does this go for?

$239 and in stock at ClubBass in Toronto. Dave will take care of you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by srh

so your saying that I cant use this with an active bass?

Sure, but you will need to adjust your levels to prevent clipping likely. It sounds great with My Fender 5ers.

Suprizingly the worst sounding of my 9 basses through this? My Sadowsky. I guess 2 positives = 1 negative.

Fuzzbass · #11 10-25-2007, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baird6869

Suprizingly the worst sounding of my 9 basses through this? My Sadowsky. I guess 2 positives = 1 negative.

I'm not terribly surprised that preamp + preamp doesn't sound great. Does your Sadowsky have a preamp bypass? If so, that would probably do the trick. If not, just bypass the pre (as I'm sure you're already doing).

Fender32 · #12 10-26-2007, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by droskobass

yours has a mute and tuner out? cool I just might have to upgrade. how much does this go for?

Yeah, the mute is a real bonus for me, as my amp (Markbass LMII) doesn't have a mute switch, much less, a handy foot-switchable one

.

Construction is very rugged too. Probably one of those rare pedals that you could drive a truck over (if you didn't mind having all three pots broken off)

.

bmc · #13 10-26-2007, 07:29 AM

I used a belt clip model from 98 to 03, then got the floor model. Always a key piece in my signal chain.

I recently got a NYC Sadowsky, so I have the real McCoy.

Still, I kept both preamps for my Blade through them. It's impressive how they bring life to a Jazz bass.

Baird6869 · #14 10-26-2007, 08:05 AM

Before I forget...... After a very loud rehearsal last night, I found that the DI on the Sadowsky Pre is great. Blows away the DI on my MarkBass F1.

Rivals the DI on my SansAmp RBI.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fender32

Yeah, the mute is a real bonus for me, as my amp (Markbass LMII) doesn't have a mute switch, much less, a handy foot-switchable one

.

+1. One of the only negatives I have about my Markbass amp (F1) is that it doesn't have a mute (the other is that the DI out is pretty crappy sounding).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzzbass

Does your Sadowsky have a preamp bypass? If so, that would probably do the trick. If not, just bypass the pre (as I'm sure you're already doing).

That's what that little flicky thing is!

I seriously never thought to do that. I am hoping the outboard sounds as good as the inboard. That will make EQing a dream for gigs.

GrooveWarrior · #15 10-26-2007, 08:20 AM

If using an active bass, can you just bring down the "volume" knob and bypass the EQ? I have an 18 volt Warrior, and a passive Fender Jazz, and I'd like to use this thing for the DI. How is the DI? Quiet?

lefty007 · #16 10-26-2007, 09:03 AM

And for those with Sadowsky G.A.S. in a very, very tight budget. . .

I spray it on my SX or Squier, and they look as clean and shiny as a Sadowsky.

Lincoln · #17 10-26-2007, 09:29 AM

I have a 1972 Ibanez jazz bass - Ash/Maple. And I wanted to modernize ( Sadowsky-ize it if you will ). At first I went with an Aguilar outboard and I never got used to having to turnaround to my amp and fiddle with basic eq. My last 3 basses all had onboard....

So I went with DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pups, an Audere pre, and a Hipshot A bridge ( for better sustain ). All told the upgrades wer just under $325. The best bang for my buck and I got 3 seperate components rather than the 1 or 2 I would have gotten with the Sadowsky outboard....just my thoughts.

The bass is still heavy, though - but she sounds dynamite

Baird6869 · #18 10-26-2007, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrooveWarrior

If using an active bass, can you just bring down the "volume" knob and bypass the EQ? I have an 18 volt Warrior, and a passive Fender Jazz, and I'd like to use this thing for the DI. How is the DI? Quiet?

My guitard thinks he is Bob Rock.

. He Di's me from my amp to a 800W powered bass bin and also takes a DI from my SansAmp RBI (now my Sadowsky Pre/DI) to the FOH (or vice versa

). Because he confuses things (it does sound great), I don't like to screw around with my settings. I will use the Sadowsky bass in active mode and set the Sadowsky Pre/DI so that when I plug in a passive bass and turn the pedal on, the volume/tone is very similar.

P.S. The DI is very quiet compared to my MarkBass F1's DI. I have yet to gig with it, but at full volume rehearsals, it sounded great.

Bass Viking · #19 10-26-2007, 09:14 PM

I got my Sadowsky pre from Club Bass in Toronto. I love what it does to my passive basses. When I turn it off, it's like castrating the instrument

!

I was just playing my Dingwall Afterburner through it. What a beefy tone!

pbass2 · #20 10-26-2007, 09:49 PM

Been using the original pre (w/o the DI) for 10 years, on everything from Fenders to Longhorns to you-name-it. I would never be without a Sadowsky outboard pre in my bag of tricks(and I have a Sadowsky bass now too).