Sadowsky with Fender CS '60 pups rocks!

Today is a good day!

This is the "happy ending" following several posts about replacing the pups in my Sadowsky:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=161622&highlight=sadowsky

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159859&highlight=sadowsky

My objective was NOT to improve on the Sadowsky tone (it's darn good), but to obtain a Fender-sounding bass with first-class construction. The first pups I installed were Linday Fralins. They sounded good but when A/B'd against a pair of Fender J-basses, it was obvious that they weren't exact Fender replacements; the low-end was especially lacking. Therefore, I ordered and installed a set of Fender Custom Shop '60s pups in my maple/ash Sadowsky--the results are phenomenal.

I spent all morning with the local Fender salesman/bass extraordinaire A/Bing the Sadowsky with his stock of Fender Jazz Basses. I take all my basses to him for fun [showoff ] and in return he cuts me good deals on accessories. Every time we A/B J-Basses, he always says that my basses are missing a little this or that relative to the true Fender J-bass tone.
Today was no different, he said the same thing, "It's missing alittle of this/that".
I replied, "What!"
He then clarified, "I was talking about the Fenders".
His final comments:
- This sounds like a d@mn good Jazz bass.
- This is what you get when you order a Fender Custom Shop.
- This is the best I've ever heard this bass sound.

My take? This bass NAILS the Fender tones and more. I prefer the passive mode for "authentic" Fender tone and active mose for "Fender on roids". I have Sadowsky stainless steel strings on it and it sounds less bright than my morado/alder Sadowsky (stock pups) with nickel strings. My other Sadowsky sounds equally as good but different. I'll never again say that the Sadowsky basses sound like Fender on roids, because they don't.

I eagerly encourage anyone looking for authentic Fender tone in a high quality bass to install a set of Feder CS 60 pups in a Sadowsky Metro or equivalent.

My search for a jazz bass of any kind ends right here.

Arch Giddle said:

Yo JRBrown could you answer me a quick question about your new pups? Are the polepieces staggered or are they all level?

Click to expand...

I'd call these level.

Sadowsky said:

We have always offered single coil pickups as an option on our basses.
Ours are wound to 60 specs as well. They are custom wound for us by Seymour Duncan/Basslines.

Roger Sadowsky

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I would have ordered a pair had I been aware of this offering. I'd like to see how they compare to the Fender Custom Shop '60s. BTW, due tot the excellent grounding throughout, the only single coil noise heard is when a pup is soloed and the treble is full up--good job! I didnt have to use all the extra grounding strips/wires supplied with the pups.

Sadowsky said:

They are essentially Antiquity II pickups without any artificial ageing.

Roger

Click to expand...

No ageing--that's great! The Antiquity II's were my first choice of pups to try in my Sadowsky. However, a bass bud loaned me his Fralins (Thanks Rick) for a week. They sounded very good and very Fendery, but when A/B'd with a Fender Jazz bass, the differences became obvious--the Fender had a more robust low end and slightly crisper top. Then I thought, "What if the Antiquities have obvious differences?" So I decided to go with the Fender pups. Logic: If Fender can't emulate the Fender tone, no one can. Also, they were about half the price: only $102.00 shipped.

MAJOR METAL said:

James
Glad to here you are happy with your set up , Sadowsky basses ROCK.

Click to expand...

Thanks, The best part is that I have one of each. Neither tone is "better" than the other--they're two excellent tones.

IMO, the Sadowsky tone has this "percussive, organically woody" vide to it that I can't put my finger on--I just hear it.

MAJOR METAL said:

It's kind of like the best of both : the old world and the new world.

Click to expand...

And it'll be even better when I get the PJ back.