Can my fender play against my Sadowsky?

[Bad Seed]

So my main bass for about 2 years has been my black/maple MIA jazz, which I still love dearly. I recently picked up a black/maple sadowsky MV4 and was completely blown away. Now I barely want to pick up my Jazz, but I don't want to get rid of it. So she's in need of a make over. I want to change out basically everything on it,all black hardware, upgrade the electronics. My questions is what setup is step up my MIA? I was thinking about either active pickups, or an onboard preamp, like an Audere. Only thing about the Audere is they don't offer it in black, all my hardware's going to be black.

I like that the high's on the sadowsky cuts through, the sound is crisp and clear.

Any input?

Also, playing through a Ampeg V-4B tube head with 4x10 sealed ampeg cab

 

[Musicfreak1988]

You can put Sadowsky pickups and a Sadowsky preamp in it . The Metro has humcancelling pickups, so maybe you can try their single coils in your MIA. I love their singles in my Sadowsky.
You might want to contact / search for ClassicJazz. He has done this recently with his MIA Deluxe Jazz Bass.

I don't want to bash the Audere, but I've had one in my former Fender and I've got to say I like the Sad pre more. Especially the active/passive switch.

 

[Baird6869]

I would keep the Fender stock and jhust buy a Sadowsky pre stomp box. It will get your Fender close to a Sadowsky without modding it.

I ran a Sadowsky NYC and a Geddy Lee Jazz like this for ages.

 

[TheBasicBassist]

i think it'd be cool to leave the MIA passive.
that way, you can have a killin' active bass and
a killin' passive.
because although i love my active basses,
not every situation calls for an active bass.

just my 2 cents.

 

[Musicfreak1988]

What was the result of running a NYC Sad through their preamp? Does it only boost the volume, or does it change the tone also when the EQ is set flat? Is this useful if you're only running a NYC Sad through the box? I've been wondering about this...

 

[pickles]

Put flats on it to take it somewhere else instead of trying to compete.

 

[MikeBass]

All my Jazz Basses had the following:
BadAss bridge, or some other higher mass bridge.
HipShot D-Tuner (required on any 4 string I ever owned)
Active pre-amp/pick-ups (with ability to go passive).

But, first and foremost, go get that thing set up.
Adjust the bridge, pick-ups, frets AND have them set up from the other end too- the nut.

 

[Bad Seed]

All my Jazz Basses had the following:
BadAss bridge, or some other higher mass bridge.
HipShot D-Tuner (required on any 4 string I ever owned)
Active pre-amp/pick-ups (with ability to go passive).

But, first and foremost, go get that thing set up.
Adjust the bridge, pick-ups, frets AND have them set up from the other end too- the nut.

Well it already have a badass on it and the deluxe fender tuners on it. Reason I want to change the hardware is the metro is identical to the mia, black/maple with chrome hardware. I have a mxr DI that I use with the jazz, but it just sounds too flat for me. Maybe some better passives? Inhad ultra jazzes in my old mim and they sounded good.

 

[Fran Diaz]

Put flats on it to take it somewhere else instead of trying to compete.

+1, I have my two quite similar Sadowskys strung that way: One flats and the other rounds.

 

[Spinal Tapper]

+1 to flats.

Definitely try to do something to make it sound much much different. Then you never know, you might go right back to the Fender as #1 player!

Also, black hardware looks cheap IMO, but whatever you want, its your bass.

 

[Bad Seed]

+1, I have my two quite similar Sadowskys strung that way: One flats and the other rounds.

Yeah, my jazz is tuned different then the sadowsky, my sawdosky is E flat and the Jazz to E standard and I'll probably get a D-tuner for drop D. Flat's wouldn't really help with that would they? I honestly don't have any experience with flats.

 

[Fran Diaz]

Yeah, my jazz is tuned different then the sadowsky, my sawdosky is E flat and the Jazz to E standard and I'll probably get a D-tuner for drop D. Flat's wouldn't really help with that would they? I honestly don't have any experience with flats.

Sadowsky flats have a nice tension, they might work great for drop tuning.

 

[Bad Seed]

Sadowsky flats have a nice tension, they might work great for drop tuning.

Hmm, I'll have to look into them.

 

[bucephylus]

Here is a < .02 dissent for your to consider.

IME, the passive Fender instruments have a perfectly fine sound when they are totally stock and set up correctly with new strings etc. One mistake is to get a newer instrument with new strings fall in love with it and then compare it to the previous instrument with its dead strings. Not a good idea.

Once the setup / strings playing field is level, then there is an issue with the output difference between the active and passive instruments. This difference can be considerable, depending on the input stage you are going into. IME, almost none of the current amps are really optimized for the passive instruments. I suppose this may in part be due to the popularity of the active circuits, and the need of the amp manufacturer to serve the general market. Whatever. What is needed for the passive instrument is to get it on the same page. My experience here is that the ART Tube MP preamp is perfect for this. It has no tone controls, but your challenge is not tone related. The instrument will take care of that. Try a Tube MP with your passive J, and I believe you will be pleasantly surprised to hear it in the same dynamic realm as the Sadowsky.

Again my .02.

 

[Bad Seed]

Here is a < .02 dissent for your to consider.

IME, the passive Fender instruments have a perfectly fine sound when they are totally stock and set up correctly with new strings etc. One mistake is to get a newer instrument with new strings fall in love with it and then compare it to the previous instrument with its dead strings. Not a good idea.

Once the setup / strings playing field is level, then there is an issue with the output difference between the active and passive instruments. This difference can be considerable, depending on the input stage you are going into. IME, almost none of the current amps are really optimized for the passive instruments. I suppose this may in part be due to the popularity of the active circuits, and the need of the amp manufacturer to serve the general market. Whatever. What is needed for the passive instrument is to get it on the same page. My experience here is that the ART Tube MP preamp is perfect for this. It has no tone controls, but your challenge is not tone related. The instrument will take care of that. Try a Tube MP with your passive J, and I believe you will be pleasantly surprised to hear it in the same dynamic realm as the Sadowsky.

Again my .02.

I use the MXR DI to boost the MIA, it helps it, but something about the sound of the Jazz that I don't like anymore, I guess because I'm comparing it to my Metro. I know my Jazz will never sound EXACTLY like my Metro, but I would like to eliminate the DI out of my setup and run just strictly bass, no effects or anything like that.

Will the stock jazz pickups handle a decent onboard pre? What options do I have besides the Audere's?

I will tell you that I used to play Ernie Balls on all my basses, but when I bought my jazz used, it came with randy jackson's on them, and I absolutely fell in love with the tone. I used the jackson 45's on my MIM jazz with the Ultra Jazzes and loved it!

 

[ClassicJazz]

I just swapped out the 18V Fender preamp in my American Deluxe Jazz FMT with a new 9V Sadowsky preamp. By Far.....the best mod I have ever done. It really brought the bass into a WHOLE NEW LIGHT!! It sounds just awesome! And I left the stock Fender Noiseless Pickups in too.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I would keep the Fender stock and jhust buy a Sadowsky pre stomp box. It will get your Fender close to a Sadowsky without modding it.

I ran a Sadowsky NYC and a Geddy Lee Jazz like this for ages.

+1,000!!! Getting a Sadowsky preamp went a very long ways towards shutting down my Sadowsky GAS. It will get you the Sadowsky sound. If it is the sound you want, and you are happy with your bass, the preamp is the perfect solution.

 

[Bad Seed]

+1,000!!! Getting a Sadowsky preamp went a very long ways towards shutting down my Sadowsky GAS. It will get you the Sadowsky sound. If it is the sound you want, and you are happy with your bass, the preamp is the perfect solution.

Yeah, that might work for me, but I'm also trying to eliminate stomp boxes all together too. Hence the onboard preamp option.

 

[Sterling_Bass]

Could you describe the changes in sound? It sounds like a great mod for Jazz style basses.

 

[ShirazBop]

I would keep the Fender stock and jhust buy a Sadowsky pre stomp box. It will get your Fender close to a Sadowsky without modding it.

I ran a Sadowsky NYC and a Geddy Lee Jazz like this for ages.

+1, love my outboard..