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It's amazing how quickly you get used to these ultralights. My NYC 24-5 is about 7.8 lbs. Now, I pick up a 9 lb. bass and think it's heavy!!!
TimothyGroovy
Commercial User
- Aug 3, 2000
- 2,374
- 2,097
- Disclosures
- Owner: Uni•Sound Endorsing Artist: Sadowsky Guitars, Olinto Bass, LaBella Strings
Yeah, but not by a ton. I think the rods in the neck change the resonant behavior a little, which I think contributes to the fact the B string on this bass is a little better, and I do believe the chambers in the body also matter, giving me a bit bigger bottom end, but honestly, I can easily see where someone wouldn't consider the diffs to be worth the extra money. Totally personal choice there. Don't get me wrong tho, I'm not an NYC snob. I kinda' used to be a long time ago, but either they've gotten better, or I just didn't have a typical Metro experience back then because at this point, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a Metro instead of an NYC if it had the features/config I wanted. My Metro PJ5 is going NOWHERE.Cool bass!!!
I get that it having the nice top and being a pound lighter makes it worth it, but do you think it offers much tonally different than your (now my!!!) Metro?
Vic said:
I would agree based on my experiences. Of the five I have owned (three NYC, two Metro), only one has had the latest Sadowsky neck and chambers. And it far outshines the others on the attributes you mention.
Being the only one with soaps, it could be the spec/config itself, but if I could gather enough evidence to be convinced that the low end resonance and response I get from my NYC 24-5 is typical of later NYC shop stuff without regard to spec/config, I would sell off enough to get a late model NYC JJ HC for sure.
It's a pretty big difference to me.
svtb15
Inactive
- Mar 22, 2004
- 13,004
- 4,741
- Disclosures
- I play it all. Whatever works for the gig. Q+
Just converted my NYC PJ5 from VOL. PAN to .... VOL.VOL.. World of difference .. An already great bass is now stellar!
Chef
In Memoriam
I used my NYC PJ5 for the first time in a while at a gig last night. I've been using my Ash/Maple JJ a lot lately. The PJ killed though. I had a pickup cover over the front pickup that I ended up pulling off. I realized that, as cool as it looked, it was throwing off my right hand. I think that's part of the reason I haven't been using that bass as much. Pulling the cover off made it super comfortable again... I'm glad I removed it.
As I've said in the past, those PJ5's rule in a band setting -- They are so flexible. Everyone should own one!
As I've said in the past, those PJ5's rule in a band setting -- They are so flexible. Everyone should own one!
- Nov 4, 2003
- 11,943
- 3,140
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- Endorsing artist- Suhr basses, PedalTrain, GHS, Ultimate Ears
TimothyGroovy
Commercial User
- Aug 3, 2000
- 2,374
- 2,097
- Disclosures
- Owner: Uni•Sound Endorsing Artist: Sadowsky Guitars, Olinto Bass, LaBella Strings
svtb15
Inactive
- Mar 22, 2004
- 13,004
- 4,741
- Disclosures
- I play it all. Whatever works for the gig. Q+
The mids seem to be smoother.. the super up top 10k stuff is not as separated from the rest of the notes and just sitting up there all alone... And the bass seems to have better low mids.. It seems it used to be somewhat mid scooped even with the preamp off... with the highs separated from the rest of the note but there is a difference.. It all sounds more up close and intimate... Im leaving it like this...
Chef 10686717 said:
I would guess what you are hearing has more to do with different pot values on the volume controls than moving from blend to vol/vol.
Can someone explain this to me please?
I have Vol+Pan on mine.
If Vol is 100% and Pan in centre then how is this difference to 2xVol on 100%?
Is there something in volume knob variance?
I'm no tekko. A truss rod tweak is about it for me.
I like up-close and intimate!
See the post above yours
While there is a mechanical difference between the two systems, with the vol/blend having one more capacitor or whatever in the system versus the vol/vol., the effect is VERY very subtle.
However, if you replace a volume/blend with two volume pots with different capacitance levels, you can get a bit of a different tone. Of course, as Roger recently did, if you spec a new volume pot in the volume/blend circuit, you will get a similar result (mostly impacting the treble range of the instrument).
It's actually one more potentiometer, not one more capacitor. There are three pots in the vol-pan and only two in the vol-vol. The tonal diffs have more to do with the pickups loading against each other when connected via ganged blend pot.See the post above yours
While there is a mechanical difference between the two systems, with the vol/blend having one more capacitor or whatever in the system versus the vol/vol., the effect is VERY very subtle.
However, if you replace a volume/blend with two volume pots with different capacitance levels, you can get a bit of a different tone. Of course, as Roger recently did, if you spec a new volume pot in the volume/blend circuit, you will get a similar result (mostly impacting the treble range of the instrument).
I'd have to defer to more of an expert if someone really wanted to get into specifics on signal effects, but to me, the main diffs are you lose a little of the "openness" and you lose a little gain. At least IME, the effects of both are small enough I'm happy with putting up with them to get the convenience of the master volume control. Others may not be. Personal pref. All I know is, LOTS of vendors ship out LOTS of basses with vol-pan and they aren't all being returned and/or converted to vol-vol.
Vol/vol always sounds different than a blend pot. Blend pots are a lot more convenient. Its kind of like HCs vs Singles ... yes, there's a tone difference -- is it enough to give up the practical benefits? Different answer for each player. And then there's people like me that choose the blend pot but have to go rewire it to work the "other" direction. Nice thing is these are trivial, reversable mods, so you can dial in your bass however you like.
Chef
In Memoriam
Played Vic's metro in worship yesterday morning. It was pretty awesome. There are some things that I do prefer about my other Sadowsky, but I enjoyed playing a LOT!!
It has a great deal of that cutting presence that the modern has, but just a bit more tame and smooth. It doesn't cut AS well, but it does sit in there so nicely. Sometimes the modern can be too much. So, this is nice. I think I finally get the whole "sit" in the mix thing. Neither of the PJs really did that to my ear. In fact, the Metro PJ tended to get buried so some degree. The NYC SC JJ I had was just wrong for me from the start. I never really gave it a fair shake.
My only criticism of the Metro 24, if forced to offer one, is that it doesn't have low end of the Modern. That brings me back to some of the thoughts on the graphite necks and the chambering. I have to wonder if there is a JJ out there that is the same as this metro but with a bit more low end response and focus? That is, do the newer neck, chambered NYCs consistently have the same low-end power (within reasonable tolerances) without regard to specs and config?
If I could somehow confirm that, it could be motivation to "upgrade."
It has a great deal of that cutting presence that the modern has, but just a bit more tame and smooth. It doesn't cut AS well, but it does sit in there so nicely. Sometimes the modern can be too much. So, this is nice. I think I finally get the whole "sit" in the mix thing. Neither of the PJs really did that to my ear. In fact, the Metro PJ tended to get buried so some degree. The NYC SC JJ I had was just wrong for me from the start. I never really gave it a fair shake.
My only criticism of the Metro 24, if forced to offer one, is that it doesn't have low end of the Modern. That brings me back to some of the thoughts on the graphite necks and the chambering. I have to wonder if there is a JJ out there that is the same as this metro but with a bit more low end response and focus? That is, do the newer neck, chambered NYCs consistently have the same low-end power (within reasonable tolerances) without regard to specs and config?
If I could somehow confirm that, it could be motivation to "upgrade."
