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Club Sadowsky!!!

#25,341
P. Bass said:
I learned something tonight. After playing for many years with a certain action setup I lowered the action a few days ago to where it was very effortless with a lighter attack. I did a number of recordings & listened carefully to the change in the sound of the bass. I came to an unmistakeable conclusion. The bass SPEAKS much better with the higher action. I think it is partly due to the strings springing away from the fret quicker, resulting in a note that is more musically consistant, if that makes sense. It's not easy to articulate in words. I can thank the Sad' for that lesson, as it's never become apparent before on other basses. :bassist:
B.
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... Or maybe the distance from the strings to the PU(s) is *better* with your higher action
 
#25,342
Chef said:
Dan: I had mine switched to single coil at the shop before it shipped.
It had a tort guard too, but that changed before it shipped as well.
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@ Chef - I like the stock hum-cancelling pickups but to me, especially with the MV4 I had before, the single coils just sound right. That's a mod I'm planning to make...

That black pick guard looks pretty cool against the vintage tint. Does anyone know if the wood used for Metros is American or Japanese? I like the grain on mine a lot... Just curious...

@ Vic - is it the vintage tint or the maple neck? I used to have trouble, aesthetically, with 5 string basses. It was the wide neck. But now that I've been playing this MV5 exclusively for a couple of months, 4 string necks look really really thin now... And they are weird to play, too.
 
#25,343
Quote:
Originally Posted by P. Bass
I learned something tonight. After playing for many years with a certain action setup I lowered the action a few days ago to where it was very effortless with a lighter attack. I did a number of recordings & listened carefully to the change in the sound of the bass. I came to an unmistakable conclusion. The bass SPEAKS much better with the higher action. I think it is partly due to the strings springing away from the fret quicker, resulting in a note that is more musically consistent, if that makes sense. It's not easy to articulate in words. I can thank the Sad' for that lesson, as it's never become apparent before on other basses.
B.

gillento said:
... Or maybe the distance from the strings to the PU(s) is *better* with your higher action
Click to expand...

+1 to both - IME & IMO touch of the right hand (picking or more so - playing with fingers) allows one more options with a little higher action. I've met a lot of top notch bassists and *I* couldn't begin to play their instruments in the manner they do (on a couple levels). Playing consistently lighter is an acquired technique aided by a good 'warm up'. 40 years experience has proven that to me.

I don't have a Sadowsky (yet) but I find this universal to most basses......and I DID sleep at a Holiday Inn last night :p
 
#25,344
P. Bass said:
I learned something tonight. After playing for many years with a certain action setup I lowered the action a few days ago to where it was very effortless with a lighter attack. I did a number of recordings & listened carefully to the change in the sound of the bass. I came to an unmistakeable conclusion. The bass SPEAKS much better with the higher action. I think it is partly due to the strings springing away from the fret quicker, resulting in a note that is more musically consistant, if that makes sense. It's not easy to articulate in words. I can thank the Sad' for that lesson, as it's never become apparent before on other basses. :bassist:
B.
Click to expand...

are you adjusting your right hand technique along with adjusting the action?
 
#25,346
gillento said:
... Or maybe the distance from the strings to the PU(s) is *better* with your higher action
Click to expand...
I adjusted the pup height to be consistant in both cases so the distance is the same, but with higher action the pups are picking up an altered signal due to more "input" from the hands.
B.

SlingBass4 said:
+1 to both - IME & IMO touch of the right hand (picking or more so - playing with fingers) allows one more options with a little higher action. I've met a lot of top notch bassists and *I* couldn't begin to play their instruments in the manner they do (on a couple levels). Playing consistently lighter is an acquired technique aided by a good 'warm up'. 40 years experience has proven that to me......
Click to expand...

I agree that a higher action allows for playing with more dynamics. Even when compressing, the right hand dynamics still become apparent even though the compression reduces the ACTUAL dynamic.
B.



narud said:
are you adjusting your right hand technique along with adjusting the action?
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THAT is in part the reason the bass "speaks" better. With higher action the right hand must react to the increased distance to the fret by applying slightly more "authority" to match the left hand's required increased pressure. This gives the note more "distinction", & focus.
B.

EDIT: I still believe that the string springing away from the fret quicker at a higher action is a BIG part of the bass speaking better!!! I can hear that in the recordings. THAT is the aspect of this that impressed me the most.
B.
 
#25,347
bikeplate said:
Hi

Yea. I agree with the bass souding slightly better being recorded with the higher action. That being said, I still set it up as low as possible. LOL.

Rob
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BINGO! I'm only talking about 1/64" here for the most part & that is HUGE in terms of result. The beauty of playing a Sad' is in the comfort zone as well as the sound. You can still have "butter" with an increased 1/64" but it just requires ever so slightly more attention to spread it. :D
B.
 
#25,348
P. Bass said:
+1 - I recall Roger mentioning that the customs agents have no authority to confiscate instruments with any rosewood but there are "rogue" individuals that seem to take themselves a tad too seriously & do so. Not too clear about that.
Even instruments with Braz. RW, SHOULD, IMO, be exempt from any penalty if a receipt pre-dating the new law date, w/ serial #, accompanies the instrument. There's a LOAD of Martin guitars out there made with Braz. I recall 1969 was the last time Martins were made with solid Braz sides & back, before laminates. If one of these guys cops one of those babies goin' cross border, it won't be replaced.
I wonder how long I'll be free of concern about cross border with my Madagascar board? Someday I'd like to see my bass go back to a U.S. player who would appreciate it. I ain't gonna hold my breath on that one. :)
B.
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The latest word from US Fish and Wildlife department is they have no intention on stopping individuals traveling with personal instruments. Customs agents to not have the power to confiscate instruments....only agents of the USF&W.

Roger
 
#25,350
Sadowsky said:
This has always seemed intuitively correct to me..... A lot depends on whether you focus on your thumb or your fingers on the knob. I have polled people for years, and it splits 50-50. When I started my Metro Line, I polled my dealers regarding my pan direction and they all said my direction was "right".....
Roger
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Another way to handle it is to set the pan @ detent, loosen the knob screws & reset the line mark to facing directly DOWN when bass is resting on leg. Then the line will rotate towards the pup desired. It may at least have an effect on getting used to it. Would you believe in almost 5 decades of playing bass THIS is my 1st bass with 2 pickups & a pan. Talk about P-Bass anal! :eek: (actually I had a J bass for a few months in 1971. It busted.)
B.
 
#25,352
I got a Sadowsky Portbag a few weeks ago. I know that this has been covered in previous post, I just feel the urge to say how pleased I’m with it :) It’s by far the best gigbag I’ve encountered so far. It’s so rugged yet light and easy to handle.
 
#25,354
I found it weird, too. However, I read it somewhere. I can't find the source at the moment, but I found the CITES manual, though... Dalbergia Nigra identification is on page F-5 / F-6.

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EDIT: I found it!

The wood anatomical characteristics of Dalbergia nigra and Dalbergia spruceana are too similar to permit reliable species separation, which is sometimes important because D. nigra is a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species-protected species whereas D. spruceana is not. However, the density, water fluorescence, and ethanol fluorescence of heartwood specimens are different between the species and these chracteristics permit the separation of the species. Dalbergia spruceana is denser (&#8805;1.0 g/cm3) than D. nigra &#61472;(<1.0 g/cm3), its water extract is fluorescent whereas that of D. nigra is not, and its ethanol extract fluorescence is blue whereas that of D. nigra is greenish-blue.

Source: Link Removed
and Link Removed

So it's not exactly done by pouring a liquid onto the wood, but still I find it a remarkable technique. But then again, my knowledge of chemistry is not too big, to say the least.

bucephylus said:
Having practiced my entire career in Materials Science and Chemistry, I find that claim extremely hard to believe. Can you back that up with a link?

This is true absurdity in the face of everything else going on today. Where are purported agencies getting the funding to even think about something like this? Ridiculous and sounds like fear mongering. There are way too many environmental catastrophes going on to start confiscating musical instruments. What are they going to do? Plant the fretboard and hope a new tree will grow? Burn it while smelling it and go into a trance to reduce global warming? Give me a break. I would have to see it to believe it.

BTYRSS
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#25,355
Took a picture of my sadowsky at church today...always looks & sounds great!

16f65261.jpg
 

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