I agree with the general consensus here... as long as you're not a purist, you'll likely be much happier with the Sadowsky sound, and it's true that passive mode will get you closer to a Fender sound, but I suspect you'll stay in active mode all the time anyway, and yah, even if you are a purist, you won't say it sounds exactly like a Fender, but you'll still feel it's in the J tone camp for sure.
Otherwise, if you are a purist, well, the answer is simple, if you absolutely have to have exactly the Fender sound... well... buy a Fender.
Beware of recordings... depending on LOTS of unknowns in the circumstances, they do NOT tell the whole and/or accurate story.
The maple board is going to give you a lot more edge and aggression... almost harsh especially on slap when playing solo at home, but gives you a really nice high end cut in a thick mix. The rosewood is going to be a lot smoother... the high end won't really come out as much in a mix UNLESS you slap. But also be careful not to confuse Pau Ferro with Rosewood. Pau Ferro is more between maple and ebony than it is any rosewood tonally.
In short, if you like a stronger high end profile, but want a rosewood-like aesthetic, Pau Ferro/Morado is a great choice. But if you want a more classic/warmer tone, you gotta' get some flavor of a real rosewood.
