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Club Sadowsky!!!

#40,141
My Metro RV4 is really mid focused. I like the EQ with no boost. The pre gives a little bump down low even set flat. If I need to scoop the mids a bit I will boost bass and treble to about 25% then roll off some highs with the VTC.

I'm not a huge fan of the passive tone. I might get the SC pickups or some Nordstrand NJ4s.
 
#40,142
bucephylus said:
My $0.19: The way I use the Sadowsky onboard is to set the master volume at about 75%, leaving some headroom in the tank, boost treble and bass each about 25% (though I tend to favor the bass just a tad), pan the pups depending on tonal universe I want to be in, and roll off the VTC to compliment the pickup selection and depending on where my strings are at. If I am going for a P tone, I pan towards the neck pup and roll the VTC back maybe 30% to 50%, depending how much thud I want. Pizz I may tend to pan towards the bridge pup and roll VTC back 30%. Slap, I use both pups full on and take the VTC to off. Those are some starting points, and then adjust depending. 75% volume is fine for most bass rigs and ok for pro boards with appropriate trim control. Hope that helps; though we all play in different ways; so YMMV.
Click to expand...
I also realized that I can get a very decent P Bass Tone on my lovely MV4 as well! Such a versatile bass, the perfect all-around bass!
 
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#40,144
bucephylus said:
My $0.19: The way I use the Sadowsky onboard is to set the master volume at about 75%, leaving some headroom in the tank, boost treble and bass each about 25% (though I tend to favor the bass just a tad), pan the pups depending on tonal universe I want to be in, and roll off the VTC to compliment the pickup selection and depending on where my strings are at. If I am going for a P tone, I pan towards the neck pup and roll the VTC back maybe 30% to 50%, depending how much thud I want. Pizz I may tend to pan towards the bridge pup and roll VTC back 30%. Slap, I use both pups full on and take the VTC to off. Those are some starting points, and then adjust depending. 75% volume is fine for most bass rigs and ok for pro boards with appropriate trim control. Hope that helps; though we all play in different ways; so YMMV.
Click to expand...

You certainly don't need my affirmation but this is almost identical to what I do.
 
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#40,145
roogbass said:
Question, the previous owner switched the big singles with humbuckers.
Hence the switch, i don't like this switch.
Can you buy a smaller 3way switch in black somewhere?

Also i don't like the sound in singlecoil.
Not the 'Sad' character.
Are there more ways to have it wired?

Dankjewel.

View attachment 818003
Click to expand...

We can certainly sell you a black mini 3-way toggle. Please email [email protected].
Interestingly, I would have guessed the single coil setting would have sounded the best of the three....
 
#40,146
roogbass said:
Question, the previous owner switched the big singles with humbuckers.
Hence the switch, i don't like this switch.
Can you buy a smaller 3way switch in black somewhere?

Also i don't like the sound in singlecoil.
Not the 'Sad' character.
Are there more ways to have it wired?

Dankjewel.
Click to expand...
Aha! I somehow missed your first couple of posts about that bass, until Roger quoted it.

So, those pickups are Nordstrands. That's interesting. I guess I am surprised that you don't like the single coil settings. One of my favorite bass tones in all bassdom is Roger's preamp with his single coil pickups. My only problem with those is that I've run into stages with lighting that caused issues with the single coils. That's why I was thinking an ability to switch in and out of single coil mode would be awesome. OTOH, all single coils are not created equal, and perhaps the Nordstand single coil setting on those pickups doesn't really get the single coil tone going? Just goes to show that bass decisions always seem to involve trade offs. I guess if you want the Sadowsky single coil sound, you just have to get single coils.
 
#40,148
bucephylus said:
Aha! I somehow missed your first couple of posts about that bass, until Roger quoted it.

So, those pickups are Nordstrands. That's interesting. I guess I am surprised that you don't like the single coil settings. One of my favorite bass tones in all bassdom is Roger's preamp with his single coil pickups. My only problem with those is that I've run into stages with lighting that caused issues with the single coils. That's why I was thinking an ability to switch in and out of single coil mode would be awesome. OTOH, all single coils are not created equal, and perhaps the Nordstand single coil setting on those pickups doesn't really get the single coil tone going? Just goes to show that bass decisions always seem to involve trade offs. I guess if you want the Sadowsky single coil sound, you just have to get single coils.
Click to expand...


Just my devalued .02, but I didn't like the single coil sound of the tap'd dual coils either.
I do, however, like the Fat stacks for a single coil that has a switchable hum cancelling mode.
 
#40,152
kittywithabanjo said:
When I had a valenti with fat stacks I pretty much always ran it in single coil mode
Click to expand...
Sure; that's the point. Single Coils always sound better. The humbucking mode for me is purely all about that one unexpected stage lighting situation that turns the single coils into 60 Hz monsters except when they are balanced. I've run into that maybe 4 or 5 times in 20 years; but, when it happens, it can be a really big deal.
 
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#40,153
I understand these latest posts. I'm just saying that I was at first skeptical that the Big Splits could sound as good as Big Singles. Well, I am telling you, that to my unwashed old-guy ears, they sound just as good, and no hum problemo.

And while we're talking Nordstrand pickups, the fat stacks, although pretty sweet, are so low output compared to Big Splits or Singles, they don't "stack" up in my book. I prefer the beefy jazz-steroid sound I get with the Bigs.
 
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#40,155
Sadowsky said:
We can certainly sell you a black mini 3-way toggle. Please email [email protected].
Interestingly, I would have guessed the single coil setting would have sounded the best of the three....
Click to expand...
Thanks,
Can you choose how to wire the switch?
So, closest to the bridge with closest to the neck, and closest to the bridge and the other side of the neck pup?
I think now i have that first combi, but the other combi is both the inner coils, i don't like that sound.
Sounds thin.
 
#40,157
Holdsg said:
I understand these latest posts. I'm just saying that I was at first skeptical that the Big Splits could sound as good as Big Singles. Well, I am telling you, that to my unwashed old-guy ears, they sound just as good, and no hum problemo.

And while we're talking Nordstrand pickups, the fat stacks, although pretty sweet, are so low output compared to Big Splits or Singles, they don't "stack" up in my book. I prefer the beefy jazz-steroid sound I get with the Bigs.
Click to expand...

Huh. That's not been my experience, as far as Fat Stacks being super low output compared to Big Single/Split. Or compared to the regular Nord/Sadowsky 5 string single coil, for that matter.
 
#40,160
therealting said:
What are everyone's thoughts on the Metro 4s vs 5s? I have an MV4 but am considering trading up to an MV5.
Click to expand...

In all honesty, it will be just like your MV4 but with a Low B string added. Today's Metrolines are not that far off from the NYC basses. Just doesn't have the custom options. But build quality, pickups, preamp, hardware all Sadowsky!
 
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