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Club Sadowsky!!!

There are quite a few threads on Fender vs Sadowsky.

Sadowsky don't make their own pickups.

Not sure if this has been discussed before. I admire Sadowsky and what he has done with his Bass but I wonder what exactly is the difference between a Fender-like basses and Sadowsky basses.

I know from the first page of this thread and from the website that he does the neck (sanding, finishing, contouring), fretwork (dressing, sanding, crowning), circuitry (routing, shielding), body (wood choice, drilling chamber), pickup. Anything else? Just curious on the things he does to make a great bass.
 
Hello, greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina

I've just got my first Sadowsky. I can't believe how good she sounds and feels.

B]subefotos
IMG_1718.jpg
 
I was thinking Aguilar for some reason (maybe the Aggie amps in the Sadowsky showroom), but many years ago I had a Lull PJ5 with a similar Fralin pickup.

Bottom line: I'm sure it sounds great, regardless!

My particular bass pre-dates the introduction of Aguilar pickups, so I know it's not them. Might possibly be Nordstrand, but I think they are SD's.
 
I was thinking Aguilar for some reason (maybe the Aggie amps in the Sadowsky showroom), but many years ago I had a Lull PJ5 with a similar Fralin pickup.

Bottom line: I'm sure it sounds great, regardless!

I though Fralin only made 4-string P-bass pickups, and Mike uses SD ones wound to his specs in his P5s and PJ5s, so I'm leaning towards SD as well. sorry for the slight derail in this otherwise spectacular thread.
 
My particular bass pre-dates the introduction of Aguilar pickups, so I know it's not them. Might possibly be Nordstrand, but I think they are SD's.

My 2005 P5 has a pickup with non-offset polepieces, and as I recall Nino had said it was likely a Duncan. My 2010 P5 clearly has a Nordstrand. Not sure how long Nordstrand has done the offset polepieces, or whether they've done a P with non-offset.

I though Fralin only made 4-string P-bass pickups, and Mike uses SD ones wound to his specs in his P5s and PJ5s, so I'm leaning towards SD as well. sorry for the slight derail in this otherwise spectacular thread.

In the early 00's I got my Lull P5 (a PJ) new from GGuitars who advertised it as having Fralins, but I never confirmed with Lull, so who knows.
 
Not sure if this has been discussed before. I admire Sadowsky and what he has done with his Bass but I wonder what exactly is the difference between a Fender-like basses and Sadowsky basses.

I know from the first page of this thread and from the website that he does the neck (sanding, finishing, contouring), fretwork (dressing, sanding, crowning), circuitry (routing, shielding), body (wood choice, drilling chamber), pickup. Anything else? Just curious on the things he does to make a great bass.

If you have a free hour, this video is well worth a watch.
 
Dimarzio makes the humcancelling pickups and Nordstrands makes the singles for Roger nowadays to my understanding.

I checked in with Roger on this today at the shop. He currently has Dimarzio, Duncan, and Nordstrand wind pickups for his instruments. These are not off-the-shelf pickups, but ones wound to his specifications. He's always looking for the best sonic fit for the current evolutions of his instruments and is always talking to winders about making improvements to the pickups that he uses.

On a personal note, when I started at Sadowsky, I saw myself as an all vintage kind of guy. But after getting a good amount of time playing the basses in the showroom, I have to say that my favorite pickups so far are the soapbars. Super punchy and silent. All of the pickups are good, but I was surprised at how much I liked this more modern, humbucking pickup. It has a full and clean tone that's not too hi-fi and sounds very balanced and—I'll say it again—punchy. I thought that I was just a single-coil-jazz-pickup kind of guy... but the ears don't lie.
 
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Well, lets see if we can start this without all the trouble that has plagued other threads about this.
So before you spam or troll or whatever, please read below.


I'll start with this post from Mr.Roger Sadowsky himself:
Regarding the "Sadowsky basses are just parts basses" debates that continue to go on here, here is an explanation, from Roger himself:




<edit>
The list so far (as of Feb 16, 08)
1 - Roger Sadowsky
2 - MikeBass
3 - AJ Brown
4 - kobass
5 - thehurlatron
6 - dragonbass
7 - 5stringwonder
8 - JRBrown
9 - Nino Valenti
10 - Alexander
11 - Jim Carr
12 - BEADG
13 - Munjibunga
14 - Steve
15 - rob2966
16 - ric426
17 - Dan Knowlton
18 - Chunk-O-Funk
19 - burk48237
20 - Marcus
21 - bikeplate
22 - ogyen
23 - grooveguru
24 - Joeykun
25 - MAJOR METAL
26 - tommixx
27 - albass111
28 - JansenW
29 - Drucocu
30 - Steve Clark
31 - Rhythm5
32 - Fender32
33 - jazzbo58
34 - KPO2000
35 - FbassDave
36 - abngourmet
37 - HiFi
38 - frandiaz
39 - PocketGroove82
40 - Alistair R
41 - Jeff Rader
42 - Baird6869
43 - JOEY SQUID
44 - Russell Bergum
45 - KJung
46 - BigMikeW
47 - steve9000gi
48 - Dirty Dave
49 - Big String
50 - Jerry J
51 - OpaqueBass
52 - phatbass30
53 - bmc
54 - Sean Baumann
55 - tombowlus
56 - Mr_Dave
57 - mlowe
58 - pedroferreira
59 - AxtoOx
60 - maconbass
61 - jokerjkny
62 - simongpaez
63 - BassSlave
64 - JimS
65 - Squish
66 - Craig Garfinkel
67 - BOOTZY
68 - thewanderer24
69 - Bassboy
70 - McHack
71 - chingas
72 - basscollection
73 - bugbass
74 - Cory
75 - Cheesewiz
76 - svtb15
77 - coelho
78 - gillento
79 - mero
80 - justabass
81 - Jeff K
82 - Vic
83 - mrDOS
84 - pstyle
129 - Funnyfreddie
 
Well, lets see if we can start this without all the trouble that has plagued other threads about this.
So before you spam or troll or whatever, please read below.


I'll start with this post from Mr.Roger Sadowsky himself:
Regarding the "Sadowsky basses are just parts basses" debates that continue to go on here, here is an explanation, from Roger himself:




<edit>
The list so far (as of Feb 16, 08)
1 - Roger Sadowsky
2 - MikeBass
3 - AJ Brown
4 - kobass
5 - thehurlatron
6 - dragonbass
7 - 5stringwonder
8 - JRBrown
9 - Nino Valenti
10 - Alexander
11 - Jim Carr
12 - BEADG
13 - Munjibunga
14 - Steve
15 - rob2966
16 - ric426
17 - Dan Knowlton
18 - Chunk-O-Funk
19 - burk48237
20 - Marcus
21 - bikeplate
22 - ogyen
23 - grooveguru
24 - Joeykun
25 - MAJOR METAL
26 - tommixx
27 - albass111
28 - JansenW
29 - Drucocu
30 - Steve Clark
31 - Rhythm5
32 - Fender32
33 - jazzbo58
34 - KPO2000
35 - FbassDave
36 - abngourmet
37 - HiFi
38 - frandiaz
39 - PocketGroove82
40 - Alistair R
41 - Jeff Rader
42 - Baird6869
43 - JOEY SQUID
44 - Russell Bergum
45 - KJung
46 - BigMikeW
47 - steve9000gi
48 - Dirty Dave
49 - Big String
50 - Jerry J
51 - OpaqueBass
52 - phatbass30
53 - bmc
54 - Sean Baumann
55 - tombowlus
56 - Mr_Dave
57 - mlowe
58 - pedroferreira
59 - AxtoOx
60 - maconbass
61 - jokerjkny
62 - simongpaez
63 - BassSlave
64 - JimS
65 - Squish
66 - Craig Garfinkel
67 - BOOTZY
68 - thewanderer24
69 - Bassboy
70 - McHack
71 - chingas
72 - basscollection
73 - bugbass
74 - Cory
75 - Cheesewiz
76 - svtb15
77 - coelho
78 - gillento
79 - mero
80 - justabass
81 - Jeff K
82 - Vic
83 - mrDOS
84 - pstyle
129 - Funnyfreddie
Add me in.
 
So...

Q: why are Sadowsky basses and grandchildren similar?

As time has passed and I keep playing my trusty RV4 on the gig, I've finally decided that I really want to be playing an NYC. Nothing at all against the Metros. Sadowsky Japan is an awesome shop. And no, the NYC will NOT make me any kind of better player. And, yes, it might be an unnecessarily large expenditure for little gain; BUT, I just want to be playing an axe that comes from the hands of Roger's shop. Here is my RV4 for ref:
image.jpeg


Great bass. Lots of stories with it. All I would really ever need. Anyhow, I guess this isn't about need.

So here's where I am going; the bass will be configured VERY similarly to this:
image.jpeg


but with an ebony board and walnut top:
Walnut 8.jpg


Oh, and black hardware. The shop seems ok with my trusty Delano pups; so, those are also part of the deal. I still have to work out the details of the body wood; but, that should be done tomorrow. Neck will be 1.45" nut, 9" radius, and of course with the detuner. Roasted Birdseye as in the model above. Tick tock, tick tock.

I went back and forth between specing a 4 or 5 string. But, I already have a really special 5 string; and the truth is that most of my gigs are perfectly served by the 4 with the detuner.

So, my black bass is headed to the shop for consignment (and pickup removal for the new instrument). In the meantime, I will have to get by with my J Deluxe with Sadowsky Onboard and Delano pups (same config - my "cheater").

This will be my main axe for the duration. God willing and the creek don't rise.

Ans: they both take 9 months!:D
 
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