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Club Sadowsky!!!

#41,522
gkbass13 said:
@Scott McArron

These two NAMM videos have always haunted me for exactly the reasons you mention regarding tone quests. At the end of the first video, Marcus lays it down on a bass that appears to be equipped with soaps in a more traditional placement.

The Tamas Barabas clip is a little cleaner. Man does that bass sound killer! gotta love the big singles paired with the Sadowsky pre.
Click to expand...

No kidding! That's probably the best clip I've heard yet. I'm going to try to compare it with some other NAMM clips of the typical Will Lee JJ to get something closer to an apples to apples comparison as much one can with NAMM clips anyway. Thanks!

Edit: The more I compare these clips with other WL bass clips at NAMM the more convinced I am that the soaps are the way to go with this next build. :)
 
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#41,523
pickles said:
@Scott McArron try this:

Pan your JJ slightly toward the bridge pickup

Add meaningful EQ boosting highs a bit more than lows (eg 40% bass boost 50% treble boost)

Pull back volume to unity post eq

Pull back VTC to desired tameness

That's something I've been doing a lot recently that gets an amazing modern sound that's more "normal" than a 5-24 or stingray sound. For fingerstyle.
Click to expand...

I'll give that a shot and see how it works with the band at rehearsal next week. Cheers!
 
#41,525
There's a lot of things I love about Sadowsky, but the onboard pre is probably at the top. I've never used another one that stayed so "musical" st the more exaggerated boost levels.

When you pan to the bridge, you can really bring the bottom end back with a lot of bass boost and it doesn't get boomy or muddy.

I also love the relationship between the active treble and passive tone. You can work some magic with it.

That said, 95% of the time, I plug it in, roll the bass up 15-20% and play it without touching it all night.
 
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#41,527
Scott McArron said:
Appreciate the help! I'm concerned that you say it can be "more than mellow." I'm trying to avoid a bass that is too mellow. I find it easier and more effective to tame an aggressive bass than it is to make a mellow bass aggressive. That said, I'm not looking for a particularly aggressive bass, but one that can get in the same ballpark as the ash/maple jazz without the mids being quite so grindy.
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After I typed "more than mellow" I thought you might take it that way, I should have said it better. As mentioned before, one reason I really love this bass is because its so versatile. Playing in the different cover bands that I do I really have a lot of different tones to cover, everything from Motown to Tool. I can get this bass to be mellow and thick to very modern and aggressive, without pedals or knob twisting at the amp.
The soaps really let you speak through it. Like pickles said earlier, use the onboard pre and try different right hand techniques. The bass can get real close to my M5 as well as the MV5 and both of those basses are ash/maple.
 
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#41,528
The mid boost on the WL with the soaps adds another layer of versatility as well. I don't use it all the time but sometimes that mid boost is just right when I'm having a little trouble hearing myself on a gig. It also gives it a nudge into a P bass sort of sound if I pan a little toward the neck soap and kick the mid on. Good stuff.
 
#41,529
inazone said:
After I typed "more than mellow" I thought you might take it that way, I should have said it better. As mentioned before, one reason I really love this bass is because its so versatile. Playing in the different cover bands that I do I really have a lot of different tones to cover, everything from Motown to Tool. I can get this bass to be mellow and thick to very modern and aggressive, without pedals or knob twisting at the amp.
The soaps really let you speak through it. Like pickles said earlier, use the onboard pre and try different right hand techniques. The bass can get real close to my M5 as well as the MV5 and both of those basses are ash/maple.
Click to expand...

Versatility is the main thing I'm going for here! I do a lot of cover band work with a wide variety of styles and I don't want to have to switch between an M5 or a P or a MV5 between songs, or bring all those basses to a gig! This sounds like it might be the ticket, and if nothing else at least it's something a little different than the usual "J bass on steroids" thing.

I want to wait until this mid-week rehearsal with my 2 new Sadowskys before placing the order, but I'm sure I'll be pulling the trigger within the next week or two at the latest. Thanks for all the helpful recommendations and youtube video clips, guys! That said, I'll probably be posting a couple Sadowskys for sale soon to fund the new order. ;)
 
#41,531
pickles said:
I personally think a JJ5 Sadowsky is the ultimate cover band bass. You can tweak it to fit any song and it sounds great in the house with no fuss. If I add a second bass, its a passive P just to nail that tone and feel (but nobody would ever complain if I did it on the J5).
Click to expand...
It's funny you say this as lately I've been having the "you know, a P with flats really is the answer here" and I have a NYC J4 and a Lakland 55-94. I'm worried I'll start playing my Sadowsky less :sorry:

The problems I have.:rolleyes:
 
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#41,532
pickles said:
I personally think a JJ5 Sadowsky is the ultimate cover band bass. You can tweak it to fit any song and it sounds great in the house with no fuss. If I add a second bass, its a passive P just to nail that tone and feel (but nobody would ever complain if I did it on the J5).
Click to expand...
I sure couldn't argue that! Have you ever heard a Sadowsky with Soapbars in the 60's position? Maybe it's the ultimate ultimate cover band bass? :D
 
#41,537
So I am playing with the worship band this weekend. Showed up at rehearsal and started through the tunes. On one of them, the leader asked me to play with a pick!

I can play with a pick. I've played enough acoustic guitar to handle one okay. But, I don't think I've played bass with a pick in front of an audience in 10 years.

The guitar player gave me a heavy Dunlop. Seemed close to a millimeter. I cranked the bass to about 40%, treble to about 25% and rolled the passive tone almost all the way back.

It sounded KILLER! I had a blast. I don't know if I will pick much, but once again, the Sadowsky carried me! Man I love that bass.
 
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