gravesbass
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- Aug 16, 2006
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- Endorsing Artist: DarkglassElectronics-SpectorBass-Dunlop-EMG Pickups-Hipshot
The new Black label strings are fabulous. Very even tension.
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The new Black label strings are fabulous. Very even tension.
"The Clementine." That's simply awesome! Congrats!The "Clementine" has landed. As always, no pics, no bass so pics below. Preliminary assessment is that it is what I hoped - sounds like a P-bass with a very bad attitude, and is as light as my Rob Allens. Beautiful rosewood fingerboard, which I think helps tame the edginess to just the right amount. Sunday will be the first gig with it. When I opened the gig bag, I actually wasn't crazy about the color as it seemed more bronze than orange, but it was mostly the lighting in my office. It matches the shirt I'm wearing fairly well. Orange is in my regular clothing rotation...
The "Clementine" has landed. As always, no pics, no bass so pics below. Preliminary assessment is that it is what I hoped - sounds like a P-bass with a very bad attitude, and is as light as my Rob Allens. Beautiful rosewood fingerboard, which I think helps tame the edginess to just the right amount. Sunday will be the first gig with it. When I opened the gig bag, I actually wasn't crazy about the color as it seemed more bronze than orange, but it was mostly the lighting in my office. It matches the shirt I'm wearing fairly well. Orange is in my regular clothing rotation...
Sweet - I have a Modern with that pup config (on Sad crew recommendation) but fretless w/ ebony board. 5er in Lake Placid Blue. Wonderful bass.
I've been playing my sadowsky mV 24 fret 5 string and its just beautiful. For some reason it sounds brighter passive and active than my fender jazz (both have maple boards). I don't know how much strings affect this but should I try a different set? I've got a semi fresh set of DR high beams i believe.
Its been making me think of saving up for a 4 string version of this bass....
Its been making me think of saving up for a 4 string version of this bass....
imho that is a perfect fretless spec. I find that the Modern pickup position (Smith is similar) is ideal for fretless as you get more focus from the neck pickup and still can get the burp thing from the bridge. And ebony remains my favorite fretboard material, whether fretless or fretted.
I actually play my sadowsky passive for the moment
Well, try going active, boost bass about 30%, treble about 10%, and then roll off the VTC about half way to start. You also might want to fade a tad to the neck pickup. If you don't get old school darkness with that setting, then it could be a string issue.
So been working with Clementine for the last few days, will finally get it in a gig situation tomorrow. Local monster bass player Steubig stopped by to check it out (and also brought a pair of his Fodera 6'ers strung/tuned D-Eb - totally cool baritone guitar from hell vibe) and he dug it. Said it was a good thing he doesn't play 4s 
. The Modern definitely has its own thing going on, and it kinda begs to be slapped. I've never gotten along with traditional JJ basses, in part because the neck pickup never has enough focus for my taste. The Modern fixes that. It doesn't have the huge low end that my YYD has (which is chambered walnut body, EMG PJ), but that's ok - different instruments for different sounds.
The weight is the killer feature though. This morning I was 'shedding with it for about 20 min, then strapped on my Fodera 6-string (which is 3 lbs heavier). I was hurting within about 10 min. Now I'm recovering from surgery so that is part of it, but the reality is that there is no way the 6'er is going out on a gig where I've got to stand. Luckily a lot of my gigs I get the sit (huzzah for jazz casuals), but the M4 will be great for the 3-4 set nights...
. The Modern definitely has its own thing going on, and it kinda begs to be slapped. I've never gotten along with traditional JJ basses, in part because the neck pickup never has enough focus for my taste. The Modern fixes that. It doesn't have the huge low end that my YYD has (which is chambered walnut body, EMG PJ), but that's ok - different instruments for different sounds.The weight is the killer feature though. This morning I was 'shedding with it for about 20 min, then strapped on my Fodera 6-string (which is 3 lbs heavier). I was hurting within about 10 min. Now I'm recovering from surgery so that is part of it, but the reality is that there is no way the 6'er is going out on a gig where I've got to stand. Luckily a lot of my gigs I get the sit (huzzah for jazz casuals), but the M4 will be great for the 3-4 set nights...
I am seriously enjoying my RV5-WL! GREAT bass guitar.
If @nostatic has The Clementine, then this WL5 must be The Cherry! LOL.
If @nostatic has The Clementine, then this WL5 must be The Cherry! LOL.
That's sweet!
I just got my first Sadowsky, an MS4, about 2 months ago, and love it; its made me think I should have a five string of the same model or similar model. My bank account begs to differ, but I am hoping that some day my bank account and I can come to a mutual agreement on this matter.
Unexpectedly I am finding I really like the VTC feature. Creates a lot of tonal options and perhaps best, it is possible to use that on the fly to make tonal changes that are satisfying; one knob, calibrated not to be too drastic, with good tones all along that throw. It's a good way to go from 60's soul fatness to modern crispness and back without having to fiddle with and balance a lot of other controls.
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+1 The VTC is BOMB. Such a practical voicing control.
Agreed - I tend to go for the VTC more often than the blend knob for a quick tonal shift. I never did that on my dual pickup basses and the standard "tone control" as the Sadowsky one, in combo with the preamp, seems to be more satisfying to me.
So, I suppose I am just a hopeless tinkerer...
I went ahead and replaced the Nordstrand pickups with the Seymour Duncan pickups. Here are my impressions regarding the differences:
First; the @Carey Nordstrand pickups are far and away most carefully constructed Jazz Bass pickups I have ever seen. Wow. Talk about doing it right. Shielding in all the right places. Stress relief on the leads. 11 out of 10 on the construction.
The SD pickups are pretty much your more standard cloth wrapped lead, exposed winding pickups. Nothing new there.
Second; the Nordstrand pickups very definitely have more of a vintage vibe about them, a bit darker, a bit more "air" in the sound. The SD pickups have more bite and are generally a lot more aggressive. For preferences, it is a bit like comparing a good Bordeaux to a good Rhone wine. I like them both for different reasons. The Nordy's just have more of that well worn jeans comfort factor going on. The SD's have more attack. IMO, preference really depends on what you are going for in your sound. If swapping them out was a little easier, I could go back and forth based on whim.
I have yet a third option that I will probably look at down the road. Could be a while, but will post up if that happens.
What a great bass.
I was never into the idea of the Moderns. During a visit to the Sadowsky shop a couple of years ago I picked one up on a whim and, to my utter dismay, loved it. I've owned a few Sadowsky Jazzes but my only current Sadowsky is a Modern. I love the focus and evenness of it note-to-note. For my last reggae gig I pulled out my usual go-to bass (for reggae) and realized that it was in need of an intonation adjustment so I took the Modern to the gig instead. It worked out perfectly. The house bass bins on the reggae gigs I play tend to be huge and the bass sound is massive in the room. It's easy for the bass frequencies to get out of hand and the Modern kept things big, tight and punchy, all the way down to the low C (I don't think I had to use the low B on that gig
). I have another reggae show coming up and I'll definitely be taking the Modern along.
"If swapping them out was a little easier, I could go back and forth based on whim."
Fill the need, spread the seed... I'll cut you in for 10%, after development costs of a new prototypical, easy exchange system for pickup removal/replacement, universally accepted across... the universe, I guess...
I think if I ever got a 2nd Sadowsky, it would be a Modern. I've done the P and J thing and know those sounds. My current Sadowsky, an MV5-PJ, does both of those nicely. But I'm curious about the Moderns, especially for my pit orchestra gigs.
Then again, being in a small midwest market, I'll likely never bump into one in the wild. So it would require a trip to Roger's shop to try one. <sigh> Someday.
I was never into the idea of the Moderns. During a visit to the Sadowsky shop a couple of years ago I picked one up on a whim and, to my utter dismay, loved it. I've owned a few Sadowsky Jazzes but my only current Sadowsky is a Modern. I love the focus and evenness of it note-to-note. For my last reggae gig I pulled out my usual go-to bass (for reggae) and realized that it was in need of an intonation adjustment so I took the Modern to the gig instead. It worked out perfectly. The house bass bins on the reggae gigs I play tend to be huge and the bass sound is massive in the room. It's easy for the bass frequencies to get out of hand and the Modern kept things big, tight and punchy, all the way down to the low C (I don't think I had to use the low B on that gig
Ok, now that really doesn't help me - a reggae gig and the modern did fine there? Gas increase several levels now..... To me it seems like the modern is a great bass for live shows, particularly where you don't expect or trust the sound crew/system to be the best - the tightness provided by the pup placement and the obvious capabilities of the preamp seem perfect for that scenario to me. Not that my PJ is any slouch live or studio - but it seems like the modern would compliment it very well.
