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Club Sadowsky!!!

#4,744
BartmanPDX said:
VERY nice fretless!

I just saw the interview with Roger at NAMM with the Will Lee model.

GAS.

Has anyone tried the 1.45" nut width neck? Is it that different? Because I can't see anything feeling better than the neck on my NYC PJ. I'd be reluctant to mess with perfection. OTOH, .05" is a pretty small difference, I guess.

Pretty much everything else on the bass sounds like exactly what I'd want. I like the idea of a mid boost switch -- not too complicated or too many controls like a para mid, but quick and easily engaged, and the 500 or 800 Hz, wide or narrower Q switches would seem to allow enough customization of the mids without putting too many knobs on the bass.
Click to expand...

Bartman, I played the basses quite a bit at the show. You really do feel the difference with the narrower nut, but more importantly the profile behind the nut is significantly rounder and thicker than any other Sadowsky bass (I hesitate to use the term "baseball bat", 'cause that's not really right, but not completely inaccurate...yoodig?). Will is a thumb-over-the-top neck-grabber in the upper positions, much like Marcus Miller and other...um...experienced cats, so that kind of neck profile is much more comfortable for them. As you move up the neck, the profile thins out to more of the traditional upper register Sadowsky profile. Very cool, but as a thumb-always-firmly-rooted-to-the-back-of-the-neck kinda guy myself, it's too thick for me.

The design of the mid circuit makes total sense to me, even though I don't think I would personally benefit. Heck, I don't ever use the VTC, I am such a set it and forget it dude.

The thing about Will is, and observing him and listening to him play extensively at the booth really drove this home, is that he uses so many varying techniques when he plays that the mid boost is going to get lots of use for him, while allowing him to keep it simple and not have a lot of knobs to twist. He's got everything in his trick bag from Marcus slap to Jamerson thump to Jaco harmonics to Nashville tick-tac to everything in between. He can even make it sound like he's using a pick, even when he ain't. A truly remarkable cat.
 
#4,745
frandiaz said:
By the way, I have already booked my flights to NYC and I'll be visiting Sadowsky Guitars on February 2nd. I'm going to spend that day in Brooklyn. We'll take a walk across the bridge and head straight into Jay Street. We'd also like to eat same nice pizza. I know where to go for great basses and even better people but where should I go for the pizza? :)

I hope I'll have a chance to meet Roger, Kevin, Rob and the other guys, gal and dog at the shop. If any other TBers are goint to be there, please introduce yourselves to the dark haired, sideburned spanish speaking guy (that's me :cool:).

I am very excited :hyper:
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nice!

yea, grimaldi's is right down the way, and one of my favs, but make sure you're bundled up, cause the walk in the brutal cold might make that pizza hard to eat thru frozen lips. ;)

some resources to help you plan:

http://www.nymag.com
Link Removed
http://nyc.gov
 
#4,746
Craig Garfinkel said:
(...)

The design of the mid circuit makes total sense to me, even though I don't think I would personally benefit. Heck, I don't ever use the VTC, I am such a set it and forget it dude.

The thing about Will is, and observing him and listening to him play extensively at the booth really drove this home, is that he uses so many varying techniques when he plays that the mid boost is going to get lots of use for him, while allowing him to keep it simple and not have a lot of knobs to twist. He's got everything in his trick bag from Marcus slap to Jamerson thump to Jaco harmonics to Nashville tick-tac to everything in between. He can even make it sound like he's using a pick, even when he ain't. A truly remarkable cat.
Click to expand...

funny,

but the midboost feature on the sadowsky strat preamps had always had me wondering if just maybe... naaaahhhhh.... :p
 
#4,747
Craig
thanks for the on site review, very helpful.
Would you call the WL model's neck "compound radius" ??

Reason I ask, I had a Nordy VJ4 for a bit and it was a fabulous instrument btw, but not exactly the vibe I was looking for. Anyway it had one of the best and most comfortable neck profiles I've ever experineced. Just marvelous and it hurt to move the bass because of that fact alone. Carey called it a compound radius and seems to match your description of the WL.

edit: I just wanted to add that I own an NYC Sadowsky VJ4 and find the neck profile excellent. It's a 9" radius and BrazRW board ash body. I feel this neck being slightly chunckier than say a old Fender or a Lakland USA Joe. After going back and fourth I prefer the NYC. But again the Nordy neck was just something else... yum.

Thanks
Dean
 
#4,748
Big String said:
Would you call the WL model's neck "compound radius" ??

Thanks
Dean
Click to expand...

No Dean, because radius really only pertains to the fingerboard. A compound radius means the fingerboard is, for example, rounder at the top and flatter at the bottom. Some gu*tar players like this because they can have a traditional feel near the nut for chords and bend strings easier at the top.

The Will Lee bass has a 12" radius all the way up the fingerboard, like the vast majority of Sadowsky basses.

I don't know if Roger has ever done a compound radius for bass, or even if a bass player has or would ever request one.

Perhaps the right term for the back of the neck would be "tapered"...but not being a builder I could be mad wrong. :o
 
#4,749
jokerjkny said:
nice!

yea, grimaldi's is right down the way, and one of my favs, but make sure you're bundled up, cause the walk in the brutal cold might make that pizza hard to eat thru frozen lips. ;)

some resources to help you plan:

http://www.nymag.com
Link Removed
http://nyc.gov
Click to expand...

Joker,

Thanks for the links. :)

Is anybody playing a gig in the city while I'm there (Jan29- Feb02)?
 
#4,750
Craig Garfinkel said:
I don't know if Roger has ever done a compound radius for bass, or even if a bass player has or would ever request one.
Click to expand...

I agree that Roger has probably not done this, but it is done on other basses, such as Dingwalls, which have compound radius fingerboards that start at 7.25" and end at 25".

Also, I'm not sure what kind of neck carves that Carey's basses have, as I have not had the pleasure of playing one. But many luthiers use profiles that are more elliptical in nature, which I really prefer.
 
#4,752
Craig Garfinkel said:
Bartman, I played the basses quite a bit at the show. You really do feel the difference with the narrower nut, but more importantly the profile behind the nut is significantly rounder and thicker than any other Sadowsky bass (I hesitate to use the term "baseball bat", 'cause that's not really right, but not completely inaccurate...yoodig?). Will is a thumb-over-the-top neck-grabber in the upper positions, much like Marcus Miller and other...um...experienced cats, so that kind of neck profile is much more comfortable for them. As you move up the neck, the profile thins out to more of the traditional upper register Sadowsky profile. Very cool, but as a thumb-always-firmly-rooted-to-the-back-of-the-neck kinda guy myself, it's too thick for me.

The design of the mid circuit makes total sense to me, even though I don't think I would personally benefit. Heck, I don't ever use the VTC, I am such a set it and forget it dude.

The thing about Will is, and observing him and listening to him play extensively at the booth really drove this home, is that he uses so many varying techniques when he plays that the mid boost is going to get lots of use for him, while allowing him to keep it simple and not have a lot of knobs to twist. He's got everything in his trick bag from Marcus slap to Jamerson thump to Jaco harmonics to Nashville tick-tac to everything in between. He can even make it sound like he's using a pick, even when he ain't. A truly remarkable cat.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for your comments and those from bikeplate. I try not to hang out here in the Sadowsky thread too much because it is the single most GAS-inducing part of Talkbass and I really should not be looking to get any more basses.

The part about the thicker neck front-to-back is a little worrisome to me. My Reverend Rumblefish PJ (my #2) has great huge tone and I love it as a change of pace from my NYC PJ. It has the same width nut (1.5") as the Sadowsky, but the neck, while wonderfully rolled on the sides, is a little thicker and rounder than the Sadowsky, and as a result it's a little less comfortable to play. If I'm going to be spending $3k or more on a dream bass, I'll need to know that it feels exactly like what I want in my hands.

I do have a trip to the northeast planned in July and I will probably spend a day or two at my brother's house, and he lives just a couple blocks from the Sadowsky shop (good thing it's not me who lives there or I'd be broke). I should probably be able to sneak away for a couple hours and make a pilgrimage. Hopefully then I can try the WL and decide for myself.

I do really like the idea of that mid boost though -- I use my VTC all the time, and I like things simple -- not too many knobs or stacked knobs. Para mid knobs in particular drive me nuts because I often end up spending more time fiddling with my tone and less time just enjoying playing bass.
 
#4,753
BartmanPDX said:
The part about the thicker neck front-to-back is a little worrisome to me.
Click to expand...
I've been told by Kevin that Roger will custom adjust neck profiles for people on the NYC's, so I think this is just a matter of tell them what you want... not you being "out of luck" on that model. :)
 
#4,754
Vic said:
I've been told by Kevin that Roger will custom adjust neck profiles for people on the NYC's, so I think this is just a matter of tell them what you want... not you being "out of luck" on that model. :)
Click to expand...

+1...they ask that you provide a neck that has the same profile if you can but they will do it under the condition that it is a custom and obviously the 7 day free trial goes out the window...I have had them sand down a number of necks for me to make them feel more worn in and Rob L does a fantastic job at it! I think they will do most anything that is reasonable that does not totally go away from the core of what they believe in. Call Kevin and talk to him about exactly what you want. THey are a great bunch of folks there and are very amenable to talking to you about questions you might have.

Peace,

T
 
#4,755
Vic said:
I've been told by Kevin that Roger will custom adjust neck profiles for people on the NYC's, so I think this is just a matter of tell them what you want... not you being "out of luck" on that model. :)
Click to expand...

Cool. I was a little worried that with it being an artist model, they might limit some of the options to give it a unique profile. Then again, as it is a NYC it is necessarily a custom order so . . .

I told my wife last night that Sadowsky was introducing their first artist bass, and made her guess who it was. She said "the guy from Letterman -- I can't remember his name."

I was pretty proud of her. Apparently she listens some of the time when I'm blabbering to her about basses. :D
 
#4,757
Craig Garfinkel said:
No Dean, because radius really only pertains to the fingerboard. A compound radius means the fingerboard is, for example, rounder at the top and flatter at the bottom. Some gu*tar players like this because they can have a traditional feel near the nut for chords and bend strings easier at the top.

The Will Lee bass has a 12" radius all the way up the fingerboard, like the vast majority of Sadowsky basses.

I don't know if Roger has ever done a compound radius for bass, or even if a bass player has or would ever request one.

Perhaps the right term for the back of the neck would be "tapered"...but not being a builder I could be mad wrong. :o
Click to expand...

Thanks Craig
Of course.. how silly of me. I actually knew that about radius and I can see my applying it to the actual neck profile or taper was completey wrong. Thanks for pointing that out. DOH! :rolleyes:
 
#4,758
BartmanPDX said:
Cool. I was a little worried that with it being an artist model, they might limit some of the options to give it a unique profile. Then again, as it is a NYC it is necessarily a custom order so . . .
Click to expand...

Better email or call the shop directly about that Bart...I'm not sure they will customize the neck profile on the WL signature model. Certain things, such as the mid boost preamp, are proprietary to that model only. Same may be true on the neck profile. What is variable are the finishes, choice of tops, and with or without a bell cover.
 
#4,760
MichiBass said:
Hey ClassicJazz, could you please document the whole arrival of the new NYC, I'm very interested in how the shipping package will look, and the whole bubble wrap, hihi :D And you will still look at the pics over a few years with a smile on your face : "Yeah, the day when it came in, my vintage workhorse" :D
Click to expand...

Sorry, did not take photos of that! It was a box, with a case in it that had a bass. Not much more I can say about that. But I can show you what came out.....a thing of beauty!

sadf_01.jpg

sadf_02.jpg

sadf_03.jpg
 

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