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Yes, I meant playing near the nut. Good idea about shorter scale basses, which may or may not help depending on the ergonomics of the bass. I have a Warwick Thumb, and although it's a 34" scale, due to it's design, it is far more uncomfortable to play at the nut than my Fender Jazz. I play EADGC so that would work fine with a 32" scale, wonder if anyone makes a 32" scale JB 5 string?
Where can I find these specs? Have a link? Just want to check my pickup height.
Thank you!
A few pages back. Try searching the thread for “publish” or “PDF”.
I too had a Titanium plate in my wrist screwed into the bone. (5 screws to be exact) The 2nd surgery removed all of that...then the Doc force bent my wrist back and forth to regain more movement. Yeah, I was out cold when the Doc did that. Started therapy the next day and blew open a stitch or two...blood flow then stopped the therapy. LOL! Sorry to be graphic.
Yeah, I do not have the Titanium thing anymore.
That was badass! I bend the knee to you! LOL!
It does sound great. But I dont trust people with invisible straps
TimothyGroovy
Commercial User
- Aug 3, 2000
- 2,374
- 2,097
- Disclosures
- Owner: Uni•Sound Endorsing Artist: Sadowsky Guitars, Olinto Bass, LaBella Strings
Yep, that’s it. I thought they were going to remove the plate, but they left it in. Maybe I should’ve pursued they issue further, and got a second opinion. Hope you made a full recovery.
You can always have it removed. Some say its better to have it removed because it causes some pain later on. My Doc said the plate is not needed after the initial surgery/recovery period. Since I had to have my wrist bent back and forth, I asked to have the plate removed at the same time. Good luck to you!
Hey, Ken; I DON’T intend this comment to pick on you...please forgive any unintended content to the contrary.I put a deposit down on one.
Just as ElMon said, the options were extremely limited. Same as the old Model T Ford you could get any color you wanted as long as it was black. Fortunately black was my preference, otherwise I probably would have passed. Only one choice of fretboard, and fretboard is crucial for many. I believe there was an option for one or two pickups so yay for that.
This take-it-or-leave-it offer was only advertised in the EBMM forums, and after the minimum wasn't reached within the limited timeframe, Ball declared this as proof there was no demand for 19mm fivers. LOL, what a character. I'd have had respect for him if he never bothered with the whole fiasco and simply said "our 17.5mm fivers sell very well, so we've made the business decision not to tool up for 19mm spacing".
First, I was fascinated to learn about the string spacing discussion you and others recounted with the MusicMan folks. I sympathize with the view that EB should have been more player aware. A 19mm option would no doubt have been a sensible choice to offer. Still would.
Second, it seems at least a little ironic that some of the comments in this thread would seem to indicate that while 19mm spacing on a Ray would have been a good thing, in contrast folks in this thread explaining why they would prefer 17.5mm or 18mm are out of line, since 19mm is all Roger should ever produce. And I’m not saying your post went there; but, taken as a whole with the other posts extolling 19mm spacings, that is an impression one gets.
The truth is we all have different preferences. I believe the case for a more narrow neck calibration was clearly and logically explained. Roger reads these posts; and it doesn’t help matters when the exchanges get somewhat parochial.
I have no idea what the market fraction is between these two specifications. Ultimately Roger has to make informed decisions that make the most sense for his business. And, I respect that. It seems unlikely that there is a “truth” regarding string spacing on a 5 string. Is it really a good thing that players with a different preference than current for this specification should be marginalized?
Just a thought / question.
Wow. Answer = No!
Lol what a great post. My thoughts are there is no wrong preference thus no wrong answer.
I too have a serious left hand injury, so bad that they had to graft a tendon from my left wrist into my hand so I have a usable thumb. I love my Sadowskys 4 and 5er.
My preference would be a narrower neck for the 5. After 20 years of playing a 5 string I picked up a 4 so I could keep playing a Sadowsky Majority of my 5 string time was on an EBMM Stingray. That neck and my left hand go together like peas and carrots. Fit like a custom tailored suit.
19mm spacing? I'll live with it because hey, it's a Sadowsky and sounds and plays amazing. Doesn't stop me for wishing for a narrower neck everytime I chew a couple of ibuprofen to keep playing through the night.
Anyone with ‘wrist issues’ (broken wrist 20 years ago, etc) find the Will Lee 5 string neck less stressful than the standard nut width? Unfortunately I’m unable to try one as I’m in the Uk, and Sadowskys aren’t that available here, let alone the WL 5. TIA.
Yes, I have Aseptic Necrosis (dead/dying bone) in my fretting hand. Years ago it was discovered after a routine xray. I was told nothing can be done and when the pain gets too much to bear I can have the wrist fused. That was over 50 years ago, I have some pain but at my age I am not going to worry about it. Limited motion when bending my hand backwards but not ]real bad when bending it forward. A bad hit on that wrist can send severe pain thru it but over the years I have learned how to favor it.
Yes, I have Aseptic Necrosis (dead/dying bone) in my fretting hand. Years ago it was discovered after a routine xray. I was told nothing can be done and when the pain gets too much to bear I can have the wrist fused. That was over 50 years ago, I have some pain but at my age I am not going to worry about it. Limited motion when bending my hand backwards but not ]real bad when bending it forward. A bad hit on that wrist can send severe pain thru it but over the years I have learned how to favor it.
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Funny. That's kind of the camp I'm in, but at the same time I like how different my pair of fivers are in sound and dimension. Forces me to play differently from one to the other and ultimately I come up with different ideas.
Sadowsky: 34", 19mm, SCs, rosewood/maple, steels
Zon: 35", 17mm, Bart pups, birch/graphite, nickels
Both are 2-band though thank goodness.
Not that I can notice but I'm not a concert player with extremely difficult pieces, if that were the case maybe so. I notice the broken thumb on my left hand more, I used to be able to reach 10 notes but not anymore on that hand.
Agreed: we're all having a discussion, no one's picking on anyone.
As I've stated a numerous times, there is no right or wrong string spacing, neck profile, etc -- it's nothing more than personal preference. As I also stated, I completely understand the business reasons why Music Man would not want to try to please the 19mm crowd. I don't feel marginalized by that. The only problem I had with EBMM is that they dangled that lame-ass, preposterously-limited offer of a 19mm Stingray and then declared that the alleged lack of response was proof that Music Man fivers have the correct string spacing and there wasn't any real demand for 19mm. ROFL. They got the result they wanted, IMO.
My ultimate conclusion is that no builder can possibly please everyone, especially with regards to necks and playability. These days there's lots of competition in the guitar industry, and profit margins are slim. Both Sadowsky and EBMM should continue to do what's best for their bottom line, which is what's best for their customer base. You want a slim-necked Sadowsky 5, while I wanted a wide-spaced Stingray 5... neither of us is being marginalized. Both companies are sticking with what they know will sell.
Consider this: if Music Man made a 19mm fiver, then without a doubt some would say "the spacing is an improvement but the neck profile is still the wrong shape and/or thickness". Or, "I wanted wider spacing at the bridge but not at the nut". See where I'm going?
I wish you best of luck: perhaps Roger will one day sell a fiver with your preferred bridge spacing, nut width, and neck profile. But it's rare to find companies that offer these options. At least Roger offers different nut widths and bridge spacing on his fivers, which is more than EBMM offers on theirs.
