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Club Sadowsky!!!

#51,001
bucephylus said:
...Wood structure is so complicated that analysis of individual pieces of wood is insufficient to create any kind of predictive model...
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exactly... and this is why i thought yamaha's approach was pretty cool, though ultimately not the market shaker they probably hoped for.

they didn't try to mimic a specific instrument period/type, they simply started with an already good sounding piece of wood, and then studied the effects of aging that they could hopefully mimic to some extent and apply on top of that.

HOWEVER, at the end of the day, it's all so subjective that someone might not even like the processed one better than the original, or even (as previously mentioned) if someone could even TRULY tell the difference in a real world context. so in my mind, there's a question of applicability that I can't imagine a reasonable answer for... especially noting the (i believe significant) added cost. Probably why ARE and IRA weren't huge market success stories, and most people haven't even heard of them.

Anyway, FWIW.
 
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#51,003
scubaduba said:
I recently purchased a tobacco burst MetroExpress (one of the last Japanese builds) Jazz basses and it is stellar. I have a NYC satin Modern which I love.... and I guess I have the itch to replace the MetroExpress with a satin NYC Jazz. Your counsel please. Stupid idea or go for it! :)

My MetroExpress is still mint with plastic wrap still on pick guard and electronics cavity.
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Well both the Japanese models and the NYC Satin will be rare soon, so...

Those MetroExpress basses are crazy good and probably the best bang-for-your-buck bass out there at the moment. I picked up an NYC Satin because of the very unique color and rare blocks combination. But materials, neck dimensions, hardware, and electronics should all be the same. So I guess it depends on if you just can't resist a particular finish.
 
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#51,004
#51,006
Vic said:
from my earlier post...
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I see.

No, to me, their data appears to have more marketing hype than substance to it. Nice that they seem to have put some effort forth; but, that is not at all the way a proper undertaking would go.

Just for reference, there is an important structural interface between silicon and silicon oxide, that is responsible for all our electronic device "magic." Only two elements are involved. Only two phases are involved. Yet, we (a whole bunch of scientific institutions) studied that interface as a priority for about 40 years, as part of the effort to achieve engineering control.

Wood is far more complicated, and is by its nature somewhat uncontrolled. Yamaha gets points for putting out the effort. But, reality is that we will have to cope with the art / science duality as part of our discussions. At least it affords an interesting topic for discussion.
 
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#51,008
Joeykun said:
Wearing your bass above your belt buckle is a violation of the Viking Code of Law. :smug:
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But how are they wearing their basses in Wakanda? Seriously, I've always gotten a kick out of how jazz and R&B bassists prefer high placement, as compared to the rockers and metalists who prize bass placement as a form of phallic extension.
 
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#51,009
Robal said:
Aren't these statements a bit inconsistent? You say measurable change in vibration of wood instruments subjected to vibration is irrelevant if it can't be heard by the human ear, and then you summarily dismiss TimbreTech proponents who claimed they in fact heard and agreed that the tone of vibrated wood instruments improved. Not sure what "funny how that worked out" means.

Patent Images
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The TimbreTech claims I saw back in the day were scientifically meaningless: the survey wasn't single-blind, let alone double-blind.
 
#51,010
Joebone said:
But how are they wearing their basses in Wakanda? Seriously, I've always gotten a kick out of how jazz and R&B bassists prefer high placement, as compared to the rockers and metalists who prize bass placement as a form of phallic extension.
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I'm more in the jazz/R&B camp, but I also wear my bass low.

For me:

1) Better angle on my left-wrist. Prior to that I had a lot of wrist pain/tendon pain. Cured it.

2) My right arm swings down almost straight, with very little bend at the elbow. Could be 'in my head', but I seem to be able to get more meat to my slap tone that way. More physical that way to get my whole arm into it. I'm more in the Larry Graham school than Marcus/Victor when it comes to that.

3) One time my drunk-as-a-skunk roommate walked into a club I was playing at, and (promise I'm not making this up) threw a football at me. Hit me right in the bread basket.

4) Between my heavy PJ5, the gold anodized guard, and the low strap placement, I feel safer.
 
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#51,011
bucephylus said:
On the one hand, you seem to be broadly dismissive of the materials of construction of a bass guitar having an effect on the playing qualities of the instrument; yet, on the other you are praising specific instruments for their playing characteristics.
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Huh? I've made no comment on how materials and construction relate to either tone or playability. I've been dismissive skeptical of one specific claim: that vibration (e.g. from repeated playing over a long period of time) will improve the tone of an instrument.

My well-worn '64 P-bass sounded (and still sounds) amazing, but I have no reason to believe it sounds great because it was played so much. My Sadowsky P5 sounded amazing the day I unboxed it, and 15 years of heavy playing later, my opinion is that it sounds equally amazing. That's just one example. I've played plenty of other minty fresh basses that sounded great... and I've played some very-well-worn vintage basses that didn't tickle my ears.
 
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#51,013
Fuzzbass said:
Huh? I've made no comment on how materials and construction relate to either tone or playability. I've been dismissive skeptical of one specific claim: that vibration (e.g. from repeated playing over a long period of time) will improve the tone of an instrument.

My well-worn '64 P-bass sounded (and still sounds) amazing, but I have no reason to believe it sounds great because it was played so much. My Sadowsky P5 sounded amazing the day I unboxed it, and 15 years of heavy playing later, my opinion is that it sounds equally amazing. That's just one example. I've played plenty of other minty fresh basses that sounded great... and I've played some very-well-worn vintage basses that didn't tickle my ears.
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Thanks for clarifying. I was confused. Apologies for misconstruing your posts.

I'm also undecided about the effect on an instrument of being played vs not played. I've been told by extremely accomplished concert pianists that high end Steinways kept in performance halls and not played often can be "stiff" and not play well. That's one empirical point. Also, there are more than a few tales of ultra clean early Fenders kept under beds and never played that seem dead by comparison to gigged basses. Among my upright acquaintances in the orchestra sections, I think the feeling is that several months of steady playing will loosen up an older instrument that was not played much.

I agree that there isn't much more than empirical input to go on for that point.
 
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#51,014
bucephylus said:
Thanks for clarifying. I was confused. Apologies for misconstruing your posts.

I'm also undecided about the effect on an instrument of being played vs not played. I've been told by extremely accomplished concert pianists that high end Steinways kept in performance halls and not played often can be "stiff" and not play well. That's one empirical point. Also, there are more than a few tales of ultra clean early Fenders kept under beds and never played that seem dead by comparison to gigged basses. Among my upright acquaintances in the orchestra sections, I think the feeling is that several months of steady playing will loosen up an older instrument that was not played much.

I agree that there isn't much more than empirical input to go on for that point.
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It's all good. I made comments about effects of vibration in some posts, relic finishes in others, and probably could have compartmentalized them better.

To further clarify, I'm not saying "vibration doesn't improve the tone of an instrument". Just saying I don't know whether it does or not, and opinions pro or con are nothing more than opinions.

As everyone can tell I have fun with these topics, but I probably shouldn't interrupt Sadowsky content any further. :)
 
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#51,015
Much thanks to our sponsors, Fuzz Bitty Bot Tater Tots and Bocephus Bodacious Buckeye's.

And now, we return to our regular scheduled program...

IMG_1173-20170111-110435663.jpg
 
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#51,018
Fuzzbass said:
With my new-ish basses, I cover the buckle with my shirt. That P5 got so much playing time that it still developed rash from shirt buttons, jeans button/rivets, etc. There was no longer any point in covering the buckle.

Bottom line: I love the freedom of playing a bass with no worry about buckle rash. :bassist:

I have two newer Sadowskys with insignificant rash: I'm still stressing about them... which is probably why Blackie still gets the majority of playing time. ;)
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I wear belts with an O-ring buckle so the protruding part is cloth or fabric and doesn't damage the basses.
I don't mind a bit of relic'ing but not belt buckle vandalism.
 
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#51,019
Spidey2112 said:
Much thanks to our sponsors, Fuzz Bitty Bot Tater Tots and Bocephus Bodacious Buckeye's.

And now, we return to our regular scheduled program...

View attachment 3748181
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That’s my favorite Sadowsky look. Mine is currently wearing an aged white pearl pickguard, just for a change of pace and because it’s cheaper than buying a new bass
 
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