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Well that makes two of us. you wouldn't regret a used UV70, if you can find one. In Sadowsky terms, they seem to be the rarest of models, I would imagine.
If you use your blend at 50/50 you don’t even need humcanceling pickups, you just need shielding. The UV70 sounds more like a normal sadowsky than it does a 70s Jazz IME there are lots of design elements that create the sadowsky sound, moving the pickup back just tweaks one factor.
Joeykun
pronounced ジョーイくん
- Jun 22, 2007
- 4,200
- 16,150
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: LAKLAND SADOWSKY GENZLER DARKGLASS NORDSTRAND TEMPLEBOARD KIRLIN DRSTRINGS ACCESS
the geddy is modeled after geddy's '72 jazz, right down to using the usa vintage style single coil pickups as i recall, so at the very least, like the UV70, it has the bridge in the "70's position" (which i believe is about a 1/2 inch closer to the bridge as i recall, and why the 70's sound so much more growly/burpy). the other attribute is they made the neck extra slender to match geddy's "shaved" neck (which of course the UV70 does not have).
so this may not be enough to draw a very useful overall conclusion, but it at least answers why it makes at least some sense to try and compare two takes on a "70's jazz" on some levels.
I am looking at buying a metro Will Lee, one of the last of the Japanese production. I have to choose between maple neck ash body or rosewood and alder. I do not have the weights. Can anyone advise of the relative merits of each. I am mainly interested in tone and weight since all else should be the same.
My UV70 is ash/maple, a full-size, non-chambered body, and weighs 9.6oz. Sometimes ash comes very heavy but not always in my case. A WL would likely weigh less due to the smaller body shape it shares with most Sadowskys. Ash/Maple is a little more snappy. Alder/Morado is a little more softer, darker. Not much, though. These are minor differences.
My favorite combo of woods for a J is based on pickup spacing:
60s = Alder/Morado
70s = Ash/Maple
These seem to be borne out by history to be winning combinations. I would argue the 60's Alder Morado is a little more versatile, but not by much. You can, of course, do whatever you want with excellent results.
^This^
To my ear, my alder/Morado RV4 has a “softness” (great description 600 Ohms!) to its tone. My maple necked bass (not a Sadowsky, but also alder bodied) has a little more “snap” to it.
YMMV.
To my ear, my alder/Morado RV4 has a “softness” (great description 600 Ohms!) to its tone. My maple necked bass (not a Sadowsky, but also alder bodied) has a little more “snap” to it.
YMMV.
Thanks for that. I was just going by what it said on the specs on the sellers website. I am quite comfortable with morado or pau ferro Judging by what I have read the Japanese metro might be preferable to the Warwick source models. However, my main question remains choosing between the two options.
I generally prefer ash/maple for both, but if i'd do alder/morado, it'd definitely be 60's, not 70's, so kind of a soft +1.
honestly, for non-select lightweight ash, a solid ash full size body j bass under 10lbs is not that bad at all.
The man himself often has morado model in his hands, although he has both.
I love my RV4.
I agree with Vic. To me, a rosewood (in this case, morado) fingerboard is a classic in a 60s Jazz bass.
ESPECIALLY if it's actually rosewood as opposed to morado/pau ferro, definitely 60's. morado/pau ferro is kinda' in between a rosewood and maple/ebony kinda thing to me... it's harder and more close grained. i love it, but it's not like actual rosewood at all to me.
There are no rules. All of the combos work. Figure out what the elements do then mix n match.
