Club Sadowsky!!!

[Sadowsky]

Just in case there is any interest, I reluctantly have my Fiesta Red Satin NYC 5-21 Vintage up for sale in the classifieds.

For Sale - Sadowsky Fiesta Red NYC Satin Series 5-21 Vintage

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that these are only available through special order from the NYC shop since the Warwick transition. Is that correct?

We discontinued the Satin Series in December 2019. Some of the non "special order" German MetroLines come standard with a satin finish.

 

[Sadowsky]

I agree about the Portabag being cheap, it's nowhere near as good as the NYC bag. I use a mono vertigo

The Metro Portabag is being upgraded. The Masterbuilt bag is comparable to my NYC case.

 

[Sadowsky]

Very happy with my Will Lee metro, so this question is out of curiosity and because I was just reading a thread on fret size. Does anyone know what size frets are standard on Sadowsky basses?

Standard wire is .094" wide and .051" high. Vintage wire is .080" x .043".
We do not use Dunlop wire.

 

[Sadowsky]

Do these pups fit in this bass?
After almost a year of sitting at home playing this bass I’ve come to the conclusion that humbuckers sound ‘closed’ to me and single coils ‘open’.


View attachment 4214711 View attachment 4214712

I agree with this. This is true regardless of whether the coils are side by side or stacked. We do think our soapbars have a great high end in any event. We now offer our stacked J bass pickups with the option of a coil cut switch, so you can switch from humcancelling to true single coil. We could get these made for you in the soapbar covers but you would need to bring it to a good repair person to have the coil cut switch installed.

 

[Sadowsky]

Can the Sadowsky onboard pre be run 18v?
Not that I ever saw a reason to with any basses I’ve ever owned in the past.

I’m putting an onboard pre in a bass that’s wired for 18v and was curious.

Although 18 volts will not hurt the pre, there is nothing to be gained at 18 volts. Unlike an op-amp circuit, you will not gain any headroom.

 

[Sadowsky]

If anyone selling a NYC Single cut 5-24 or Dual cut 5-24 let me know.

We will have one on our next stock update.

 

[Sadowsky]

New to me WL5; serial 7636.
I can't find the Sadowsky recently sold page for that?
It's really nice.

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If it is not on the recently sold page, it is because it was a custom order.

 

[Sadowsky]

I know it is just in my head but the German produced Warwicks just make me want even more to make my next Sadowsky (if there is one) an NYC. It is just that I feel if I buy Grrman I am buying a Warwick whereas with my two Japanese metrolines there was a certain comfort in the knowledge that the Japanese production line was set up specifically by and for Sadowskys. I know there is no logic to this and I am sorely tempted by a certain whaleburst Ltd which has just turned up here, albeit highly priced. One huge plus of the Warwick deal which does not seem to have gained much attention is the increased availability of Sadowskys worldwide due to Warwicks wide dealerships. Before Warwick they were unavailable in New Zealand, whereas now they are available thorough the country's largest musical retailer. That said, I shall probably continue buying through Bass Gear Direct in Australia since they have never failed me yet.

The Sadowsky production in Germany was set up by me working with the Warwick production manager and wood buyer, Marcus Spangler. Their facility is the best I have seen anywhere, in the US, Japan or Korea. I actually have more control over the making of the new Sadowsky lines than I did in Japan.

 

[Sadowsky]

Yes, Singlecuts and Will Lee models have the Mid boost option making it 3 band. Its still NOT an option on other models.

When most people talk about a 3 band tone circuit, they are referring to an op-amp circuit with cut and boost controls for each band. It is impossible to reproduce the tone of a 3 band JFET circuit with an op -amp one. I consider the Sadowsky WL circuit to be a 2 band with a mid boost switch.

 

[ShawnG]

Nice to see you back @Sadowsky, hope all is well with you and the team at the shop!

 

[MattLplaysBass]

I learned a few things...

 

[Sadowsky]

Some of it may be a combination of the lighting, the way the software focuses, and the fact that I'm a terrible photographer, but I didn't notice anything weird about them at the time. I'll be sure to look them over in person again if it's still there when I return to the shop.

There were some finish issues on the first run of tuners. That has since been corrected.

 

[Sadowsky]

Wish Rodger would make a Will Lee EQ pedal like he did with the standard 2 band.

This is in my to do list!

 

[Sadowsky]

We're working on the form... it works as it should but prices are off for now.

I have taken over the quoting on all custom orders. You can download the price list from the website.

 

[Sadowsky]

Very fair questions. I’ve also noticed new prices for NYC’s are at a premium. I am guessing it’s a supply vs. demand thing, now that Roger has significantly reduced the size/staff of his shop. If you’re really interested in an answer, I’d reach out directly to Roger via PM here and I’m pretty confident he’ll give you the answer, straight from the GOAT’s mouth.

I always try to be as transparent as possible. I have never liked to raise my prices. The truth is before my latest price increase I had enormous price increases in everything in my supply chain, including basic overhead. I predicted supply chain issues at the beginning of the pandemic and we are now seeing the worst of it. On the other hand, we now have a much smaller crew and I believe we are taking our builds to the highest level ever. I am pleased that the German production is now running really well and that will be an excellent option for those in the 3K price range. The MetroExpress is also running much better and is excellent at the 1K price range. Something for everyone.

 

[Sadowsky]

I finally had some time to catch up with everyone here at Club Sadowsky. Hope all of my replies were to your satisfaction. I feel like I am with family here! Thank you all for your kind words and constructive feedback.

Best, Roger

 

[Clark Westfield]

Yes....this is the standard for Sadowsky. You can reverse the two pickup hots at the pan piot to change the direction.

I kinda like this pan switch wired this way, and did the same on my Schecter because it’s cool.

 

[bassclef04]

The Sadowsky production in Germany was set up by me working with the Warwick production manager and wood buyer, Marcus Spangler. Their facility is the best I have seen anywhere, in the US, Japan or Korea. I actually have more control over the making of the new Sadowsky lines than I did in Japan.

It's quite obvious because my Sadowsky Ger. fit and finish is superb! neck pocket is super tight!

 

[Clark Westfield]

I kinda like this pan switch wired this way, and did the same on my Schecter because it’s cool.

I also like the pan switch pointing up to me when I look down to be on the front pickup.

I rarely use Jaco setting , so this actually works better for what and how I play.

My Schecter which I had for years, was redone to work in the same manner as my NYC.

Roger did a good thing for sure doing it his way, now it’s “the way” everybody should wire the pan knob.

 

[Bassist30]

Rodger thank you for your responses. Still loving my 1999 NYC5 bass. I had bought and sold basses but this one stays with me.....always. "The Fender On Steroids".