Club Sadowsky!!!

[cxcxcx]

I've been using less and less of the juiced-up preamp sound myself as I get older. Not my choice, but not everybody I play with is totally into that Will Lee/Marcus Miller slice and note definition that made me such a Sadowsky fan as a kid. If you need to trim that back, this is where the VTC absolutely shines.

By intent or happy accident, the Sadowsky tone we'd probably all agree on fits best with horn bands, really loud combos with Hammond organ (think Letterman for these previous examples), and in halls that resemble NYC Broadway theaters. Churches fall under that umbrella too. In those environments, it's still preamp engaged for me. It's still one of the most useful and musical circuits introduced in the last few decades.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Love my Sadowskys in passive, but I'm a preamp on guy -- usually with EQ flat. I love the bit of extra air on top from the buffering. If I need more warmth I simply roll back the VTC.

Last but definitely not least, I love the often-discussed trick of boosting treble while rolling back VTC: I typically do it to add hi-mid presence without harshness, but plenty of other flavors can be dialed in.

 

[Chris Breese]

Yes, the VTC is the bomb-diggity. I'll have to try that VTC rolled back/treble boost trick.

 

[JoshS]

By intent or happy accident, the Sadowsky tone we'd probably all agree on fits best with horn bands, really loud combos with Hammond organ (think Letterman for these previous examples), and in halls that resemble NYC Broadway theaters. Churches fall under that umbrella too. In those environments, it's still preamp engaged for me. It's still one of the most useful and musical circuits introduced in the last few decades.

Love my Sadowskys in passive, but I'm a preamp on guy -- usually with EQ flat. I love the bit of extra air on top from the buffering. If I need more warmth I simply roll back the VTC.

Yep, another vote for the same. One of the big reasons I have moved over to Sadowsky for church. I can dial the volume back, bring the boost up a little flat, and then just adjust the tone based on what's needed. I've been really happy with both the MV5E and M5-24 as such.

 

[ShawnG]

Yep, another vote for the same. One of the big reasons I have moved over to Sadowsky for church. I can dial the volume back, bring the boost up a little flat, and then just adjust the tone based on what's needed. I've been really happy with both the MV5E and M5-24 as such.

Me, too. Preamp active, but flat, gives me “the Sadowsky sound,” which is the sound I hear in my head when I think of bass guitar. Roger is a wizard.

 

[Dave Hill]

With my PJ4 (with 100% P);
Passive has more of a “bark” and “digging in sensitivity”.
Active feels buffered and slightly compressed.
I like passive for recording, active live.

 

[Tim1]

This is a really useful discussion as I too have been gravitating towards passive or active with cut from the vtc. Such a versatile bass especially with the mid boost option on my will lee

 

[31HZ]

I've posted this photo elsewhere on the web as the culmination of a tonequest with regard to the rig, but the more that I think about it, the more that I realize that the Sadowsky tone is an elemental part of it.

When I first bought the bass last winter, I must admit that I wasn't crazy about the tone. At the time I thought that I was looking for a more ergo-friendly version of the Ken Smith burp-and-bark; come to find out that the Modern series isn't that. But the playability of the instrument, and its uncanny evenness across the lowest registers, drew me in, and the more that I spent time with it, the more I found that it just "works" pretty much everywhere -- especially after I started using the VTC, which I had originally been pretty sure that I would never use. Also, the "mildly-aggressive-but-still-clear-and smooth" nature of the tone allows it to work well in settings that don't really flatter the burpy tone that I thought I needed to cut through in a busy mix. Turns out that THIS is what I need after all.

This bass has become my clear #1, and I feel as if I can stop looking. Thanks again, Roger -- I continue to appreciate your craftsmanship, your approach towards the manufacture of serious tools for working musicians, and your operation in general. It's obvious that you care.

Obligatory ridiculous pic of live rig from last weekend. Man, did it sound good.

 

[Chickenwheels]

What I dig is the boost 40hz/boost 400hz model, cutting that low-mid mud. You can then get loud and clean, still hearing everyone else. I do this with my amp now.

 

[Todd Larson]

What I dig is the boost 40hz/boost 400hz model, cutting that low-mid mud. You can then get loud and clean, still hearing everyone else. I do this with my amp now.

Props to Roger's preamp design, it's pure wizardry. My Modern 5-24 the active mode with slight bass boost works great for solo practice at home with very low volumes. I just dial up the bass a little for warmth, as mentioned above. That said, I'm using passive more now in live rehearsals.

I'm also convinced that - as Roger has mentioned - it starts with the wood. Roger and team know how to select and combine materials, then apply superior electronics to a beautifully crafted, player centric instrument.

 

[R&B]

The only Sadowsky I am interested in buying at the moment is a Japanese metro or NYC. Either new or used for both. Still feel the jury is out on the Warwicks. But that's just me....

It’s not just you.

 

[Clark Westfield]

I’m not bragging, but this is one of the best thing I have EVER purchased!

 

[Chris Breese]

My MIG MetroLine is really good. I haven't played a NYC, so I don't have a reference to the real thing. It's the best bass I've ever owned.

 

[SzunaP]

I've posted this photo elsewhere on the web as the culmination of a tonequest with regard to the rig, but the more that I think about it, the more that I realize that the Sadowsky tone is an elemental part of it.

When I first bought the bass last winter, I must admit that I wasn't crazy about the tone. At the time I thought that I was looking for a more ergo-friendly version of the Ken Smith burp-and-bark; come to find out that the Modern series isn't that. But the playability of the instrument, and its uncanny evenness across the lowest registers, drew me in, and the more that I spent time with it, the more I found that it just "works" pretty much everywhere -- especially after I started using the VTC, which I had originally been pretty sure that I would never use. Also, the "mildly-aggressive-but-still-clear-and smooth" nature of the tone allows it to work well in settings that don't really flatter the burpy tone that I thought I needed to cut through in a busy mix. Turns out that THIS is what I need after all.

This bass has become my clear #1, and I feel as if I can stop looking. Thanks again, Roger -- I continue to appreciate your craftsmanship, your approach towards the manufacture of serious tools for working musicians, and your operation in general. It's obvious that you care.

Obligatory ridiculous pic of live rig from last weekend. Man, did it sound good.
View attachment 4298327

OMG, what a deadly complex, it's nuclear... DDD if you have an a**hole neighbor, just Power On... DD
(Just like Luke bro few months ago...)

 

[kevk]

Sadowsky UV J & P twins…with their friends.

EDIT/ADD:…current favorite—UV J5. My first Sadowsky build spec’ng single coils…didn’t realize how good they sound!!! Bass is exactly 9 lbs, with beefy/major attitude.

 

[JoshS]

New Bass Day. This is #19 / 100.
When I love something, I usually love two of them with slightly different flavor. Sold my 4003W to help with this purchase.

Sounds amazing, the craftsmanship is what you'd expect, I like the ebony more than I expected, love the walnut top and finish...but it is really humming in active mode. The VTC turns the hum up and down (or completely off, passive), so I need the shop to look at it. I don't really know electronics at all. I'm hoping it is a simple ground or something, because I really like this!

Oh, and obligatory family shot.

 

[Loepie]

New Bass Day. This is #19 / 100.
When I love something, I usually love two of them with slightly different flavor. Sold my 4003W to help with this purchase.

View attachment 4299932

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Sounds amazing, the craftsmanship is what you'd expect, I like the ebony more than I expected, love the walnut top and finish...but it is really humming in active mode. The VTC turns the hum up and down (or completely off, passive), so I need the shop to look at it. I don't really know electronics at all. I'm hoping it is a simple ground or something, because I really like this!

View attachment 4299931
Oh, and obligatory family shot.

Humming might be the (lack of- / or incomplete) shielding of the pickup cavities.

 

[JoshS]

Humming might be the (lack of- / or incomplete) shielding of the pickup cavities.

Wondered about that too. Isn't that what the finish is? It is on the back of the (new style?) easy access plastic cover. If just shielding, wouldn't it hum in passive too?

 

[JoshS]

It is really light too. 7.8 per the shop. I didn't weight it myself, but it feels just like my other one, which is 7.8. That is terrific for 3+ hours standing.

 

[phillipkregg]

New Bass Day. This is #19 / 100.
When I love something, I usually love two of them with slightly different flavor. Sold my 4003W to help with this purchase.



View attachment 4299932

View attachment 4299933

View attachment 4299934

View attachment 4299935

Sounds amazing, the craftsmanship is what you'd expect, I like the ebony more than I expected, love the walnut top and finish...but it is really humming in active mode. The VTC turns the hum up and down (or completely off, passive), so I need the shop to look at it. I don't really know electronics at all. I'm hoping it is a simple ground or something, because I really like this!

View attachment 4299931
Oh, and obligatory family shot.

These are so amazing.

I just picked up 007