Club Sadowsky!!!

[Budha bass]

Ho, one question, do you know how to order a new pickguard for a NYC sadowsky ?
it means , if I want to change the color of mine, what's the way to have a new one ?

 

[Sadowsky]

is it possible to get a picture of any NYC Sadowsky from the sadowsky site? I tried plugging the serial number of my bass (the one thats en route to me) to the link that some others have used, and no luck. Just curious...i'd love to see a good picture of it. The serial number is 4197.

We only photograph the instruments we build for our stock page. We do not photograph instruments built to order.

Roger

 

[p0k]

We only photograph the instruments we build for our stock page. We do not photograph instruments built to order.

Roger

ahh, ok, thanks for the response roger! i'll just have to take some high quality pics of it myself when i get it

 

[bass12]

I have a question for all of you Sadowsky brothers and sisters. I've been playing my NYC for a couple of years and I have always found the neck to be a little on the "tacky" side feel-wise. I don't notice it when I first pick the bass up, but after a bit of playing, the thumb on my fretting hand (which is positioned at the centre of the neck) starts to feel a bit sticky. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm wondering if it has to do with the nitro finish. Also, I keep the bass in an ultralite case and, after two years, I still smell (what seems to be) lemon oil whenever I open the case! Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[BluesyCat]

You can't help but notice Roger's avatar. It's so perfect. Maybe we all should change our avatars to look like his...for this club!

I just think it's cool.

 

[thisSNsucks]

I have a question for all of you Sadowsky brothers and sisters. I've been playing my NYC for a couple of years and I have always found the neck to be a little on the "tacky" side feel-wise. I don't notice it when I first pick the bass up, but after a bit of playing, the thumb on my fretting hand (which is positioned at the centre of the neck) starts to feel a bit sticky. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm wondering if it has to do with the nitro finish. Also, I keep the bass in an ultralite case and, after two years, I still smell (what seems to be) lemon oil whenever I open the case! Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Mine can get ever so sticky every once in a while if i dont clean in for an extended period of time. I recommend getting some Sadowsky Everyday Polish. It works great all over, especially on the back of the neck.

 

[BluesyCat]

Mine can get ever so sticky every once in a while if i dont clean in for an extended period of time. I recommend getting some Sadowsky Everyday Polish. It works great all over, especially on the back of the neck.

+1. Definitely works excellent.

 

[bass12]

Mine can get ever so sticky every once in a while if i dont clean in for an extended period of time. I recommend getting some Sadowsky Everyday Polish. It works great all over, especially on the back of the neck.

It's really not a question of the neck being dirty. It's almost as if there's a mild chemical reaction that occurs between my thumb and the nitro which leads to a slight feeling of claminess on my thumb. Anyone ever heard of this kind of thing before?

 

[tommixx]

I have a question for all of you Sadowsky brothers and sisters. I've been playing my NYC for a couple of years and I have always found the neck to be a little on the "tacky" side feel-wise. I don't notice it when I first pick the bass up, but after a bit of playing, the thumb on my fretting hand (which is positioned at the centre of the neck) starts to feel a bit sticky. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm wondering if it has to do with the nitro finish. Also, I keep the bass in an ultralite case and, after two years, I still smell (what seems to be) lemon oil whenever I open the case! Any thoughts?

Thanks.

I have the same thing so I get them to have Rob L lightly sand the neck just a bit for me. It feels very worn in and no longer sticky at all! DRASTICALLY changes the way the neck feels and plays. I HIGHLY recommend it....

Peace,

T

 

[Vic]

I have the same thing so I get them to have Rob L lightly sand the neck just a bit for me. It feels very worn in and no longer sticky at all! DRASTICALLY changes the way the neck feels and plays. I HIGHLY recommend it....

Peace,

T

I've also used 0000 steel wool to do this kinda' thing with pretty good results. Not on any Sadowskys yet tho.

 

[number six]

You can't help but notice Roger's avatar. It's so perfect. Maybe we all should change our avatars to look like his...for this club!

I just think it's cool.

Sheesh! What some people will do for a free 'B' string . . .

 

[tommixx]

I've also used 0000 steel wool to do this kinda' thing with pretty good results. Not on any Sadowskys yet tho.

I do most of my own setups and some light repair work (unless I send it off to Sadowskys shop and have Rob L do one of his killer setups) but I am SCARED TO DEATH to put steel wool or sand paper on any of my basses necks! I have this fear that I will go to far and wind up down to the truss rod or something...lol! I just love what Rob does so I just send everything to him. His setups and sanding job completely changes the feel of a bass IME. If you get a chance to have him do one you sill see what I mean. I HIGHLY recommend the experience...

 

[Vic]

I do most of my own setups and some light repair work (unless I send it off to Sadowskys shop and have Rob L do one of his killer setups) but I am SCARED TO DEATH to put steel wool or sand paper on any of my basses necks! I have this fear that I will go to far and wind up down to the truss rod or something...lol! I just love what Rob does so I just send everything to him. His setups and sanding job completely changes the feel of a bass IME. If you get a chance to have him do one you sill see what I mean. I HIGHLY recommend the experience...

I hear you on significant stuff, but seriously, have you ever tried to take wood down by "sanding it" with 0000? It'd take you years to do any damage with that stuff. It's completely safe.

That said, that's about as far as I go beyond mechanical and electrical work (setup/repair). I don't do fret levels or serious wood repair. I'm not even sure I'd tackle a nut replacement, and that's pretty simple stuff.

 

[seebee]

I have a question for all of you Sadowsky brothers and sisters. I've been playing my NYC for a couple of years and I have always found the neck to be a little on the "tacky" side feel-wise. I don't notice it when I first pick the bass up, but after a bit of playing, the thumb on my fretting hand (which is positioned at the centre of the neck) starts to feel a bit sticky. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm wondering if it has to do with the nitro finish. Also, I keep the bass in an ultralite case and, after two years, I still smell (what seems to be) lemon oil whenever I open the case! Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Seems I get that sticky feeling in the summer or in humid conditions. I don't notice it in the winter. It doesn't bother me. Whatever that case smell is I love it I call it brand new Sadowsky smell.

 

[KJung]

Seems I get that sticky feeling in the summer or in humid conditions. I don't notice it in the winter. It doesn't bother me. Whatever that case smell is I love it I call it brand new Sadowsky smell.

I agree. The neck finish is one of the few things that I don't particularly love on the Sadowsky's. It's an unusual Nitro finish that has little in common IMO with the traditional Fender necks or the Alleva's with Nitro, which feel like the old Fender's I've played (i.e., smooth and rather glossy/shiny).

I can see where getting them sanded a bit would be a positive.

However, it's a very small issue and doesn't really bother me.

 

[michele]

I agree. The neck finish is one of the few things that I don't particularly love on the Sadowsky's. It's an unusual Nitro finish that has little in common IMO with the traditional Fender necks or the Alleva's with Nitro, which feel like the old Fender's I've played (i.e., smooth and rather glossy/shiny).

I can see where getting them sanded a bit would be a positive.

However, it's a very small issue and doesn't really bother me.

Here's what I experienced with my (now gone) Sadowsky standard J: at first it felt a little sticky but day after day the thumb really buffered the neck finish to the point that after about two months it felt amazing. Smooth and fast as nothing I've ever played: I had an original '69 Fender and its nice, broken in neck can't really hold a candle to the Sadowsky. Over the years it only got better. I sold it just a couple of days ago after playing it for 5 years: I had one last playing session with it and it had this wonderful feeling ... it fitted my hand like an old, warm, comfortable glove.
Hope the neck on my upcoming Ultra Vintage P will feel like that ...

 

[KJung]

Here's what I experienced with my (now gone) Sadowsky standard J: at first it felt a little sticky but day after day the thumb really buffered the neck finish to the point that after about two months it felt amazing. Smooth and fast as nothing I've ever played: I had an original '69 Fender and its nice, broken in neck can't really hold a candle to the Sadowsky. Over the years it only got better. I sold it just a couple of days ago after playing it for 5 years: I had one last playing session with it and it had this wonderful feeling ... it fitted my hand like an old, warm, comfortable glove.
Hope the neck on my upcoming Ultra Vintage P will feel like that ...

I've felt very little change in my Sadowsky neck finish feel over time (about 4 years now on one, and about a year on the other). Again, I love the profile of the neck, the stiffness, etc., etc. It's just not my favorite finish compared to a nice satin poly finish or other Nitro finished necks I've owned and played.

That being said, I actually really like the neck finish on my 2005 Alder/RW NYC (the one that is for sale on the Sadowsky site at the moment). It is quite different from the finish on my newer NYC, and is closer to the Alleva and old Fender finish. I've played Sadowsky's with each of these types of Nitro finish (i.e., the finish that is relatively shiny and smooth right at the start, and the finish that is more satin and 'sticky' at the start), so there seems to be some variability in the batches of Nitro (which Roger I believe verified in one of these threads). Also, my current Sadowsky has a vintage tint, whereas the one I have for sale does not. I'm not sure if that tint somehow interacts with the Nitro resulting in the different feel, but they are WAY different.

 

[Fran Diaz]

I've felt very little change in my Sadowsky neck finish feel over time (about 4 years now on one, and about a year on the other). Again, I love the profile of the neck, the stiffness, etc., etc. It's just not my favorite finish compared to a nice satin poly finish or other Nitro finished necks I've owned and played.

That being said, I actually really like the neck finish on my 2005 Alder/RW NYC (the one that is for sale on the Sadowsky site at the moment). It is quite different from the finish on my newer NYC, and is closer to the Alleva and old Fender finish. I've played Sadowsky's with each of these types of Nitro finish (i.e., the finish that is relatively shiny and smooth right at the start, and the finish that is more satin and 'sticky' at the start), so there seems to be some variability in the batches of Nitro (which Roger I believe verified in one of these threads). Also, my current Sadowsky has a vintage tint, whereas the one I have for sale does not. I'm not sure if that tint somehow interacts with the Nitro resulting in the different feel, but they are WAY different.

My necks have the vintage tint and my experience has been similar to Michele's on all the Sadowskys that I have owned: After a couple of months my hand buffs the finish and they feel fantastic.

 

[KJung]

My necks have the vintage tint and my experience has been similar to Michele's on all the Sadowskys that I have owned: After a couple of months my hand buffs the finish and they feel fantastic.

Interesting. On my 4 year old one, the finish on the neck is identical to when I bought it. There are no 'differential' spots of shiny or smooth or whatever versus not (which would be the case if playing impacted the finish,, you would expect the areas of the neck that get the most playing to really feel different from, for example, the feel above the 12th fret. I've never seen this in any Sadowsky I've played). It looks and feels the same as the day I took it out of the case.

Same thing with my newer one, although again, it's a VERY different feel and look compared to the older one. I again have noticed this difference on other Sadowsky's... there seems to be two types of neck finishes on these things, which I assume has to do with the variability in different nitro batches, or maybe even who is doing the spraying.

Of course, I've seen Nitro finishes almost completely worn away on the necks of very old instruments that have been really played for 20 or 30 years, but just don't notice this on the 1-5 year old Sadowsky's that I've played (maybe 15 or 20 of them).

Minor point though. I love these basses, even though I would prefer a more 'neutral' consistent thin satin poly finish on the neck.

 

[Fran Diaz]

Interesting. On my 4 year old one, the finish on the neck is identical to when I bought it. There are no 'differential' spots of shiny or smooth or whatever versus not (which would be the case if playing impacted the finish,, you would expect the areas of the neck that get the most playing to really feel different from, for example, the feel above the 12th fret. I've never seen this in any Sadowsky I've played). It looks and feels the same as the day I took it out of the case.

Same thing with my newer one, although again, it's a VERY different feel and look compared to the older one. I again have noticed this difference on other Sadowsky's... there seems to be two types of neck finishes on these things, which I assume has to do with the variability in different nitro batches, or maybe even who is doing the spraying.

Of course, I've seen Nitro finishes almost completely worn away on the necks of very old instruments that have been really played for 20 or 30 years, but just don't notice this on the 1-5 year old Sadowsky's that I've played (maybe 15 or 20 of them).

Minor point though. I love these basses, even though I would prefer a more 'neutral' consistent thin satin poly finish on the neck.

As you've said, minor point.
I have my newest Sadowsky by my side now (6 months old) and I can clearly feel (and see) the difference when I move my thumb from the back of the headstock (where the finish is exactly as the day I got it) to the playing area of the neck, where the feel is softer and the surface is shinier (especially between 1st-7th frets).