Club Sadowsky!!!

[JoshS]

After I switched to five string back in Y2K I owned a few 35" basses (Lull, Modulus, MTD) because some insisted that extra inch was better for low B. Turns out I could play 35" okay, but long story short, the killer B on my Sadowsky was proof enough that 35" wasn't better, it was merely different. To my ears 35" has a slightly different timbre than 34", and I happen to prefer the traditional 34".

I'm glad you say this. I'm always tempted to grab and try a combustion or NG3 or something....but not that tempted. I've really settled into an M5-24 pretty exclusively here lately. My other basses (including an MV5E and another M5-24) are getting lonely!

 

[jmain]

The bass in question had Bart pickups and a Sadowsky preamp in it to replace the stock circuit.

If I was using a Sadowsky outboard pre with a Lakland with Bart pickups and an onboard Bart or Lakland pre, I’d run the bass passive so as to take the onboard pre out of the picture completely.

Was going to also ask, so thanks for the clarification. My 55-02 has been just hanging around a lot since I got my MIJ RV5ME. Going to noodling around with the outboard pre and the 55-02. But I agree that it's not just the tone, its the feel that makes the Sadowsky the full package.

 

[KaseOfBass]

I'm glad you say this. I'm always tempted to grab and try a combustion or NG3 or something....but not that tempted. I've really settled into an M5-24 pretty exclusively here lately. My other basses (including an MV5E and another M5-24) are getting lonely!

I had always wanted to give Dingwall a go and got to try one out not too long ago. It was 5-string in the Combustion series through a Mesa WD-800 and a Darkglass cab.

I found it to sound pretty thin without a good amount of EQ and didn’t care for the fanned frets or neck dimensions (felt kind of like a baseball bat to me). The B string was definitely different feeling, but not this 8th wonder of the world different you’d expect from reading about them. Just overall “meh” for what I like. No doubt, they have their fans, but they’re not for me.

 

[KenMoore05]

Anyone else keeping an eye on the website for the stock update? I can’t buy anything because I have one being built, but it’s still fun to look.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I'm glad you say this. I'm always tempted to grab and try a combustion or NG3 or something....but not that tempted. I've really settled into an M5-24 pretty exclusively here lately. My other basses (including an MV5E and another M5-24) are getting lonely!

I like Dingwalls a lot: quality instruments, I can play them OK*, and almost pulled the trigger on an NG3. Then I decided to stick with 34" scale simply for the traditional tone.

*I can play Dingwalls in the low to mid register, but the slanted upper frets require different fingering (and also kinda make my brain hurt)... I suppose I could get accustomed if I wanted to put in the time, but as noted I don't.

 

[Joebone]

How does one play chords or triple stops on a Dingwall?

 

[cxcxcx]

How does one play chords or triple stops on a Dingwall?

tl,dr answer : not without great difficulty, if you can at all.

Dingwalls have vary degrees of fanning. The 34” to 32” scale four string is not tough to navigate with any tecnique.

When most bass players talk about Dingwalls, they are talking about the five string, which is 37” to 34” scale. That requires more extreme angles in the fan. My Dingwall experience was that most playing below the 12th fret was not entirely foreign or difficult, and made the advantages of the fanned fret system apparent. All the stuff I could play on four or five string translated over with only a little extra effort. It was an extreme reach to get at first position, but Dingwall has made this easier with strap button repositioning.

Chords, triple stops, and even double stops get a little hairy higher than the 12th fret on a Dingwall 5 string bass. It’s extremely difficult to work up there with regular technique, but you could grab some of those notes by tapping. Yeah, Charlie Hunter and those megachops Prog Rock guys that play fanned fret guitars, but their instruments have shorter scales and less extreme fret fanning. Playing something like “Peg” isn’t super-demanding, but chord-melody things are.

I do fully expect someone to post a video of a player doing everything I found basically impossible to play on a Dingwall with grace and ease. I’m just re-counting my experiences.

That all said, Dingwalls are something special - they’re amazing instruments and they sound great live. It can also be noted that if Roger Sadowsky is the most pleasant and knowledgeable guy in the business, Sheldon Dingwall is a close second. You do have to compromise with certain things to enjoy that super-extended range on the Dingwall bass, but it’s worth it to many players. The fanned frets bring a whole bunch of solutions, but also bring some problems with them, like all things in life. Ultimately, the only way to know if a Dingwall will work for you is to get one in your hands and try it out.

 

[pickles]

Last night I switched my SA 200 off standby, it made a pop, the operate light stayed dark, and there’s no signal. Power light stayed on. Is that an easy to troubleshoot issue like a tube, and if not, who is servicing SA200s these days?

 

[tombowlus]

Last night I switched my SA 200 off standby, it made a pop, the operate light stayed dark, and there’s no signal. Power light stayed on. Is that an easy to troubleshoot issue like a tube, and if not, who is servicing SA200s these days?

Hopefully just a fuse. I am not sure who is authorized to perform service, though.

 

[Addison]

Does anyone know if the furry guitar stand socks that protect nitro finishes are still available for sale?

I’m looking to buy 10 packs of them - I got a set included with both of my Sadowsky basses, but they’re not on the new Warwick/Sadowsky store for sale.

Thanks!

 

[Tim1]

Does anyone know if the furry guitar stand socks that protect nitro finishes are still available for sale?

I’m looking to buy 10 packs of them - I got a set included with both of my Sadowsky basses, but they’re not on the new Warwick/Sadowsky store for sale.

Thanks!

I just use 1" clear plastic hose and slice it down the middle, then fit it over the stand. All my basses are nitro and have never had a problem since doing this.

 

[Addison]

I just use 1" clear plastic hose and slice it down the middle, then fit it over the stand. All my basses are nitro and have never had a problem since doing this.

Thanks - I’ll try that.

I was really excited about these, but it doesn’t look like they’re available anymore.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EENAOU/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

 

[monkeyland]

Does anyone know if the furry guitar stand socks that protect nitro finishes are still available for sale?

I’m looking to buy 10 packs of them - I got a set included with both of my Sadowsky basses, but they’re not on the new Warwick/Sadowsky store for sale.

Thanks!

to be fair, any legit name brand stand made in the last 20 years should be fine without it. Stick with the big guys and avoid the store brand bargain bin and you should be fine. I can personally vouch for Ultimate Support stands and String Swing hangers with my two Sadowsky’s.

 

[Fuzzbass]

to be fair, any legit name brand stand made in the last 20 years should be fine without it. Stick with the big guys and avoid the store brand bargain bin and you should be fine. I can personally vouch for Ultimate Support stands and String Swing hangers with my two Sadowsky’s.

Same goes for Hercules -- their hanging stands have not affected the finish on my Sadowskys (true for at least a decade).

 

[Vic]

Same goes for Hercules -- their hanging stands have not affected the finish on my Sadowskys (true for at least a decade).

same here.

 

[jay penny]

I currently have ten electric basses and one of them is a Sadowsky. Most of those basses get very little play time, not because they aren't great instruments but because I am a creature of habit and, well, I do have my favourites. I'd say my Sadowsky Modern is in my top five and fluctuates within that top five depending on application. None of my other basses are better built than the Sadowsky, that's for sure, but the Modern does get edged out for overall feel/response/sound by my MTD 535s and my Lull M5V (though my M5V does have a Sadowsky preamp which helped me go from really liking the bass to loving it). My Modern is great at doing what it does, but I'd be unsatisfied with only the Modern at my disposal and I never found a Sadowsky Jazz that quite did it for me in the long run.

 

[Lex P.]

 

[Addison]

to be fair, any legit name brand stand made in the last 20 years should be fine without it. Stick with the big guys and avoid the store brand bargain bin and you should be fine. I can personally vouch for Ultimate Support stands and String Swing hangers with my two Sadowsky’s.

Same goes for Hercules -- their hanging stands have not affected the finish on my Sadowskys (true for at least a decade).

I have wall-mounted Hercules hangers right now - never had an issue.

However, my daughters are both getting their own rooms now, so I'm switching rooms and decided to get a new system for my room.

I went with these guys: Guitar Hanger MX™ | Multiple Guitar Hanging System by diamondLife

Pricing seemed reasonable and I really like their options.

Anyway, they have this fine-print on their site:

Unfortunately, no guitar hangers have completely nitro cellulose safe cushions, ours included. As we understand it, damage can occur in two ways: the material used for the cushion 'out-gasses' causing the lacquer to stain, or the cushion prohibits air and moisture movement from the wood of the guitar through the finish causing it to stain. There are accessory items that address either of these problems, but not both. Leather covers can be purchased (Ingles #SA-10HC) that allow the wood/finish to breathe, but they do not completely stop the cushion gasses from passing through to the finish. There are 'gas-free' cushion materials, but these are relatively expensive and, like the leather covers, address just half the potential problem. Somewhere in between is likely a solution, but so far none of us manufacturers have found the confidence to state "this is the solution". For our guitar hangers we use a material that we consider to be comparatively low in its emissions. We can suggest that cloth or leather 'pads' be placed on the hanger arms.

I'm guessing that they're just saying that to cover their butts and I'll likely be fine, but even String Swing has this in their FAQ:

Q: Are your products safe to use for guitars with a nitrocellulose lacquer finish?
A: Our material will not eat into the nitro of your guitar like most foams and rubbers do. Fender, Gibson, and Martin, all use our products in their showrooms, and for trade shows on their standard and high nitro finished guitars. However, there are some things that are out of our control that prevent us from putting an unconditional guarantee that no marking will ever occur.

1. If an issue does arise there is no definite way for us to tell if the marks were caused by our products or if they were from a previously used product from another manufacturer.
2. If you have used a guitar polish, be sure it is wiped off before you use our products. There is conflicting information on the internet as to whether polish is ever necessary or not. Also, along these same lines, do not use any chemical cleaners on our padding material. Water is fine if needed.
3. Guitars being stored in any sunlight can be a big problem, regardless of what material is being used in resting the guitar.
4. Nitro finish remains partially a liquid for its lifetime, so extended periods of time any significant pressure on the finish can result in pressure marks almost like a smear. This is worsened if the guitar was not given proper cure time when the finished was applied.

All of this being said we still have the safest material on the market for a nitro finished guitar and thousands of people trust hanging them every day. Also, if you have a nitro white Gibson, or Epiphone we have white yokes that we recommend for these extremely color sensitive finishes. If you decide to choose our products to display your guitars, for your peace of mind, we suggest that you check your guitars occasionally to be assured of their safety.

And then in their disclaimer, they talk about the possibility of marking instruments and having a different material option:

String Swing® is not responsible for marking a guitar provided the following:

• If a different hanger was used to previously hang your guitar.
• If the tubing was cleaned with a solution prior to hanging your guitar.
• Displaying a White Gibson® or NOS Fender® Custom without consulting String Swing®.

String Swing® has tested new white tubing that is potentially safer for the unique finish on these guitars. However, at this time; it is not available for purchase on this website. If you would like to order or inquire about this material, please email us at [email protected] or call toll free 888.455.6628 or 608.435.6628 for international calls.

Again, it's probably safe and they're likely just covering their butts.

I'm just a "better safe than sorry" kind of guy and don't mind the extra expense of throwing some protection on my hanger if it saves me money down the road. Boy, that sounds weird. *AHEM*

I'll keep looking - and maybe try the clear tubing route if necessary. Or, I'll just make my own.

Thanks again, fellas!

Chris

 

[Addison]

This is my setup now - but when I finished the basement (where my music room/office is right now), I had the wall behind the sheet rock reinforced for these hangers. Now that I’m moving upstairs, I switched to a slat-wall system.

 

[Bergerman]

Interesting topic…just hung mine recently in my new house and decided to make my own hangers. I used black walnut blocks and 1/4” lag bolts. The heavy duty steel tool hooks have had the nitro-unsafe rubber coating removed and replaced with 100% natural cotton cord wrap over cotton cloth...the grey rubber caps on the ends don’t come into contact with the bass and cover the end of the steel. The hooks have weight rating of more than 3X what the Hercules hangers are rated for…but I admittedly tend to over-engineer anything I make, especially when a Sadowsky is going to be hanging from it!