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Congrats! What a beauty and cool Chef mojo on it. I was bummed my gig money wasn't there to be the new owner.
My new to me 2014 Japanese Sadowsky MV4-WL arrived today. It really looks like this bass was not played a lot…
I think I already have a number…
I think I already have a number…
I’m on a cruise right now in Mexico. The bass player in the main party cover band plays a black NYC 5-string. I could tell it was a Sadowsky from a mile away, just from the sound. He’s pretty shy, or they are told not to fraternize with the guests, because I haven’t been able to talk Bass with him yet. Oh well. Good player and great bass.
And if I get an SBP-1 and SBP-2 I would have “The Sadowsky Sound”^2. And the. If I buy a Sadowsky and run it through those pedals I’ll be sucked into the alternate Sadowsky universe.
All jokes aside, I’ll check out the pedal and see if I like the Sadowsky sound. Thank you.
describing tone from one person to another is really hard to do effectively, however, one thing that is consistent across the Sadowsky instruments, especially the J style basses, is their ability to cut through a mix and maintain a clear identity.
I guess in short, it's pretty much always easier to hear the bass when the player is playing a Sadowsky.
And they're able to do it without having to rely on overly boosted mids, resulting in a boxy or nasal tone. There's just something about the spectrum of its sound that has an uncanny ability to be very present.
Note, the iguanas are indigenous... severely frowned upon, bringing them back on board the ship.
In my experience after playing for over 35 years and owing many Sadowsky J style basses, I haven't found this to be universally true. I personally don't find Sadowsky basses, at least the one's I've owned, sit better in the mix or cut through better in the mix than any other bass, and in some cases, have gotten lost in the mix and needed significant EQ help compared to my Fenders and other basses I've owned. Like any other brand, it comes down to the individual bass. My current, recently bought NYC 5 is an awesome example of a great Sadowsky. It has an alder body and a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and sounds incredible. I believe this bass sounds the way it does compared to other Sadowsky's I've owned is that it is not ultra light in weight. It weighs probably around 9lbs, balances well and has a fuller tone than others. My weight preference for tone and balance on a strap is between 9-9.5lbs. Anything less than that just doesn't produce the tone I prefer and is uncomfortable on a strap due to poor balance and neck dive. I'm in the process of ordering a Sadowsky and will request a solid, non-chambered body.
That also covers the P-style, and guys like Verdine White and Tully Kennedy will vouch for the PJ.
As I've said before, my Sadowsky P is the P-bass I'd been looking for for 30 years. True for both tone and playability.
I actually agree with you about the chambered basses. IMO/IME and all that. I found they had an airy quality to them that didn’t sit as solidly in the mix as my main player Sadowsky: PJ5 just above 10 lbs.
Related to the above, I brought a Will Lee 5 with rounds to a rehearsal, after having brought my flats-strung PJ5 (also with a mute). Now, while I acknowledged that this modern R&B’ish gig really did need ‘that J sound with rounds’ (bregrudgingly) I had a helluva time dialing in a sound I liked for fingerstyle. Because my PJ5 is my ‘sounds great on anything and thru any amp’ bass.
Having only owned chambered Sadowskys since 2009 (except for my first, a Metro Hybrid P/J @ 9 1/4 lbs) , I don't have an opinion on the heavier solid body versions. I can say that the lighter weight basses (mine have all averaged 7.5-8 lbs) are what drew me to NYC Sadowskys in the first place. Also, I haven't really gigged with these basses, having a FT job with rotating shifts and days off until I retired didn't help. Since then, I just haven't found a working situation. Hey, there's still time, I could live to 100! I might have to be wheeled out on a hand truck like Hannibal Lecter, but that would only add to the stage show.
Whether jamming at home or with friends, I love the sound of my Sadowskys, right now I'm down to an NYC 24 fret/soapbars (currently w/Nordy Big Splits) and a NYC Satin Jazz with Sadowsky Single Coils. Had a Verdine White that I sold, because I have a "P" bass, but I agree with ElMon, it was my do anything bass. Now I find myself looking at the classifieds for another to pop up. Thinking about contacting the guy who bought it and seeing if he wants to sell it. Ha!
Whether jamming at home or with friends, I love the sound of my Sadowskys, right now I'm down to an NYC 24 fret/soapbars (currently w/Nordy Big Splits) and a NYC Satin Jazz with Sadowsky Single Coils. Had a Verdine White that I sold, because I have a "P" bass, but I agree with ElMon, it was my do anything bass. Now I find myself looking at the classifieds for another to pop up. Thinking about contacting the guy who bought it and seeing if he wants to sell it. Ha!
I saw that on the bookface and the post indicated that it was 18mm spacing at the bridge. Looking at Reverb, I see specs posted for pre-order also indicating the non-standard 18mm, as well as a nut width of 1.77". I like the specs and the MM/J configuration. I initially wanted an 18mm bridge for my NYC WL-5, but trying to get one of those for a used bass is tougher than chewing up a football.
