Fender 4-strings also have 19mm spacing, so it should feel the same to you for your picking hand - aside from that extra string, of course.
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Mike Lull's (RIP) jazz clones come standard with 18mm spacing and 35" scale, although they can be ordered with 34" scale.
I had one and I loved it - it was just a bit too heavy for me and I'm not a huge 35" scale fan anymore.
Another oddity - I had a Lakland 55-94 and the 35" scale wasn't even noticeable. It was an issue for me with the Lull for some reason.
True, but I think, with the extra string and the wider neck it's harder for me to get around. I think, the Fender 5 sting has 18mm spacing.
String spacing is personal preference, no one argued otherwise. Someone said "why not run an actual Music Man thru the Sadowsky preamp?", and the answer is that not everyone cares for actual Music Man. The biggest difference IME does happen to be that spacing is quite narrow on the MM fivers: big difference from 19mm found on Sadowsky and others.
One could make the same argument about Fender: "why not run an actual Fender thru the Sadowsky preamp?" Of course some do exactly this, but most of us here prefer Sadowsky to Fender: we prefer Sadowsky build quality, playability, tone, appearance, customer support, maybe all of the above (plus more). So we buy Sadowsky J over Fender J, and likewise, it makes perfect sense that some will prefer Sadowsky MM to actual MM.
That's not quite correct. Most of his basses are standard 34" scale, with 34"/35" being options with various defaults only on the 5's. Only the M4/5 comes standard at 35", with 34" being a "custom" option.
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. The string spacing itself is NOT the issue for me. Right hand for me is perfectly fine either anything from 17 to 20. All good. My issue is the feel of the neck girth. Also not a left hand issue. Just the way the bass feels on the strap.
Back in the early 2000's, 35" was standard for Lull fivers. He started offering 34" along with 35" and at some point made 34" the default for some (most?) fiver models.
Around 2002 I owned a 35" Lull PJ5 with P body. I sold that after I got the Sadowsky P5 that came out in late 2004. I had no issue with 35" scale aside from its slightly more modern timbre, but preferred the Sadowsky neck to Lull because it had a bit more girth to it. Also, the Lull had 18mm bridge spacing and I preferred the Sadowsky 19mm.
Yeah, I know. My main point is that the earlier post was a bit too general about all his basses, whereas the 35" was mostly just about the 5's and the M's. No biggie.
Agreed
Still, an 18mm option on a Sadowsky would be my meow. I’d probably have Roger build two of them!
I have been keeping my 18mm/35" bass in the case while I play/get used to the 19mm/34" Sadowsky. I may take it out and do some nut width and of fingerboard width measurements for comparison - just for fun. See what the differences actually are.
This has come up before a bunch. I thought there was a post where someone had found 18mm spaced saddles, but can't find anything definitive right now. Probably the only option at this point is swap out the bridge for a different one. 18mm spacing would be a nice option at least for an NYC custom, tho (just MHO).Agreed
Still, an 18mm option on a Sadowsky would be my meow. I’d probably have Roger build two of them!
18mm has always been an option on an NYC Sadowsky. The issue is that Roger does not taper the neck differently for a narrower width and uses the same neck dimensions as the 19mm option.
Thanks Vic.
But, my issue is with the neck taper, not the string spacing. Yes, Roger offers an 18mm bridge; but, the neck taper is the same. That’s the aspect I’m interested in scaling back. The width at the 24th fret position on the neck is about 1/4” difference between the two tapers. Perhaps not much difference to some; but a difference maker for me.
Regarding alternatives, Jimmy Coppolo offers his LG5 in the Tom Barney configuration. That’s the one I have considered. The thing there is that you are pretty much permanent with Jimmy’s (admittedly fabulous) single coil pickups; since nothing else goes into that rout. Still, Jimmy is a guy for whom I have a lot of respect; like Roger. FWIW.
That's why the new bridge suggestion isn't really the answer. If the physical neck is the same, it doesn't matter. I'm going to measure my two 5 string basses (one 18mm and one 19mm) tonight and see what the difference actually is.
It matters to those who have issues with their plucking hand and wide string spacing. If your issue is with the wide neck, then I agree the narrower bridge makes little to difference. I actually slightly prefer my Fender Elite to my Sadowsky in terms of tone. I'm not bothered by the 19mm bridge compared to the 18mm, I like both. I like the Sadowsky neck profile and depth a little more compared to my Elites, though one of my Elites is very similar to the Sadowsky. My Fodera's have slightly wider necks than the Sadowsky but are more comfortable for me to play due to the neck carve.
The other thing about jazz basses - especially 5 string versions - is weight. 9-10 pounds seems pretty average and that is a full 2 pounds more than my Sadowsky ME5JJ that weighs in at 8.0 pounds even, and even more than my sub 8 pound Roscoe Century 5 and Roscoe Classic 4 string P bass.
Weight is one reason why I would "deal" with the slightly wider neck. And of course the tone. I think Sadowsky has the best sounding jazz bass. I haven't tried a Roscoe Classic 5, but again, they are heavy.
Weight is one reason why I would "deal" with the slightly wider neck. And of course the tone. I think Sadowsky has the best sounding jazz bass. I haven't tried a Roscoe Classic 5, but again, they are heavy.
For me, super light basses just don't work for me in terms of tone and comfort. In the jazz style, lighter weights just don't balance well. I think one of the reasons I prefer the tone of my Elite is that it is a solid body that weighs about 9.5lbs. My current Sadowsky is the best I've owned/played. It sounds fantastic and is about 9lbs, maybe just under. My ideal range is 9-9.5lbs. I have on order an NYC 24 vintage style 5 that will have a solid body with a weight goal of 9-9.5lbs. My hope is that it sounds like my Elite, only better, and plays like the typical NYC Sadowsky(which I'm sure it will).
yeah, if it was up to Mike, all his 5's would be 35" he was a firm believer it was "better".
