Club Sadowsky!!!

[scyzoryk]

I feel like this question has been asked before (probably by me )... but have no Sadowsky PJ5 owners changed their pickups? Do all PJ5 owners love the stock humcancelling pickups?

 

[ElMon]

I feel like this question has been asked before (probably by me )... but have no Sadowsky PJ5 owners changed their pickups? Do all PJ5 owners love the stock humcancelling pickups?

I wish the J-Pickup had a bit more snot and snarl to it. Ideally I'd have a bass that could do pillowy p-bass and Jaco-J, to the extreme. I kind-of have that now (definitely have my 'P' Jones covered) but the J-Pickup in my PJ5 just doesn't have the F-U midrange punch that the Will Lee 5 with mid-boost engaged does.

If I could get a P-body, unchambered, PJ5 NYC with the Will Lee circuit, I'd put a down payment on it, but I don't think that's an option.


Yet.

 

[KaseOfBass]

I wish the J-Pickup had a bit more snot and snarl to it. Ideally I'd have a bass that could do pillowy p-bass and Jaco-J, to the extreme. I kind-of have that now (definitely have my 'P' Jones covered) but the J-Pickup in my PJ5 just doesn't have the F-U midrange punch that the Will Lee 5 with mid-boost engaged does.

If I could get a P-body, unchambered, PJ5 NYC with the Will Lee circuit, I'd put a down payment on it, but I don't think that's an option.


Yet.

You might need to start looking under them couch cushions…

 

[scyzoryk]

I wish the J-Pickup had a bit more snot and snarl to it. Ideally I'd have a bass that could do pillowy p-bass and Jaco-J, to the extreme. I kind-of have that now (definitely have my 'P' Jones covered) but the J-Pickup in my PJ5 just doesn't have the F-U midrange punch that the Will Lee 5 with mid-boost engaged does.

If I could get a P-body, unchambered, PJ5 NYC with the Will Lee circuit, I'd put a down payment on it, but I don't think that's an option.


Yet.

I feel like the Aguilar PJ5 pickups might be closer to what I'm looking for (maybe what you're looking for). Good demo here, including playing the back J pickup:

 

[R&B]

Hmm. Got me thinking. My two TYO JJ 4-bangers differ in the pickup department. The sonic blue Teppei (single coils) is monstrous and 3-dimensional. The Lexus white Modern Edge (hum-cancelling) is slammin' but somehow less melodic. May be looking at singles for the Modern Edge 4 too. Be still, my wallet.

The Metroline JJs have hum-canceling pickups too, yet seem to wear them well. Go figure.

 

[Saluki]

I wish the J-Pickup had a bit more snot and snarl to it. Ideally I'd have a bass that could do pillowy p-bass and Jaco-J, to the extreme. I kind-of have that now (definitely have my 'P' Jones covered) but the J-Pickup in my PJ5 just doesn't have the F-U midrange punch that the Will Lee 5 with mid-boost engaged does.

If I could get a P-body, unchambered, PJ5 NYC with the Will Lee circuit, I'd put a down payment on it, but I don't think that's an option.


Yet.

Agree on the Will Lee, bridge pickup comment. Thought about sending my Will Lee in to have a p pickup put in it for that reason and actually got a quote to do the super p/super j setup while leaving the will lee circuit. Haven’t pulled the trigger on either and I am still happy.

 

[bucephylus]

I wish the J-Pickup had a bit more snot and snarl to it. Ideally I'd have a bass that could do pillowy p-bass and Jaco-J, to the extreme. I kind-of have that now (definitely have my 'P' Jones covered) but the J-Pickup in my PJ5 just doesn't have the F-U midrange punch that the Will Lee 5 with mid-boost engaged does.

If I could get a P-body, unchambered, PJ5 NYC with the Will Lee circuit, I'd put a down payment on it, but I don't think that's an option.


Yet.

The Grail of bassdom; no?

I’ve personally never run into any P pickup that really produces a true P sound when the J pickup is also there. Just seems like the J magnets compromise what the P pickup is trying to get, even when the J pickup is muted; if that makes sense. That’s even been my perception back in the day when I added a J pickup to my P bass.

Anyhow, the combo goal is pretty much what these Delano JMVC’s do. Though, the P-ish character falls a bit short into perhaps the 55P territory. Sadowsky preamp with JMVC’s has become my go-to for just this reason. There are some short clip examples of the 5’er version in Rev’d Up link below, FWIW.

 

[ElMon]

The Grail of bassdom; no?

I’ve personally never run into any P pickup that really produces a true P sound when the J pickup is also there. Just seems like the J magnets compromise what the P pickup is trying to get, even when the J pickup is muted; if that makes sense. That’s even been my perception back in the day when I added a J pickup to my P bass.

Anyhow, the combo goal is pretty much what these Delano JMVC’s do. Though, the P-ish character falls a bit short into perhaps the 55P territory. Sadowsky preamp with JMVC’s has become my go-to for just this reason. There are some short clip examples of the 5’er version in Rev’d Up link below, FWIW.
View attachment 4689097

I’m wondering if the ‘Pbasses + JPickup = P Pickup only sounds different’ was more apparent back when folks were modding 60’s Fenders. My main two players … Olinto P5 with a heavy mute/D’Addario Chromes and Sadowsky PJ5 with no mute/D’Addario Chromes … sound very similar in a mix.

Key word ‘in a mix’. Because if I had to break the two instruments down and am being 110% honest:

Olinto? The closest thing to ‘60’s P with a B’ I’ve found. The pickup wind, the bent plate bridge that is more ‘thud’ than sustain. For ‘that sound’, it’s the best. A local blues guy I know likes it so much I worry for my physical safety.

Sadowsky PJ5? 90% of the Olinto, but more of a ‘Fender P on steroids’ sound. Swiss Army P. ‘My cold dead hands’ bass.

Takeaway: I just justified adding-to my colleciton instead of constantly swapping. I’m just glad the GAS Psych Ward people have been so patient with me of late.

 

[scyzoryk]

I’m wondering if the ‘Pbasses + JPickup = P Pickup only sounds different’ was more apparent back when folks were modding 60’s Fenders. My main two players … Olinto P5 with a heavy mute/D’Addario Chromes and Sadowsky PJ5 with no mute/D’Addario Chromes … sound very similar in a mix.

Key word ‘in a mix’. Because if I had to break the two instruments down and am being 110% honest:

Olinto? The closest thing to ‘60’s P with a B’ I’ve found. The pickup wind, the bent plate bridge that is more ‘thud’ than sustain. For ‘that sound’, it’s the best. A local blues guy I know likes it so much I worry for my physical safety.

Sadowsky PJ5? 90% of the Olinto, but more of a ‘Fender P on steroids’ sound. Swiss Army P. ‘My cold dead hands’ bass.

Takeaway: I just justified adding-to my colleciton instead of constantly swapping. I’m just glad the GAS Psych Ward people have been so patient with me of late.

What settings are you using when you play your PJ5 in that context?

 

[ElMon]

What settings are you using when you play your PJ5 in that context?

P pickup only (98% of the time I’m doing this)
VTC Rolled off
Slight bass/treble boost.

There’s a distinction to be made in evaluating a Sadowsky ‘P Bass’ versus ‘the real thing’. My benchmarks for P-Basses that I’ve either owned or spent some time on:

- 58’ P (maple neck/alder body/flats and I only played it half a dozen times)

- 62’ P (amazing instrument I owned and would’ve kept except for it’s lack of a B-string)

Here’s the distinction:

1) Side by side, evaluating by myself through an amp or headphones, does my Sadowky PJ5, on the P-only setting, have the same thump/decay/vibe of the Pre-CBS basses?

Not exactly. But close
I think a lot of ‘P Folks’ have that 100% authentic feel/tone ingrained in their DNA, and I could see why a Sadowky variant might not work.

2) In a mix with other instruments, does my Sadowsky PJ5, on the P-only setting, possess that low-mid thrust and ability to wrap around the mix while punching through in that special, magical way that IMO/IME only a P can do?

To me, it’s a huge (YUGE) yes.

With that in mind, there’s a reason my PJ5, which can nail a bunch of other useful tones that the Olinto can not pull off, gets the ‘first-call’ when I have a choice, and the Olinto is my niche instrument for the true purests.

I haven’t done it in a while (not a rounds guy) but my PJ5 with nickel-wounds, set in the full PJ setting, and with some VTC/Treble boost, is a KILLER ‘modern bass tones’ option.

It just can’t do that ‘J-Slap’ thing.

 

[5StringPocket]

P pickup only (98% of the time I’m doing this)
VTC Rolled off
Slight bass/treble boost.

There’s a distinction to be made in evaluating a Sadowsky ‘P Bass’ versus ‘the real thing’. My benchmarks for P-Basses that I’ve either owned or spent some time on:

- 58’ P (maple neck/alder body/flats and I only played it half a dozen times)

- 62’ P (amazing instrument I owned and would’ve kept except for it’s lack of a B-string)

Here’s the distinction:

1) Side by side, evaluating by myself through an amp or headphones, does my Sadowky PJ5, on the P-only setting, have the same thump/decay/vibe of the Pre-CBS basses?

Not exactly. But close
I think a lot of ‘P Folks’ have that 100% authentic feel/tone ingrained in their DNA, and I could see why a Sadowky variant might not work.

2) In a mix with other instruments, does my Sadowsky PJ5, on the P-only setting, possess that low-mid thrust and ability to wrap around the mix while punching through in that special, magical way that IMO/IME only a P can do?

To me, it’s a huge (YUGE) yes.

With that in mind, there’s a reason my PJ5, which can nail a bunch of other useful tones that the Olinto can not pull off, gets the ‘first-call’ when I have a choice, and the Olinto is my niche instrument for the true purests.

I haven’t done it in a while (not a rounds guy) but my PJ5 with nickel-wounds, set in the full PJ setting, and with some VTC/Treble boost, is a KILLER ‘modern bass tones’ option.

It just can’t do that ‘J-Slap’ thing.

Is there any way to get an overwound Sadowsky bridge J pickup which would have a bit higher gain and some of that snot 'n snarl?

 

[Holdsg]

there is more to life than the J-slap thang. I should know. Cuz I suck at the J-slap thing, but do ok with the P snarl thing.

 

[Tim1]

P pickup only (98% of the time I’m doing this)
VTC Rolled off
Slight bass/treble boost.

There’s a distinction to be made in evaluating a Sadowsky ‘P Bass’ versus ‘the real thing’. My benchmarks for P-Basses that I’ve either owned or spent some time on:

- 58’ P (maple neck/alder body/flats and I only played it half a dozen times)

- 62’ P (amazing instrument I owned and would’ve kept except for it’s lack of a B-string)

Here’s the distinction:

1) Side by side, evaluating by myself through an amp or headphones, does my Sadowky PJ5, on the P-only setting, have the same thump/decay/vibe of the Pre-CBS basses?

Not exactly. But close
I think a lot of ‘P Folks’ have that 100% authentic feel/tone ingrained in their DNA, and I could see why a Sadowky variant might not work.

2) In a mix with other instruments, does my Sadowsky PJ5, on the P-only setting, possess that low-mid thrust and ability to wrap around the mix while punching through in that special, magical way that IMO/IME only a P can do?

To me, it’s a huge (YUGE) yes.

With that in mind, there’s a reason my PJ5, which can nail a bunch of other useful tones that the Olinto can not pull off, gets the ‘first-call’ when I have a choice, and the Olinto is my niche instrument for the true purests.

I haven’t done it in a while (not a rounds guy) but my PJ5 with nickel-wounds, set in the full PJ setting, and with some VTC/Treble boost, is a KILLER ‘modern bass tones’ option.

It just can’t do that ‘J-Slap’ thing.

Sadowskys are fabulous basses but as has been said before they are not Fenders. And that is fine with me. I have owned dozens of Fenders and two great Sadowskys, still own one. Imo if you want a Fender get a Fender, if you want the more souped up approach get a Sadowsky. I have never got a Sadowsky to sound exactly like a Fender or a Fender exactly like a Sadowsky, even adding the Sad preamp. They can get close sometimes but the best option is to own both and select according to whim. To be fair neither manufacturer claims to be the same as the other and they each stand tall on their own strengths. The two most important lessons in my Sadowsky journey have been to use the vtc and that passive mode is a really useful option. Oh, and only a little tweak on the bass and treble is often all it needs. Plus I much prefer the Sadowsky traditional single coil as opposed to the noise cancelling version. Of course ymmv and this is just based on my own limited experience.

 

[FunkHead]

I was all set to swap my Humbuckers with Sadowsky Single coils in my Metro RV4. I had done that with my MS5 and really love the way it sounded. But the HC's in the RV4 are blowing my mind currently. I'll probably still get some single coils but I'm in no rush.

 

[ElMon]

Is there any way to get an overwound Sadowsky bridge J pickup which would have a bit higher gain and some of that snot 'n snarl?

My 'go-to', when I want that bridge sound ... cue amazing genius from Ft Lauderdale, whose name rhymes with Schmacko PazzTor-E-Us ... is to boost the VTC, a bit of treble, and a chorus pedal. Still wish my J Pickup had more raw snot. I had an Alleva Coppolo ... the purple one with the block inlays that gets passed around Talkbass infrequently ... and it had this back pickup sound that I haven't gotten out of my head.

there is more to life than the J-slap thang. I should know. Cuz I suck at the J-slap thing, but do ok with the P snarl thing.

My recent Musicman-inspired dowsky resembles that remark.

Sadowskys are fabulous basses but as has been said before they are not Fenders. And that is fine with me. I have owned dozens of Fenders and two great Sadowskys, still own one. Imo if you want a Fender get a Fender, if you want the more souped up approach get a Sadowsky. I have never got a Sadowsky to sound exactly like a Fender or a Fender exactly like a Sadowsky, even adding the Sad preamp. They can get close sometimes but the best option is to own both and select according to whim. To be fair neither manufacturer claims to be the same as the other and they each stand tall on their own strengths. The two most important lessons in my Sadowsky journey have been to use the vtc and that passive mode is a really useful option. Oh, and only a little tweak on the bass and treble is often all it needs. Plus I much prefer the Sadowsky traditional single coil as opposed to the noise cancelling version. Of course ymmv and this is just based on my own limited experience.

I just don't buy that 'they're two separate things and don't compare them approach'.

If I take a 20-fret/21-fret instrument, of any brand, with a 34" scale, rosewood fretboard/alder body, flat wounds, and a P-bass pickup measured out in the 'P-Position', it's going to sound like a P-Bass every single time. That's what I hear anyways, and the 'it's all subjective' argument only goes so far with me. It's an engineering principle, or a set of them I guess. I've heard so many variants within the hundreds of actual 'says FENDER on the headstock', pre-CBS/Post-CBS/whatever P-Basses I've played/owned, but they all still had that fundamental tonal footprint. Same thing with all the J5 offerings I hear clips of. When you obey those set of design principles ... let's say in that case an ash/maple J5 of any brand with single coils ... it still sounds like 'that J-Bass sound I know'.

I wonder how many people here really commit to stringing their Sadowsky basses with flats, or if that same crowd has ever put a foam mute in the bridge? It's really illuminating how close to 'that Jamerson sound' you can get. The people I play with, for that genre, have that sound ingrained in their DNA, and if I didn't achieve that thump/decay, they would let me know in very colorful language. Like when I brought an MTD 634 with rounds in one time.

 

[MMiller28]

If I could get a P-body, unchambered, PJ5 NYC with the Will Lee circuit, I'd put a down payment on it, but I don't think that's an option.


Yet.

I mean there are a lot of guys that would build you that bass, no problem.

 

[Fuzzbass]

My Sadowsky P-basses are P-only not because I think that adding a J causes a problem -- it's just that I don't need the J. I do occasionally slap, but prefer P over J for slapstyle tone as well as fingerstyle and pickstyle.

I modded a few P-basses to PJ starting back around 1980 (give or take), before I realized I didn't care about the extra J. I went thru a bunch of different pickups, and while some PJ sets were better/more cohesive than others, I never once thought that adding a J affected the P. Again, I'm all about the P, so if it was diminished at all by the J then I would have removed the J immediately. I'm not saying anyone else is wrong about this... just sayin' I never experienced it.

 

[ElMon]

I mean there are a lot of guys that would build you that bass, no problem.

Very true, and don’t think I haven’t thought if it. Like way too much. Or throwing a single coil into my PJ5.

If you haven’t messed with a Will Lee 5, it’s an amazing experience to run it ‘as is’ (for me no mid boost, blended pups/toggle VTC for fingerstyle/slap needs) and then go bridge pup only with that mid-boost.

The single coil J by itself is excellent but that midboost is a ‘I’ll have EXTRA Jaco with that please’.

 

[SteveC]

FWIW, I have a P bass and I have a J bass. When I want P (which is much of the time) I play my P. When I need the J for a song here and there, I play my J.

 

[ElMon]

FWIW, I have a P bass and I have a J bass. When I want P (which is much of the time) I play my P. When I need the J for a song here and there, I play my J.

How bout those of us who want a classic p tone, but then mid-song want 'that J slap sound'? I need a guy like Prince had who would catch the instruments he threw into the air, although I guess in that situation it'd have to be both of us tossing instruments out, or else I hire a bass tech to bring me the ash/maple-with single-coils J5, right after I toss my PJ5 into the air.

Or just deal with it, which would be less expensive.

Or ... maybe you folks here with that 'super-duper pickup' deal I've been avoiding, because this GAS has to stop somewhere, are on the right path.