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Club Sadowsky!!!

#6,001
peterpalmieri said:
If your going Ash for tonal reasons lighter isn't always better..

Pete
Click to expand...

:hiding:

You'll notice my comments were very general in nature.

My point being just looking for the absolute lightest ash/maple bass you can find might not be the best decision and warrants other considerations. This seemed to be where eaglemoon might be headed without further discussion.
 
#6,002
bikeplate said:
HI

Didnt say it had to be less than 8lbs. Im saying that a bass with an ash body doesnt have to be heavy to sound slammin'. In fact, 3 out of 4 of mine are right around 8.5lbs. The only real light one is my 24/4. Funny thing is, thats the one that gets the "OMG" comments. Soundmen especially comment to me about it. The other three sound great too.

Rob
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I was not referring specifically to you Rob. I was more making a sweeping generalization..which can be dangerous. :hmm: From what I have seen on TB, I would not put you in the group of people who feel that way about weight. I was just generally saying that there are a lot of people out there who think if a bass is over 9lbs it is too heavy and closed to even considering it. I am sure there are others who fall on the other side of that as well. If it is too light, they are not open to considering it either. I guess it goes both ways.
 
#6,003
peterpalmieri said:
:hiding:

You'll notice my comments were very general in nature.

My point being just looking for the absolute lightest ash/maple bass you can find might not be the best decision and warrants other considerations. This seemed to be where eaglemoon might be headed without further discussion.
Click to expand...

+1 That's the spirit in which I took your original post. Too much of any good thing (including weight reduction) can turn out to be a bad thing in some situations, and especially with some instrument voicings IMO and painfully IME.
 
#6,004
bikeplate said:
HI

Im not upset, emg. I just disagree. Sounds like the bass you had made for you was a disappointment. If you havent gigged a lightweight ash Sadowsky, Id highly recommend it. Sorry about the bad back. I play 5 days a week and there is no way Id be able to do it with heavy guitars.

Rob
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I actually hadn't had that last bass made for me. I needed a six and my friend Brian Ristola had just finished the one with the ash body. I ended up making the bass work better for me with different pickups and a different preamp, but yeah, it still wasn't all there for what I was looking for. I've played many other basses with light ash bodies that I didn't care for so I knew that it may not work when I bought it. Again, I'm really happy that the person that bought it loves it so much....and I've got a custom one on order now.

I'm probably my own worst enemy as far as heavier basses are concerned considering I play sixes. I have found that with a good strap and with a properly designed bass that I do alright. Also, I don't play gigs where I play for hours on end, and when I do have a longer gig then I just sit down.

....and trust me, if I had the money then I'd have a Sad PJ 5 in the stable for all the gigs that I wasn't playing the six. I would love a PJ5, but I just make do with my Fender 4 string and sink all of my money into sixes as that's my main instrument.
 
#6,005
HI

For sure, Rod. Most of Rogers NYC work is sub 9lbs. And they all sound great!! Ive owned some under 8lbs including my present 24/4. Almost feels like a toy. Handed it to my drummer the other night while I was helping him set something up. He couldnt believe how light it was!! All I know is that it sounds fat, round, and articulate.

Ive played some 9 plus pound metros that I really liked. I just knew deep down that they would wear me out at gigs. I play Wed thru Sunday all year. Cant have that. My back and golf game are too important to me. LOL.

Just didnt want people who havent tried a Sadowsky to get the wrong impression over lightweight ash. Some of us plain love the way it sounds. Some would rather have a heavier bass, alder body, etc, etc. Its all preference. I didnt want Eagle to get turned off before he even gets started. I love my metro Hybrid. Its an amazing metro

Rob
 
#6,007
peterpalmieri said:
If your going Ash for tonal reasons lighter isn't always better..
Click to expand...
C'mon guys, no need for all the "didn't mean to..." stuff. The original post was pretty well qualified to allow for personal taste. He didn't say it was never better, he just said not always. It's ok. :)
 
#6,008
bikeplate said:
HI

For sure, Rod. Most of Rogers NYC work is sub 9lbs. And they all sound great!! Ive owned some under 8lbs including my present 24/4. Almost feels like a toy. Handed it to my drummer the other night while I was helping him set something up. He couldnt believe how light it was!! All I know is that it sounds fat, round, and articulate.

Ive played some 9 plus pound metros that I really liked. I just knew deep down that they would wear me out at gigs. I play Wed thru Sunday all year. Cant have that. My back and golf game are too important to me. LOL.

Just didnt want people who havent tried a Sadowsky to get the wrong impression over lightweight ash. Some of us plain love the way it sounds. Some would rather have a heavier bass, alder body, etc, etc. Its all preference. I didnt want Eagle to get turned off before he even gets started. I love my metro Hybrid. Its an amazing metro

Rob
Click to expand...

All good points for sure. Honestly, I can't imagine Eagle being disapointed with a Sadowsky if that's the tone that he's looking for. He really should call Roger and the crew to discuss with them what he's looking for. They'll steer him the right way.
 
#6,012
my Sad has lightweight ash..i think its around 7.5 lbs or so. I don't find it to be lacking in tone at all. exactly how would the weight affect the tone negatively? just curious as i've never played a sad with a heavier body...
 
#6,013
HI

As far as Sadowsky's go, I find the alder basses to sound warmer and less agressive than the ash bodies, all things being equal. As a matter of fact, Id never own another alder Sadowsky. I like a certain attack and tone. Doesnt work for everyone but works for me. You have to remember that basses react differently to each player. Players that have a light or heavy attack, "heavy fingers", like to slap, dont like to slap, like bright amps, like tube amps, play loud, are groovy, play with a pick, etc, etc, etc.

You really have to try the bass. In fact, I feel you have to gig it to really know.

Rob
 
#6,014
bikeplate said:
HI

As far as Sadowsky's go, I find the alder basses to sound warmer and less agressive than the ash bodies, all things being equal. As a matter of fact, Id never own another alder Sadowsky. I like a certain attack and tone. Doesnt work for everyone but works for me. You have to remember that basses react differently to each player. Players that have a light or heavy attack, "heavy fingers", like to slap, dont like to slap, like bright amps, like tube amps, play loud, are groovy, play with a pick, etc, etc, etc.

You really have to try the bass. In fact, I feel you have to gig it to really know.

Rob
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yeah, that makes sense. I play through a Mesa Walkabout, which i think is pretty warm and tubey sounding so maybe thats why i never noticed any lack of warmth. maybe at some point i can make a trek down to NYC and try out some alder bodied ones...
 
#6,015
FWIW I have played a lot of Sadowskys and I have played them from UNDER 7 pounds (a NYC Ash Jazz that weighed 6.85 lbs) to over 10.5lbs (Metro UV70 5) and they all sounded great. Some sounded, felt, and played better than others and I attribute some of the difference to weight and wood mass. For me personally I like to stay between 8 lbs or so and about 9 to 9.5 lbs. I can not go much past 9 pounds because I have a degenerative bone disease in my back and I just can't handle the extra weight for an extended period of time. I currently have 5 Sadowskys and my favorite is a 9.5lb Metro MV5 (the Trans White posted in this thread recently) This particular one just has "IT" . That intangible thing that no one can put their finger on but recognize it as soon as they see it and hear it. This bass is heavier than my others and I can believe the weight is a factor in its sound. The real reason this particular one is my favorite goes beyond the sound alone though. This one just "feels" better than the others...something about the way the neck feels and the feedback I get back from this instrument is different than the other basses I have. It is just that "thing" that we all look for in a bass and this one has "it". I think if you can find that "it" factor in a bass and bond with it, everything else including weight can be taken out of the equation to some degree. Just for the record I agree with Rob, I do not think that you have to have a 10 pound bass for it to sound good. A well chosen wood blank is a well chosen wood blank. Ultimately an instrument should be chosen by the way it sounds and feels not by what it weighs. With that said I ALWAYS ask the weight of an instrument before I buy it and if it is too heavy I just wait for the lighter one to come along. One thing I know about Roger Sadowsky is that he would not let a bad sounding instrument leave his shop. With that in mind you can feel very confident that if you find and buy a lighter weight instrument it left the shop with Roger's personal seal of approval and if it is good enough for Roger Sadowsky it is certainly good enough for me....

Peace,

T
 
#6,017
HI

Im not trying to aruge with people. Just trying to make a point.

Sadowsky basses are a bit different from model to wood. They all have a strong similar character but if you have more that one or have owned more than one you understand. One isnt better than the other, just different. That goes for any quality instrument. Roscoe isnt better than MTD, its different. May suit you, may not. The reason I spoke up was to simply state that a lightweight bass might be perfect for you, even though it isnt perfect for player Y. Simple as that. Do your due dilligence. Play them. Take advantage of RS's 7 day trial period if you choose a new one. Gig it thru YOUR amp, with YOUR effects, at YOUR gig. LOL. Get my drift? Make up your own mind. We all have opinions about what we feel is the "ideal" instrument.

Rob
 
#6,018
bikeplate said:
HI

Im not trying to aruge with people. Just trying to make a point.

Sadowsky basses are a bit different from model to wood. They all have a strong similar character but if you have more that one or have owned more than one you understand. One isnt better than the other, just different. That goes for any quality instrument. Roscoe isnt better than MTD, its different. May suit you, may not. The reason I spoke up was to simply state that a lightweight bass might be perfect for you, even though it isnt perfect for player Y. Simple as that. Do your due dilligence. Play them. Take advantage of RS's 7 day trial period if you choose a new one. Gig it thru YOUR amp, with YOUR effects, at YOUR gig. LOL. Get my drift? Make up your own mind. We all have opinions about what we feel is the "ideal" instrument.

Rob
Click to expand...

I think this sums it up the best for sure.
 
#6,019
bikeplate said:
HI

Im not trying to aruge with people. Just trying to make a point.

Sadowsky basses are a bit different from model to wood. They all have a strong similar character but if you have more that one or have owned more than one you understand. One isnt better than the other, just different. That goes for any quality instrument. Roscoe isnt better than MTD, its different. May suit you, may not. The reason I spoke up was to simply state that a lightweight bass might be perfect for you, even though it isnt perfect for player Y. Simple as that. Do your due dilligence. Play them. Take advantage of RS's 7 day trial period if you choose a new one. Gig it thru YOUR amp, with YOUR effects, at YOUR gig. LOL. Get my drift? Make up your own mind. We all have opinions about what we feel is the "ideal" instrument.

Rob
Click to expand...

I agree with what you said. My experience with the basses I've had are just that, my experience. It doesn't mean all basses are that way by a long shot. People like different things which is what makes this world so wonderful. :)
 

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