Club Sadowsky!!!

[KaseOfBass]

Oooh, I like this! Pray tell what kind of music are you playing with this bass?
I use my Will Lee mainly for rock stuff and while is does it well I sometimes miss more "Oomph". Do the soaps deliver in this regard?

I'm playing country music and, if you're familiar, more of a 90s country meets the "red dirt" type - so it can have some rock sound to it at times. With that, a nice, thick, meaty bass tone fits well for what I'm doing and that's exactly what the soaps deliver. Because of the location of the pickups, it still sounds very much like a J-bass, but it doesn't have the bite and midrange of the single coils that were in there before. The soapbars in the 60s spot are thick and punchy, with more of a smooth midrange character. Treble is more subdued, though definitely present (I still roll the VTC down quite a bit and get plenty of treble response). If you dig in, whereas the singles would give some growl, the soaps respond with more of a spanky-like (that's the best adjective I could come up with ) tone that's definitely more modern sounding (think when you hear someone dig in on an MTD or similar "modern" bass).

Mentioning "modern" - make no mistake, this bass does not sound like one of the Sadowsky Modern basses. The pickup positioning makes all the difference in the world. This one is now just more of a smoother, fatter jazz bass. For what I'm playing, it's perfect.

I will say this, too: The videos I've found online showing the soaps in 60s jazz position do not do this configuration justice. It sounds so much better than the videos I found when considering this sort of configuration. I ended up buying another NYC that had soaps in 60s spots and was blown away at just how good that bass sounded. If I would have kept with my opinion strictly based on the videos I watched, I would have never ventured down this road. I'm very glad I took a chance.

 

[bucephylus]

My tried-and-true, NYC Will Lee 5 went under the knife this week and is now wearing a fresh set of soaps. Previously had the Sadowsky (Duncan) singles in it…which I actually liked a lot.

But, when I picked up a NYC 5-20 Ultra Vintage awhile back that had soaps, I was smitten (despite previously not really being enthused by the 60s position soaps based on videos I had watched). The soaps have a familiar j-bass tone because of location, but are just so fat and punchy.

I didn’t get along with wider neck of the 5-20 Ultra Vintage bass and ended up selling it. My Will Lee 5 is a keeper bass that’s got plenty of bumps and bruises, but feels like home. So, I had been going back and forth about having it routed for the soaps. Finally decided to just go for it and couldn’t be happier.

View attachment 5024290

That is a bada$$ bass!

Personally, I’d have to give a pair of Nordstrand Zen Blades a listen in that one. Enjoy!!

 

[KaseOfBass]

That is a bada$$ bass!

Personally, I’d have to give a pair of Nordstrand Zen Blades a listen in that one. Enjoy!!

Thank you! I sure love it! Even though I had played a bass with soaps in and knew I'd like the result, I had always thought that if I did want to go back to the single coil sound, I'd throw a set of Nordstrand Big Singles in there, as I know I really like those pickups. I haven't played or really listened to anything with the Zen Blades, but I'd be curious how they'd compare now that you mention it.

 

[enricogaletta]

The blue Metro on the left is the best Sadowsky bass I have ever owned and played. Bought it brand new from Jim at Atlanta bass gallery back in 2007. I sold it last year and I am so glad I have it back!View attachment 5023370

Nice collection man, wow Jim's store was absolutely cool, I love when he had the store in Peachtree street, when i was living in Atlanta my apartment was close to the store, one day a week I was there

By the way, I can't understand why people complain about the panpot control, it's just a matter to see the glass half empty or half full. Probably I'm not popular but after I get used to my Sad, i just soldered the panpot control in that way to all my basses , to me is so functional.
If not change it !

 

[ragetoca]

Nice collection man, wow Jim's store was absolutely cool, I love when he had the store in Peachtree street, when i was living in Atlanta my apartment was close to the store, one day a week I was there

By the way, I can't understand why people complain about the panpot control, it's just a matter to see the glass half empty or half full. Probably I'm not popular but after I get used to my Sad, i just soldered the panpot control in that way to all my basses , to me is so functional.
If not change it !

Yeah, Jim was the man! I had $2500 and I went into his store and said "I need a bass that will sound amazing in any style of music" He showed me his personal bass (A black NYC 5-24 modern) and said this is the best all around bass in the world, I have a Japanese model that is within your budget" and the rest is history, I became a Sadowsky fan, I've had 3 people buy sadowsky basses after they played this blue one! In fact a friend of mine bought Jim's black NYC and still owns it, I have tried to buy off of him multiple times and he always says NO regardless of how much I have offered him.....also I have owned about 5 germans and I still think the Japanese from that era are MUCH better, sound better, feel better....I actually prefer the old pickups and the old preamps.....but still a sadowsky fan

 

[scubaduba]

@ragetoca What makes the Japanese made from that era better than the German made? What makes the electronics preferred?

 

[ragetoca]

@ragetoca What makes the Japanese made from that era better than the German made? What makes the electronics preferred?

I only speak from experience, but I have owned and played 4 or 5 japanese metros and I have owned about 5 germans, and I prefer the tone and feel of the Japanese, don't get me wrong, the Germans are great, the construction quality is impeccable and I love the adjustable nut but to me, they sound either too bright or too boomy, it might be the new size soapbar or the new preamp, but I still own 2 germans and I am planning on keeping the jazz 5 and selling or trading the singlecut modern 5

 

[ragetoca]

Roger, thanks for chiming in. I think you tried to upload pictures but they didn't load.

While we have you, there is a bigger problem with the tuners in the German Metroline, which is not their weight. They are not smooth and they are inconsistent. They get stuck and feel like they are grinding. Several people on this forum are noticing the same. Can you please have a look at why this is happening?

I strongly second this. After purchasing 5 Germans I have noticed it - The question I have is if the same tuners are being installed In the Chinese Metroexpress Basses? If yes then that would be a disservice to us the consumers specially since we are being charged even higher prices - I would rather get solid bodies with Hipshot tuners

 

[rowsi]

Thank you very much for your detailed response! Thats actually one of those times I gather from your account that that modification wouldn't be for me

[...]but it doesn't have the bite and midrange of the single coils that were in there before. The soapbars in the 60s spot are thick and punchy, with more of a smooth midrange character. Treble is more subdued, though definitely present (I still roll the VTC down quite a bit and get plenty of treble response). If you dig in, whereas the singles would give some growl[...]

Yea, I like the "growly" midrange of my single-coiled Will Lee. Smooth is most definetly NOT what I'm aiming at with this bass. And subdued treble response is also a no-no, as I'm filling a whole lot of sonic real estate in our band with only one guitarist and drums.

Mentioning "modern" - make no mistake, this bass does not sound like one of the Sadowsky Modern basses. The pickup positioning makes all the difference in the world. This one is now just more of a smoother, fatter jazz bass. For what I'm playing, it's perfect.

Oh yes, I got a Modern 5er and it's quite a different beast. Don't like it for any kind of overdriven sound AT ALL! But clean fingerstyle is just sooo great! Theres a certain punch and "immediacy" to notes that my other bass just can not reproduce.

Oh well, maybe I'll need a third bass for smooth jazziness? I'm thinking about the bass in "Smooth" by Santana
Anyway, I'm done rambling and thanks again for your account!

 

[jimmydean]

I get to join the club next week when my 5 string hybrid 59 PJ is delivered . This is my second attempt at owning a Sadowsky , I didn't get on with the first one three years ago . I have decided to go all in with a 5 string as my last bass and retirement gift to myself . After years of love/hate with 5's ...this is it.......I hope . Don't hold your breath waiting for me to post photos .......too much trouble for an old guy .

 

[Fuzzbass]

I get to join the club next week when my 5 string hybrid 59 PJ is delivered . This is my second attempt at owning a Sadowsky , I didn't get on with the first one three years ago . I have decided to go all in with a 5 string as my last bass and retirement gift to myself . After years of love/hate with 5's ...this is it.......I hope . Don't hold your breath waiting for me to post photos .......too much trouble for an old guy .

Congrats! Oh... fellow old guy here, maybe this will help with your love/hate about five string. After decades on four, I decided to try five back in Y2K. Around the same time I got the fiver, I joined a new band and had to learn a bunch of new songs (new to me). So, I put my four string aside and learned the new songs on my five: I think that this learning technique is called immersion. To put it another way, it was much easier for me to map out the new songs on five than it was to play those classic tunes I'd played for many years on four. I had many years of "muscle memory" with the familiar tunes, and the extra string caused a lot of confusion.

So I got comfy with the new-to-me songs on five, which allowed me to get comfy on five overall, and after that point I tackled all the songs I had played on four, and remapped them on five. I hesitate to say "mapped" because it implies inflexibility, but I think we all develop habits over the years, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

To wrap this up: I eventually decided that five was "just right" for me, and for over a decade I've played five exclusively, and no longer own any fours: keeps things simple for me, but I don't recommend it to anyone else; some players are fluent on 4, 5, and even more.

Caveat: brains can work differently so what worked for me might not be helpful to you, but hey, it's worth considering.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Congrats! Oh... fellow old guy here, maybe this will help with your love/hate about five string. After decades on four, I decided to try five back in Y2K. Around the same time I got the fiver, I joined a new band and had to learn a bunch of new songs (new to me). So, I put my four string aside and learned the new songs on my five: I think that this learning technique is called immersion. To put it another way, it was much easier for me to map out the new songs on five than it was to play those classic tunes I'd played for many years on four. I had many years of "muscle memory" with the familiar tunes, and the extra string caused a lot of confusion.

So I got comfy with the new-to-me songs on five, which allowed me to get comfy on five overall, and after that point I tackled all the songs I had played on four, and remapped them on five. I hesitate to say "mapped" because it implies inflexibility, but I think we all develop habits over the years, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

To wrap this up: I eventually decided that five was "just right" for me, and for over a decade I've played five exclusively, and no longer own any fours: keeps things simple for me, but I don't recommend it to anyone else; some players are fluent on 4, 5, and even more.

Caveat: brains can work differently so what worked for me might not be helpful to you, but hey, it's worth considering.

This is the way

 

[KaseOfBass]

Thank you very much for your detailed response! Thats actually one of those times I gather from your account that that modification wouldn't be for me

Yea, I like the "growly" midrange of my single-coiled Will Lee. Smooth is most definetly NOT what I'm aiming at with this bass. And subdued treble response is also a no-no, as I'm filling a whole lot of sonic real estate in our band with only one guitarist and drums.

Oh yes, I got a Modern 5er and it's quite a different beast. Don't like it for any kind of overdriven sound AT ALL! But clean fingerstyle is just sooo great! Theres a certain punch and "immediacy" to notes that my other bass just can not reproduce.

Oh well, maybe I'll need a third bass for smooth jazziness? I'm thinking about the bass in "Smooth" by Santana
Anyway, I'm done rambling and thanks again for your account!

You bet...happy to help!

With the soapbars, it's definitely a different flavor of jazz bass. I noticed when I browsed through Sadowsky preamp install documentation, a .047 uF capacitor for the tone pot is recommended for typical install, but a .1 uF capacitor is recommended for Sadowsky soapbars. Mine has the standard .047 and I think I'll leave it that way. In theory, the .047 cap won't roll quite as much treble off, though from what I've watched and read, that rolloff really doesn't start until the tone control is rolled more than halfway off, which is not territory I'm likely to venture into. Could be more to it than that, I'm certainly not an engineer, but it passes the ear test as is, so I doubt I'll mess with it. Don't get me wrong, there's not any kind of dullness to the tone IMO, they just don't have that bite, edge, and airy quality that the singles did. But certainly a different flavor of treble response with the soapbars - maybe a slightly compressed sound, but not near the compressed tone that I think of with something like old school Bartolini soapbars.

Played a show last night and the fellas in the band really raved about how good the thick and meaty bass sounded! Thought it sounded great in my ears, too! Though it's the Will Lee model, I've never found much use for the mid boost when using the single coils, but just messing around with it, I think I might find the mid boost more applicable with the soapbars. We'll see though. I'm more a set and forget type player as far as bass, mids, and treble, with the only control that varies being the tone.

 

[Holdsg]

playing my Fendowsky this evening. Haven't played in a few weeks, and its..."ahhhh"...that sound....that tone...it's like home.

 

[otto B]

I have a question. I have a old 15 year Sadowsky that has SC pick ups. The pickups sound awesome, however i am thinking of changing them for Sadowsky Hum-Canceling pick ups. I see that Warwick sales them. My question is the Warwick Sadowsky pickups different than the pre-Warwick Sadowsky? Or are the same?

 

[Vic]

I have a question. I have a old 15 year Sadowsky that has SC pick ups. The pickups sound awesome, however i am thinking of changing them for Sadowsky Hum-Canceling pick ups. I see that Warwick sales them. My question is the Warwick Sadowsky pickups different than the pre-Warwick Sadowsky? Or are the same?

You're asking about pre-Warwick SC's vs post-Warwick HC's? I don't think that's a logical question. Even if both were pre or post, there'd still be a difference in sound due to the totally different design.

That said, if you have some experience with pre-Warwick HC's and are asking about pre/post-Warwick HC's specifically, while I have limited experience playing the newer Warwick built instruments, I did feel like the Sadowsky pedigree was carried forward nicely, so I'd say you should be ok.

 

[KaseOfBass]

I have a question. I have a old 15 year Sadowsky that has SC pick ups. The pickups sound awesome, however i am thinking of changing them for Sadowsky Hum-Canceling pick ups. I see that Warwick sales them. My question is the Warwick Sadowsky pickups different than the pre-Warwick Sadowsky? Or are the same?

I'd imagine they're all to Roger's spec, but there still might be some differences between the various models over the years, including those now made by Warwick. I know for singles, I always preferred the ones made by Duncan to Roger's specs over those made by Nordstrand as I felt the Duncans were a bit more vintage sounding and less polite than the Nordstrands.

With that - are you looking for 4 or 5 string pickups? I just came across a set of Sadowsky humcancelling pickups from a NYC I no longer have that I was going to put in the classifieds (also going to list some Duncan-made singles, too, now that I have replaced those with soapbars). They're older and show some wear though. I think the bass they came out of was a 2011 or 2012 build.

 

[Vic]

I know for singles, I always preferred the ones made by Duncan to Roger's specs over those made by Nordstrand

Amen to that. My much older NYC I bought used had them and I loved them so much I specifically requested those same pickups for my custom NYC. JJ/5-24. Damn they sound good.

I love Carey's work, but something about those Duncan made ones that just fit me perfectly.

 

[HeavyJazz]

I have a question. I have a old 15 year Sadowsky that has SC pick ups. The pickups sound awesome, however i am thinking of changing them for Sadowsky Hum-Canceling pick ups. I see that Warwick sales them. My question is the Warwick Sadowsky pickups different than the pre-Warwick Sadowsky? Or are the same?

If I were you, I'd leave them alone.

 

[Vic]

If I were you, I'd leave them alone.

...or at the very least don't sell the SC's so he can switch back if he wants to.