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Club Sadowsky!!!

#7,321
HeyMikey said:
One thing I hope one of you guys can help me with. The bass has the VTC circuit. I cannot hear any tonal change when turning the upper control knob. I do hear a change turning the lower knob. I have a serious hearing loss and that may be the reason I don't hear any difference. What change of sound am I supposed to hear when changing the upper knob.
Mike
Click to expand...

Mike, since it is a used bass, you can check that the knob is not loose and that it's really turning the pot's shaft.

If everything is correct and you can't hear it due to your hearing loss, my advice is that you keep it always flat (counterclockwise).
 
#7,322
Thank you David and Fran. I checked the stacked knob for tightness to the shaft and it seems proper. I think it is my hearing loss that best explains the situation. The doctor says my right ear is 90% gone and the left has 65% hearing loss. I do wear hearing aids but it is still a major handicap. So if I understand correctly, it will be best to keep the treble or upper knob fully flat which seems to me to be fully counter clockwise for a left handed bass. Correct me if I'm wrong. The volume pot increases in volume as the knob is turned clockwise on my bass so I'm thinking that the treble is full on clockwise and flat when totally counter clockwise.

Thanks for the number Fran. I'm proud to be a club member. :hyper:

Mike
 
#7,323
HeyMikey said:
Thank you David and Fran. I checked the stacked knob for tightness to the shaft and it seems proper. I think it is my hearing loss that best explains the situation. The doctor says my right ear is 90% gone and the left has 65% hearing loss. I do wear hearing aids but it is still a major handicap. So if I understand correctly, it will be best to keep the treble or upper knob fully flat which seems to me to be fully counter clockwise for a left handed bass. Correct me if I'm wrong. The volume pot increases in volume as the knob is turned clockwise on my bass so I'm thinking that the treble is full on clockwise and flat when totally counter clockwise.

Thanks for the number Fran. I'm proud to be a club member. :hyper:

Mike
Click to expand...

This is correct. The concentric bass (large) and treble (small) knobs are 'boost only' and are basically 'out of the system' when turned completely counter clockwise.

The 'basic', neutral setting of the Sadowsky pre is:

Volume... all the way up
VTC.... all the way up (i.e., out of the circuit)
Blend... at the center detent point (remember, this blend control is wired opposite of most, favoring the bridge pickup, for example, when turned clockwise from center)
Tone controls.... totally counter clockwise (i.e., out of the circuit.

Your not being able to really hear the treble control is, as you state, probably part of a hearing issue on your part. However, if you are using a rig without a tweeter, your rig also is probably not reproducing a lot of that 4K+ frequency range that the treble control is boosting.

The Sadowsky basses are quite bright inherently. I've never used the treble boost myself, and I like a bright tone. Just leave it off, and add a bit of bass boost (typically no more than 20% ever) to fatten the low end a little bit when needed.

Enjoy!
 
#7,324
On my lefthanded Sadowsky, the concentric knobs turn the opposite way of the none-concentric ones.
When facing the front of the bass, I have to turn my volume and VTC-knobs counter clockwise to have them set at 100%/ON. To set my EQ flat/OFF, I have to turn those concentric knobs fully counter clockwise.
 
#7,325
Musicfreak1988 said:
On my lefthanded Sadowsky, the concentric knobs turn the opposite way of the none-concentric ones.
When facing the front of the bass, I have to turn my volume and VTC-knobs counter clockwise to have them set at 100%/ON. To set my EQ flat/OFF, I have to turn those concentric knobs fully counter clockwise.
Click to expand...

best bet for Mike is to use the bass booster (outer knob on the concentric) as a reference: when you feel like it is giving you more bass and volume you know the treble booster (inner knob) has to be on exacltly the opposite direction.
 
#7,331
Sadowsky said:
We usually build our lefties with right handed pots. Although I can source left handed taper volume pots, I cannot get the stacked pot for the preamp or the VTC pot in left handed.

R
Click to expand...

This makes me wonder: on my lefty Sadowsky, the two volume knobs (it's wired vol-vol instead of vol-bal) AND the VTC knob all work the same way (fully counter clockwise = 100%). Only the concentric pot turns the other way around :confused:, but well, like I said, it doesn't feel weird to me :).
 
#7,332
Hawkeye said:
I feel like a traitor for ditching my two Laklands so fast and swinging over to the Sadowsky side. I'm just an intermediate bassist of mediocre talent, but I can tell it's a much better axe than my Skylines and in ways I don't fully understand, I think it's forcing me to play better. Go figger. :hmm:
Click to expand...

I know how you guys feel I got my Metro 5/24 and sold my Lakland 3 months later. Now I am stuck with this Username!:crying:
 
#7,333
Laklandlover said:
I know how you guys feel I got my Metro 5/24 and sold my Lakland 3 months later. Now I am stuck with this Username!:crying:
Click to expand...

Contact one of the mods and you can prolly get it changed. Others have changed for less.

May I suggest not going with "SadowskyLover" just in case GAS gets the best of you. :hiding: Hmm, based on the love though, it may stick. :p
 
#7,334
frandiaz said:
No photo means no bass which means no number, but Sadowsky owners are so cool and honest that I believe you own one and will give you your number: #198 :D:D

welcome aboard and post some photos and specs whenever you can. :)
Click to expand...

sweet.
Well the bass is beautiful but it's the sound that grabs you. So when I get home from work I'll post some pics but I'll also put a sound clip for you to fully appreciate this bad boy.
I'm putting $$ aside for a fretless Sadowsky right now. It's going to complete me.
 
#7,337
To everyone

You have all been very helpful, thanks. I called Sadowsky Guitars just a few minutes ago to make an inquiry as to what wood was the body made from. I think it was Roger I spoke to because he had been following the posts on TB. Their records for bass #4284 reflect the body is ash and the instrument was made in Feb. of 2005.

I then inquired about the controls as to what I should hear when turning each one and where they should be set normally. It was exactly as KJung stated in his post (post #1047). Thanks Ken, you were 100 % correct. I had the bass plugged in my practice amp while talking with Roger and he was able to hear the change in sound as each knob was turned. Everything is working as it should.

Not only do I now own the best bass I could ever hope to have but also have such great support from you guys who are Sadowsky owners. Thanks to all.

Mike
 
#7,338
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=567044

I was looking at getting a new Oly White Ash/Maple MV5 then saw this ad this morning. Needless to say I responded in about 2 seconds and should have the bass in a week or so. Can't wait!

I'm thinking about just going ahead and purchasing the VTC before the bass gets here. Has anyone retrofitted one themselves, and is it relatively easy?
 

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