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Club Sadowsky!!!

#8,361
ElMon said:
IME, the combo of the Sadowsky Pre's capabilities (clear and present bass and treble and balanced mids IMO) and the deep/fat fundamental of flats is a REALLY good combo if you're more of a fingerstyle player. Sounds HUGE in a mix IME.
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Thanks. Yep. Fingerstyle, classic rock and blues player. Sounds like it's worth a try from your point of view/experience.
 
#8,363
Scott McArron said:
I can't say enough good things about this bass. The chunkier feel over my Lull really translates well to live playing; there's more roome for error when performing dance moves and it feels sturdier in my hands. I feel like grooving more than soloing. And the tone! Holy crap! My band couldn't stop tellinge how amazing it was. Big, full, thick, but still cuts through. It has just the right frequencies in just the right places. I broke the Lull for soundcheck, but after a few notes everyone said they wanted to hear the Sadowsky again.
I think the Lull could benefit from some different pickups, certainly. However, I am really starting to like the feel of the Sadowsky and the live tone is simply unparalleled, IMO. Definitely a keeper!
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Glad to hear you're digging it, Scott!

It is a trite thing on this thread to say that you really have to hear a Sadowsky "in the mix" to fully appreciate it, but it does actually seem to be the case, more so than most of the other basses I've tried.

That's great news on your RV5, Chef. I was somewhat concerned that as someone with a tendency toward "old school" basses, you might not find the Sadowsky to be your thing. Then again, I'm almost exclusively a passive bass guy except that my #1 is a Sadowsky. Somehow the FET preamp is a lot more enjoyable and less hifi/sterile than the preamps I've had in other basses. It makes it seem less "active" but rather more "present."

We had a lame gig last night. :hmm: Late local football game, etc. meant that it was a weak crowd. I did see one guy who kept coming up and trying to get a good look at my headstock. I was getting some great tone. :D
 
#8,366
Finally took some pics today. Make it official and add me to the club!

Thanks to Jim, aka Jazzbo58. We opened up for his band and got to talking. Next thing you know, I"m buying his Sadowsky! Great guy and great bassist!

Also, big thanks to Kevin at Sadowsky for the top notch customer service so I can convert the 2 volumes to a master/balance.

DSC_1856.jpg


DSC_1857.jpg
 
#8,367
This bass has immediately become the number one bass in my new second band. We play a wide variety of stuff (originals with covers by everyone from Johnny Cash, Uncle Tupelo, The Meters, SRV, and The Talking Heads). The electronics are just perfect for going modern to vintage and back again.
 
#8,368
NOLA Bass said:
Finally took some pics today. Make it official and add me to the club!

Thanks to Jim, aka Jazzbo58. We opened up for his band and got to talking. Next thing you know, I"m buying his Sadowsky! Great guy and great bassist!

Also, big thanks to Kevin at Sadowsky for the top notch customer service so I can convert the 2 volumes to a master/balance.

DSC_1856.jpg


DSC_1857.jpg
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#212 NOLA Bass. welcome. :)

I love the full size body with that finish.
 
#8,369
It seems most of the members of this club play with there fingers and play in jazz bands or for there own inenjoyment.
I use a pick and play in a metal band, and I'll tell you what, The comments I've been getting how the sound of my Sadowsky has been just awesome!!

"What bass is that?" "Oooo thats tasty soundin'" " You lucky so and so!!"" "Wow just like Newsted man!!"

:)
 
#8,370
I use my NYC Modern 5 for jazz gigs (mostly for fingerstyle) but it is also my favorite rock bass as well (pick playing). It really fits any style perfect. Although when I do smooth jazz gigs where some slapping is required, I play a Fender Jazz into a Sadowsky preamp. (till I can afford a Sadowsky Jazz ;))
 
#8,371
Has anyone here ever wire-wooled their neck? My M5-24 had a glossy sheen so I set about it with light gauge steel wool and it now reminds me of playing it brand new in the shop! Does anyone here have an idea about roughly how many times I can do this without the finish wearing through? And should the finish wear through, do I treat the raw maple in any way?
Ps repeated the process with a Road worn strat - didn't make any difference to the neck and I had to remove a load of small steel strands stuck to the pickup. Not recommended!
 
#8,372
jonotronic said:
Has anyone here ever wire-wooled their neck? My M5-24 had a glossy sheen so I set about it with light gauge steel wool and it now reminds me of playing it brand new in the shop! Does anyone here have an idea about roughly how many times I can do this without the finish wearing through? And should the finish wear through, do I treat the raw maple in any way?
Ps repeated the process with a Road worn strat - didn't make any difference to the neck and I had to remove a load of small steel strands stuck to the pickup. Not recommended!
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You always need to be careful about contaminating your pickups with steel wool dust. Get some 320 grit sandpaper and use that instead. We put a thin finish on our necks with the intention that you could wear through it quickly. To me, nothing feels better than an old neck in which the finish has worn through. There is really no need to put anything on the maple after you have worn through.

roger
 
#8,373
ElMon said:
:confused:


Yeah, what a terrible pre. Who would want a thick and clear tone that cuts through any mix and ALWAYS enhances what's going on around it. Terrible.

Of course, I'm sure that opinion is actually qualified by real world experience..............


doubt it.
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rdmjazz said:
Wow I'm sure glad he pointed that out. I guess I better go run out and get a new preamp for mine.Who wants those pesky sound compliments getting in the way...
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To increase the effectiveness of your sarcasm, you need to make it less obvious.

The preamp is very nice, I will admit that... but due to how much I rely on mids, it is a deal-breaker for me. It is a pity, I really wanted to love Sadowskys.


I know you lot would probably die for your Sads, but you have to understand that they are not the be-all and end-all.
 
#8,375
Mr. Lovejoy said:
To increase the effectiveness of your sarcasm, you need to make it less obvious.

The preamp is very nice, I will admit that... but due to how much I rely on mids, it is a deal-breaker for me. It is a pity, I really wanted to love Sadowskys.


I know you lot would probably die for your Sads, but you have to understand that they are not the be-all and end-all.
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Of course they aren't for everyone, but you gotta expect some sarcasm when you mention it in the Sadowsky Club thread! :D
Hope you find what you are looking for.
 
#8,376
#8,377
Chef said:
The notes jump right off that bass! Big, clear defined. Aggressive!
I watched that Behind the notes video of Roger, and took notes on where the basic Sadowsky setup sets string height and pickup height. The action as it came to me was *really low!" I spent some time setting it to where I normally like things; and it sure didn't sound the same. I'm normally a fairly heavy handed player, but I felt like the bass lost some it's inherent personality iwth the action higher, so it set it back to where it came from, and I'm just gonna have to be more of a light touch player with this bass. That's ok, because it's so strong, you just don't need to play as heavy as I usually do.
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You can set the action higher if you want no problem. You just need to maintain the optimal distance between the strings and the pickups, so you probably should've raised those as well. Up to you. :)
 
#8,378
Mr. Lovejoy said:
The preamp is very nice, I will admit that... but due to how much I rely on mids, it is a deal-breaker for me. .
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I just got a Sadowsky and was unsure about it until I used it on a gig. Coming from a bass with a 18-volt Bart preamp with boost and cut selectable mids, I was quite skeptical. I always ended up boosting the mids quite a bit to be heard in the mix.

On my first gig with the Sadowsky this past weekend, I found I didn't need to add any mids at all. I got comments from the other guys in the band about how I cut through like never before and how the mids sounded so natural while still maintaining a very balanced and supportive tone.

But if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. There are a few things I would change on my Sadowsky as well if I had complete control, like lessening the distance between the body and strings.

There are a lot of great basses out there to choose from, and finding one that you like is half the fun, IMO!
 
#8,379
Yessir, I did that. Raising the action took away some of that grind that seems to be a nice, positive part of the bass's personality.

In this case, I'm willing to let the bass be what it wants, and try to adapt my style to it. I'll have to concentrate on being lighter with my right hand with this one. I can live with that.

Vic said:
You can set the action higher if you want no problem. You just need to maintain the optimal distance between the strings and the pickups, so you probably should've raised those as well. Up to you. :)
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