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Club Sadowsky!!!

#903
Well I guess I'll have to post pics of JUST my basses to get on the list! Not that I need a number to feel validated or anything. :p

Metro MV5:

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Got this Metro RV4 beauty about a month ago:

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I know it's been through at least two TBer's hands but I'm not sure how many...it's the unusual combination of trans white on ash with rosewood.
 
#906
Hi all,

I had written a few days ago that I had received my sadowsky and that I had mixed feelings about the bass. This is the bass in question:

Various036.jpg


I picked up the bass from the Fedex offices and went straight to the studio where I had a recording committment. I actually opened the packing box in the studio and recorded a track before it was set up properly I must add.

The bass itself is flawless. The crew at sadowsky have got attention to detail down to a science and it is a fantastically well put together instrument.

What struck me however was a lack of brightness. When choosing this my bass I went for ask with a maple neck, full sized body with the bridge pick-up in the 70's location (thus the ultra vintage model) and I asked for single coils to be installed because I wanted it to have a bright tone which I could tame with the VTC installed. Yet with the controls set flat and new strings I found out that whilst the bass was very punchy and clear, I could not produce the zingy tone I was hoping for, and whilst the treble boost is very smooth and musical, I found that adding more treble from the controls did just that - added more treble without that snappiness. I didn't think that I'd ever get to use the VTC.

I am also slightly at fault because I decided to purchase a sadowsky on the basis that I wanted the ultimate jazz bass. Now my frame of reference was a fender jazz bass and as KJung has pointed out several times, a fender jazz bass a sadowsky is not. Whilst being in the jazz bass family, it has a more modern sound than a passive fender jazz bass, even when the sadowsky is run passive. So by then I'm feeling a bit disappointed.

I decided to try and change strings and I put some DR tapered strings. For some reason I got some wierd sounds when playing the A and D strings above the 12th fret. By now I was ready to pack the bass up and send it back. Instead I took it to my local luthier and got a proper set up done and put the original sadowsky strings on. The tide starting changing and the bass felt better in my hands. I also started experimenting more with the VTC and I found that I could get the tone in my head by boosting the bass control very slightly, boosting the treble about half way and reducing the passive tone control.

Now it might be my imagination but as I played the bass over the first few days (and I did a lot of it in those first few days) I felt the tone change - it is as though the bass needed to be broken in. Now the science of this may be highly debateable but I feel that a new instrument needs to be played a bit before its true voice makes an appearance. In any case, the more I played it the more I started to appretiate its qualities and tone.

So I took it to a gig tuesday evening - St. Patrick's day, rock gig, 3000 people, big stage and massive PA and through my big GK rig. I kept my hopes delibirately low because people here on TB have always said that a sadowsky sounds best in a band/live context and I didn't want to get my hopes too high.

Well it KILLED!! I loved it and so did the band.

I took it to rehearsal on Wednesday morning, a jazz funk (drums, bass, guitar, trumpet affair) and it sounded great. Played a soft jazz gig in the evening and it performed well.

I'm still need to play it more and learn how it sounds with deader strings but all in all, this bass looks to be a keeper.
 
#907
It is a different sort of thing than a more Fender oriented instrument, but it sounds like you are coming to terms with it.

I don't find much use for the treble control on my Sadowsky, and find that sweet spot of pretty much everything flat (i.e., the VTC all the way up, the pickups fully blended, the treble off), and just a very small amount of bass boost... maybe 10% give me a full, fat, and still quite 'treble aggressive' tone.

While I find the maple/ash Sadowsky's almost too bright for me, I understand what you are saying... it's a very different type of 'brightness'... more clean and hi fi up top versus that lower mid treble grind of a Fender or a boutique with a more 'vintage/Fender' sort of design goal like the Alleva's and some of the Lull's loaded with those Seymour Antiquities.

Beautiful bass, and I would just suggest that a little bit of the boost only Sadowsky preamp goes a LONG way.... too much bass boost can just suck the life out of those instruments... but a little bit is just magic in a mix.

I also very much dislike the sound of the original Black Label Sadowsky Steel strings.... very upper mid ganky sounding to me, and particularly harsh with the maple/ash instruments to my ear. The DR Hi Beams and from what I understand the new Blue package Sadowsky steels... or the very nice Sadowsky nickels really widens and evens out the sound of those basses to my ear.... IMO and IME of course.

Anyway, sounds like you are digging it... it's a beauty!!!
 
#908
Wadge said:
Hi all,

I had written a few days ago that I had received my sadowsky and that I had mixed feelings about the bass. This is the bass in question:

Various036.jpg


I picked up the bass from the Fedex offices and went straight to the studio where I had a recording committment. I actually opened the packing box in the studio and recorded a track before it was set up properly I must add.

The bass itself is flawless. The crew at sadowsky have got attention to detail down to a science and it is a fantastically well put together instrument.

What struck me however was a lack of brightness. When choosing this my bass I went for ask with a maple neck, full sized body with the bridge pick-up in the 70's location (thus the ultra vintage model) and I asked for single coils to be installed because I wanted it to have a bright tone which I could tame with the VTC installed. Yet with the controls set flat and new strings I found out that whilst the bass was very punchy and clear, I could not produce the zingy tone I was hoping for, and whilst the treble boost is very smooth and musical, I found that adding more treble from the controls did just that - added more treble without that snappiness. I didn't think that I'd ever get to use the VTC.

I am also slightly at fault because I decided to purchase a sadowsky on the basis that I wanted the ultimate jazz bass. Now my frame of reference was a fender jazz bass and as KJung has pointed out several times, a fender jazz bass a sadowsky is not. Whilst being in the jazz bass family, it has a more modern sound than a passive fender jazz bass, even when the sadowsky is run passive. So by then I'm feeling a bit disappointed.

I decided to try and change strings and I put some DR tapered strings. For some reason I got some wierd sounds when playing the A and D strings above the 12th fret. By now I was ready to pack the bass up and send it back. Instead I took it to my local luthier and got a proper set up done and put the original sadowsky strings on. The tide starting changing and the bass felt better in my hands. I also started experimenting more with the VTC and I found that I could get the tone in my head by boosting the bass control very slightly, boosting the treble about half way and reducing the passive tone control.

Now it might be my imagination but as I played the bass over the first few days (and I did a lot of it in those first few days) I felt the tone change - it is as though the bass needed to be broken in. Now the science of this may be highly debateable but I feel that a new instrument needs to be played a bit before its true voice makes an appearance. In any case, the more I played it the more I started to appretiate its qualities and tone.

So I took it to a gig tuesday evening - St. Patrick's day, rock gig, 3000 people, big stage and massive PA and through my big GK rig. I kept my hopes delibirately low because people here on TB have always said that a sadowsky sounds best in a band/live context and I didn't want to get my hopes too high.

Well it KILLED!! I loved it and so did the band.

I took it to rehearsal on Wednesday morning, a jazz funk (drums, bass, guitar, trumpet affair) and it sounded great. Played a soft jazz gig in the evening and it performed well.

I'm still need to play it more and learn how it sounds with deader strings but all in all, this bass looks to be a keeper.
Click to expand...

This mirrors almost perfectly my first Sadowsky...I got a Beautful NYC Vintage 5 and took it straight from the house to a recording session I had and had no time to do anything other than plugin and go. During the session itself it sounded OK and played OK but I was not blown away at all like I expected to be. Unfortunately instead of taking the time to figure out what was "wrong" I returned the bass under the 7 day and got another one. To my horror when I hear the mix a few days later it was the best tone I have ever put on tape! I called the shop to inquire about buying the bass back and it had already sold! I was sick...it taught me a valuable lesson though. Give it a second chance in a playing (live or rehearsal) environment and it is likely your opinion will be totally different! I am VERY happy that in this case it worked out for you! Congratulations and Play her in good health!

Peace,

T
 
#909
KJung said:
It is a different sort of thing than a more Fender oriented instrument, but it sounds like you are coming to terms with it.

I don't find much use for the treble control on my Sadowsky, and find that sweet spot of pretty much everything flat (i.e., the VTC all the way up, the pickups fully blended, the treble off), and just a very small amount of bass boost... maybe 10% give me a full, fat, and still quite 'treble aggressive' tone.

While I find the maple/ash Sadowsky's almost too bright for me, I understand what you are saying... it's a very different type of 'brightness'... more clean and hi fi up top versus that lower mid treble grind of a Fender or a boutique with a more 'vintage/Fender' sort of design goal like the Alleva's and some of the Lull's loaded with those Seymour Antiquities.

Beautiful bass, and I would just suggest that a little bit of the boost only Sadowsky preamp goes a LONG way.... too much bass boost can just suck the life out of those instruments... but a little bit is just magic in a mix.

I also very much dislike the sound of the original Black Label Sadowsky Steel strings.... very upper mid ganky sounding to me, and particularly harsh with the maple/ash instruments to my ear. The DR Hi Beams and from what I understand the new Blue package Sadowsky steels... or the very nice Sadowsky nickels really widens and evens out the sound of those basses to my ear.... IMO and IME of course.

Anyway, sounds like you are digging it... it's a beauty!!!
Click to expand...

BIG +1! The Newer Blue Strings make a big difference. I prefer the older Nickels on Rosewood and the newer Blues on Maple Necks...

Peace,

T
 
#913
Wadge, my experiences exactly! When I first played my MS5 (with single coils) I was disappointed at how non-bright it was. I was used to my "MTD zing". My first gig with it, just a couple hours later, changed my mind immediately. What I've discovered is that the super high end zing of my MTD disappeared in the live mix because, I think, it was eaten up by guitars and other instruments. However, the lower voicing of the Sadowsky treble just cuts through great when you start slapping. It sounds perfect with the band.

I've heard people that have played Sadowsky's in the store or elsewhere say "what's the big deal?". If they just played one on stage, they would "get it".
 
#916
maconbass said:
Wadge, my experiences exactly! When I first played my MS5 (with single coils) I was disappointed at how non-bright it was. I was used to my "MTD zing". My first gig with it, just a couple hours later, changed my mind immediately. What I've discovered is that the super high end zing of my MTD disappeared in the live mix because, I think, it was eaten up by guitars and other instruments. However, the lower voicing of the Sadowsky treble just cuts through great when you start slapping. It sounds perfect with the band.

I've heard people that have played Sadowsky's in the store or elsewhere say "what's the big deal?". If they just played one on stage, they would "get it".
Click to expand...

+1. I agree as I also said "what is the big deal" the first time I played a Sadowsky in a music store. After my first gig with my NYC Jazz 4, I almost immediately bought a MS5 to play in my metal band. I have never gigged a bass that cut so well or had such good articulation across the board. I can hear an open B string as clearly as high arpeggios way up the fretboard on the G and D strings.

The only downside IMO is that every Sadowsky I have played has a bit of a modern sound to it. Even if I roll the VTC, go passive, etc. I guess this is why Fender P's are still popular.:)
 
#918
Joeykun said:
I thought R. Cocco was making his strings????
Click to expand...
Does anybody know? It doesn't really matter, I was just curious. I should be checking out my first set of SS Blue's tomorrow, and on a J style bass, but that's not my Sadowsky. I expect to like them well enough to order them from now on once I get through the rest of my blacks, which I do think work at least ok on my 24F anyway.
 

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