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It's an NYC, and possibly the best all-around four-string I've ever laid hands on. Brazilian Rosewood board, and it converts to a RV4! (dual rout, and has an extra PG and extra J neck pickup with a quick connect).
I love the PJ. Nice thick P tone for some songs, but generally I run them both and vary my right hand position.
Not quite. Here's the post from Roger the other day:
I'm not sure if my board is "master grade" (don't think so), but it sure is pretty. Morado should be harder, roadkill2309, but there is a slight tone difference. The consensus seems to be that brazilian rosewood is more fat and warm, while morado is more snappy and bright. I had a UV70 with a morado board that sounded almost more like maple than rosewood.
When I first switched to 5, it was odd but I loved the bass so much I didn't care. At that point (10 years ago) I'd been playing guitar for 30 years so I was *very* used to my fattest string being an E. At first I mostly used the B string as a thumb rest, and then slowly added it in. These days I use it a fair amount, especially up the neck when I'm reading. Having a few extra notes available without moving my hand can be useful.
+3 on the DB technique with the left hand. I do that all over the neck, but especially near the nut.
Hi, Fran, and thanks for the idea. I've been using that technique for about ten years, thankfully. I'm also teaching it to my 13 year old bass student to try and save him from future hand issues.
Well I hope you'll be as pleased with how it sounds in a group as I was. The solo sound was sort of meh, but it just sat in the mix so nicely for me - (and the recordings I sent you were definitely not the best examples)
Yeah, but, while the variety is really nice, I'll be the first to admit jumping around from bass to bass is a hindrance to being a better player just by upsetting the consistency thing. There's a lot to be said for muscle memory and familiarity... from both a tone as well as playability perspective.I don't know about that. I've sure had a lot of "lust in my heart" (something like that--an old Jimmy Carter line for you kids) for many, many basses--even with my MV4 that I love!
In the grand scheme of things, if the focus is the music, as I'll be the first to admit it should be, you're in a better situation than I. Someday I'll "grow up", sell a bunch of stuff off, and become a much better musician as a result. Right now, I'm just enjoying a bit of senseless indulgence.
Getting my usual strings on (DR Hi Beams) helped a lot. As I said before, I think those stings are as big a part of "my sound" as my bass and amp.I lowered the action just a touch and that helped, too. Feels more like what I'm used to. Didn't need to touch the intonation though, which is odd as I changed to a lighter B string (125) and lowered the action.
Got a new ProTec Contego case from my mother-in-law for Christms so the new bass and case will be heading to church this week.
There's a lot to be said for muscle memory and familiarity... from both a tone as well as playability perspective.
Someday I'll "grow up", sell a bunch of stuff off, and become a much better musician as a result. Right now, I'm just enjoying a bit of senseless indulgence.
Nothing wrong with senseless indulgence. I've done it. Some would say I still am.
I am, however, trying to find a nice "compromise" bass that I can feel comfortable with at all my gigs. Hopefully the new MV5 will do the trick. I have a Shuttle Max 12 and Shuttle 112 cab that work very nicely on the amp end, so hopefully I can get to being a solid player on the gear I have.
HI
Years ago when I started gigging full time, I had a mixture of stuff. A couple Sadowsky's, a Fodera 4, a Pensa, etc. I found as I switched from bass to bass at gigs, there was too much tweaking to get my sound uniform from bass to bass. Not to mention, the Sadowsky's sounded the best on stage and out front. I eventually sold everything else and now have my Will Lee, PJ, and NYC 5. They all have a similar output, tone, and feel. Much easier this way and it lets me concentrate on my playing and not my amp and compressor
Rob
Years ago when I started gigging full time, I had a mixture of stuff. A couple Sadowsky's, a Fodera 4, a Pensa, etc. I found as I switched from bass to bass at gigs, there was too much tweaking to get my sound uniform from bass to bass. Not to mention, the Sadowsky's sounded the best on stage and out front. I eventually sold everything else and now have my Will Lee, PJ, and NYC 5. They all have a similar output, tone, and feel. Much easier this way and it lets me concentrate on my playing and not my amp and compressor
Rob
Regarding "growing up", I often play this (admittedly somewhat painful) game with myself, which is, what if I could only have 2 or 3?
I have to admit, I don't always come up with an answer, and what I do come up with still varies from month to month, and at times might even shock a few peeps, but, I will say this... a Sadowsky is always there.
I have to admit, I don't always come up with an answer, and what I do come up with still varies from month to month, and at times might even shock a few peeps, but, I will say this... a Sadowsky is always there.
... a Sadowsky is always there.
Echo.
I used to refer to my Sadowsky as my "desert island" bass...if I could only have one, which would it be? Now, especially with the VTC in place, my M5-24 is my Swiss Army knife. I can't always say that it'd be my only bass, but like Vic says...it's always there on the short list.FYI/FWIW...on the Jazz bass front, for quite a while now I've been jonesing for an ash/maple combo....sort of a Marcus-Will-Tal kinda' sound. My local store is getting one in this week - UV70 fiver, natural w/ white blocks & binding (and an extra-ordered white pickguard to match). Could be a nice Christmas bonus, even though I'll likely have to cough up an MTD to fund it.
I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. I have never owned a bunch of different instruments, at least ones that were somewhat "duplicates." Throughout my years gigging on and off on guitar, I generally had one Strat and one Martin. When I moved to bass about 20 years ago, I had either one or two basses, generally a fretted and fretless. I hate to have stuff sitting around and not getting used, and would never take more than 2 basses to a gig.
That said, I can see probably going to 4 in the near future. I think the Sadowsky PJ5 is my "swiss army" for fretted, but the Zon lightwave fretless 5 can't be replaced and still is probably my favorite to play. I wouldn't mind adding a PJ4 just because and a Rob Allen 5 just because. I just am not a JJ kinda guy...
That said, I can see probably going to 4 in the near future. I think the Sadowsky PJ5 is my "swiss army" for fretted, but the Zon lightwave fretless 5 can't be replaced and still is probably my favorite to play. I wouldn't mind adding a PJ4 just because and a Rob Allen 5 just because. I just am not a JJ kinda guy...
I've had a different experience with my RS4... I'm finding that it cuts through the mix cleanly through the entire register/range of the neck.
Maybe it's my setup, but this instrument is as close to a perfect one-and-only bass as any others I've played.
AND... Roger's customer service is so outstanding (I now have personal experience with this) that it's no mystery why Sadowsky users, myself included, are so loyal: high quality instruments and across the board supreme customer service to amateurs and superstars alike.
Another HUGE +1.
Roger definitely sets the bar at least as high as anybody else in the world... ...in any industry... maybe even higher.
Wadge....thanks for that pic! I've been looking for an image like that for months now...ever since I knew this bass was on-order. NICE...thanks again.
