Club Sadowsky!!!

[Vic]

No but it's possible. I wasn't sure if the same electronics are in both as well.

All Sadowsky basses have the same electronics for a given model (JJ4, JJ5, PJ4, PJ5, SC vs HC, etc).

Man, when you're getting into body shapes affecting tone, I'd think you're getting into splitting hairs to the point that even two specific cuts of wood with differing density and/or grain pattern... even within the same species of wood, have to also be considered... in fact, probably more than the body shape IMHO.

I would expect, especially with Roger's tendency towards tonal consistency within a given wood combo, that the body shape wouldn't matter appreciably.

 

[EagleMoon]

All Sadowsky basses have the same electronics for a given model (JJ4, JJ5, PJ4, PJ5, SC vs HC, etc).

Man, when you're getting into body shapes affecting tone, I'd think you're getting into splitting hairs to the point that even two specific cuts of wood with differing density and/or grain pattern... even within the same species of wood, have to also be considered... in fact, probably more than the body shape IMHO.

I would expect, especially with Roger's tendency towards tonal consistency within a given wood combo, that the body shape wouldn't matter appreciably.

That isn't quite what I meant. I was wondering if the HPJ with the P body had the same electronics as the MV/RV-PJ with the jazz body.

 

[bikeplate]

HI

Every Sadowsky bass has the same preamp. Every 4 string pj has the same pickup set, so yes

Rob

 

[Luckydog]

HI

Every Sadowsky bass has the same preamp. Every 4 string pj has the same pickup set, so yes

Rob

I thought I read in (TB?) that the Metro P/J had different pups than the NYC P/J. Dimarzio vs something else.

 

[Nenor]

I thought I read in (TB?) that the Metro P/J had different pups than the NYC P/J. Dimarzio vs something else.

IIRC all 4 strings have Dimarzio made pickups and all 5 strings are Nordstrand, NYC and Metros alike. P/J only. Not sure though...

 

[KJung]

If you're worried about hum get the HC.
Dead silent in all kinds of evil environments, and it gives up very, very little top end.

Also, there's the550k pot mod which Roger mentioned some time ago in the last version of this thread that is supposed to move the HC's closer to SC response.

Hum is only an issue if you favor one pickup or the other. I actually find the SC's slightly 'quieter' than the HC's with both pickups dimed (minor, but interesting). Also, due to Roger's wonderful shielding job, they are among the quietest of singles, even when favoring one pickup over the other. However, +1, if you like the neck or bridged solo'd regularly, SC's would not be for you!

Actually, the HC's are quite different sounding than the SC's, especially in the top end (I've swapped them on two Sadowsky's now). The HC's have more upper treble, the SC's have more lower treble/mid growl. The 550K pot will actually increase the upper treble of the HC's VERY slightly, moving them, IMO, even farther away from the singles.

I find the singles (Sadowsky) to be a meaningful change from the HC's... more grunt, more mids, more growl, versus the purer, sizzlier, wider tone of the HC's.

Both sound great, but are different enough that I would think every player would have a pretty strong preference for one over the other. I prefer the HC"s on the warmer, smoother alder/RW spec's, but TOTALLY dig the SC's over the HC's on the ash/maple models, which just GRIND with SC's, versus the somewhat clanky (IMO and IME) top end with the HC's.

IMO and IME!

 

[the JT]

Just an idea:
How would mixing HC and single pickups together work? say, a single in the neck and a HC in the bridge so jaco tone is hum free? or even vice-versa? I realise there would be a volume difference between the two.

 

[KJung]

Just an idea:
How would mixing HC and single pickups together work? say, a single in the neck and a HC in the bridge so jaco tone is hum free? or even vice-versa? I realise there would be a volume difference between the two.

Fail Since you don't have a second single coil to 'humcancel' the single coil in the neck position, you would always have the big hum. This is why you can't put a single coil pickup in a PJ (and why I have no interest in PJ's!).

You can get total Jaco burp with dual single coils and virtually no hum by just favoring the bridge pickup with a 'just barely off center' blend control. It takes a little practice to be able to find that sweet spot quickly mid song, but once you get that down, the issue of single coil hum literally goes completely away in live performance (studio is still a bit trickier). That sort of '3% blend' toward the bridge pickup gives you 90% of the burp of a solo'd bridge pickup, more fatness due to the neck pickup being on just a smidge, and virtually no hum.

I favor the bridge pickup regularly, and don't own any basses with humcanceling pickups (and probably never will again).

 

[the JT]

Fail Since you don't have a second single coil to 'humcancel' the single coil in the neck position, you would always have the big hum. This is why you can't put a single coil pickup in a PJ (and why I have no interest in PJ's!).

You can get total Jaco burp with dual single coils and virtually no hum by just favoring the bridge pickup with a 'just barely off center' blend control. It takes a little practice to be able to find that sweet spot quickly mid song, but once you get that down, the issue of single coil hum literally goes completely away in live performance (studio is still a bit trickier). That sort of '3% blend' toward the bridge pickup gives you 90% of the burp of a solo'd bridge pickup, more fatness due to the neck pickup being on just a smidge, and virtually no hum.

I favor the bridge pickup regularly, and don't own any basses with humcancelling pickups (and probably never will again).

Well that would make sense.
I have heard that in Australia, where I live, power seems to be more reliable and hum free with music applications considered. Has anyone discovered this to be true?

 

[KJung]

Well that would make sense.
I have heard that in Australia, where I live, power seems to be more reliable and hum free with music applications considered. Has anyone discovered this to be true?

Can't comment on that, but single coil 'hum' and general noise from power sources, lack of sheilding, grounding issues, etc. are two separate things. 'Clean power' will not impact single coil hum, which is inherent in the pickup design when solo's. However, again, if you know what you are doing, you can get 90% of the way to a solo'd tone with single coil with virtually no hum... hence the tonal upside (assuming you want that bit of single coil grit and grind in your tone versus the purer, smoother, prettier, wider HC tone) is much greater than the noise downside IMO and IME!

 

[Nenor]

Fail Since you don't have a second single coil to 'humcancel' the single coil in the neck position, you would always have the big hum. This is why you can't put a single coil pickup in a PJ (and why I have no interest in PJ's!).

HC/SC combination will result hum in all situation when the SC is open. The HC pickup soloed will not hum.

You can get total Jaco burp with dual single coils and virtually no hum by just favoring the bridge pickup with a 'just barely off center' blend control. It takes a little practice to be able to find that sweet spot quickly mid song, but once you get that down, the issue of single coil hum literally goes completely away in live performance (studio is still a bit trickier). That sort of '3% blend' toward the bridge pickup gives you 90% of the burp of a solo'd bridge pickup, more fatness due to the neck pickup being on just a smidge, and virtually no hum.

I favor the bridge pickup regularly, and don't own any basses with humcancelling pickups (and probably never will again).

That's why I think a Volume/Volume setup is better for a SC equipped bass.

 

[KJung]

HC/SC combination will result hum in all situation when the SC is open. The HC pickup soloed will not hum.



That's why I think a Volume/Volume setup is better for a SC equipped bass.

+1 to your first comment... my point was it is really not a solution in general.

To your point 2, I find absolutely no difference between blending slightly to the bridge with the blend control on my single coil Sadowsky bass versus dialing the neck volume back slightly on my Alleva-Coppolo single coils wityh the VVT circuit. While it makes sense that some prefer one over the other, neither IMO has an advantage or disadvantage specific to single coil pickups IMO and IME.

 

[Nenor]

+1 to your first comment... my point was it is really not a solution in general.

To your point 2, I find absolutely no difference between blending slightly to the bridge with the blend control on my single coil Sadowsky bass versus dialing the neck volume back slightly on my Alleva-Coppolo single coils wityh the VVT circuit. While it makes sense that some prefer one over the other, neither IMO has an advantage or disadvantage specific to single coil pickups IMO and IME.

Because there's a detent center point on the balance control you can only get so close to that point without the knob "jumping" into it. I think a V/V setup gives you better control over that particular area.
Just checked my NYC standard - the balance knob behaves very nicely... I might be wrong here.

 

[KJung]

Because there's a detent center point on the balance control you can only get so close to that point without the knob "jumping" into it. I think a V/V setup gives you better control over that particular area.
Just checked my NYC standard - the balance knob behaves very nicely... I might be wrong here.

+1 I can see that. However, as you found out, the Sadowsky execution of the balance control works wonderfully. Of course, it still has the issue of most of these passive controls (VV or blend), where 90% of the impact is in the first 5% of the taper. However, the more even 'active' balance controls like in the Celinder/Greengrove pre or the Audere, have their own issues (no passive option, etc.). So, I guess it is all about balancing the positives and negative of each circuit for a given player's needs.

I again, have basses with both, and see no big advantage or disadvantage to either circuit type myself (except, I guess for the blend control to have a nice 'single knob master volume' capability for those who use that control that way).

 

[Chef]

Two advantages to blend:
It's easier for me to twiddle one knob to set pickup bias, and, more easily repeatable, I think
I like having a master volume to mute the bass when needed

If there's a downside to blend, I'm not sure what it would be.
I find blend to be much more user friendly, overall, for me.

ymmv, of course.

 

[Nenor]

+1 I can see that. However, as you found out, the Sadowsky execution of the balance control works wonderfully. Of course, it still has the issue of most of these passive controls (VV or blend), where 90% of the impact is in the first 5% of the taper. However, the more even 'active' balance controls like in the Celinder/Greengrove pre or the Audere, have their own issues (no passive option, etc.). So, I guess it is all about balancing the positives and negative of each circuit for a given player's needs.

I again, have basses with both, and see no big advantage or disadvantage to either circuit type myself (except, I guess for the blend control to have a nice 'single knob master volume' capability for those who use that control that way).

+1 about the active/passive balance control. I have an Audere pre on my Rbass. Although the balance has a more even response across, there's a loss of volume in the center point... and the sound, well, I haven't met yet a preamp that stands up to the Sadowsky.

 

[Nenor]

Two advantages to blend:
It's easier for me to twiddle one knob to set pickup bias, and, more easily repeatable, I think
I like having a master volume to mute the bass when needed

If there's a downside to blend, I'm not sure what it would be.
I find blend to be much more user friendly, overall, for me.

ymmv, of course.

Agreed!

 

[Chef]

Oh yeah....
I agree with Ken that the Single Coils and Hum-cancelling sound substantively different.
I'm lucky enough to have one set up each way, and the different isn't just small thing.
Ken described it well, so refer back to his post for that...

I haven't done the 500k pot mod on my HC equipped bass, and I don't plan to.
Vive Le Difference!

 

[roadkill2309]

I think I'm going to have to take a trip to Brooklyn and hear the difference in 'person.' Maybe my computer speakers aren't showing me the difference with enough clarity.

Hell, I'm looking for an excuse to go to the Sadowsky shop anyway.

 

[Cory]

I think I'm going to have to take a trip to Brooklyn and hear the difference in 'person.' Maybe my computer speakers aren't showing me the difference with enough clarity.

Hell, I'm looking for an excuse to go to the Sadowsky shop anyway.

Me Too!!