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Club Sadowsky!!!

#10,781
What is the tone difference between the Hi-Beams and Lo-Rider SS? I've read the HiBeams are a bit scooped while the LoRiders have a bit of a fatter, thicker midrange. Is this true? I was tempted to go with the HiBeams, but really like the LoRider Nickels. Sounds like I might want something between the HiBeams and LoRider Nickels...
 
#10,782
Alexander said:
What is the tone difference between the Hi-Beams and Lo-Rider SS? I've read the HiBeams are a bit scooped while the LoRiders have a bit of a fatter, thicker midrange. Is this true?
Click to expand...

This is true. The Lo Rider SS also have noticably higher tension (due, from I understand, to the hex versus round core). Hi Beams are smooth, glassy up top, feel like nickels to the fingers (very smooth), have relatively low tension, and are a bit polite in the upper mid grind area, which makes them GREAT for slappers with ash/maple instruments.

The Lo Rider SS are more in the universe of the old Roto Sounds (although not that grindy, and of course, they last infinitely longer).... grindy, tight, aggressive.

If you dig Flea, you will love the Lo Rider SS. If you dig Marcus Miller, you will IMO love the Hi Beams (using an obvious oversimplification to make my point:D).

Those who dig the Sadowsky SS (Blues or Blacks) will most likely dig the Lo Rider SS more than the Hi Beams. I actually prefer the Sadowsky Blue Steels to the Lo Rider SS if I want to 'roughen up' the sound and feel of a bass a bit more versus the Hi Beams.

IMO and IME!


Edit: I LOVE the Lo Rider Nickels on an alder/RW 60's style instrument... they are 'growl masters'! They are closer in tone and feel IMO to the DR Hi Beams than they are to the very aggressive and grindy and 'tight' felling Lo Rider SS.
 
#10,784
Alexander said:
Great - thanks, everyone. Sounds like I may dig them. If not, they're only strings, right?...:p
Click to expand...

+1 Again, if the Lo Rider SS don't quite do it for you, definitely give the Sadowsky Blue Label steels a try. They last a long time, have nice tight tension and the rougher feel of the Lo Rider SS, but the upper mids (similarly very present) are in a 'better spot' for me with my ash/maple Sadowsky with singles. I have various clips of that bass floating around through various rigs, ranging from hi fi to aggressive grindy, and you can hear that nice Sadowsky top end with the singles... not sizzly wizzly, but kind of 'sits right under the cymbals', which works great on the gig for me when digging in and/or slapping.

Let us know how the Lo Riders work out.
 
#10,786
KJung said:
+1 Again, if the Lo Rider SS don't quite do it for you, definitely give the Sadowsky Blue Label steels a try.
Click to expand...
+1
These are still what I use on both my Metro PJ5 (ash/maple) and newer NYC JJ5 (also ash/maple, HC pickups). Truly great strings. I'm using HiBeams currently on my older ash/maple JJ5 with SC's in it, and I like the sizzle they add to the inherent grind the SC's have a bit more of.
 
#10,790
ian.lawless said:
Anyone installed the retrofit VTC on an older Sad NYC ?

I'm thinking about it, but am curious @ the difference in tone. They say "darker" and "fuller" but I'd love to get an opinion from someone who has actually compared the old to the new.
Click to expand...

I've done it. I installed it on my 92 Standard 4. Worked out great. I didn't notice any tonal difference in the bass.....only the ability to roll off some of the high end without changing the EQ on the bass.

It's also been done to my 99/2000 Modern (my avatar pic). I think it really helped that bass out a lot. Gave it more tonal options for sure.
 
#10,791
Just chiming in with a coupla' pennies....

One other string option may be Sun Beams. I run these on my Lull M5V (alder/rosewood) and just love 'em. I'm also digging the Sadowsky Blues on my new UV70, but by default I tend to prefer SS over nickel, so factor that in. On my M5-24 I run Fat Beams, and really enjoy the sound and the durability.

VTC...my M5-24 isn't an NYC, but I did have the VTC retrofit kit installed a couple of months ago. Great mod for this bass. I like to think that it's still a beast, but now it's a beast with table manners. :D It really took out the harshness from the highs and made the tone more versatile.
 
#10,792
Cory said:
I've done it. I installed it on my 92 Standard 4. Worked out great. I didn't notice any tonal difference in the bass.....only the ability to roll off some of the high end without changing the EQ on the bass.

It's also been done to my 99/2000 Modern (my avatar pic). I think it really helped that bass out a lot. Gave it more tonal options for sure.
Click to expand...
Wow...thanks for the super quick reply. That's very useful information...I think I will pull the trigger on one. Seems like sort of a no-brainer. My wife will be happier that I'm just spending $75 on the VTC versus the much larger price tag of the Will Lee model I have been threatening to buy! ;-)
 
#10,793
Cory said:
What kind of strings are you guys using on your Sadowsky 24 fret 5's?
Click to expand...

When I had mine (it was a very lightweight ash with Ebony board), it was ALL about the Sadowsky Black steels for me. That bass was very pingy and 'polite', and big in the upper bass, lower mids. The grind and grunt of those very midrange voiced Black steels really evened that bass out for me, and tamed the uber hi fi sort of vibe of that particular wood combination (with the Sadowsky soapbars). I'm sure the Blue's would work great also. IMO!
 
#10,795
KJung said:
When I had mine (it was a very lightweight ash with Ebony board), it was ALL about the Sadowsky Black steels for me. That bass was very pingy and 'polite', and big in the upper bass, lower mids. The grind and grunt of those very midrange voiced Black steels really evened that bass out for me, and tamed the uber hi fi sort of vibe of that particular wood combination (with the Sadowsky soapbars). I'm sure the Blue's would work great also. IMO!
Click to expand...

Mine is super lightweight solid ash as well...but with a maple board. The whole bass weighs in at 8 lbs. I used to have EMG's in it....but now it has Nordy Big Singles.

It sounds like this one is very similar to yours in voicing. Polite is a great way of describing the bass. The addition of the VTC helped tame the Uber HiFi sound.
I'll give those black labels a try on it.
Thanks!
 
#10,796
ian.lawless said:
Anyone installed the retrofit VTC on an older Sad NYC ?

I'm thinking about it, but am curious @ the difference in tone. They say "darker" and "fuller" but I'd love to get an opinion from someone who has actually compared the old to the new.
Click to expand...

I've done a few of them. It's a no brainer. The added flexibility makes it absolutely worth while. I use the one on my PJ5 a lot.
 
#10,798
bikeplate said:
HI

Ive had over 20 Sadowsky's and have used the VTC once when I was playing thru someone else's rig. I find it utterly useless. My opinon

Rob
Click to expand...

Depends on the rig, your technique, and the strings you use. If you have a full range rig that is clean and delivers high end all the way up, and you enjoy the tone of relatively new roundwound strings, and play with a pretty clean, accurate technique that brings out the entire range of the instrument, then the VTC can really be useful in some situations to reduce that top end (much more naturally than an active bass control cut on an amp).

If you have a more vintage sounding rig, or really dig in, or use mellow strings, it probably isn't necessary. I have mine 'open' (i.e., disengaged) 80% of the time, but for the other 20%, that control is wonderful, just like on the Fenders and a huge variety of other basses.
 
#10,799
HI

For me, the biggest allure of a Sadowsky bass is the wide open, unique tone it gets. Also, when I started using them, VTC was not standard equipement. Ive always have the loved the tone of my JJ's and have never even thought about vtc until some of my later ones had it standard. As Ive talked to the staff, they tell me many players and Sadowsky artists feel the same as me. Different strokes, I guess

Rob
 

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