So after getting this wonderful thing home, I played it all evening:
This is the best built bass I have ever played. So I had to grab these two, plug them in, and compare:
It wouldn't be direct, as these both have rosewood boards, a 65 Jazz, and a 64 Precision. The P has flats, the J has nickel roundwounds.
Lets just say that the Sadowsky compared very favorably to both of these in things like unplugged body resonance, plugged in body resonance, depth of bass sound, linearity across the sound spectrum, and all those things that to me give these old Fenders "mojo". The Sadowsky VTC circuit works like the controls on these old ones do, or should, or use to, they have aged obviously. Plus the Sadowsky "feels" the closest to the old Fenders.
The one thing that these old Fenders do better than others is allow for triple stops to ring out. There is a clarity here that newer basses cannot touch, unless they are built that way, E-C fivers, or 6 stringers. I am talking about stuff like this:
----14----
----12----
----13----
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The Sadowsky rang as true and clear with this as the two old Fenders, quite an accomplishment. My 72 P and J cannot get very close.
I also tried various combinations of the P and J, active, passive, various tone positions. One comment I can make now is that the jazz bridge pup is very usable on its own. I have never been a fan of bridge pups solo'ed (sorry, Jaco fans). I have really long arms, and pluck near the neck for one thing. But the Sadowsky bridge pup solo'ed is very usable, a little bass boost, little roll off of the VTC, and I had a great sound. An unexpected benefit with this bass.
a niggle, I cannot get my brain around this bridge pup clockwise thing!
(liking the strings)
I will get a chance to play it loud at Ultrasound tomorrow, and in the other bands space in Brooklyn on Sunday. Then I have gigs coming up at Connelly's, Ottos, and Hanks in the next month or so, and I can hardly wait to take it out.
BRAVO guys! Bravo!
