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Club Sadowsky!!!

#14,401
So, last night I remove the pickguard so that I can send it away to have another made and discover that my newly acquired NYC reverse PJ5 already has the universal route for the front PUs. I can set it up either way.

I spent about 2.5 hours with the bass tonight, and after a great deal of experimentation, I do think that I am going to swap the PUs to the conventional design. To my ears, I don't have the dynamic balance on the G and D that I expect. the bottom end isn't thin by any means, but it takes a stronger attack to get the booty out of the bottom. If inverting the PUs will give a bit more roundness to the E and B and perhaps soften the upper strings, I think I would prefer it.

Thoughts?

Overall, I love the bass. Oddly (or maybe not) my very favorite tone is "flat" by Roger's standards.
 
#14,402
The other observation I have made about this bass is that it is among a very few that I have played that I can completely solo the bridge PU and get a KILLER tone out of with plently of bottom end booty.

Usually, I find myself either dialing in some bottom from the amp or the active to help out, but this bass doesn't need it. The only other that I have actually owned that shared that trait was my fretted Q5. The soloed bridge tone on that bass was the shiz. This bass absolutely rivals it if not conquers it. Maybe not as tight, but far warmer.
 
#14,404
Hounddog said:
Truthfully I was shocked @ how good the white PG looked on that Bass. Its very sharp. I just cant believe you havent bought a tort PG for it yet.
Click to expand...
Actually, it's a mint guard, so maybe that's part of why you liked it more than you thought? Otherwise, trust me, I'm looking into tort guards as well. :)
 
#14,407
Chasarms said:
So, last night I remove the pickguard so that I can send it away to have another made and discover that my newly acquired NYC reverse PJ5 already has the universal route for the front PUs. I can set it up either way.

I spent about 2.5 hours with the bass tonight, and after a great deal of experimentation, I do think that I am going to swap the PUs to the conventional design. To my ears, I don't have the dynamic balance on the G and D that I expect. the bottom end isn't thin by any means, but it takes a stronger attack to get the booty out of the bottom. If inverting the PUs will give a bit more roundness to the E and B and perhaps soften the upper strings, I think I would prefer it.

Thoughts?

Overall, I love the bass. Oddly (or maybe not) my very favorite tone is "flat" by Roger's standards.
Click to expand...


It's been said that the reverse setup on the PJ5 will tighten up the sound of the Bstring, but to me it's not necessary. My NYC PJ5 has a VERY present and clear sounding B string, and the conventional P setup allows me to get that classic P sound that we all know and love.
 
#14,408
Finally got around to snapping a photo. I've had a half dozen or so Sadowskys (metro and NYC), and these two standard metros are my all time favorites. Just pure, simple, and perfect.

The 4 string in particular could be the best bass I've ever had, it is totally stock (ok, the VTC may or may not have been added later) and always wears a set of DR hi beams 45-105.

The 5 string has a badass bridge, black USA hipshot tuners, and a set of dimarzio area Js that I like better than the stock pups. It is strung with the great new DR DDTs 45-125.

Neither bass has a meaningful dead spot anywhere on the neck, and they're both nice and light.

I have a couple 500k volume pots I ordered from the shop, I'm going to try one in the 5 string soon.

Viva La Raza.

standards.jpg
 
#14,409
"500 volume pot"

ok, so:
so, i have that Metro RV5-JJ:
59 burst, alder/morado JJ with the HC's pickups...which are nice enough I guess, but not my thing.
So, that bass is staying home versus the AC LG5 and
my Valenti JJ5 which has that same spec: but loaded with Sadowsky SC pups and pre

so, does the 500 pot thing really make those HC pups sound SC?
cause I'm gonna need to change pups on the Metro RV5 to SC pups, or flip that one...the HC's are just too smooth, and missing some of that JJ mid-presence the SC's have...
 
#14,411
I can't compare it fairly not having singles in my MV5, but in my particular case it made quite a difference. The beauty of it is, the pot is only $6. If you want to try it, before enlarging the hole for the shaft in the control plate, unsolder the 250k, solder on the 500k and see if you like the change in tone. If you do, drill out the hole and bolt it down. If not, for $6 a very painless experiment. Even if you change it and decide it's not what you wanted, you can always reinstall the 250k with very little effort. One of my close friends swore he would NEVER do anything to change the original sound of his MV5. He heard mine, got up the nerve and made the swap to the 500k. He admitted he never thought his bass could be improved, but is ecstatic about the result. The VTC is another matter, and he won't budge on that one.
 
#14,415
ElMon said:
It's been said that the reverse setup on the PJ5 will tighten up the sound of the Bstring, but to me it's not necessary. My NYC PJ5 has a VERY present and clear sounding B string, and the conventional P setup allows me to get that classic P sound that we all know and love.
Click to expand...
+1
 

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