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Club Sadowsky!!!

#16,341
Vic said:
Depends on what your "mental point of reference" is. For me, moving from 4 to 5 was literally effortless. However, moving from 5 to 6 would be something I'd have to work on and stick with. I sort of think of a 5 as a 4 with an extension, whereas the 6 just seems like a whole new instrument. Not sure if that makes sense to everyone, but at least that's the way my brain is wired. :)
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The way I see it...I've worked out so many lines, tunes, changes, fingerings incorporating the use of the B string. Not having it leaves me missing something I once had available to me. I really don't see any novelty in going back. I'd guess if I put that same time into a 6 I would feel the same way. Generally I think it's easier to add then take away at this point. IMO:bassist:
 
#16,342
Vic said:
Depends on what your "mental point of reference" is. For me, moving from 4 to 5 was literally effortless. However, moving from 5 to 6 WAS something I had to work on. I think of a 5 as a 4 with an extension, whereas the 6 IS like a whole new instrument. Not sure if that makes sense to everyone, but at least that's the way my brain is wired. :)
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Totally the same here :)
 
#16,343
peterpalmieri said:
The way I see it...I've worked out so many lines, tunes, changes, fingerings incorporating the use of the B string. Not having it leaves me missing something I once had available to me. I really don't see any novelty in going back. I'd guess if I put that same time into a 6 I would feel the same way. Generally I think it's easier to add then take away at this point. IMO:bassist:
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True. I didn't really mention that, but I do miss the B when I play the 4, which is why I don't play it as much these days, BUT, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as trying to play a 6. Not even close. Really, at least for me, kind of a minor thing. Again tho, we're not all wired the same.
 
#16,344
A 5 string doesn't mess with me. Moving back and forth from 4 to 5, even in the same set, mostly doesn't.

6 strings, tuned "normally" don't mess with me, but, I personally have no business in the upper registers like that. 6, "tuned like a guitar" totally messes with me.
 
#16,346
I can't play a 4 string at all - my first bass was a 5 and I've never felt comfortable at all on a 4. With 6 strings it really depends on the bass - often the spacing is to narrow, and sometimes the neck is too wide. There have been a couple of 6 strings I've played that hit the sweet spot for me, and I could play those just like any 5 string with no effort at all.
 
#16,347
peterpalmieri said:
The way I see it...I've worked out so many lines, tunes, changes, fingerings incorporating the use of the B string. Not having it leaves me missing something I once had available to me.
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+1

It's easy to overlook the fact that the B string is useful for more than just those sub-E notes. In my classic rock/Motown bands, I usually play the B string *above* the 5th fret. One of my bands has a horn section, so I often have to play in "funny keys" like Eb, Ab, Bb. The B string is great to have because it gives me extra room to maneuver. The best example is having to play Aretha's "Respect" in Bb rather than C (for the vocalist's benefit rather than the horns' of course).

This leads to one of the many reasons why I love Sadowskys. With a mediocre bass, it can be difficult to intonate the B string so that it's in tune at the 12th fret or above. Sadowskys are built so well that I can play lengthy notes up there without fear.
 
#16,348
peterpalmieri said:
Recently played a 5 string tuned E-C at the NYC GTG and that really threw me for a loop.
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I think that would mess me up as well. There is something about picking up a four (which I do about 1-2 a year now) that when I feel the smaller neck, my brain goes into four-banger mode. I haven't played a C-string five in probably 15 years anyway, but with the bass feel saying "I'm a Five" and the E being on the bottom, I could definitely see some strange stares coming my way.


For me, the easiest way to play a four string is to stand it on it's end!! :)
 
#16,349
Fuzzbass said:
+1

It's easy to overlook the fact that the B string is useful for more than just those sub-E notes. In my classic rock/Motown bands, I usually play the B string *above* the 5th fret. One of my bands has a horn section, so I often have to play in "funny keys" like Eb, Ab, Bb. The B string is great to have because it gives me extra room to maneuver. The best example is having to play Aretha's "Respect" in Bb rather than C (for the vocalist's benefit rather than the horns' of course).

This leads to one of the many reasons why I love Sadowskys. With a mediocre bass, it can be difficult to intonate the B string so that it's in tune at the 12th fret or above. Sadowskys are built so well that I can play lengthy notes up there without fear.
Click to expand...


This is the main reason I switched to a five. I play a lot of Christian Praise and Worship, and with that, key changes on the fly (un-marked sometimes) are fairly common with a lot of leaders. Long ago, I discovered that the five offers the ability to play the same progressions within the same form/pattern across a greater range of keys than does the four string.

It has saved me a lot of chunker notes for sure.
 
#16,350
Vic said:
Depends on what your "mental point of reference" is. For me, moving from 4 to 5 was literally effortless. However, moving from 5 to 6 would be something I'd have to work on and stick with. I sort of think of a 5 as a 4 with an extension, whereas the 6 just seems like a whole new instrument. Not sure if that makes sense to everyone, but at least that's the way my brain is wired. :)
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. I had a Cirrus 6 string for a while and never could get my head wrapped around that high C. I resisted 5 strings for a while but finally tried one and havent looked back. I would hate to think I had to play all 4 string basses now. I would really miss my B string.
 
#16,351
Fuzzbass said:
This leads to one of the many reasons why I love Sadowskys. With a mediocre bass, it can be difficult to intonate the B string so that it's in tune at the 12th fret or above. Sadowskys are built so well that I can play lengthy notes up there without fear.
Click to expand...

BIG +1 A "freakin" men. I find even after string changes little or no adjustment req'd to intonnate. Just another incredible feature of these amazing instuments.
 
#16,355
Fuzzbass said:
+1

It's easy to overlook the fact that the B string is useful for more than just those sub-E notes. In my classic rock/Motown bands, I usually play the B string *above* the 5th fret. One of my bands has a horn section, so I often have to play in "funny keys" like Eb, Ab, Bb. The B string is great to have because it gives me extra room to maneuver. The best example is having to play Aretha's "Respect" in Bb rather than C (for the vocalist's benefit rather than the horns' of course).

This leads to one of the many reasons why I love Sadowskys. With a mediocre bass, it can be difficult to intonate the B string so that it's in tune at the 12th fret or above. Sadowskys are built so well that I can play lengthy notes up there without fear.
Click to expand...

Exactly. This is why I have to have a 5. Tried to like a 4 but I always miss the B string.
 
#16,356
Chasarms said:
For me, the easiest way to play a four string is to stand it on it's end!! :)
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I once saw a bass player w/ a Chicago Blues band who sat in a folding chair on stage playing a P-Bass strung w/ the heaviest strings I've ever seen. He had the strap on the bottom post and was SITTING on the strap & holding the bass vertically & playing "upright" bass. This cat could groove. True story.
B.
 
#16,358
I'm STILL getting used to how GREAT the B is on my Standard 5. When I first got it, I emailed Roger saying I wasn't completely happy with the B, he emailed straight back and we discussed a couple of things (turned out to be a string issue) now, when playing this bass, I can play all over the neck and KNOW that what comes out is "IN TUNE" and "FOCUSSED" :hyper: It's disarmingly awesome and still catches me as it's PERFECT! Doesn't matter where I am on the neck? INCREDIBLE instrument! :cool:
 
#16,359
Oh... sorry, the obligatury pic :hiding:

4802_full_lg.jpg


Been a few years and still think I'm the luckiest bastage on the planet to own this bass! :)
 
#16,360
P. Bass said:
I wonder if that is related to the heavier body mass of the metros.
B.
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Nope. The B string on my chambered NYC is just as tight and powerful. IMHO, it really has more to do with neck materials and construction, and Sadowsky necks are always consistently great.
 

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