Club Sadowsky!!!

[Vic]

I currently like the black best. I think it just ties in with the black knobs and pickups nicely, the white line around is key (I'd never want just a plain black PG on this one).

I like the pearl, but IMHO, it shouldn't be a white pearl. It's too much contrast for my tastes. I'd think a darker pearl, like a silver or abalone one would be nice.

 

[steve9000gi]

I have a burgundy MIM P bass: I dropped Lindy Fralins in, added a Fralin J pickup at the bridge...and a black pickguard. It's a pretty bass, but this Sadowsky blows it away...with the *black* pickguard.

-Steve

 

[BartmanPDX]

Another vote for the black. The tort actually looks better than I thought it would, but I'd still stick with the black if it were me.

Nice score. That's a bass I have lusted after on many an occasion.

 

[tombowlus]

Aaaahhhh!!!! My eyes! My eyes!

Seriously, the black looks killer. Maybe the white pearloid. Is that BigMikeW's old bass?

Tom.

 

[Kevinlane]

Aaaahhhh!!!! My eyes! My eyes! [/B]

Seriously, the black looks killer. Maybe the white pearloid. Is that BigMikeW's old bass?

Tom.

sorry Tom, didn't mean to HURT ya!

Yup, one of BigMike's old flames.

Like I said not a Photoshop wiz, but I have seen some red basses with the Gold andonized, and was trying to get it close. Just kinda brainstormin with the PG swapin idea.

LOL , so obviously I didn't do too good of a job on that one!!

 

[Kevinlane]

. What I like about white pearloid is how it interacts with stage lights and it doesn't show fingerprints. Yes, I'm anal. What can I say?

Yes, the good about pearloid, on stage underlights (which it will be) and not showing any pick or pluck scratches.

 

[thisSNsucks]

I like the black, but I think Tort is where its at.

 

[CliffD]

Oooh, that's a really nice set up, I really dig the color of your Aggie rig, must sound great!

Oh, and here's a pic of me at the Theodore's gig rockin' the Sadowsky. Aggie rig + Sad + Bass Face =

 

[spellcaster]

Gorgeous bass. Black all the way!

 

[Baird6869]

Toronto area Sadowsky lovers.....

Amazing deal on a (what looks like) Sadowsky NYC 5er at The Twelfth Fret In Toronto. NYCs are very rare in our neck of the woods and at over $4k new to start (taxes, etc), $2099 is a steal. I would buy it in a second but I just don't have the $$$ nor do I need another Sadowsky (I have 2).

Link Removed

 

[ashbory]

Toronto area Sadowsky lovers.....

Amazing deal on a (what looks like) Sadowsky NYC 5er at The Twelfth Fret In Toronto. NYCs are very rare in our neck of the woods and at over $4k new to start (taxes, etc), $2099 is a steal. I would buy it in a second but I just don't have the $$$ nor do I need another Sadowsky (I have 2).

Link Removed

Its sold.

 

[Baird6869]

Its sold.

Good! Now I don't have to sell a couple of Fenders and/or Stingrays to pay for it.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

I tried to get the 12th Fret bass too. I can't help but think that if they had answered my e-mails or calls yesterday, that one would be part of the TB family right now.
Never mind. Sour grapes.

 

[Fender32]

Rather than start a new thread (and risk starting a flaming war amongst the "haters" ), I'll post this here and keep it in the family .

Here's the story:

I have recently owned two Sadowsky Metro basses - a Modern M5-24 and a Vintage MV4.

Sadly, the arrival of the first one coincided with the break up of the band I was playing in at the time and there has been no prospect of me joining another since (long, boring story :scowl. Despite that, I played my Modern at home (through headphones) a lot and even though I really couldn't get on with the extra string , I felt that the bass would probably sound great in a live setting . Sadly , I didn't really find the "modern" tone much fun to play with at home, as it was a bit too hollow for my liking.

Undeterred, I went ahead and bought a Vintage 4 string Sadowsky Metro as well . I was certain (after all that I'd read here ) that this would be the bass for me and would put my other two Jazz Basses to shame. Again, being limited to playing it through headphones, meant that I wasn't really getting the best out of it . After a while though, I had to admit to myself that it just didn't sound as good as my '76 Fender, or my custom-made "parts JazzRay" .

Realising that I was simply the wrong person to own two such fine instruments and not use them live, I decided to let them go to new and better homes . Sadowskys are hard to come by in Europe (especially the M5-24) and so there was no problem in finding a new home for that one. As some of you will know, it went to our very own, Gillento (a top bloke, BTW). As some of you will also know (from earlier posts in this thread), Gillento gave it a fair workout with his band, but ultimatley decided (fairly quickly) that it simply wasn't the tone that he was hoping for and is in the process of selling/trading it again . Fair enough!

Yesterday, my Sadowsky Vintage Jazz (MV4) also went to a new owner (non-Tber), who even came and picked it up and demo'd it through my Markbass LMII/2x12" rig in my apartment before taking it . He looked delighted with it and I thought that this would be a match made in heaven .

Imagine my horror when I got an email from him today, saying that he's played it extensively at home (and will in rehearsals later today), but had decided that he was probably going to sell it on again . Apparently, the E string sounds "weak and boney"!?

Now, I'm not sure what to make of all this .

How can it be that three different people (all with some experience of owning high end basses) can find fault so quickly in these two basses? Is it perhaps that tastes in tone vary across the Atlantic (I don't think so )? Are we just a bunch of clueless amateurs (well, I might be, but the other two guys certainly aren't)? Or, are these basses simply cursed ?

I don't know what kind of response I'm expecting to this post, but it just seems so odd to me that almost all Sadowsky basses appear to find doting owners, right off the bat and yet these two are travelling the world (literally ) in search of someone to love them .

I don't believe for a minute that there's such a thing as a "sub-standard" Sadowsky either, so I definitely can't blame the basses themselves.

What do you guys think? Is it so unusual not to like a Sadowsky bass? Have we become victims of "hype" and raised our expectations too high ?

I feel guilty about all of this, for some reason . Help me out someone .

 

[GRoberts]

Not to be inflamatory at all, but ...did you try different strings?

Rather than start a new thread (and risk starting a flaming war amongst the "haters" ), I'll post this here and keep it in the family .

Here's the story:

I have recently owned two Sadowsky Metro basses - a Modern M5-24 and a Vintage MV4.

Sadly, the arrival of the first one coincided with the break up of the band I was playing in at the time and there has been no prospect of me joining another since (long, boring story :scowl. Despite that, I played my Modern at home (through headphones) a lot and even though I really couldn't get on with the extra string , I felt that the bass would probably sound great in a live setting . Sadly , I didn't really find the "modern" tone much fun to play with at home, as it was a bit too hollow for my liking.

Undeterred, I went ahead and bought a Vintage 4 string Sadowsky Metro as well . I was certain (after all that I'd read here ) that this would be the bass for me and would put my other two Jazz Basses to shame. Again, being limited to playing it through headphones, meant that I wasn't really getting the best out of it . After a while though, I had to admit to myself that it just didn't sound as good as my '76 Fender, or my custom-made "parts JazzRay" .

Realising that I was simply the wrong person to own two such fine instruments and not use them live, I decided to let them go to new and better homes . Sadowskys are hard to come by in Europe (especially the M5-24) and so there was no problem in finding a new home for that one. As some of you will know, it went to our very own, Gillento (a top bloke, BTW). As some of you will also know (from earlier posts in this thread), Gillento gave it a fair workout with his band, but ultimatley decided (fairly quickly) that it simply wasn't the tone that he was hoping for and is in the process of selling/trading it again . Fair enough!

Yesterday, my Sadowsky Vintage Jazz (MV4) also went to a new owner (non-Tber), who even came and picked it up and demo'd it through my Markbass LMII/2x12" rig in my apartment before taking it . He looked delighted with it and I thought that this would be a match made in heaven .

Imagine my horror when I got an email from him today, saying that he's played it extensively at home (and will in rehearsals later today), but had decided that he was probably going to sell it on again . Apparently, the E string sounds "weak and boney"!?

Now, I'm not sure what to make of all this .

How can it be that three different people (all with some experience of owning high end basses) can find fault so quickly in these two basses? Is it perhaps that tastes in tone vary across the Atlantic (I don't think so )? Are we just a bunch of clueless amateurs (well, I might be, but the other two guys certainly aren't)? Or, are these basses simply cursed ?

I don't know what kind of response I'm expecting to this post, but it just seems so odd to me that almost all Sadowsky basses appear to find doting owners, right off the bat and yet these two are travelling the world (literally ) in search of someone to love them .

I don't believe for a minute that there's such a thing as a "sub-standard" Sadowsky either, so I definitely can't blame the basses themselves.

What do you guys think? Is it so unusual not to like a Sadowsky bass? Have we become victims of "hype" and raised our expectations too high ?

I feel guilty about all of this, for some reason . Help me out someone .

 

[Sadowsky]

I agree that strings could be the cause of the disappointing E string on the MV4. It might also be the pickup being set too close to the strings.

There is no question that someone who has a traditional J-bass sound in his head may not warm to the 24F-5. On the other hand, others who have tried it for the first time have fallen in love with it.


Roger

 

[tombowlus]

There is no question that someone who has a traditional J-bass sound in his head may not warm to the 24F-5. On the other hand, others who have tried it for the first time have fallen in love with it.

+1 The 24F-5 has a very different vibe from a J/J or P/J Sadowsky. I'd have to say that my 24F-5 doesn't sound as 'pretty' as my P/J 5 when played solo, but in a mix, my 24F-5 is untouchable. It just punches through any mix (without overpowering) and just sounds perfect in a live band context. Conversely, while I can generally plug and play with a Jazz bass in a live setting, sometimes (as a result of a weird room or mix) I have to tweak things a bit to sit just right. On a gig, that 24F-5 just kills from the first downbeat, no matter the room or mix.

Tom.

 

[gillento]

Thanks or the kind words about me
Don't feel guilty about me. You made it possible for me to get my second Sadowsky!

I don't think my M5-24 is cursed. It definitely has no faults !!!
Actually it is built far better than my MV5 (the fretwork on the M5-24 is a lot better).

I tried the Modern in a band setting using inear monitoring and in another band using regular amps (Aguilar AG500SC/GS112).
Both bands (incl. me) preferred my MV5.

Maybe it is just "not wanting the new" or we are all spoiled by Roger's Vintage Sadowsky.

I think I will give it another try on 2 gigs over the next weeks.

...
Realising that I was simply the wrong person to own two such fine instruments and not use them live, I decided to let them go to new and better homes . Sadowskys are hard to come by in Europe (especially the M5-24) and so there was no problem in finding a new home for that one. As some of you will know, it went to our very own, Gillento (a top bloke, BTW). As some of you will also know (from earlier posts in this thread), Gillento gave it a fair workout with his band, but ultimatley decided (fairly quickly) that it simply wasn't the tone that he was hoping for and is in the process of selling/trading it again . Fair enough!

How can it be that three different people (all with some experience of owning high end basses) can find fault so quickly in these two basses? Is it perhaps that tastes in tone vary across the Atlantic (I don't think so )? Are we just a bunch of clueless amateurs (well, I might be, but the other two guys certainly aren't)? Or, are these basses simply cursed ?

I don't know what kind of response I'm expecting to this post, but it just seems so odd to me that almost all Sadowsky basses appear to find doting owners, right off the bat and yet these two are travelling the world (literally ) in search of someone to love them .

I don't believe for a minute that there's such a thing as a "sub-standard" Sadowsky either, so I definitely can't blame the basses themselves.

What do you guys think? Is it so unusual not to like a Sadowsky bass? Have we become victims of "hype" and raised our expectations too high ?

I feel guilty about all of this, for some reason . Help me out someone .

 

[Fender32]

Not to be inflamatory at all, but ...did you try different strings?

Hey, fair question ! Personally, I've only tried Sadowsky s/s and Sadowsky nickel-plated on the M5-24, whereas the MV4 has had Sadowsky s/s, Fender nickel flats and Fender nickel rounds on it . That's one of the beauties of the Sadowsky bridge design - it's so quick and easy to change strings (especially previously fitted sets ). Someone deserves a medal for that design !

I wrote to the guy who bought the MV4 and pleaded with him to change the Fender rounds that are on it now, before finally making his mind up - I'm sure he'll come round, after he hears it with a good set of s/s strings .

I agree that strings could be the cause of the disappointing E string on the MV4. It might also be the pickup being set too close to the strings.

There is no question that someone who has a traditional J-bass sound in his head may not warm to the 24F-5. On the other hand, others who have tried it for the first time have fallen in love with it.


Roger

I think that the strings are more to blame than the pickup height (I've worked as a guitar tech before and I do know how to set up an instrument ), but I don't know if the new owner has maybe raised the pickups for any reason .

I take your point about having the wrong expectations, Roger . As the Modern doesn't really compare to any (commonly known) bass that I've ever heard, it's tempting to assume that because so many owners of Sadowsky Vintage basses own them, they will sound something like a modern J . Clearly, this is not the case. Incidentally, I loved the tone too when I first heard it - perhaps it was just a bit too "revealing" for my rather sloppy technique, in the end .

Having said all of this, I'm almost certain that I'll buy another Sadowsky (r/w board, PJ Hybrid probably) once I'm playing in a band again .

+1 The 24F-5 has a very different vibe from a J/J or P/J Sadowsky. I'd have to say that my 24F-5 doesn't sound as 'pretty' as my P/J 5 when played solo, but in a mix, my 24F-5 is untouchable. It just punches through any mix (without overpowering) and just sounds perfect in a live band context. Conversely, while I can generally plug and play with a Jazz bass in a live setting, sometimes (as a result of a weird room or mix) I have to tweak things a bit to sit just right. On a gig, that 24F-5 just kills from the first downbeat, no matter the room or mix.

Tom.

I don't doubt it for a second, Tom . In fact, it was comments like that which inspired me to buy one in the first place . Do you happen to have any sound clips, or YouTube footage of the M5-24 in action, Tom? I'd love to see that .

One important thing that I forgot to mention earlier is that my Modern didn't have the VTC fitted when I had it (although I did give one to Gillento to install when he bought it). Maybe that was why I could never seem to dial out the sound of strings clattering around on the fretboard, without resorting to "dub reggae" mode . Seriously though, a 4-string "Modern" with a VTC (and probably a r/w board) would almost certainly be enough to tempt me to get my wallet straight out again !

Thanks or the kind words about me
Don't feel guilty about me. You made it possible for me to get my second Sadowsky!

I don't think my M5-24 is cursed. It definitely has no faults !!!
Actually it is built far better than my MV5 (the fretwork on the M5-24 is a lot better).

I tried the Modern in a band setting using inear monitoring and in another band using regular amps (Aguilar AG500SC/GS112).
Both bands (incl. me) preferred my MV5.

Maybe it is just "not wanting the new" or we are all spoiled by Roger's Vintage Sadowsky.

I think I will give it another try on 2 gigs over the next weeks.

I feel a bit better now .

Knowing the kind of songs you play (from your website ), I would imagine that the M5-24 would really bring the bass to the fore and sound pretty "dynamic" - I hope you can stick with it a little longer, Gilles.

Good point about everyone being "spolied by Roger's Vintage Sadowsky" - I can't see anyone hear disagreeing with that one !

 

[tommixx]

Rather than start a new thread (and risk starting a flaming war amongst the "haters" ), I'll post this here and keep it in the family .

Here's the story:

I have recently owned two Sadowsky Metro basses - a Modern M5-24 and a Vintage MV4.

Sadly, the arrival of the first one coincided with the break up of the band I was playing in at the time and there has been no prospect of me joining another since (long, boring story :scowl. Despite that, I played my Modern at home (through headphones) a lot and even though I really couldn't get on with the extra string , I felt that the bass would probably sound great in a live setting . Sadly , I didn't really find the "modern" tone much fun to play with at home, as it was a bit too hollow for my liking.

Undeterred, I went ahead and bought a Vintage 4 string Sadowsky Metro as well . I was certain (after all that I'd read here ) that this would be the bass for me and would put my other two Jazz Basses to shame. Again, being limited to playing it through headphones, meant that I wasn't really getting the best out of it . After a while though, I had to admit to myself that it just didn't sound as good as my '76 Fender, or my custom-made "parts JazzRay" .

Realising that I was simply the wrong person to own two such fine instruments and not use them live, I decided to let them go to new and better homes . Sadowskys are hard to come by in Europe (especially the M5-24) and so there was no problem in finding a new home for that one. As some of you will know, it went to our very own, Gillento (a top bloke, BTW). As some of you will also know (from earlier posts in this thread), Gillento gave it a fair workout with his band, but ultimatley decided (fairly quickly) that it simply wasn't the tone that he was hoping for and is in the process of selling/trading it again . Fair enough!

Yesterday, my Sadowsky Vintage Jazz (MV4) also went to a new owner (non-Tber), who even came and picked it up and demo'd it through my Markbass LMII/2x12" rig in my apartment before taking it . He looked delighted with it and I thought that this would be a match made in heaven .

Imagine my horror when I got an email from him today, saying that he's played it extensively at home (and will in rehearsals later today), but had decided that he was probably going to sell it on again . Apparently, the E string sounds "weak and boney"!?

Now, I'm not sure what to make of all this .

How can it be that three different people (all with some experience of owning high end basses) can find fault so quickly in these two basses? Is it perhaps that tastes in tone vary across the Atlantic (I don't think so )? Are we just a bunch of clueless amateurs (well, I might be, but the other two guys certainly aren't)? Or, are these basses simply cursed ?

I don't know what kind of response I'm expecting to this post, but it just seems so odd to me that almost all Sadowsky basses appear to find doting owners, right off the bat and yet these two are travelling the world (literally ) in search of someone to love them .

I don't believe for a minute that there's such a thing as a "sub-standard" Sadowsky either, so I definitely can't blame the basses themselves.

What do you guys think? Is it so unusual not to like a Sadowsky bass? Have we become victims of "hype" and raised our expectations too high ?

I feel guilty about all of this, for some reason . Help me out someone .

It is quite probable that I have bought and subsequently returned more Sadowskys than anyone on the face of the Earth (correct me if I am wrong Roger) and I have bought and actually kept 23 (so far! ) so I feel compelled to throw my in my $.02 to the above. I have said this over and over in PMs and I have talked to a lot of people over the phone about it as well. In my experience at least just like with any other brand out there, all Sadowskys are NOT created equal. That is not a dis to Roger or anyone out there, it is just in my honest opinion, a fact. I have ordered a bunch of basses from the shop and returned them on the 7 day return. I have also bought several from a couple of different dealers that I returned as well. The very first Sadowsky that I got I took straight to a recording session and cut several tracks with it through headphones.

[/IMG]

I was NOT blown away by the bass immediately and subsequently returned it after trying very hard to love it. Prior to this I had played 2 different Sadowskys that a friend of a friend had and just went NUTS about both of them (played in a live band context.) and KNEW I HAD TO HAVE A SADOWSKY!!!!

A few weeks after I returned the first Sadowsky I got a chance to hear the tracks I had done with it (the NYC Vintage 5 shown above) and I was absolutely FLOORED! I have played on over 4,000 dates and I had NEVER heard anything better in my life that I had played. I was absolutely sick to my stomach that I returned the bass and called the shop the next morning to try and get the bass back but it had already been sold (and is still with the buyer who got it who LOVES IT). The mistake I made was not hearing it in the proper context. If I had have heard the playback I would have realized what I an idiotic thing I was doing.

Flash forward...the very next Sadowsky I got was my beloved NYC Vintage 4.

[/IMG]

Let me tell you THIS IS A BASS!! Like a fool I let GAS get the better of me thinking that I would try some other things and I could always replace her....well trust me, I have been through a LOT of Sadowskys and there is something special about that one over the others as is the case with this one:

[/IMG]

It is ironic that both of these basses are Gold! The first is Champagne Gold and the second is Shoreline Gold. The first was a Regular Vintage 4 and the second is a New York City Ultra Vintage in Nitro. The Shoreline Nitro looks more like a platinum color in person. Both are the shiznit and both are unique in their own way but the one thing in common is their greatness. These 2 particular basses are "better" than ANY other Sadowsky I have had my hands on so far. I estimate that I have had in my hands (for some time frame of at least several days or more) nearly 50 Sadowskys in the last few years and I consider myself to some degree a pretty good expert on them by now. I can honestly say that in all that time I NEVER had a "bad one". I had one instance where there was some weird resonance going on at the C# on the A string on a Metro Ultra Vintage 70 5 String and they took it back and made it right no questions asked.

Now to my point...in all the time I have played them I have had Sadowskys that I thought were better than others. I can't really put my finger right on it but there is something about the one that feels better or sounds better than another one. I think a LOT of it is strings and setup. I HATE the Stainless Steels that come on the new Sadowskys. I LOVE the newer Sadowsky Blue nickels and Sadowsky Flats and I don't use ANY other strings now. I prefer to use very little EQ on the Sadowsky pre and get my tone from the bass itself. I LOVE these basses passive and some sound better than others just because of the nature of the wood. I have found that by having the action EXTREMELY low and the PUPS set too high the tone is choked and the notes have no chance to "breathe". I now have my action a bit higher and my PUPS at standard factory height. One thing I should mention is that I typically find that I HAVE to lower the PUP a bit on the bass side and/or raise the PUPS on the treble side of a bass for the response to be even across the strings...that is NOT the case on the 2 Gold Sadowskys shown here. Both of them are EXTREMELY even up and down the neck and across the strings. Unless you have these traits in your Sadowsky (or ANY bass) you may feel that it doesn't live up to your expectations. Playability is also an intangible thing that you can't measure but you definitely feel. I have been getting Rob L to do all my setups at the shop and have sent in several of my Sadowskys that I have owned a while for him to do setups on. That is not a knock on ANYONE at the shop!!! I know everyone there is a master craftsman. It just so happens that Rob just knows how to setup my basses for ME. Someone else may play one of my basses and think it is unplayable but to me it is like sex on a Sunday morning! There is just something "extra" that happens when the setup is perfect for your playing style. My Gold Sadowsky and my Alleva are like those old jeans that you reach for or that old T-shirt that is so worn you can almost see through it. It is just comfortable!!!!

In my thinking, if you feel there is something "missing" in any instrument, it is most likely something "fixable" like the strings, the battery, the setup, or something else in the signal chain that is the culprit. My first suggestion is pay attention to your setup. Is it comfortable? Is it too low and clacky sounding? Is the tone even across the strings and up and down the neck? You get the idea...change the strings, check the setup, change the battery (even though it is not dead it may be weak) get your strap comfortable!!!! Stupid stuff but it all makes a difference. I have spent a fortune changing strings but I have FOUND what works finally!!! If you do all these things and then the bass doesn't seem or feel right, then it is not! It is not your fault, it is not the bass's fault, it is not the builder's fault. You just did not connect with that bass. No need to apologize at all, an instrument is such a personal thing and when you find the "right" one it is better than food when you're hungry, sex when you haven't had any in a while, and certainly better than ANY drug or beverage I have ever had. If you feel inspired to pick up an instrument and just play for your own enjoyment at any time at all, you have found a "good" one! Play on!

Peace,

T