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Club Sadowsky!!!

#17,061
Chef said:
I really get both points of view here...
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To be fair, I hope it was clear I did too.

It's true that there is that sweet spot on the blend knob that gets you a great deal of the solo'd sound.
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+1, given the venue is suitable, which does happen a lot. Just not all the time.

However, I can also say from spending years in clubland, where flourescent or neon lights are on the same circuit as your amp or on close proximity to you bass, that those create big icky hum problems sometimes. Or, proximity to circuits with a dimmer on them, television sets, coolers...lotsa things can bring icky noise into via you pickups.
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Yeah, like DMX systems! Jeez, those systems are great, but it definitely "matters" which circuit they're on and how close they are to certain things.

However, the HC's sound so significantly different to me that I'd rather shut my volume knob between songs and use the SC's than have the HC tone...
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My preference isn't as extreme as yours, but we generally agree on this (and with Ken in more general terms as well).

The other side point, which does matter as well, is Roger's SC pickups are probably the best shielded on the market. It's part of his spec to the supplier. So even this discussion here is greatly dependent on that as well. You take a generic Fender J bass with SC's in it and try the same tricks there, and, well, let's just say there's a good reason why all the aftermarket folks made such a killing on HC J pickups over the years, you know? :)
 
#17,062
+1 to Chef and Vic. My point was that the noise issue with SC is greatly overstated and misunderstood by some. For those who play with both pickups dimed... zero issue. For those who favor one pickup or the other, virtually no issue.

If you are in a really bad room, I agree that HC's when favoring a pickup will have an advantage, but IMO it isn't night and day using versus using the 'sweet spot' with singles (i.e., I've had HC's sqawkin' and hummin' in bad rooms also).

Get the HC's or SC's because you dig the tone. Noise (with the high quality build/shielding that Roger does), is an issue, but not nearly what many think.

K
 
#17,064
Chef said:
alrighty then;)
seems like we're all about on the same page with that, all things said and done!
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Not so fast, Chef!!! Enter the Devil's Advocate!!! :hiding:

Now, I know you all going by your experience with 5 string instruments. I will agree when I had my Standard 5 the HC pups seemed too scooped for my tone goals and I switched to the singles. I also agree this improved the tone but I was missing that upper treble response that the HC have. I usually blend 100% of the time but, when I would favor the bridge pickup (even in the sweetspot) I would get that unwanted hum. I no longer have this bass. Not because of the noise just because my gigging situation changed.

Now, I strickly use 4 bangers again and I love it. Also, I love the HC pups in the 4 string models. There is a tone difference between the 5 and 4 string pups IMO IME. I tried a Will Lee with singles and missed that upper treble response that my Standard 4 had so I switched to HC in the WL. An improvement for my tone goals. I recently sold that only because I couldnt get used to the vintage style. My playing technique has developed with non vintage style instruments so I need that extra space. I just took delivery of another Standard 4 and absolutly love its tone with the HC pups. There are a few songs where I favor the bridge pickup and it sounds great and has zero noise. a tone that sounds better to me than what the singles produced.

The cool thing here is that Roger offers something for everybody. If you like the SC blend sound and/or you can deal with a little noise or pull off that perfect favor sweetspot in the singles, he's got that. If you cant deal with hum and/or you need a little more up top, he's got that too.

I just happen to like the tone of the HC pups in my Standards better than the singles. Having zero noise is a plus! YRMV. :D
 
#17,068
Joeykun said:
Also, I love the HC pups in the 4 string models. There is a tone difference between the 5 and 4 string pups IMO IME.
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Actually, I believe this is FACT, not just your experiences. VERY good point!

I forgot to qualify my comments were only about the 5's, and that IS significant.
 
#17,069
RColie said:
I'm in the same boat (the 8 to 10 month boat!). I ordered a WL 5 about 2 weeks ago - Dark Cherry Burst, Tort pick guard, Madagascar fingerboard. It seems a long time to wait for a bass, but it's worth it!

Bob
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Yes I know it will be worth the wait but as Tom Petty says "The waiting is the hardest part" When you get yours which I assume will be before I get mine you will have to fill me in on what it's like. And send pics of course.
 
#17,072
Hey Guys,

My main bass is a NYC 24-5 and I'm thinking of getting a Squier Deluxe as a backup, but the Squier has a 2.00" nut and the Sadowsky has a 1.875" nut; I think both are 3.00" at the 20th fret and I think both are 19mm, but I'm not sure. My question is, has anyone experienced difficulty switching between the two? I've tried a Squier Deluxe at GC, but it was set up poorly, so I couldn't really tell. Any input would be appreciated.
 
#17,073
john nam said:
Hey Guys,

My main bass is a NYC 24-5 and I'm thinking of getting a Squier Deluxe as a backup, but the Squier has a 2.00" nut and the Sadowsky has a 1.875" nut; I think both are 3.00" at the 20th fret and I think both are 19mm, but I'm not sure. My question is, has anyone experienced difficulty switching between the two? I've tried a Squier Deluxe at GC, but it was set up poorly, so I couldn't really tell. Any input would be appreciated.
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I don't think you'll have any problem with this. Noting they both have the same scale and same bridge spacing, it shouldn't make any difference at all to your right hand (assuming you're a righty), and noting the long span where that fairly small diff is gradually rolled in as you approach the nut, I'd think it'd be a non-issue. We're only talking 1/8" across all strings. Not a big deal IMHO.
 
#17,074
Woohoo,

Less than a week and I will be visiting the shop in person, with some deposit money burning a hole in my pocket.

The plan is for a 4-string jazz, extensive playing will narrow down the model (leaning WL but we'll see), also curious to hear the difference between the HC and SC pickups.

Last time I visited the shop they were still in Times Square (and I was a poor student with only distant dreams of owning a Sadowsky). This time, going back to select a "friend" for my 24F5, I plan to really enjoy myself.

Later
Rob
 
#17,075
Nice!

It was very nice to go to the shop in person. I was leaning toward an MV4 w/singles but ended up going with the WL after trying it out. Playing the WL back to back with a regular Sadowsky 4-string was the only way to really evaluate the subtle difference in the neck specs. I liked it, but others do not.
 
#17,077
Vic said:
Actually, I believe this is FACT, not just your experiences. VERY good point!

I forgot to qualify my comments were only about the 5's, and that IS significant.
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Huge +1. My MS4 has HCs, my RS5 has singles. I love both, and having tried the opposite in both of them (HCs in the 5 and Duncan Antiquity IIs in the 4), think this is the right setup. The 4 is still my favorite, dead stock and just perfect.
 

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