I am in the process of purchasing a new bass. I usually play a marcus miller J bass and a 62 standard jazz bass. I love the feel of a fender bass but I've always notice that on fenders you can't have the action that low to the fretboard because the strings start to buzz. I also notice that it doesn't take long for my new DR strings to sound stale after a couple of gigs. Which has led me to consider in buying a Sadowsky Bass. The only problem is that I have never actually played one, and all I want to know is "Does a sadowsky bass really offer more than what a fender bass?"
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Do sadowsky basses really offer more fender basses?
- Thread starter gumo
- Start date
I'm not 100% sure what you mean, but strings won't die faster on a fender than a sadowsky. The strings can't tell what kind of bass it is.
The bass you play has nothing to do with how long your strings last. Sadowsky basses offer a lot more in terms of quality and playability. I would not buy one without playing it. You might hate the way it sounds. You could always take your bass to a luthier and have the frets leveled and crowned and have a bass that plays wonderful. That would save you about 3+ grand.
bongomania
Commercial User
Aside from the bit about the strings, you really should read one or two of the HUNDREDS of threads asking whether Sadowskys are "really worth it".
I get the thing about not being able to get a low action on a Fender. Its got nothing to do with the need for a fret-leveling. The deal is that you simply can't lower the action as much on a bass with a smallish radiused fretboard as you can on a bass with a more flat board. Why that is I have no idea, but its definitely the case. That's my main gripe with Fenders as well.
Seeing as how the OP said he plays Fender basses though, I don't know what he's comparing their action too.
As for the strings dieing more quickly...yea, that doesn't make much sense.
Seeing as how the OP said he plays Fender basses though, I don't know what he's comparing their action too.
As for the strings dieing more quickly...yea, that doesn't make much sense.
... stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you or in an overhead bin. Make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position...
Quick answerto say the least..
is it worth it? well, do people pay that price for them? yeah, they do.
to some its worth it. i would say it totally is, theyre phenominal, youll NEVER hear a fender sound like that.
Good advice.
I used to have 10 Fenders and since I discovered Sadowsky I now only have a couple of Fenders and I only really play one.... my 1974 P.
I now have 3 Sadowskys and I doubt I will ever be without at least one of them. I absolutely love the tone. I have found the tone I have been looking for for almost 20 years.
Having said that, they are not Fenders and not even "Fenders on steriods" IMO. They have a very modern sound and do not really have bass or treble cut so are generally very bright. As an example, i play lots of RHCP slap on a Sadowsky with a morado fretboard (like rosewood) strung with old LaBella flats and it still sounds fairly bright. You can imagine what my Sadowsky with a maple board and new rounds sounds like.
.Not for the faint of heart, not something to drop $2-3k on without playing and definately not a Fender replacement.
Great basses and IMO the best I have ever played, but YMMV.
Just my $0.02.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
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...I now have 3 Sadowskys...they are not Fenders and not even "Fenders on steriods" IMO. They have a very modern sound and do not really have bass or treble cut so are generally very bright. As an example, i play lots of RHCP slap on a Sadowsky with a morado fretboard (like rosewood) strung with old LaBella flats and it still sounds fairly bright. You can imagine what my Sadowsky with a maple board and new rounds sounds like.
Not for the faint of heart, not something to drop $2-3k on without playing and definately not a Fender replacement. Great basses and IMO the best I have ever played, but YMMV. Just my $0.02.
+1
Dead on!
Bright bright bright--but great. You might also consider something a little darker like a P/J RV4. Talk to Kevin at Sadowsky, and go play some Metros.
Then play some '08 NAS Fender Jazzes and P-basses. The '08 Fenders setup quite a bit like the current Skylines and Sadowsky's. Quality is going up! Heck, play some Skylines, too.
You can't get the action any lower on a Sadowsky than on a Fender.
If that's your concern, I would say don't get a Sadowsky
It's true to a point that you can't ALWAYS get a SUPER low
action on a Fender. The old Fenders however did have flatter fretboard radius' and did allow for lower actions. It's one of the reasons
why Vintage Fenders are so highly prized.
On the other hand, i've had new Fenders with very low action, and some with not so low action. For some reason to me, it seems that P-Basses setup better than J-Basses.
As far as the Sadowsky thing, you get what you pay for.
A Sadowsky is a Super Deluxe Quality Fender on STEROIDS!
They are worth every penny!
action on a Fender. The old Fenders however did have flatter fretboard radius' and did allow for lower actions. It's one of the reasons
why Vintage Fenders are so highly prized.
On the other hand, i've had new Fenders with very low action, and some with not so low action. For some reason to me, it seems that P-Basses setup better than J-Basses.
As far as the Sadowsky thing, you get what you pay for.
A Sadowsky is a Super Deluxe Quality Fender on STEROIDS!
They are worth every penny!
I thought vintage spec Fender's had rounder a generally rounder neck radius than modern Fenders? I've also read from many other posters here and on other forums that neck radius has no affect whatsoever on action. I don't see how it could.
To the OP - I have the 2008 NAS P Bass, and have the action set up pretty low with little to no fret buzz. It isn't unreasonably low, but your action settings should only correspond to your technique anyway. Low action requires more time spent on technique than it does spending money on more expensive instruments. I'll bet if you played a Fender and a Sadowsky with the exact same action specs, you'd get similar fret rattle on both. It's all in the fingers, dude. If you think your Fenders have setup issues that are affecting playability, take them to a technician and have him (or her
) look it over, and throw a new brand of strings on while they're at it.
And then spend as much time over the next couple months playing acoustically (unplugged) as you do through your amp. Listen to how the wood, frets and strings on your basses react to your touch and you'll eventually learn how to avoid fret rattle with even the lowest action. Of course, whether it actually sounds good is another issue. Super low action isn't exactly a winning formula for having a fast array of dynamic capabilities.
To the OP - I have the 2008 NAS P Bass, and have the action set up pretty low with little to no fret buzz. It isn't unreasonably low, but your action settings should only correspond to your technique anyway. Low action requires more time spent on technique than it does spending money on more expensive instruments. I'll bet if you played a Fender and a Sadowsky with the exact same action specs, you'd get similar fret rattle on both. It's all in the fingers, dude. If you think your Fenders have setup issues that are affecting playability, take them to a technician and have him (or her
) look it over, and throw a new brand of strings on while they're at it. And then spend as much time over the next couple months playing acoustically (unplugged) as you do through your amp. Listen to how the wood, frets and strings on your basses react to your touch and you'll eventually learn how to avoid fret rattle with even the lowest action. Of course, whether it actually sounds good is another issue. Super low action isn't exactly a winning formula for having a fast array of dynamic capabilities.
