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Feedback Wanted on tone preference.
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
To be honest, I think you should go back and play the StingRay again through the Aguilar rig they have in store.
I never really thought my Rumble brought out the best in my StingRays. When I switched to MarkBass it brought more out of them. Then when I switched to Aguilar ….. well now I feel they are at their best.
Also that Sadowsky reminds me a lot of my Sandberg with its pickups and articulation. Basses like that pair well with warmer voiced amps like the Rumbles. Mine sure did. But it also sounds good with the Aguilar .
The strings might look fresh on the StingRay and they come stock with Slinky’s . They sound great but to me they die too quickly . They can look fresh and new and be dead as a doornail.
Your 19mm spacing preference might be a factor here as well.
Go back and play it again through the Aguilar .
I never really thought my Rumble brought out the best in my StingRays. When I switched to MarkBass it brought more out of them. Then when I switched to Aguilar ….. well now I feel they are at their best.
Also that Sadowsky reminds me a lot of my Sandberg with its pickups and articulation. Basses like that pair well with warmer voiced amps like the Rumbles. Mine sure did. But it also sounds good with the Aguilar .
The strings might look fresh on the StingRay and they come stock with Slinky’s . They sound great but to me they die too quickly . They can look fresh and new and be dead as a doornail.
Your 19mm spacing preference might be a factor here as well.
Go back and play it again through the Aguilar .
I voted Sadowsky for the same reasons everyone else mentioned. But I also got myself a Sadowsky, then sold my Stingray to fund the purchase of a second Sadowsky. So I'm biased.
Being spoiled for choice with a JJ and a PJ NYC Sadowsky actually has kept me GAS-free for nearly a year now!
Being spoiled for choice with a JJ and a PJ NYC Sadowsky actually has kept me GAS-free for nearly a year now!
Tough choice. They both sound good but the Sadowsky sounds like it would cut through really well in a band mix so that would be my choice.
That Sadowsky is legendary. SLO instruments aren't going anywhere, treat yourself!
I voted Sadowsky but IME it's really important how it sounds in a live band setting if that's where you will be using it. You obviously can't try it in a band setting, so your own experience needs to kick in when deciding. Not much help I guess.... It's the old "a P-bass sounds terrible on its own but is a dream in a band mix" thing. 
I won’t be back before January. The folks there were very nice, but I don’t want to come a bunch of times to just kick the tires. When I come again, I want to be in a position to buy something.
You’re rarely going to find me preferring a Stingray, but this is no exception. Sadowsky all the way
The blue and white one sounds reaal good to me. The other one does as well, but in a different way. I like the blue and white one best. 
Based on the sound in the videos alone, I'd say I prefer the Sadowsky. But, feel, sizing (string spacing, neck width, etc...) should factor in.
I thought you already had a SBMM Ray5? If that's still the case, I'd be more inclined to go with the Sadowsky. But that SR5 is my favourite of their current finishes.
I thought you already had a SBMM Ray5? If that's still the case, I'd be more inclined to go with the Sadowsky. But that SR5 is my favourite of their current finishes.
Sadowsky, the MusicmMan sounded dull for a MusicMan compared to it, I was surprised. That Sadowsky was sweet!
Couldn't have said it better myself.
It was obvious after watching the first 20 seconds of each video.
Yes, I have a SBMM HH, it is good, but not Stingray Special good. I also prefer the H to the HH. I can live happily without the tones the neck humbucker offers. I love the Sadowsky far more than I thought I would, but I suspect folks are right about the Stingray sounding better with fresh strings and it is $1,200 cheaper than the Sadowsky. I like the Sadowsky better, but I know for a fact that I would enjoy the Ray if I got it. I will see what my money looks like in the New Year, and as I said earlier, I may wait until summer, 2026, when I retire because I really want to genuinely get what I want, not simply buy something that is “good enough.”
D
I would never buy a bass with as much fretbuzz as that Sadowsky. Hopefully just a setup issue...?
Apart from that, the sound quality of a recording made with a phone isn't really good enough for any meaningful comparison IMO. The only person who knows what these basses actually sounded like is YOU.
Apart from that, the sound quality of a recording made with a phone isn't really good enough for any meaningful comparison IMO. The only person who knows what these basses actually sounded like is YOU.
Nice test and a tough decision but I prefer the Sadowsky (own 2 MM SR's).
Can the JM Sadowsky also get a similar tone to a Sadowsky JJ?
Can the JM Sadowsky also get a similar tone to a Sadowsky JJ?
That was my experience with the HH as well.
Sound wise, I also liked the Sadowsky far more than I thought I would. I've owned a couple of NY Sadowskys and they've never quite gelled for me. But that particular one sounded great.
I'm skeptical that new strings on the Stingray might make that big a difference. If I was making a decision between those two basses, it would be that particular Sadowsky, not one that you might find two years from now. YOLO!Cheese, what about the string spacing? Your fingering seemed better or more comfortable on the Sadowsky.
It can emulate a Jazz, but I have really nice Jazz on the way, so I am not needing that tone from another bass.
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Absolutely agree with this, in a stingray fan boy, but the Sadowsky sounds better here, super crisp and and punchy, it’s always gonna be more versatile with the two pickups too.
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