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Fender CS - Lakland - Sadowsky which one??

#41
rayzak said:
Good point on the Sadowsky with single coils. I was comparing the Sadowsky with the others as the Sadowsky comes standard with the HC's and you would have to go single-coils as an upcharge, if i'm not mistaken. I didn't find that the Sadowsky sound changed much when bypassing the pre. Even with the VTC. It's a GREAT sound, but certainly not as versatile as the other two.
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Unless something has changed, I do not believe there is an upcharge for SC pickups on an NYC. With SC pickups and leaving the bass\treble controls flat, it definitely has a bit of that vintage vibe to me - only better. Of course I always thought the Sadowsky sounded a bit more like a passive bass "gone loud" without that typical active bass tone anyway...
 
#43
I haven't played any of them but at that price range I would also be checking Alleva-Coppolo, I heard great things about them being very good at reproducing the 60's Fender vibe (nitro finish for instance) and coupling it with subtle modern touches. seem it would be wrong to dismiss them from such a comparison.

another thing I would look into is used Fullerton era AVRI Fenders. I have a '62 RI Precision from that time period and it's an awesome instrument. I haven't played a genuine vintage 60's P but I doubt it can improve in tone and playability in a direct ratio to the price difference, they can be had for the same price as most CS models (sometimes even less), they appreciate in value over time and everyone who played one seems to agree they got some serious mojo.
 
#46
Never tried Fender CS, but have owned sign series Marcus Miller 4 & 5, and disappointed with the electronics.
And currently own both Lakland 55-94 Deluxe and Sadowsky NYC (in PJ setup).. And it's very hard to determine which one is better.
Lakland has great neck, very clear sounding bass..The Sadowsky is more aggressive sounding bass (which I like) IMO, very light. Both have great customer service.
Better own both…:hiding:
either way, you will not dissapointed with Lakland / Sadowsky.
 
#48
With regard to Lakland and Sadowsky they make great basses, but if you are looking at a traditional style jazz bass there are a lot of other brands out there as well. Including Alleva-Coppolo, Mike Lull and many many others. I'd probably expand your search list.

I own a Sadowsky, Alleva-Coppolo and Lakland all great instruments. It can however be very difficult to find any of these to play in a local shop and the Sadowsky return policy is the one of the few opportunities you will have to try before you buy.

Generally speaking when it comes to Jazz style basses many gravitate towards the early 60s alder/rosewood basses or the more aggressive 70s style ash/maple basses. You can choose to mix and match these or throw in a P pickup in the neck position. These are all options that if you have not yet gained the knowledge to have a preference may indicate that it may take some more time and research to know exactly what direction and ultimately who you want to build your instrument for you.

Good luck!
 
#49
Fender CS made a smaller body "modern boutique" called the Custom Classic. Mine is a one-piece light ash body, nitro finish, quarter sawn neck, rosewood fb, 3-band eq.

My good friend has a NY Sad. Alder body. Rosewood.

Played a bunch of Lakies.

I always thought the Lakies were pretty "meh." Why not just play a good Fender? Beautifully made, though.

The Sad is awesome. Pretty much what everyone says is true.

BUT

I prefer the Fender Custom Classic neck shape -- feel is my personal number one priority. The workmanship is absolutely on par with the boutiques. Materials are first rate. And the tone is . . . well. . . it's a real J! Fender doesn't make them any more, but you can still find 'em around at some dealers and on the 'bay.

In the end, I think you may need to find a way to try a couple.
 
#50
MrBonex said:
....feel is my personal number one priority.....
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That is why I have always gravitated towards Lakland....best feeling neck in the biz....period!!! Although I own a 5594 not a JO. As I mentioned previously, LEJ one of my fav J bass makers. If I had a choice, and it HAD to be a J body style, I would seriously look at LEJ. They are wonderful basses.
 
#51
MrBonex said:
Fender CS made a smaller body "modern boutique" called the Custom Classic. Mine is a one-piece light ash body, nitro finish, quarter sawn neck, rosewood fb, 3-band eq.

My good friend has a NY Sad. Alder body. Rosewood.

Played a bunch of Lakies.

I always thought the Lakies were pretty "meh." Why not just play a good Fender? Beautifully made, though.

The Sad is awesome. Pretty much what everyone says is true.

BUT

I prefer the Fender Custom Classic neck shape -- feel is my personal number one priority. The workmanship is absolutely on par with the boutiques. Materials are first rate. And the tone is . . . well. . . it's a real J! Fender doesn't make them any more, but you can still find 'em around at some dealers and on the 'bay.

In the end, I think you may need to find a way to try a couple.
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That's a great looking instrument! :cool:
 
#53
i had several laklands and sold all of them in favor of my sadowskys. the laklands were well made, great looking and played like butter.

i'm still a little unclear on what vintagey refers to, or if it really has the same meaning to all of the people using the term. but one thing the laklands did not do that the sadowskys do, and that the great vintage instruments i own do, is sit well in a mix. this has also been my observation as an audience member.

i also had a CS relic jazz bass. at one point i replaced the CS pickups with fralins and then immediately switched them back. they were great!
 
#54
peterpalmieri said:
With regard to Lakland and Sadowsky they make great basses, but if you are looking at a traditional style jazz bass there are a lot of other brands out there as well. Including Alleva-Coppolo, Mike Lull and many many others. I'd probably expand your search list.
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I agree. I've played several high end J-types, and my favorites have been from Mike Lull. Obviously this is preference, nothing more, but perhaps yours would be something other than Lakland, Sadowsky, or Fender. John Suhr should be considered too.

MrBonex, that is indeed a gorgeous Custom Classic. Fender still makes something similar, but it's exclusive to Guitar Hotline, and looks to be awesome. I wonder what the differences are between this and the Custom Classic:

http://www.guitarhotline.com/p-447-fender-custom-shop-active-jazz-bass.aspx
 
#55
Keep the ideas coming! I have had the pleasure of playing a Mike Lull and was very impressed with the quality and tone. Very nice all around. What has gotten me intrigued is his new Ultra Vintage model. The one thing that sticks out for me is that "feel" of the vintage frets. As my search continues, I am going to open it to additional brands but narrow it down to those who offer this type of fret work. I know Lakland, Lull, Alleva-Coppolo all offer this. Is this an option with some of the high end builders? What are the main reasons for the different fret sizes? Can my Fender be re-fretted with the vintage style frets? Sorry for the number of questions here. Just looking at my options. Thanks again to all.
 
#56
You have a number of great options to choose from, including the CS Fender, Lakland, Sadowsky, Alleva-Copollo, and Lull already mentioned. If you are wanting even more options to consider (that is, if the choices are not confusing enough already!), I suggest that you also consider a Nordy vJ Classic. Carey's new 34" scale Classic line really hits the mark for what you are looking for, too.
 
#58
Can't go wrong with any of them. I've never played an Alleva, but from what I hear they are top notch. I have owned a Fender CS and a few Laklands, and they were wonderful. I still wish that I had the CS, but sold it in a fit of GAS some time ago .. Stupid decision, Wonderful, wonderful bass. My brother also swears by Fender CS guitars. The Laklands were also very nice - great attention to detail and superb playability, just not my thing.

I finally decided on the Sadowsky. IMO, my Sadowsky is the best jazz-type bass - for me, anyways. YMMV, but I love the tone options (especially with a VTC - I won't buy a bass without a VTC or something like it anymore), the playability, and the weight.

But in all actuality - I would be thrilled to play any of those basses. My advice to you is to get out there and play a few and see what you like. I went through a lot of basses to find some that I really, really like.

One man's Squire is another man's Fodera ....
 
#60
bmaker said:
Thanks to all for the great information! Seems like all 3 of the brands have their fans. From the info I have gotten there seems to be a few consistencies: First and foremost, all are good choices. Second, one of the biggest differences of all 3 centers around tone. Probably needs to be heard to make a real decision but all have their subtle differences. Lastly, you gotta play them to see what fits best. There are a few places that have both Lakland and CS bases but have yet to find a place that has the NYC Sadowsky's. Where does one go to find them all under one roof?

I had not considered the Alleva Coppolo in my original post. I will do a serach to get more informaition on this brand.
Again, Thanks to all.
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You could call Bass Club Chicago and see what they have.
 

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