In the next few years I'm going to invest in a top class bass. I'm torn between Fodera or Sadowsky. Talkbassers give me your opinions!
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Fodera or Sadowsky
- Thread starter SteveBassJr
- Start date
What are you going to play on it?
If you had to describe your style/sound based on famous people who would you compare yourself to?
If you had to describe your style/sound based on famous people who would you compare yourself to?
Ever since Silence of the Lambs anything that resembles a moth freaks me out. I voted Sadowsky.
Steve, I suggest that you find representative examples of each make (that is, configured enough like what you would want to own) and play them; then compare your experiences.
"top class" doesn't describe what your functional or aesthetic criteria are, so there isn't much more advice to give you yet.
I say both. But if you can only afford one then yes the music you play would be helpful. If you are on a tighter budget the Sadowsky may be the best option
Why do you even need to ask? The TB rule is always you buy them BOTH! 
But nobody can decide this for you. Both basses are top notch as instruments go. Nothing to pick one over the other there. But to me a Sadowsky has a certain tone. Call it what you will, some call it a
Fender on steroids, whatever. Point is that it has a certain sound. The bass player for a local big band got a new bass and I walked in the room and didn't even see him or the bass, just heard the band and I said "Sadowsky"! To me I'm not so fond of it. Hey, I'm not so fond of Fenders either. Point is I'm not the one buying it. If you are in love with that sound then there is no choice. You buy it. If not, it may end up driving you crazy. A Sadowsky sound wouldn't drive me nuts, but I wouldn't choose it over some of my other basses either. And unless you have a lot of extra cash to burn, I'd try to make some kind of choice about what I liked. And of course if you ARE loaded with extra cash, then we are back to the first answer. Buy them both.
But nobody can decide this for you. Both basses are top notch as instruments go. Nothing to pick one over the other there. But to me a Sadowsky has a certain tone. Call it what you will, some call it a
Fender on steroids, whatever. Point is that it has a certain sound. The bass player for a local big band got a new bass and I walked in the room and didn't even see him or the bass, just heard the band and I said "Sadowsky"! To me I'm not so fond of it. Hey, I'm not so fond of Fenders either. Point is I'm not the one buying it. If you are in love with that sound then there is no choice. You buy it. If not, it may end up driving you crazy. A Sadowsky sound wouldn't drive me nuts, but I wouldn't choose it over some of my other basses either. And unless you have a lot of extra cash to burn, I'd try to make some kind of choice about what I liked. And of course if you ARE loaded with extra cash, then we are back to the first answer. Buy them both.
I won't compare myself to but I will say: Oteil Burbridge meets Phil Lesh in a alley with Dave LaRue lurking around the corner. I play every style except Metal these days.
Fly to new york. Try both. Eat great food. See beautiful sights. Winning.
A question like OP's begs this fact-finding question first:
What basses do you already own?
...and, will you be keeping those if/when you buy a Fodera or Sadowsky?
What basses do you already own?
...and, will you be keeping those if/when you buy a Fodera or Sadowsky?
I must add that my current go to is a Carvin LB 75 modded out with nordstrand pickups and a Sadowsky Pre amp. I play through an Aggie th 500 and db112x2 and some days markbass lmt 800 and 102p travelers x2. Depending on my mood.
Exactly. Just what I did about 10 yrs ago. And, although I haven't ever bought a Fodera direct I've owned 5, still have one and the Sad shop built my dream fretless 24 5 Modern.
Wonderful three day trip. See a museum a show and live jazz. I'm ready.
Fly to a big music city and hit up the best bass shops in the vacinity.
Play everything you can - without looking at the brand (hard to do - but try to be objective).
You usually will find a few that "speak" to you.
I found this one. I'd never heard of the brand - but I love her now : )
Play everything you can - without looking at the brand (hard to do - but try to be objective).
You usually will find a few that "speak" to you.
I found this one. I'd never heard of the brand - but I love her now : )
Which to choose? Two different flavors of excellent.
A buddy has a Fodera, so I got to play it for a bit. It didn't talk to me; I'm a Sadowsky guy. I prefer the sound and the feel. But obviously, other people prefer the Foderas.
OP, y'know what you might do, by way of scoping out the difference in the native voices of the two. (Won't give you a sense of how they feel, to play.) Pull up the Rock Candy Funk Party videos. On some tracks it's a Fodera, on others a Sadowsky. You can really hear the difference.
A buddy has a Fodera, so I got to play it for a bit. It didn't talk to me; I'm a Sadowsky guy. I prefer the sound and the feel. But obviously, other people prefer the Foderas.
OP, y'know what you might do, by way of scoping out the difference in the native voices of the two. (Won't give you a sense of how they feel, to play.) Pull up the Rock Candy Funk Party videos. On some tracks it's a Fodera, on others a Sadowsky. You can really hear the difference.
I voted Fodera only because they make range of unique models. Sadowsky makes super fine instruments and evrrytime I hear one they sound fantastic. Calling a Sadowsky a Fender on steroids is an insult to them - they're much better. Most Fodera models are pricey.
So different tonally and in price. Play lots of both.
I have owned a few Sadowskys and own a couple of Foderas and a Valenti (similar to Sadowsky) and love them equally for different reasons.
If you are dropping from $3-10+k, go to NYC or a retailer that sells both and try them out. DON'T buy such an expensive bass without trying them IME.
I have owned a few Sadowskys and own a couple of Foderas and a Valenti (similar to Sadowsky) and love them equally for different reasons.
If you are dropping from $3-10+k, go to NYC or a retailer that sells both and try them out. DON'T buy such an expensive bass without trying them IME.
Ask yourself " Am I going to gig this bass?" If so, "Am I comfortable taking a 4K or 5K bass to the kind of places I play?" What do you think these basses will do that your current bass will not do?
I was at a show recently and the bass player had a Fodera bass and I was really looking forward to hearing the band. The bass player came out first, plugged in and started noodling around. He got a nice burp out of the bass. I was really looking forward to hearing him play. The rest of the band came out and as they started playing, the bass tone, IMHO was completely wrong for the style of music they were playing. The bass player was on a kind of jazz trip and the band was playing a kind of Americana music. It seemed to me that the bass was completely wrong for the band. IMHO. Go to NY and Audition them both.
I was at a show recently and the bass player had a Fodera bass and I was really looking forward to hearing the band. The bass player came out first, plugged in and started noodling around. He got a nice burp out of the bass. I was really looking forward to hearing him play. The rest of the band came out and as they started playing, the bass tone, IMHO was completely wrong for the style of music they were playing. The bass player was on a kind of jazz trip and the band was playing a kind of Americana music. It seemed to me that the bass was completely wrong for the band. IMHO. Go to NY and Audition them both.
I'm not a high-end active bass guy these days, but man, I had a Sadowsky J for a time that was so good it was ridiculous. For a modern, but still-able-to-work-in-a-traditional-context sound, I don't think you can go wrong with a Sadowsky. Never played a Fodera though…..not my style, but I bet they're beautiful...
Buy a used Metro, and then get a custom Fodera. The Metros are really close to the NYC lately. Especially now that they have carbon reinforcement in the neck. (after Autum 2015). Custom ordering and Tone chambers is probably the only main difference.
If you still have cash to burn get Sadowsky Tokyo. They are on par with NYC, only a few thousand dollars cheaper.
If you still have cash to burn get Sadowsky Tokyo. They are on par with NYC, only a few thousand dollars cheaper.
It puts the Sadowsky on it's skin or it gets the hose again.
