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From Question thread to NBD : I bought the Sadowsky Verdine White P/J
- Thread starter AngelCrusher
- Start date
Well I should have mine tomorrow. One thing I noticed when I looked at ours is that the P/J on a jazz body looks amazing because there is no pick guard. I think the jazz pickguard with a p/j can look a little busy, but these satins just look so incredibly clean.
The metro precision P/J on bass San Diego's website is gone. I wonder if a TB'r bought it. It was a really good deal, I think a hair over $2k.
Did anyone see the Deluxe Satin Series Verdine signature recently sold?
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drooldrooldrool
Wow that looks really great. Personally, I prefer the look of the satin paint jobs. They really grabbed me. Couldn't believe they were clocking in at just under $3k US. But the natural wood/no pickguard look on a jazz body is epic and legendary too.
I was originally looking for a Fender P/J with the jazz body but something always looked off to me and I realized it was the pickguard. There is literally nothing out there like a Sadowsky P/J. As far as I know it is the only active P/J bass with a passive tone control. To me, that is a huge part of making an active bass sound organic and warm.
I was originally looking for a Fender P/J with the jazz body but something always looked off to me and I realized it was the pickguard. There is literally nothing out there like a Sadowsky P/J. As far as I know it is the only active P/J bass with a passive tone control. To me, that is a huge part of making an active bass sound organic and warm.
The Metro does
But I would love to have a PJ5 Satin
Many may disagree but the necks on the NYC/Satin just feel much better than the Metros. IMO
But I would love to have a PJ5 Satin
Many may disagree but the necks on the NYC/Satin just feel much better than the Metros. IMO
I cant wait to find out. Being able to have an nyc instrument was really what pushed me in this direction. I would have no problem owning a metro either, but a nyc build for this price in a p/j that looks as good as these do. Well thats too much to resist for me.
I'm pretty sure I read that someone ordered one in Olive Satin. It was in the "Sadowsky Club" thread.
Ok, I got it. I wonder if I am one of the few TB'rs to own one. I restrung it with my preferred rounds - Rotosounds 66. The Sadowsky strings that came with it were nice, but I prefer lighter gauge and it's also easier to compare my Jazz and P since they also have Rotos.
First thing is the build quality is everything you expect. I wish I could say I have gotten similar build quality for other basses in this price range, but I honestly have not. Every single detail is covered. The one thing that really sticks out is that the intonation is dead on, and it was super easy to set for the new strings. The action is already nice and low from Roger so I didn't even need to do anything there. The other thing that makes this really different from others is every single note on the fretboard is equal. So you can play a low E and even the highest E has weight to it. You don't go past the 12th fret and have that thin/farty sound that can make a fill lose momentum.
Comparing my 70's Pbass to the Sadowsky was interesting. The Sadowsky just has more booty to it, even passive or with no boost to the EQ (active/passive is great, not much of a volume jump at all, which is fantastic.) The Pbass is an amazing tone that works on a ton of things, and the Sadowsky is similar but not the same. I would say that the Sadowsky Pbass tone is more modern sounding and rolling the tone back results in glorious R&B/NuJazz/Hip Hop tones that are warm and very defined with great midrange. The older Pbass has that old school Jazz tone that the Sadowsky can cop in passive mode quite well, but it's not the same as the Pbass, which is good since I don't need a copy of the same bass. The Pbass is a barkier instrument with less low end, but they both sound like P's, just different. The Sadowsky has a much more modern take that really works with a lot of records. I love favoring this pickup a lot.
P/J tone is super clear. If you want to punch through a mix with incredible definition, this bass really can do it and the P/J mode is awesome for that. With the tone all the way up, it has that Wooten style slap tone that you would expect from a P/j. But the magic to me is rolling the tone back about 40-50%. That is a real game changer because the definition remains clear as a bell and the ultra high end of the active bass is under control. Suddenly you have the combo of note definition and warmth. Its that sound you hear on a bunch of modern jazz records, when the bass has serious low end but all the notes are audible in the mix. Love it.
Finally, the bridge. This is an extremely impressive bridge pickup with little drop off in volume at all. Naturally there is less low end, but you can dial that in with just a little bit of the bass knob. This is the ultra finger funk tone that growls and burps with a ton of clarity. Roll the tone off even more and boost the treble knob and it's fusion city. Amazing for solos and just laying down busy lines that you want to sound clean and up front through the entire song.
Other thoughts. The neck is so awesome. I was prepared for the thickness front to back to be real slim, like a modern Fender Jazz or Ibanez, but luckily it has a little girth to it. That really makes it a perfect neck to me. Its very easy to play with speed, and when there are no dead notes and everything sings that is quite inspiring. I have never owned a bass that has such perfect balance.
If you want a P/J that has some nice inherent low end, then you will love this bass. Sadowskys are not as open sounding as Fenders, but the benefit is that no matter what note you play, it will always stand out because it will have lows behind it and not just highs. You can do the scooped thing if you want, but the money in this bass is the midrange warmth you get when you roll the tone back.
Feel free to ask any questions. I can say that initial impressions are that for a bass that is just under $3k, I definitely expected quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, but this instrument is on another level.
First thing is the build quality is everything you expect. I wish I could say I have gotten similar build quality for other basses in this price range, but I honestly have not. Every single detail is covered. The one thing that really sticks out is that the intonation is dead on, and it was super easy to set for the new strings. The action is already nice and low from Roger so I didn't even need to do anything there. The other thing that makes this really different from others is every single note on the fretboard is equal. So you can play a low E and even the highest E has weight to it. You don't go past the 12th fret and have that thin/farty sound that can make a fill lose momentum.
Comparing my 70's Pbass to the Sadowsky was interesting. The Sadowsky just has more booty to it, even passive or with no boost to the EQ (active/passive is great, not much of a volume jump at all, which is fantastic.) The Pbass is an amazing tone that works on a ton of things, and the Sadowsky is similar but not the same. I would say that the Sadowsky Pbass tone is more modern sounding and rolling the tone back results in glorious R&B/NuJazz/Hip Hop tones that are warm and very defined with great midrange. The older Pbass has that old school Jazz tone that the Sadowsky can cop in passive mode quite well, but it's not the same as the Pbass, which is good since I don't need a copy of the same bass. The Pbass is a barkier instrument with less low end, but they both sound like P's, just different. The Sadowsky has a much more modern take that really works with a lot of records. I love favoring this pickup a lot.
P/J tone is super clear. If you want to punch through a mix with incredible definition, this bass really can do it and the P/J mode is awesome for that. With the tone all the way up, it has that Wooten style slap tone that you would expect from a P/j. But the magic to me is rolling the tone back about 40-50%. That is a real game changer because the definition remains clear as a bell and the ultra high end of the active bass is under control. Suddenly you have the combo of note definition and warmth. Its that sound you hear on a bunch of modern jazz records, when the bass has serious low end but all the notes are audible in the mix. Love it.
Finally, the bridge. This is an extremely impressive bridge pickup with little drop off in volume at all. Naturally there is less low end, but you can dial that in with just a little bit of the bass knob. This is the ultra finger funk tone that growls and burps with a ton of clarity. Roll the tone off even more and boost the treble knob and it's fusion city. Amazing for solos and just laying down busy lines that you want to sound clean and up front through the entire song.
Other thoughts. The neck is so awesome. I was prepared for the thickness front to back to be real slim, like a modern Fender Jazz or Ibanez, but luckily it has a little girth to it. That really makes it a perfect neck to me. Its very easy to play with speed, and when there are no dead notes and everything sings that is quite inspiring. I have never owned a bass that has such perfect balance.
If you want a P/J that has some nice inherent low end, then you will love this bass. Sadowskys are not as open sounding as Fenders, but the benefit is that no matter what note you play, it will always stand out because it will have lows behind it and not just highs. You can do the scooped thing if you want, but the money in this bass is the midrange warmth you get when you roll the tone back.
Feel free to ask any questions. I can say that initial impressions are that for a bass that is just under $3k, I definitely expected quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, but this instrument is on another level.
Congrats on the bass!
I've had a NYC P/J for a few months now and I concur with all your impressions. I started out using it with the P pu only, but, have recently started using it 50/50 blend. Really sounds great in the mix.
Thanks! I need to add that p/j blend is incredible with pedals. Just spent an hour messing with some, and yeah - awesome stuff.
To me, the solo'd P tone is flatter than my 70 P; not as barky. The Sadowsky has more weight and girth. It sounds like a Fender through a preamp and with slight compression. Also, digging in to the Fender gets more of a response; it gets more gnarly the harder you play. The Sadowsky keeps its composure. Different animals for sure, always pros and cons...
That said, I haven't touched my Fender since getting the Sadowsky. I've done some recording and listened back to some board takes from live shows and the thing just sounds outstanding.
Playability is about as good as it gets. You can play at the top of the neck, and the notes are clear as a bell with no buzzing or choking.
That said, I haven't touched my Fender since getting the Sadowsky. I've done some recording and listened back to some board takes from live shows and the thing just sounds outstanding.
Playability is about as good as it gets. You can play at the top of the neck, and the notes are clear as a bell with no buzzing or choking.
Congratulation, really glad it came out the way you expected to be and more.
Any detail pictures?
I am still considering - The price is just a bit hefty to get it across the pond - On the other hand, if it is that! good..
Can anyone sum up what we would NOT get with a Verdine White NYC model, that does come with the pricier NYC models? I'd be happy to give up cosmetic / aesthetic differences, but want to know if the difference is in tone / playability. Thanks in advance.
I believe the hardware is Hipshot Licensed (not USA) and the preamp board is not hand-wired.
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