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Has anyone bought and NOT liked a Sadowsky??

V

violetmind

Sep 18, 2008
30
0
Singapore
#1
Probably a taboo topic but I just have to find out. :hiding:

Did a search under "Sadowsky" and "Not Like Sadowsky" and similar quotes but could not find a similar topic discussed before. My apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.

So.....has anyone played a Sadowsky and NOT liked it? I'm about to take the step to order one so hope to hear some opinions.

Thanks very much!!!
 
#3
Yes; of the three I've had, I didn't like the Metro PJ I had. Just not "my flavor."

However, if you buy direct from Sadowsky, you have a 7 day trial period, so, not much to lose there to try one.
 
Last edited:
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#4
violetmind said:
Probably a taboo topic but I just have to find out. :hiding:

Did a search under "Sadowsky" and "Not Like Sadowsky" and similar quotes but could not find a similar topic discussed before. My apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.

So.....has anyone played a Sadowsky and NOT liked it? I'm about to take the step to order one so hope to hear some opinions.

Thanks very much!!!
Click to expand...

The basses are quite nice, but I just can't get past the price for a Fender copy...crazy. Now a LOT of people will come in and defend the indefensible...

csala said:
I played a few Metros when I was looking for a new jbass a few years ago. I was not impressed at all, especially at that price point.
Click to expand...

Yeah, those ones I REALLY don't get....$2500.00 for a Japanese-made robot copy that probably cost $200.00 to make (and sounds like it).

Good on Roger for being able to charge that much. I won't be buying one anytime soon.

Cheers,
Cameron
 
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#5
Ok This thread could easily get shut down, however lets keep it professional.

I think they are very good basses. Well built and sound and play good...But thats it. They do not blow me away at all. There are a ton of basses that sound and play good and some that some and play great, for a lot less.

I'm in the TB minority, that feel that they are overrated.

They have Great customer service, ect...and most people love them to death.

Let me just throw this out there.

Lets look at the main models for instance.

Its a J bass...Its a J bass. Using traditional material.
(some hollowed out to be light, some not)

Propitiatory pickups and pre offered...ok that nice (Thats being serious not dig). Does that pre sound any better then anything else offed out there...Well thats a matter of opinion.

One player that is an endorsee...Said to me, I really need to try in a live and gigging situation for me to truly appreciate it. Well ok sure, (maybe that is true) but after many years of playing and owning other high end basses I still do hear it. IMHO
 
#6
violetmind said:
Probably a taboo topic but I just have to find out. :hiding:

Did a search under "Sadowsky" and "Not Like Sadowsky" and similar quotes but could not find a similar topic discussed before. My apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.

So.....has anyone played a Sadowsky and NOT liked it? I'm about to take the step to order one so hope to hear some opinions.

Thanks very much!!!
Click to expand...

Not really a meaningful question. I'm sure there a zillions of players like that. That's why Fodera, Lull, MTD, Zon and a hundred other brands exist;)

Sadowsky quality, service and support, and fit and finish are as good as anything out there (I moved from a Fodera/MTD pair to a Sadowsky, and the quality, fit and finish and attention to detail were equal). Whether you like the tone (and there are quite a few 'Sadowsky tones', from the somewhat Ken Smithish Modern to modern P's and modern J's) is something only you can say.

I would say the biggest source of 'disappointment' for those who ended up not liking their Sadowsky J stemmed from some thinking they were getting a higher quality Fender sounding bass. Higher quality, yes, but 'vintage Fender sounding'... no. They are their own thing... a strong 'Sadowsky flavor' of J (or P for that matter). Also, quite a few who buy and then sell the Sadowsky Modern model don't realize how 'Modern' that sounds... very burpy and 'soapbar' big and pure and sizzly and burpy... no grind, no growl.

IMO and IME!
 
#7
I feel that I can build 2-3 basses (if just 2 then enough money to go on vacation) for the price of 1 Sadowsky

With the parts and setup I want that would server me better then any 1 Sadowsky.

NOTE: I'm not a hatter I just not into the koolaid. If Sadowsky makes you happy and helps you with your musical goals then by all means get one.

I come in peace.:hiding:
 
#9
I first played a Sadowsky after reading about them here. Oddly enough, it just seemed like a bland, generic bass. The hype had led me to expect that it would be so awesome I'd go home and burn all my other basses, but it just seemed like a decently put together bass. This was a US model, not sure of the exact name. I did play a Metro a few years later that I thought was pretty good, except for the screwed up neck which made it only usable on a select few frets. Personally I'd rather spend the money on the nicest old Fender I get get for the same outlay, if that was what I was after.

Then again, I don't like Markbass amps either, so I'm obviously insane, deaf, and extemely stupid.
 
#13
I ordered a NYC Modern JJ 5er and loved it, but didn't find the love worth the premium price in comparison to other btq basses and returned it. Just my .02. YMMV, etc.
 
#14
Thanks for the quick responses.

Fully understand that when it comes to tone and feel, to each his/her own and it's really subjective.

What I've experienced so far from their customer service is nothing but good. I've been pretty much a P.I.T.A. asking many questions but they've stayed professional and cool.

Again, I'd probably get stoned by some for even doubting but I was also wondering if anyone's experienced bad workmanship, faulty parts, or maybe something more in the gray area like a custom wood design not ending up the way you envisioned or like it to be.

And to make things a tad simpler, I'm looking to get a NYC Modern.

Keep the comments coming folks and thanks again!
 
#17
I owned two and have since moved on from them. The NYC PJ that I owned was a VERY, VERY sweet bass. I somewhat regret parting with it almost every day. Everything about it was top notch. The single coil JJ that I had, I never warmed up to much at all. It played amazingly well, but the tone and and especially the B string performance was not for me.

I moved on from Sadowsky mostly because of the B string performance. I know that countless TBers will state that the Sadowsky B string is excellent, and perhaps among 34" scale bolt-ons it is, but having owned other basses such as Modulus, Roscoe and Lakland, I found myself wanting when playing the Sadowskys.

I play a lot of R&B and adult comtemp stuff and use the B string A LOT. I have very high demands and for me, the number one consideration for a 5 string bass is the B. I want it to be clean, clear and very well balanced with the other strings in terms of dynamics, tone and texture. Does a Sadowsky offer this? Yes, it does much better than MOST basses out there. But, are the others that do it better? Absolutely, IMO.

For my approach and goals, Sadowsky didn't cut it in terms of a B. Now, I am playing Dingwall basses. They have great tone, great feel, great build, etc. They are made as well as a Sadowsky and have the B string performance that I feel is superior for my tone preferences.

It's all about preference at the Sadowsky price point. Obviously, there's a TON of great things to say about them. My preferences simply led another way.

I would take exception to characterizing Sadowsky basses as "Fender clones." They are not. Having owned at least a dozens Fenders, I can unequivocally state that the feel and tone is very different than a Fender bass.

Another point that should be made about a Sadowsky is that is is unfair to judge them without playing them in live ensemble setting. Much of the mojo comes from how they sit in a multi-instrument mix. This part of the Sadowsky character is hard to appreciate playing them in a shop alone.
 
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#18
Bassflute said:
The basses are quite nice, but I just can't get past the price for a Fender copy...crazy. Now a LOT of people will come in and defend the indefensible...



Yeah, those ones I REALLY don't get....$2500.00 for a Japanese-made robot copy that probably cost $200.00 to make (and sounds like it).

Good on Roger for being able to charge that much. I won't be buying one anytime soon.

Cheers,
Cameron
Click to expand...

I agree. They're very well built compared to the stuff that Fender and SX, et al, crank out of their assembly lines by the tens of thousands, but when all is said and done, the cheap plastic facade, the scooped headstock with stringtrees and the crude slab body, etc. are all design shortcuts that were intended to facilitate ease of fabrication in a 1950s assembly line by relatively unskilled workers. Carrying those dated design compromises over into a modern CNC'd instrument is bad enough, but Sadowsky and the other Fender cloners are putting $3000+ lipstick on a $300 pig and laughing all the way to the bank.
 
#20
Here's my thing, I've played all sorts of basses (and guitars for that matter) that have been touted as the greatest thing in the world. Some have lived up to the hype and some have failed.
I'll say it; some of the old Fenders are complete lumps of poo. Some of the new $5000 basses play like a sterile hunk of glass.
For my part what I want to play changes a little from day to day; 5 string, P, J..and so on
I think that the upscale bass guys (Fodera, Sadowsky, ect.) offer an excellent consistant product. They get knocked for high prices sometimes but if some people like the product then more power to them.
Not to get off topic but this is like the P or J debate; just play the crap out of it, remember where the 1 is, and you'll always get my respect. Play what makes YOU happy.
 

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