Since Sadowsky has a seven day return policy, buying blind is not as much of an issue as it might be for other basses in that price range.
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Has anyone bought and NOT liked a Sadowsky??
- Thread starter violetmind
- Start date
Since Sadowsky has a seven day return policy, buying blind is not as much of an issue as it might be for other basses in that price range.
Just for the sake of throwing some words on the page, one of the things that really makes me want to support "Sadowsky" is Roger. This thread is a classic example of just how much integrity he has and how much care he puts into his dealings with his customers (and potential customers). It would be very easy for a builder to get upset and pissy about the comments made in this thread (and in others on the internet from time to time), but for the past 13+ years of reading Roger's posts on online forums, articles in magazines etc, I have never seen him be anything other than a pretty classy act.
That brings me to another point which is that Roger and his crew also take the time to interact with customers on forums and if you are lucky enough to visit the shop. That interaction again shows me that he cares just as much about the "internet nobodies" (like me) as he does his pro-musician customers. Hell, Roger even took the time to share sushi tips with me! The Sadowsky crew listen to what customers want and pretty continuously make improvements to the instruments and offering. All of that really made it an easy choice for me what I was looking for a "Fender" style instrument.
I have no doubt that there are other makers of Fender tyles basses about there that have just as tight tolerances as Sadowsky, perhaps they even cost less, perhaps they are more "hand made" whatever. At the end of the day you need to find the bass that you are happy with and everytime I play my Sadowsky it makes me happy. The added bonus for me is that (to my mind) the Sadowsky name means that there is a guy standing behind it who is an absolute class act and has top notch customer service. That doesn't make the bass any more playable, it doesn't make it sound any better, but in a choice between Sadowsky and some other brand, all things being equal, I know who I'd rather support.
That brings me to another point which is that Roger and his crew also take the time to interact with customers on forums and if you are lucky enough to visit the shop. That interaction again shows me that he cares just as much about the "internet nobodies" (like me) as he does his pro-musician customers. Hell, Roger even took the time to share sushi tips with me! The Sadowsky crew listen to what customers want and pretty continuously make improvements to the instruments and offering. All of that really made it an easy choice for me what I was looking for a "Fender" style instrument.
I have no doubt that there are other makers of Fender tyles basses about there that have just as tight tolerances as Sadowsky, perhaps they even cost less, perhaps they are more "hand made" whatever. At the end of the day you need to find the bass that you are happy with and everytime I play my Sadowsky it makes me happy. The added bonus for me is that (to my mind) the Sadowsky name means that there is a guy standing behind it who is an absolute class act and has top notch customer service. That doesn't make the bass any more playable, it doesn't make it sound any better, but in a choice between Sadowsky and some other brand, all things being equal, I know who I'd rather support.
Firstly, my sincere apologies to Roger. As the person who started this thread, I really didn't expect the responses to turn out like this. This was not why I posed the question. This was not meant to be a Sadowsky-bashing opportunity.
THIS is the reason why I started the thread. I painstakingly saved up just enough to get myself one of Roger's basses. I was 95% certain on placing the order after many many months of thinking and researching. I just wanted to hear from anyone who didn't like Sadowsky basses and the reasons behind it. It may boil down to individual preferences, but hey, surely there's nothing wrong in trying to find out the different opinions out there.....right?
Committing what's left of my savings into buying a custom bass that is made halfway across the globe, that I will never have a chance to "test-drive before buying" is a pretty scary thing...at least for me. So I tried to give myself that extra 5% boost to reinforce what I wanted to do - buy a custom Sadowsky 5-er.
Does it matter really? Bought, played, tried, used, owned.....not sure if there's a need to split hairs. The essence of the original question was to find out the reasons why some people don't go for Sadowsky basses. It may be tonal (subjective), it may be down to quality, it may be down to customer service. But the idea is to get the discussion going and have people with constructive comments be heard. We can't control what everyone writes, so there are bound to be cases where irrelevant comments get posted. But to me, so be it. As a reader, we use our common sense and maturity to filter out things that we feel don't make sense or do not address the question.
I'm not a regular like many who have contributed to this thread. But I have a simple request: please don't take this thread as an opportunity to bash.
All your comments have most certainly helped. It has helped to reinforce my decision to give Sadowsky a try. It may not end up being the one I love, but I owe myself to give it a shot.
If it ends up being THE one, then I don't have spend any time wondering why I didn't have the balls to try.
A big thanks to all who have contributed positively to this thread. I thought it would only last 2 pages...at most.
Ian
I honestly don't think you need to apologise for anything. Your reason for asking the question you did was perfectly legitimate. Part of what makes Talkbass so great is that it allows for bassists of all backgrounds to share their knowledge about all kinds of things related to bass. Why not use the resources at hand? Any thread of this nature is bound to produce some disagreement (and even bickering at times), but that's par for the course. By posting your question you not only received feedback from a lot of experienced players (who either favour Sadowsky basses or prefer something different) but you also got to witness first hand what a down-to-earth guy Roger is. I'm totally with Mark Latimour - Sadowsky is a company that I want to support, not only because I think the products are first rate but because I have a lot of respect for the people at Sadowsky and for the way Roger runs his business.
Does anyone know where I could get a used sadowsky 5 string nyc? I just cannot afford those prices. Though I would much rather get a new one from him. Oh how it sucks to be a teenager.
They pop up used here on the TB classifieds nearly every day. Sell two of those basses you have (especially the Rickenbacker), and you will come very close to having Sadowsky money.
I bought my first one in 2004, at age 45. You probably won't have to wait that long!
Never heard this before. If anyone has anymore info to support this please share. I've owned three Metro Basses, an RV 5, Ultra Vintage 5 & M24 -5. The first thing that people must realize is that a bass sounds like
Nothing with out the player, that goes for any price, any brand. The next thing that must be remembered is that the true sound of bass guitars, amps can't be heard sitting next to the speaker. The true sound of bass is what is heard 10' to 15' away from the cabinet, like in a live playing situation. I've read comments on this thread that called the sound of an M24-5 tinny. I own one, its the fattest & punchest bass I've ever owned & I've owned Ken Smith, Roscoe, MTD......etc. What I see most people do when they try an instrument is start twisting knobs. The Sadowsky pre is boost only, if you over EQ your signal, boosting the EQ on the instrument & on your amp, you may not get a sound you like. All my Sadowsky basses sound different, same pre, but tonally different due to wood combos & pick up placement. And they all sound good, just not like a Fender(and I've owned a bunch of those too). As for the N.Y.C basses, they can get pricey, but as Roger pointed out his business is not without overhead, so that cost represents the product & the daily expenses connected with running His business. Quality product, beautiful instruments & great customer svc. Definately worth the money.
As an outsider looking in who is pretty much content with his Fenders it appears that Mr. Sadowsky is a really decent guy. 
I have to agree, my NYC 24-5 is THE punchiest, and at the same time, thickest and most articulate bass I’ve come across. The neck pickups can sound like a genuine P bass (unlike the neck pickup of a jazz bass that’s just fat, round, and muddy with no definition) and the bridge pickups sound slightly thicker, yet punchier than both of the Ken Smiths that I’ve had. It’s an unusual combination. Yes, if you turn the treble up, the highs can sound brittle, but that’s what the VTC knob is for. Also, you usually have to turn the tone knob up to increase the punch on a bass, but not so on these moderns.
I totally agree with you Willbass, about needing to listen to a bass far away from the speakers or at least indirectly. For this reason, I put my bass amp behind a couch (with some room) when I compare different basses and tones at my house, and I play along with music.
I totally agree with you Willbass, about needing to listen to a bass far away from the speakers or at least indirectly. For this reason, I put my bass amp behind a couch (with some room) when I compare different basses and tones at my house, and I play along with music.
I've had opportunity to hear Will Lee play about 15 times down at The Bitter End in NYC. I've heard him with a Fender Jazz twice and the rest of the time it's been with Sadowsky 4s. Hands down, his tone was scads better with the Sadowskys. I've also heard a fellow named John Young play his Sadowsky 5 at a couple of venues- John's getting airplay on tv and radio because he's hooked up with some singer who's breaking- I forget the singer's name. Anyway, John's tone of the Sadowsky is just so much more present in the audience than when he plays a different bass.
Lastly, here at school (I'm attending the Players School full time), a fellow has a Sadowsky 5 that he bought used. Mick Donner did a little work to it- installed a ramp and did a killer set up, but the bass itself is like the proverbial butter.
Like butter. I took the time to write of my experiences because I am and remain grateful to men like Roger who, through strength of good character, build marvelous musical instruments.
Carry on.
Lastly, here at school (I'm attending the Players School full time), a fellow has a Sadowsky 5 that he bought used. Mick Donner did a little work to it- installed a ramp and did a killer set up, but the bass itself is like the proverbial butter.
Like butter. I took the time to write of my experiences because I am and remain grateful to men like Roger who, through strength of good character, build marvelous musical instruments.
Carry on.
this has to be the worst and lowest thread of all time here in TB.
Disgusting how much arrogant ignorance out of some mouths
M
Not even close. In fact this one's kind of typical. Stupid swipes at Roger weren't the main thrust of this thread. And the OP's motives were just questioned again despite them seeming pretty clear from the start and explained again afterwards... he's not bashing Sadowsky, he's considering buying one. A good thing as far as I can tell.
Roger, I hope my comments to Brad about what constitutes "hand made" weren't viewed as questioning your integrity or craftsmanship. I wouldnt consider Sadowsky basses to be "hand made" but since I don't consider that a barometer for the quality of an instrument it's really just a question of semantics.
As I mentioned previously, for a builder of a certain size, using a subcontractor to CNC the rough body and neck shapes saves time and money and greatly improves consistency.
I think you and your staff create incredible instruments and your choice of construction methods is proved right by how superb the final product is.
A couple of years ago, I think that I recall Mike Tobias was considering moving to CNC for time and consistency reasons as well. I don't know if he does or not, but i'm sure his basses will still be just as fabulous as they have always been. In my thinking, I don't know why one wouldn't use a CNC for a rough-cut. Just makes sense.
