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If Only One Bass, Fender or Sadowsky?

If Only One Bass, Fender or Sadowsky?

  • Any Fender

    Votes: 195 46.0%

  • Any Sadowsky

    Votes: 229 54.0%
  • Total voters
    424
#81
I don't know because I haven't tried all Sadowsky models.
That being said, I did own a Metro MV4 and a NYC Standard 4, a 68' Fender jazz and now a 2008 Fender jazz.
The Sadowsky sounds incredible. Period. Works great in any situation. No other bass had done this for me ever, soundwise.
However, although build quality is superb on these instruments I always had to fight my way playing them. My 08 jazz can get better action and plays like butter (way better than the 68' BTW). Frankly, this is the most important factor for me - it is a joy to play. I also love the Fender sound for what it is and can use a preamp when I need more boost.
Fact is, both my Sadowsky's are gone, the Fender stays.
So, as long as it is a jazz style 4 string I'd go with Fender.
 
#83
@Ronen

interesting post! i had a hard time playing a Sadowsky. as well as it was built, the comfort was just not there for me. i had a similar experience on the heralded Nordy's. riffs that i can just breeze through on a Fender, felt like hard work on these two. i find Roscoe's to be extremely easy to play, but the price is out of my comfort zone.

for the price of admission, you'd expect Sad's to be more butta than a Fender. my Fender is less than half the price of a base model Sad or Nordy, but plays circles around both of them in my hands! i have yet to demo an A~C, and have great expectations.

other than what i have now, i will get a Rocsoe next for sure! (unless i find a great price on a CS64 Jazz Relic,:hyper:)
 
#84
pacojas, in this discussion I put the price tag aside.
To be totally fair I should point that both Sadowsky's had a 12" fingerboard radius. The Fender is 9.5". I'm not sure this is the reason but switching between them the Fender just felt like home to me. I could play more relaxed on her. It might be just a personal preference.
 
#85
Fender all the way for me. The few Sadowsky's I've played seem like a different take on Fender's, which I can see being really nice for some people that Fenders don't cut it for. I enjoy Fender though, so I'd take a Fender J bass of some sort if it were the only one I could play.
 
#86
Fodera! :p

:hiding:




































:D

just kidding. :p

my vote goes to......(take a guess ;) )

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(^ ^ '08 mia j, S.Bailey jb6, '78j, '77p, '00 stingray4, click to enlarge)

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
(^ ^ '95j mia and two fugly old jazz basses :D)

:bassist:
 
#90
I am struggling with this. I bought an American Standard Jazz 4 but I brought it back and traded it for a Taylor acoustic guitar. :hiding:

I played it before I bought it. I thought I could do no wrong with an American Fender. Yet, I find my friends Geddy Lee to be a much better feeling, playing and sounding bass to me.

That said, I still debate a Sadowsky. I had a Sadowsky RV4 that almost everyone says was my best bass. I even tried to buy it back but to no avail. It was Sea Foam Green, D-Tuner, really nice.

The Geddy Lee is a really nice bass and would be cheaper - especially my friends used one if he decides to sell - but I still wonder if I should get a Sadowsky.

And yes, I believe I am contradicting an earlier post when I said Fender. Story of my life.
 
#91
Steve, I've seen you struggle with choosing a bass, I feel for you :) Truth is, this is a life-long affliction that we all suffer from as long as we are a part of TB. I also want to add that the best bass players I personally know are members of TB, but never go on it.
 
#92
True, but at some point one has to stop satisfying GAS for one's main instrument, and play one for a while to properly get to know it and to make it express your music.

Otherwise you just go crazy and end up always looking when the right one(s) are right on the end of your strap.
 
#93
One Drop said:
True, but at some point one has to stop satisfying GAS for one's main instrument, and play one for a while to properly get to know it and to make it express your music.

Otherwise you just go crazy and end up always looking when the right one(s) are right on the end of your strap.
Click to expand...

This is SO true...an so me. It's like an addiction...no offense to those who have real addictions. This last year I have tried to just pick one and play, but...I waffle between 4 or 5 and active or passive. Logically, a 5 string with active bypass would be the thing, but I love the feel of 4 string necks. Maybe 4 string with D tuner for those few times I need it. But then I could just detune for that song. See what I mean.....
 
#94
I'm getting into this late, but my Sadowsky NYC 70's jazz is so incredibly versatile that it is the one I choose over any bass including my fender mm jazz. This baby can do it all and is so comfortable to play that it's always my number one choice.
 
#95
I've never owned a Sadowsky, but have played a few in stores and have visited the Sadowsky workshop when it was still in DUMBO (NYC neighborhood). While Fendrs have a very distinct voice that most all of their models seem to have. The playability of Fenders is all over the map. I have played some that were butter smooth, and others that were like running up hill.
Every Sadowsky I ever touched was amazing sounding and playing. They seem to acoif a lot of the pitfalls that Fender (and Musicman and G&L) fall into in terms of cutting the nut slot too close to the edge of the fretboard, or not dressing the frets/fretboard as well. They just nail those details at Sadowsky. The only fault I have with them, is that they never have one in stock in a color I want, at a price I can affford!
 

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