Sorry for the huge post, but so many comments needed answers I felt it better to put them all together.
Hmm... acoustic guitars and orchestral instruments variously evolved over a period of a couple hundred to perhaps even a few hundred years. Standardization of the instruments allowed advances in musical composition and arrangements which otherwise would not have been possible.
The Jazz bass, on the other hand, was first released in 1960. I'm not sure when the esteemed Mr. Sadowsky offered his first Jazz based full issue under his name, but as far as I can tell perhaps 30 years had elapsed since the Jazz was first issued, and no underlying musical advance of the proportion mentioned above resulted from his efforts. Sure, his electronics were and are recognized as being superb (and it might be argued are his real contribution to the market), but they didn't change music dramatically such as the rise of a full symphony, enabled by instrument commonality, over a chamber orchestra did.
What makes you feel I'm cynical? Just because I don't fall in line with the all praise Sadowsky camp means I'm cynical and that my opinion is completely without merit at face value? Please show me where I demanded, pleaded, cajoled, or even politely requested that EVERYONE feel the same as me. All I did was state my personal opinion and nothing more. I think thou doth protest too much.
Sure! I'll take this one, please. You seem to have a problem with that, and I don't know why. Perhaps you are insecure in your own stated choices. I don't know.
The two quotes you reference in no way nullify one another. Each individual has an opinion. You asked if I knew the story behind Mr. Sadowsky's original choice of design. The fact that you can't understand my humor now leaves me in the dark as to what your belief is which justifies Mr. Sadowsky's choices. You leave me wondering if he was the man who went up the mountain to Leo Fenders door and pulled the first prototype Jazz neck from the stone, or perhaps if it was the Lady of the Lake smitten by his grace who bestowed upon him the magic neck Excaliber, thereby making him the anointed one for whom there is no transgression in the mimic of the original work Fender et al produced.
The fact is that in his original work, Leo Fender and company produced what is arguably a design so perfect in form that it set the mark by which all others are and perhaps forever will be measured. Notice I said design, not execution thereof. Certainly I appreciate that Mr. Sadowsky's craftsmanship, and that of his firm, are legendary and recognized by many as second to none in the world. That's great! I just want that to shine through without drawing from the master so obviously as to be confusing if not deceptive. In my perspective the only acceptable mimic of the Jazz design are those later efforts of Leo himself. I'm not going to get into a whole breakdown of legal rights and failure to protect copyright and all of that mess.
What I will say is that Gibson, Rickenbacker, VOX, and a handful of others managed to set forth original designs which have stood the test of time and are in no way easily confused with the work of Leo Fender. In later years Steinberger did the same. All I'm suggesting is my disappointment in Mr. Sadowsky, and for that matter every other company who uses the Fender look for not doing the same as the others I've mentioned. Please note that I have in no way set forth an ad hominem about the man and have only spoken politely about him. By all reports he's a great guy and a wonderful proprietor to do business with. I hold him in respect for those facts.
I am not forcing any other individual to hold my critical opinion, however. I have merely stated it and no more. I am, however, being taken to task for having it and having the balls to state it out loud. Woe is me. Some thin-skinned players are unable to suffer an opinion counter to their own without rising to an offensive defense. Boo-freakin'-hoo! Grow some balls yourselves!
iJazz - I think you already know that. I won't be changing anytime soon.
Hmm... acoustic guitars and orchestral instruments variously evolved over a period of a couple hundred to perhaps even a few hundred years. Standardization of the instruments allowed advances in musical composition and arrangements which otherwise would not have been possible.
The Jazz bass, on the other hand, was first released in 1960. I'm not sure when the esteemed Mr. Sadowsky offered his first Jazz based full issue under his name, but as far as I can tell perhaps 30 years had elapsed since the Jazz was first issued, and no underlying musical advance of the proportion mentioned above resulted from his efforts. Sure, his electronics were and are recognized as being superb (and it might be argued are his real contribution to the market), but they didn't change music dramatically such as the rise of a full symphony, enabled by instrument commonality, over a chamber orchestra did.
What makes you feel I'm cynical? Just because I don't fall in line with the all praise Sadowsky camp means I'm cynical and that my opinion is completely without merit at face value? Please show me where I demanded, pleaded, cajoled, or even politely requested that EVERYONE feel the same as me. All I did was state my personal opinion and nothing more. I think thou doth protest too much.
Sure! I'll take this one, please. You seem to have a problem with that, and I don't know why. Perhaps you are insecure in your own stated choices. I don't know.
The two quotes you reference in no way nullify one another. Each individual has an opinion. You asked if I knew the story behind Mr. Sadowsky's original choice of design. The fact that you can't understand my humor now leaves me in the dark as to what your belief is which justifies Mr. Sadowsky's choices. You leave me wondering if he was the man who went up the mountain to Leo Fenders door and pulled the first prototype Jazz neck from the stone, or perhaps if it was the Lady of the Lake smitten by his grace who bestowed upon him the magic neck Excaliber, thereby making him the anointed one for whom there is no transgression in the mimic of the original work Fender et al produced.
The fact is that in his original work, Leo Fender and company produced what is arguably a design so perfect in form that it set the mark by which all others are and perhaps forever will be measured. Notice I said design, not execution thereof. Certainly I appreciate that Mr. Sadowsky's craftsmanship, and that of his firm, are legendary and recognized by many as second to none in the world. That's great! I just want that to shine through without drawing from the master so obviously as to be confusing if not deceptive. In my perspective the only acceptable mimic of the Jazz design are those later efforts of Leo himself. I'm not going to get into a whole breakdown of legal rights and failure to protect copyright and all of that mess.
What I will say is that Gibson, Rickenbacker, VOX, and a handful of others managed to set forth original designs which have stood the test of time and are in no way easily confused with the work of Leo Fender. In later years Steinberger did the same. All I'm suggesting is my disappointment in Mr. Sadowsky, and for that matter every other company who uses the Fender look for not doing the same as the others I've mentioned. Please note that I have in no way set forth an ad hominem about the man and have only spoken politely about him. By all reports he's a great guy and a wonderful proprietor to do business with. I hold him in respect for those facts.
I am not forcing any other individual to hold my critical opinion, however. I have merely stated it and no more. I am, however, being taken to task for having it and having the balls to state it out loud. Woe is me. Some thin-skinned players are unable to suffer an opinion counter to their own without rising to an offensive defense. Boo-freakin'-hoo! Grow some balls yourselves!
iJazz - I think you already know that. I won't be changing anytime soon.
so sad...
