"In" Basses Vs. "Out" basses

[Funky Tune]

I just want to say that I did not call Sadowsky a Fender rip off. It is clearly based on Fender which gives it an automatic appeal to most electric bassists. Roger Sadowsky fills a demand for a high-end Fender style instrument, he deserves respect.

That said, I still like an original design like MTD, lakland 55-94, or MM Bongos.

Finally, I just checked out a German made Warwick Corvette fretless. I see what folks mean about a baseball bat sort of neck, but I found it comfortable and the bass sounded sweet to me. Damn, I'm tempted!

If you have a bass named Jazz,wathever the brand is,you know that is a copy,or attemp to recreate the most famous bass ever,the Jazz Bass from Fender,wathever the brand is,called Sadowsky,Valenti,etc,etc,its a model based in Fender Jazz Style..the one and only since de 50s,speak the truth and growth

 

[bassmutant]

There's this dude, that lives in Raleigh, NC< that hand makes all his guitars and basses. I've play some of each in the past and they beat anything I've ever played. Hands down. I just wish I could remember his name...

dave pushic?

 

[jow83]

I think Roger Sadowsky and all the loyal fans of Sadowsky (myself included) beg to differ. New ground was broken along the lines of attention to detail, tighter tolerances, and electronics. This is the reason Sadowsky has become popular.



I'm assuming you mean from a body-style standpoint. If so, you are correct.



Even if you did have the skills to build jazz basses, doesn't mean you'll be successful. It's naive to think that you can just jump into an established market for anything, nevermind the high-end bass market.

Dude there is no doubt about it, sad’s are gorgeous and wonderful. I didn’t mean to downplay the achievement of all at sadowsky – creating some of the best damm basses around is no small feat. You were right when you said “So, if a manufacturer uses an existing design, this guarantees longevity?” I agree just using a existing design doesn’t make or break a product, or guarantee success. I believe using and existing design, and making it better (in every way) then the original does guarantee success. It was a bit late down here when I made that post last night and I guess all I meant was that it is harder to release a new product which has polarised people such as the bongo, then it is to use a ‘safe’ or ‘traditional’ design such as sadowsky. But in the end both companies choose to do what they did, things worked out very well for roger, he has a well deserved reputation for making a great product, in time so will EB for the bongo. Most people that dislike bongo’s have normally never seen one in real life (they ARE much better looking) and never played one (after setting mine up it plays like a dream). And yes thinking I could make a high end bass was naïve.

 

[tommixx]

It seems that some people seem to think that Sadowsky's success is instant and that the Sadowsky bass is the "flavor of the month". Well without speaking for Roger himself all I can say is that he has been making basses (and guitars!!) for OVER 25 YEARS and I don't think he cares what people think!! HE will continue to do what he does and people who appreciate that will continue to buy them!!!!....

I have played a couple of basses that are well over 10 years old and they are just as great as the new ones he is making today!!....How often do you see older Sadowkys being sold? You don't see many for sale that are more than a few years old.....I don't think people are throwing them away so somewhere out there are a couple thousand satisfied Sadowsky Bass owners who are not selling!!!!!

Personally, I like Sadowsky, Spector, Ken Smith, and Fender basses predominantly.......BUT, IF I could find a bass that was as good a player or sounded as good (to ME!!) as my current stable I WOULD BUY IT NO MATTER WHAT BRAND OR WHAT COST!!!! I never bought anything because I thought is was in or out....The things I buy I buy because they appeal to me as a player......I set out on a mission a few years ago to find "THE ONE" and I wound up with Sadowsky.......I have another being made now and I will probably get at least one more on top of that one!! If I had found Sadowsky 20 years ago I would saved a LOT of headache and money!! Don't knock em until you try em in a band situation or in the studio....THAT is the ONLY you will EVER know if they are right for you.....

As to the thread topic...I am not a believer of in or out but I will say that FOR ME - (edited to emphasize FOR ME...)

IN

Sadowsky - can a small maunfacturer be "in" on a mass scale?
Mike Lull - same as above to some degree
Warwick
Spector
Music Man

OUT
G&L
Ric
Gibson
Schector

ALWAYS IN

FENDER

Peace,

T

 

[B'Aces High]

Ric


T

I dont agree with Ric being out. With a 9 to 12 month waiting list to get one and Ric sales higher than ever IMO are definitely in.

 

[Funky Tune]

yes he tell the truth,and he says Fenders always in...remember we love Fenders..all right

 

[tommixx]

B'aces.....I don't disagree with you, remember it is my list!! Rics are out for me ONLY after having had 5 or 6 of them and finding something better for me....

Peace,

T

 

[jow83]

It seems that some people seem to think that Sadowsky's success is instant and that the Sadowsky bass is the "flavor of the month". Well without speaking for Roger himself all I can say is that he has been making basses (and guitars!!) for OVER 25 YEARS and I don't think he cares what people think!! HE will continue to do what he does and people who appreciate that will continue to buy them!!!!....

If I had found Sadowsky 20 years ago I would saved a LOT of headache and money!! Don't knock em until you try em in a band situation or in the studio....THAT is the ONLY you will EVER know if they are right for you.....

a) ofcause he didn't get there overnight, i dont think anyone said anything along the lines of "along comes this Sadowsky company, and get huge overnight making fenders" people just said that they are in atm, which is prob based on the amount of Sadowsky talk that goes on here (not that there is anything wrong with that i enjoy every Sadowsky thread).

b) i have never seen anyone knock a sad bass, i think everyone knows they are meant to be incredible instruments with even healing powers (ask bigmike) the only issue was that they are based on fenders. they are.

AJ your sad is by far my fav.

 

[Nedmundo]

I just hope you and Roger don't end up like Boyd Coddington and Chip Foose.

A gearhead in both senses. Excellent!

 

[tommixx]

Nedmundo.....I did not mean to imply that anyone in this thread did say "along comes this Sadowsky company, and get huge overnight making fenders"...well actually, I guess you just said it...(does that count?) SMILEY....my point was I don't necessarily see Sadowskys as being "in" because frankly, the number of people buying them as opposed to everything else out there is pretty small...Sadowsky represents a very small number of the total basses sold relative to other makes.....keep in mind too that a LOT of us who own them own more than one and therefore due to the limited number that he makes I would not qualify them as an "in" bass as much as "In demand" bass.

For the record, I HAVE seen people "knock" Sadowskys but not necessarily here in this thread (well not yet, anyway...)...I think it would be fairly safe to say that EVERY bass made since the original Fender is inspired to some degree by Fender whether Directly or Indirectly.....I have no problem with that and Roger certainly goes to great lengths to make that pretty evident in all the interviews etc that I have seen and in my personal discussions with him....He is honest...that is why I respect and like him so much!!

Peace,

T

 

[jow83]

I think it would be fairly safe to say that EVERY bass made since the original Fender is inspired to some degree by Fender whether Directly or Indirectly

until sat i would not have agreed, I played a show with my Ibenez Ergo. on sat night and saw some of the pictures after the show, from certian angles this thing IS a j bass, all the curves and cutouts are the exact same shape when you look at coming up from below the bridge, so like the front left of the stage if your a right hander. i always thought it looked nothing like one up until that moment. but you can't say basses like sg bass thunderbird bongo etc are based on fenders.

anyways

for me...

IN
Sadowsky
Bongo's
Fenders (would not have been the case last year)

OUT
none, i can't say i hate a or dislike any bass out there atm. they all have their good points. I am not a fan of some of the wood nat finishes companies are doing atm though (just a couple most of them look great).

 

[tommixx]

in terms of things other than aesthetics is what I am referring to....basic pickup location, neck width, scale length, bridge assembly....etc etc etc....these are all things that were initially done by Fender that set a precedent, a starting point if you will, for everyone else to follow....Now I know someone is gonna say Fender did not invent this or that..that is not what I am talking about....from the essence of the Fender everything else has sprung....Just MY opinion.....I am so old though that I remember the days when "Fender bass" MEANT electric bass when you were booking a session or gig...as did Electric bass INFER that you should bring a Fender....

Peace,

T

 

[FenderHotRod]

WOW.....this thread made my head spin...

Im going to second a Gibson RD Artist and the T-Bird as the basses I like right now.

I would also like to get a Warwick Buzzard bass.

I do have a question tho..The why some of you guys are talking in here if say your Bass hero switched to playing some cheap bass. whould he then suck?
I got the feeling that if he had great tone and everthing as long as you didn't see the bass you would think it sounded great until you found out what bass was being played.

 

[burk48237]

WOW.....this thread made my head spin...

Im going to second a Gibson RD Artist and the T-Bird as the basses I like right now.

I would also like to get a Warwick Buzzard bass.

I do have a question tho..The why some of you guys are talking in here if say your Bass hero switched to playing some cheap bass. whould he then suck?
I got the feeling that if he had great tone and everthing as long as you didn't see the bass you would think it sounded great until you found out what bass was being played.

I personally don't care what my favorite bass player is playing. My favorite player for years was Jaco and yet during that time I don't think I ever owned a Fender Jazz. I had several before I had ever heard of Jaco, and several in the last few years. For me it's been all about what work's and what's comfortable. I had a warwick thumb neck thru six, it sounded great, the Navy bought it from me for an Aircraft carrier anchor. I had never had the opportunity to try a Sadowsky until last year when the metro's hit the streets, now I own two. They just work FOR ME, and like several others have said they sound GREAT in a live band or recording situation. Their are a lot of basses that sound great in the shop, but the real test is at a gig or rehearsal. And Sadowsky's work better for me in those situations then any bass I've ever owned.

 

[Marlat]

I'm going out on a limb:

Out:

Sadowsky
ERB's
Nordstrand
Benavente

In:

Cheap korean made Wishnevsky knockoffs
The new Behringer "Sadowski" jazz bass copy (made in China)

 

[Gardner]

For a guide to 'out' and 'in', lets look at Live8. How many of us watched it merely to see what basses were being employed? I know I did, to the immense irritation of my wife every time I spotted another Fender.

And just to prove that it's not just bass players who go for the classics, Live8 could not have been a better showcase for Uncle Leo's first, the very mighty Telecaster.

 

[Gullix]

I have a very closed mind. So my list won't change from year to year. Only if a new wonderful bass were put out on the market, then I would add that one to the In-list. And that doesn't happen every decade.

In-list:
Fender P and J
Ric
Gibson RD Artist and Thunderbird
Music Man

Out-list:
Everything else

 

[princeadr]

I saw a great jazz guitar player recently (he played a Hofner jazz- President I think). Anyway, he played a lot of bass lines in his guitar playing (playing a walking bass line while chording or playing a melody, it was quite amazing). Anyway, some guys sat in with him on guitar and he played the bass. He played a 5 string Peavey Cirrus and it sounded awesome. That guy could play. I've read a lot of good things about the Peavey Cirrus being a very good bass, with a very attractive price. So I'm not sure that the Peavey Cirrus should be out based on looks, tone but maybe #s of people playing it would be.

 

[Brad Johnson]

If you have a bass named Jazz,wathever the brand is,you know that is a copy,or attemp to recreate the most famous bass ever,the Jazz Bass from Fender,wathever the brand is,called Sadowsky,Valenti,etc,etc,its a model based in Fender Jazz Style..the one and only since de 50s,speak the truth and growth

Not necessarily. Here's an Elrick New Jazz Standard:
Invalid Link Removed

It's hardly a recreation or a copy.

 

[Gard]

There's this dude, that lives in Raleigh, NC< that hand makes all his guitars and basses. I've play some of each in the past and they beat anything I've ever played. Hands down. I just wish I could remember his name...

Thanks!

We're actually in Greensboro, NC, not Raliegh (we're an hour west of Raleigh).

Also, we haven't produced a guitar in many years now, we concentrate on bass guitars only. However, I've played several of the guitars that were built here in the past, and they are indeed very VERY nice.