Is my Sadowsky malfunctioning??

[jpizzay]

I bought a brand new Sadowsky Metro RV4 from Bass Club Chicago. It just came in the mail today. And I plug it in and notice the volume knob is acting funny.like there's no gradual volume increase. It just goes from 2 to 10 suddenly as I rotate it up.

Aside from the volume knob issue, I also noticed that with the pickup blend is "reversed." As in when I roll the knob clockwise toward the neck pickup, it actually solos the bridge pickup. And rotating counterclockwise toward the bridge pickup solos the neck pickup. This is my first Sadowsky. Is this the way it was supposed to be designed?

 

[two fingers]

There are several kinds of pots. (I forget the names and someone will chime in with them in a sec). Some very gradually decrease (or increase) resistance as you turn the knob. And some actually change very little until the last bit. Mine on my Fender Roscoe Beck Signature is just like yours. Almost nothing until the last quarter turn. So that part I imagine is fine.

As for the fader knob, that's different from most I have played, but it shouldn't affect performance. It's just something they did different. Once you get used to it you won't even notice.

 

[Zooberwerx]

The blend is wired in reverse by design.

Riis

 

[smeet]

Yes, Sadowsky wires the blend reversed for some odd reason. The volume should absolutely increase smoothly though. I'd get that looked at, it sounds defective.

 

[jpizzay]

There are several kinds of pots. (I forget the names and someone will chime in with them in a sec). Some very gradually decrease (or increase) resistance as you turn the knob. And some actually change very little until the last bit. Mine on my Fender Roscoe Beck Signature is just like yours. Almost nothing until the last quarter turn. So that part I imagine is fine.

As for the fader knob, that's different from most I have played, but it shouldn't affect performance. It's just something they did different. Once you get used to it you won't even notice.

Ok the reverse blend I can live with if its by design. But a volume knob with no GRADUAL increase/decrease?? Sorry but that sounds wrong on almost every level!

 

[Hounddog]

There is probably a logical explanation but if in fact the Bass is defective you can bet you will be treated right.

 

[two fingers]

Here ya go. The chart explains the different tapers of audio pots. And IIRC almost no basses come with the linear taper one that gradually increases/decreases during the whole turn. Most are "log" taper pots. But if it bothers you call them. I'm sure they'll make it right.

 

[enricogaletta]

The blend reverse is designed like that, it have the same concept of the "natural" scroll on the new trackpads, and if you think a little bit about it you'll see the logical idea.
The volume that doesn't increase regularly it sound like a little issue, you should check with them.
Cheers. Enrico

 

[kulit17]

Is the volume issue on both active and passive mode? If the volume knob is pushed down your in active. If knob is pulled up, your in passive. If its only on passive, that is how its suppose to be by design, but if its both, then you may have a defective pot.

EDIT: (VTC) Tone knob bypasses the amp not volume. Sorry it was a long night/morning at work. I read the OP incorrectly too and was thinking something else, lol!!!

 

[jpizzay]

Is the volume issue on both active and passive mode? If the volume knob is pushed down your in active. If knob is pulled up, your in passive. If its only on passive, that is how its suppose to be by design, but if its both, then you may have a defective pot.

You mean if the VTC is pushed down your in active and pulled up in passive. But yes, it happens on both active and passive.

 

[hdracer]

I would have never noticed the volume pot problem.
I keep mine wide open all the time.
If it works wide open and shuts off at 0 I'm happy.

 

[bass12]

You could just call Sadowsky on Monday and ask about the volume pot.

 

[line6man]

Is the volume issue on both active and passive mode? If the volume knob is pushed down your in active. If knob is pulled up, your in passive. If its only on passive, that is how its suppose to be by design, but if its both, then you may have a defective pot.

That doesn't make any sense. The preamp does not affect the volume pot taper. For that matter, no component in the signal path affects the taper.

 

[Hopkins]

The blend reverse is designed like that, it have the same concept of the "natural" scroll on the new trackpads, and if you think a little bit about it you'll see the logical idea.
The volume that doesn't increase regularly it sound like a little issue, you should check with them.
Cheers. Enrico

I can think of no logical reason that the blend should be wired backwards. I think I would have to swap the wires around so it would act like every other blend control on the market. I know Sadowskys are excelent instruments, but that just sounds screwy to me.

 

[Tim Bishop]

I can think of no logical reason that the blend should be wired backwards. I think I would have to swap the wires around so it would act like every other blend control on the market. I know Sadowskys are excelent instruments, but that just sounds screwy to me.

While it may not operate within the logic of many, it is, however, precisely how Sadowsky's 'Pan Control' is wired to function.

 

[bass12]

While it may not operate within the logic of many, it is, however, precisely how Sadowsky's 'Pan Control' is wired to function.

The idea being that, in some people's minds, clockwise represents a boost in high frequencies while counter-clockwise represents a boost in lows.

 

[Ewo]

Actually, the clockwise-toward-bridge-pup and counterclockwise-toward-neck-pup wiring is intuitive to me, with the bass in playing position. The blend controls on my other basses always seemed backwards. It's just a matter of familiarization with the instrument, though.

Edit: just to explain why. With the bass on the strap, my fingers on the knob move toward the bridge in clockwise rotation, and toward the neck in counterclockwise rotation. That's why it's more intuitive for me.


Regarding the volume pot, I wonder if maybe there's a bit of corrosion that's making it jump like that. OP, you might just exercise the pot some: unplugged or amp turned down, rotate the knob from limit to limit for a couple minutes. I've often had good luck with that trick when a pot gets cranky.

Just checked on my MV-5, and the taper is such that the increase in level sounds pretty much even through the rotation from full off to full on.

 

[Hopkins]

Actually, the clockwise-toward-bridge-pup and counterclockwise-toward-neck-pup wiring is intuitive to me, with the bass in playing position. The blend controls on my other basses always seemed backwards. It's just a matter of familiarization with the instrument, though.

Edit: just to explain why. With the bass on the strap, my fingers on the knob move toward the bridge in clockwise rotation, and toward the neck in counterclockwise rotation. That's why it's more intuitive for me.


Regarding the volume pot, I wonder if maybe there's a bit of corrosion that's making it jump like that. OP, you might just exercise the pot some: unplugged or amp turned down, rotate the knob from limit to limit for a couple minutes. I've often had good luck with that trick when a pot gets cranky.

Just checked on my MV-5, and the taper is such that the increase in level sounds pretty much even through the rotation from full off to full on.

I can see how that could make sense to you. But I think in this case, Sadowsky is just wiring it backwards to be different and trying to convince people there is logic involved

 

[two fingers]

I can think of no logical reason that the blend should be wired backwards. I think I would have to swap the wires around so it would act like every other blend control on the market. I know Sadowskys are excelent instruments, but that just sounds screwy to me.

I can think of no logical reason why is HAS to work one way or the other. Active basses with blend controls have been really big on the market for maybe a couple decades now. That's not exactly enough history for it to be a "rule" on way or the other. (Yes, I realize they existed before that, but they weren't all that common until 20 years ago or so.) It seems that unless you are a dipstick you would figure out which way it is wired almost immediately and know from then on how to use it.

Short version - Sadowsky's way of wiring it is not wrong.

 

[20db pad]

Zon also does the pan pot wiring this way.

Pan pots drive me nuts and my Sadowskys are all wired volume/volume/treble/bass. For the brief period I had a pan pot on my Metro, I switched the pickup leads around to the opposite of the Sadowsky standard.