- Jan 21, 2006
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- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
thewanderer24 said:
Sadowsky #4633 4-string fretted P/J Report
Specs:
STYLE: Vintage style 4-string (downsized Jazz bass body)
FINISH: Transparent Dark Cherry
BODY: AAAA Quilted Maple on (chambered) Alder
HEADSTOCK: Vintage tint
FINGERBOARD: Brazilian Rosewood, 9" Radius, 21 frets
PICKGUARD: Parchment
HARDWARE: Chrome
PICKUPS: Sadowsky Humcancelling P/J, with VTC.
Here is information about me that I communicated to Kevin Drexler at
Sadowsky, who was tirelessly helpful when I ordered my bass and afterward:
The new bass must be a fretted four-string instrument that is
versatile, one that I will use for most of my electric playing. I have
been playing bass since 1964, with a significant hiatus while pursuing
an academic career (studying and teaching music theory, composition,
and computer music). While having played classical as student, I now
play upright about 50% of the time. My work is in Country, Jazz, Soul,
Bluegrass, Blues, and Folk. I am serious about live performance and
recording for pay. I am primarily a finger-style player, and although
left-handed, I play right-handed, and pluck with 3 fingers on my right
hand: my index, middle, and ring fingers. I slap, but at most 10-15%
of the time. My hands are medium to a bit small, but I have 25 years
of double bass playing (and study) under my belt. I like medium to
high action with NO buzz or fret clack. My left hand technique is with
curved fingers and modified Simandl fingerings.
My report after 5 days (3 rehearsals and 2 gigs) with my bass:
Sound and Action:
My very first impression of this bass was from playing it for about 2
hours right out of the case. Great set-up. The sound of the bass
unamplifed is clear, warm, even, nicely twangy, and actually quite
loud and piano-like. Chords speak clearly in all registers in a way I
have never heard before. Strung with Sadowsky bright nickel strings,
the resonance of this bass surpasses any electric bass I have ever
owned. I am not entirely certain, but I believe this alder-bodied bass is
chambered, i.e., there is routing underneath the quilt to lighten the
instrument. While the fine neck and beefy bridge are big factors, I
wonder if the routing affects the amazing amount of sound that the
instrument makes when played unplugged? There is no noticeable dead
spot. Weight is approx. 8 lbs, 3 oz.
Through a pair of studio quality AKG headphones and a Korg PXB4
Toneworks set on “By-Pass,” (unprocessed), the bass reveals
something so important--every single note on this instrument is
equally beautiful. I hear a rich clarity, an evenness and consistency in
the tone color, unclouded by variations in loudness, random fuzzy
rumble at the 1st & 2nd frets, or any unwanted clacks, thuds, clicks,
warbles, etc. From low to high, this bass speaks evenly and sustains
extraordinarily well, while giving a sweet satisfying mid punch with
plenty of growl. Although it does not have the exact characteristics of
a carbon-fiber neck bass, it exhibits comparable evenness in sound,
with a subjectively more “organic” woody tone quality. As a double
bassist, I was initially drawn to an ebony fingerboard, but sound clips I
found at thegrooveshoppe.com caused me to reconsider. It was not too
late change my order to have a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard instead
of ebony. It was the right move for me. The ebony, though punchy and
lovely too see and touch, would have been too bright. The warmth
heard in the headphones confirms that my choice of an Alder P/J with
Brazilian Rosewood for the fingerboard was the right one for me
(thanks, Kevin!).
I elected the stock layout and knob direction with Vol, Pan, VTC/push-
pull, and stacked Preamp. The detented pickup Pan sounds like a good
thickly EQ’d P-bass when panned full to the neck P-bass pickup (I have
two vintage P’s). Panning full to the bridge pickup and playing a bit
more toward the bridge reminds me of the burp of the split-coil Lindy
Fralin bridge pick-up on my BA II-equipped Fender “classic” Jazz. The
Sadowsky hum canceling bridge pickup is quiet, but with hotter mids
than the Fralin. A PDF I found online describing the Sadowsky control
layout was helpful in figuring out passive push-pull on the VTC and the
boost only quality of the onboard preamp. This is not your every day
preamp. It is so clean and quiet, I can hardly believe it! I can dial-up
some very aggressive sounds, but for me it really shines in active
mode with the onboard preamp nearly “flat” or with a touch of low-end
boost. I find all positions of the VTC useful. It does not remove the
character of the tone while bringing it to a much warmer place, as
needed. However, there is much more to explore in the preamp tone
stack, this was just my first impression.
Amplified through my smaller rig (BBE B-Max Preamp, SWR 350, Goliath
III, Jr. 2x10) with the Pre set with what BBE calls “flat,” and the horn
dialed down low, the bass sounded warm, lovely, clear, and mid-
punchy, with the possibility of showing clear highs via the onboard
preamp. There is a lot boost available. In a 3-hour rehearsal with all
acoustic instruments (guitar, violin, banjo, 2nd quitar, and vocal trio),
the instrument sat well in the room mix. The other performers loved
the sound, and actually demurred when I suggested switching to my
fully-carved upright for the last hour. They have heard ALL my other
basses in the exact same context. They were surprised by the fit of
the instrument’s tone with an acoustic ensemble that would supposedly
favor my upright. I was using the pickup pan usually set right on the
detent midway between P and J, with a slight low-end boost. This is a
sound I could really begin to need more often! It is thick and mid-rich,
but articulate. I have a rehearsal and broadcast on Monday, when I
will record the instrument (live) through my countryman type 85 DI
into a large broadcast console, and out to a good-sized FOH in a 400
seat theater. I’ll know more after that. Our Sound Engineer is (cough)
“somewhat” picky.
Feel:
The tension and texture of the strings is familiar, because I have a
Jazz bass, a P-bass, and Lakland 44-01, all strung with Sadowsky
Bright Nickels. What is unfamiliar is the action and feel of the neck. I
have never had an instrument that sounded this good with such low
action. The frets are perfect. I am getting clean sounds everywhere on
the neck, that seem impossible for such ease of playability--truly
impressive to a guy who is used to a ’71 P-bass, a ’55 P-bass, a Jazz,
and a pair of (4 string & 5 string) Skylines. Don’t get me wrong, I
have high standards for playability, do my own setups, and have found
a lot to love about the Lakland necks and rosewood fingerboards.
Ironically, I can only really compare the action of this Sadowsky to my
’71 P-bass when it has its original fretless neck installed. Yes, the
action is quite like that. Also, I ordered a “Jazz bass-like neck” with a
9" fingerboard radius. This has turned out to be perfect for me. The
neck has the good qualities of a Jazz, but without the tiring “snaky
feel” down in the lowest fret positions. While not quite as narrow as a
Jazz, it seems slimmer front to back. I am no slouch when it comes to
getting around the bass, but this instrument makes it so easy, that I
find myself in practice sessions pushing my technical limits and
surpassing them, especially when executing more demanding
descending passages with multiple shifts. Mental note to self:
“I shoulda got me one a these here thangs way, way sooner. Woo-Wee!”
Fit and Finish:
Essentially flawless. The Brazilian rosewood is dark and porous, the
pocket and neck fit looks and feels tight and ultra-precise. The frets
are amazing, mirror-like, even, and sound great. The neck finish is
light amber, and seems to be an oil finish, which feels smooth and
silky. The tuners are very precise and appropriately tight. Under
extremely bright lights today, I spotted 2 tiny specks in the finish,
each the size of a pinprick. Dust? Bubbles of Brooklyn air? Who knows
and who cares! Honestly, the build, fit, finish, and set-up are much
closer to flawless than anything I had imagined. Simply said: this
instrument is built to the highest quality standards. The Dark Cherry
over maple quilt looks how I had hoped it would. It is DARK cherry,
but it is also brown, bronze, burgundy, plum, and blood carmine. I see
it and think of a burnished well-smoked briar pipe. The color has many
subtle gradations in it, yet is dark enough so that it does not boldly
state the complexity of the maple quilt. The parchment pickguard goes
perfectly with the Dark Cherry and vintage neck and headstock tint. I
agree with Nino Valenti, although reluctantly: this bass’s top and finish
color are very hard to show in a photo (see, below). The photo of
#4320 on the Sadowsky website gives a reasonable idea of the top,
and was the inspiration for my finish choice.
Several kind people have remarked about how much they liked this
bass when they played it before it was shipped. I have to say I am
really happy to hear that others feel as I do, but I don’t think most
TB’ers will be blown away by the photos. The appearance will make
some wonder why I chose to “bury” a high-quality maple quilt under a
Dark Cherry finish and parchment pickguard. Good question. It’s
complicated. I didn’t want a coffee table (though I love ‘em), I wanted
a working bass with the visibility on stage and under camera lights
that the parchment off-white pickguard gives, but with the
sophistication up close of the quilt. I also don’t like the haze of slap
scratches I got on my Skyline 55-01 deluxe, which has no pickguard.
The Dark Cherry is a dramatic departure from my usual 3-color
sunburst or natural wood finish choices, even my quilted Lakland 55-01
deluxe is 3-color sunburst. I am looking ahead to working in Texas
next summer with a busy country act, and wanted a fairly
conservative look, but I’m comfortable taking this bass onto any stage
for playing any style.
So here it is, in all its dark-hued subtle glory, as best I could
photograph it with my inflexible digital camera, no tripod, and limited
lighting skills. Any flaws that appear in the finish are defects in the
digital image, not in the bass itself. I’m sorry this report is so long, but
if you have made it down here, I am really flattered you would read
all my words. I am extremely grateful for the artistry and customer
service from the people at Sadowsky Guitars NYC. They are the best,
and should be very proud of what they do. I’m already in love with this
instrument. I have never played better.
N.B., the plastic shields are still on the top and pickguard.
