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New Sadowsky!

#81
Hey Ken
Just noticed your thread. I wondered who got that magnificent P5, congrats! My all time favorite looking maple fretboard is the 'flame' just gorgeous. Have fun !! I recently spec'd out a NYC PJ4 with ash/flame maple. I didn't order but I might... :help:
 
#82
Fuzzbass said:
I'm gonna bring both to the gig. I never change basses in the middle of a set, so I'll alternate sets (ash, alder, ash), leaving amp settings as is. Except volume... damn guitarist can't leave loud enough alone :rollno:
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That's kinda' my problem too. It's rare I can switch mid-set, but I often switch between sets (tho I try not to vary my tone so much it affects FOH settings).

Finally, sorry for sounding defensive, that was unintended. Tone comparisons with basses are always subjective, our experiences are different, and it's great to find out what everyone else is hearing.
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You didn't! It's cool! And you're right, it's very subjective, which is why I wanted to make it clear I wasn't challenging what you heard, just that it surprised me, that's all. :)
 
#83
Big String said:
Hey Ken
Just noticed your thread. I wondered who got that magnificent P5, congrats! My all time favorite looking maple fretboard is the 'flame' just gorgeous. Have fun !! I recently spec'd out a NYC PJ4 with ash/flame maple. I didn't order but I might... :help:
Click to expand...

Ha. Well I've only just got my 2nd, and I'm already GASsing for an alder/brazilian Sadowsky!
 
#84
Okay, here's the report as promised. I just got home from my 1st gig with Mary Kaye. Also, I had a rehearsal with her Friday night... both were with my hard rock band (classic and modern - Bob Seger to Metallica).

At Friday's rehearsal (kinda loud), I ran her through Ampeg SVP-Pro --> Crest Ca9 --> Bergantino HS210 (x2). She absolutely *killed*!! I kept the overdrive light on the SVP, and got a rather modern sound, especially when dialing in the J pickup. It was smooth, clear, even. Yes, I said that this ash Sadowsky had muted treble compared to my alder one, but when I boosted treble on via EQ, it was voiced higher than on my alder one: definitely up in tweeterland. Perhaps this is because of the pickups more than the wood? Not sure. But again... the tone was just amazing!

Tonight's gig (definitely loud) was interesting. I was happy with how my new baby sounded, but just couldn't get the same magic using my Interstellar Overdrive --> RBI --> Stewart 2.1 --> Bergantino NV610 rig, even when tweaking EQ a bit and cleaning up the signal. When I went back to my alder Sadowsky for the 3rd set... well, the magic returned!

I shouldn't be surprised... the NV610 is not designed to be uber-flat, so it makes sense that it'll go better with some components (bass, pre, etc) than with others. But I need to stress that I'm not at the point where I'm going to match the bass to the rig... I just need to familiarize myself with my new baby. After all, this is the first ash bass I've owned since I sold my Lull P5 four years ago. Every one between that and my new one has been alder.

So anyway: I haven't yet taken the plastic off my new one, but I will soon because she is DEFINITELY a keeper! I didn't notice the difference in weight (she's slightly heavier) at the gig. What I did notice was the lower tension of the blue label steels: I was digging in harder at the gig than at rehearsal, and the strings were frequently bottoming out, even after I loosened the truss rod between the 1st and 2nd sets. The blue labels have wonderful harmonic richness in the mids (plus great highs and lows), but I'm going back to the stiffer black labels so that Mary Kaye is consistent in playability with my others.

Did I say she's a keeper? Yes, I did. Freakin' awesome bass. :)
 

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