Some basses just don't come across thru certain amps-
Try plugging it into a couple diff amps and see what you get...
Try plugging it into a couple diff amps and see what you get...
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Replacing Sadowsky eletronics - Heresy?
- Thread starter SanDiegoHarry
- Start date
Doug Parent
Supporting Member
Harry when you say gutless can you be more specific? The Modern has that very specific pickup location that is so much a contributing factor to the overall "voice" of that bass, I'm not sure that Barts would change anything except give you an even more scooped tone. Which Lakland do you have and what are the pickup locations on the Lakland?
By "Gutless" I mean "thin" - as in needing a touch of bass. So I add a touch and it sounds much better. I really like how it sounds with either pickup rolled full, but am not convinced I love the both pickup's on thing. Odd, because I have a Warmoth project I did with this arrangement (loaded with barts & bart preamp) and I quite like it - but it just doesn't play like a Sadowsky.
My lakland has the typical lakland MM/J arrangement;
I may have to try a different bass - I am convinced that I quite like the Sadowsky neck/body thing. Perhaps if the p'ups were in the more traditional location. Not sure.
In mine I swapped the pickups to Nordstrand Big Splits. I love them (much better than the stock pickups) and the preamp. If I really wanted more tonal variation I might buy a mid-sweep module from John East and add that to the system. Removing the Sadowsky preamp would mean it's no longer a true Sadowsky!!!
Doug Parent
Supporting Member
Funny I see it the other way around, to me the heart of a Sadowsky bass isn't the electronics but it's in the wood, the body and the neck, how it looks and how it plays. Roger has used various pickups from different manufacturers and his pre-amp is totally bypassed with the pull-pot (which I used to use a LOT) and the tone you get is the wood and the pickup combination. I say switch pickups until you find what works for you and let your bass evolve into the ideal platform and expression for you to play and create with.
- Feb 4, 2002
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Just throw an Empress ParaEQ in the chain and you'll find what you are looking for without changing a thing. So versatile and so musical, I was amazed the first time I plugged my modern into it. I have two, one for live and one I keep in my studio bag and they are worth every penny.
Why not...
Try something diferent and see how it works. You can always revert to what's in there now.
If it plays great and resonates well enough, why not go traditional passive?
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I've been playing NYCs for years but then I got into passive P-basses big time. One of my NYCs is a P/J. The bass is incredible except that in the passive mode, the P pickup just doesn't have all the details in the sound that my Laklands and Fenders have (all Seymour Duncan pups) and I am really torn about "violating" the Sadowsky. I appreciate all the comments. These days, for me, it's all passive -- I use my amps to sculpt the tone and I just love the complex tones and dynamics that I get with a passive bass. Been gigging for 50 years and lately my gigs tend to be lower volume, so I think that has a lot to do with it. In the studio it's passive, hands down 100%. I like the P/J setup -- playing live, I'll use a bit of the bridge pickup for clarity if I'm getting lost in the sound of the band. Maybe I'll go for it; like someone said, I can always revert back. I'll take DaveAceofBass for inspiration.
