Roger Sadowsky Design PJ’s Now Humcanceling?

[Dr. Cheese]

You must be referring to the Chinese made Roger Sadowsky Design (RSD) basses. The German RSD's are already priced at over $3,000 and I'd hate to see that price go up even further. They're pretty decent but that price range is already into expensive territory. As far as hum goes I don't know if the German ones are noisy or silent. FWIW, I have an NYC Sadowsky Jazz and it's totally silent.

They have a couple of German (Warwick) RSD's in my local store. If I can get up there, I'll check them out to see if they are noiseless. For $3,000+ they should be.

"RSD" is in the name of this thread. In the original post, I make it plain that I am talking about the Chinese basses.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

How does he know? Is there a way to identify them as such or are we talking 'poorly wired Hum-Cancelling'?






And always have been. If these Chinese ones were not, I'd suggest a production line mistake or, as mentioned, bad wiring on a hum-cancelling set. I'll go ahead and slide all my chips into the middle of the table. Not one single Sadowsky PJ5 I've owned traded (I'd be low saying 20) had a single coil pickup in the bridge. In the Sadowsky thread Roger addresses this as to why it doesn't work/sound all that great



Has yet to be established that they are single coil, and I'll gladly eat some crow if there's evidence to this that isn't completely anecdotal



Ha!



Should've stepped into this 'tailor-made for ElMon' query.

I've seriously done 300 gigs on my main PJ5. Heavy unchambered ash/brazilian RW. Add in another 100 gigs on the ash/maple PJ5's, and then another in that ballpark of times I've gigged a Sadowsky M5-24/JJ5 (RV5 and MV5 and Will Lee Sig).

Yes, they all have a baseline of commonality, and I'll include even the M5-24 modern.

- Thick in the mix
- Mids that sit underneath instead of poking through the middle
- To me, a Sadowsky bass delivers the full and polished studio bass tones I appreciate, with only a 1/4" cable, and can pull this off through even the worst amps/PA Setups. IME (In my rather-extensive experience)

The Modern does this with a lot more mid-presence, somewhat reminiscent of a Ken Smith and the PJ5 ...

Is my favorite thing Roger does.
I've gotten rid of every single J-bass style model I've owned/traded, but that's only because for me, the only tone I really adore on a Jazz Bass is that both-pickups-on, some-treble boosted slap tone. That's basically it. Everything else just kind of doesn't do it for the 'sound in my head'.

I should mention my PJ5 bonafides/biases.

- Started out on a PJ4 design at 14
- Still my favorite sound in a mix, across all models.
- I think people who make the 'only a Pre-CBS 4-string P-Bass with the word Fender on the headstock can truly sound like a PBass' argument should be dismissed immediately. If you put a split P pickup, in the proper P-Bass position, it doesn't matter if you have 4/5/6 strings, or if you have alder/rw, ash/maple, walnut/wenge for the woods. They will all, to a degree, sound like a dang P-Bass.
- I've owned/gigged several pre-CBS Fenders, as well as Custom Shop P-Basses.
- I've spent thousands of dollars/countless hours searching for the 'P with a B' sound of my dreams. (more on this later)

Roger's take on the PJ5 is like this, and again, lots of Fargin gigs on these:

- Both pickups blended: just a low-mid rich, compressed, workable bass tone that with a choice of strings (I like Chrome flats on mine) and varying the VTC on/off as well as right hand placement, and I'm 99% good-to-go the entire gig. Fingerstyle/slapped/picked. The only thing I truly miss of a J5 is, again, that slap tone. The blended PJ5 slap tone is one that I like, but I don't love it.

- Bridge Pickup soloed: because the J pickup on my PJ5 is hum-cancelling, I've got to boost the highs/volume a bit and leave the VTC wide open to get some of that 'Jaco snarl/punch' that is 'that sound' for me when using this setting.

- Neck Pickup soloed: sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String. sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String. sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String. sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String.

Is there a difference? Of course. I did a side-by-side comparison thread you can find, but basically the Sadowsky P-Bass tone has more sustain. That alone will make it not to the liking of a true finicky, P-Bass purist. To me in a mix/at full volume, it ... wait for it ... sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String.

With some right hand muting, or some foam, which I use quite a bit, it's even more so into vintage p-bass land.

All that being said, of late, the people I play with want me to bring out the Olinto P5 that is fast becoming my main player. It's more a 'period-correct' take on the 'sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String'.

- Bent plate bridge
- no additional strips of graphite in the neck for stability, and which IMO changes the tone a bit.
- completely passive, hand-wound pickup
- Mas Hino is truly going for that vintage reproduction.

Sorry, woke up in the middle of the night and felt like typing.

ElMon, the man sells them, and those who have followed this topic know all about the true single coil pickups and noisy preamps that have been an issue with these basses.

 

[LowEndLobster]

Honestly, avoid the RSD basses unless you're able to get a killer deal. They're being sold everywhere fir huge discounts because of the noisy electronics. Fit and finish is well below Sire, but the hardware is better (tuners and bridge). The J is a single coil on the PJ and the preamp doesn't have a tone control, just bass and treble boost only.

 

[Acoustic356]

Honestly, avoid the RSD basses unless you're able to get a killer deal. They're being sold everywhere fir huge discounts because of the noisy electronics. Fit and finish is well below Sire, but the hardware is better (tuners and bridge). The J is a single coil on the PJ and the preamp doesn't have a tone control, just bass and treble boost only.

My 2 main 4 string basses are Fodera (Deluxe and Standard), my main 5 string is a US made MTD Saratoga. Other gig/session basses include Duesenberg Triton and Nash. I don't have a problem with the fit and finish, and enjoy mine more than any Sire that I've played.

I was thinking about adding another pre-amp, but it serves the purpose as a bass.. and feels good while doing it.

My only problem is that the RSD produces a whining sound when I plug in my wireless, so I always have to play this bas wired.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Honestly, avoid the RSD basses unless you're able to get a killer deal. They're being sold everywhere fir huge discounts because of the noisy electronics. Fit and finish is well below Sire, but the hardware is better (tuners and bridge). The J is a single coil on the PJ and the preamp doesn't have a tone control, just bass and treble boost only.

This proves to me that there is an art to making a genuinely nice bass on a lower budget. That goes double when actual work is carried out by a contractor.

 

[Leonid Nidis]

I saw some in a shop not impressed.
Noisy,heavy,poor fretwork.
Maybe it's just a slow start but at that point a sire felt better,even some cort basses played better.

 

[JimmyM]

Should've stepped into this 'tailor-made for ElMon' query.

I've seriously done 300 gigs on my main PJ5. Heavy unchambered ash/brazilian RW. Add in another 100 gigs on the ash/maple PJ5's, and then another in that ballpark of times I've gigged a Sadowsky M5-24/JJ5 (RV5 and MV5 and Will Lee Sig).

Yes, they all have a baseline of commonality, and I'll include even the M5-24 modern.

- Thick in the mix
- Mids that sit underneath instead of poking through the middle
- To me, a Sadowsky bass delivers the full and polished studio bass tones I appreciate, with only a 1/4" cable, and can pull this off through even the worst amps/PA Setups. IME (In my rather-extensive experience)

The Modern does this with a lot more mid-presence, somewhat reminiscent of a Ken Smith and the PJ5 ...

Is my favorite thing Roger does.
I've gotten rid of every single J-bass style model I've owned/traded, but that's only because for me, the only tone I really adore on a Jazz Bass is that both-pickups-on, some-treble boosted slap tone. That's basically it. Everything else just kind of doesn't do it for the 'sound in my head'.

I should mention my PJ5 bonafides/biases.

- Started out on a PJ4 design at 14
- Still my favorite sound in a mix, across all models.
- I think people who make the 'only a Pre-CBS 4-string P-Bass with the word Fender on the headstock can truly sound like a PBass' argument should be dismissed immediately. If you put a split P pickup, in the proper P-Bass position, it doesn't matter if you have 4/5/6 strings, or if you have alder/rw, ash/maple, walnut/wenge for the woods. They will all, to a degree, sound like a dang P-Bass.
- I've owned/gigged several pre-CBS Fenders, as well as Custom Shop P-Basses.
- I've spent thousands of dollars/countless hours searching for the 'P with a B' sound of my dreams. (more on this later)

Roger's take on the PJ5 is like this, and again, lots of Fargin gigs on these:

- Both pickups blended: just a low-mid rich, compressed, workable bass tone that with a choice of strings (I like Chrome flats on mine) and varying the VTC on/off as well as right hand placement, and I'm 99% good-to-go the entire gig. Fingerstyle/slapped/picked. The only thing I truly miss of a J5 is, again, that slap tone. The blended PJ5 slap tone is one that I like, but I don't love it.

- Bridge Pickup soloed: because the J pickup on my PJ5 is hum-cancelling, I've got to boost the highs/volume a bit and leave the VTC wide open to get some of that 'Jaco snarl/punch' that is 'that sound' for me when using this setting.

- Neck Pickup soloed: sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String. sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String. sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String. sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String.

Is there a difference? Of course. I did a side-by-side comparison thread you can find, but basically the Sadowsky P-Bass tone has more sustain. That alone will make it not to the liking of a true finicky, P-Bass purist. To me in a mix/at full volume, it ... wait for it ... sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String.

With some right hand muting, or some foam, which I use quite a bit, it's even more so into vintage p-bass land.

All that being said, of late, the people I play with want me to bring out the Olinto P5 that is fast becoming my main player. It's more a 'period-correct' take on the 'sounds like a Precision Bass with a B-String'.

- Bent plate bridge
- no additional strips of graphite in the neck for stability, and which IMO changes the tone a bit.
- completely passive, hand-wound pickup
- Mas Hino is truly going for that vintage reproduction.

Sorry, woke up in the middle of the night and felt like typing.

I guess you did! Man, you have an Olinto? NICE! Been dying to get my hands on one to try, but nobody I know has one. I opted for cheaping out with my new 5 P(J), though...Yamaha BB235. Feels good, getting a Duncan CS SPB-1 but wondered if the Sadowsky pickup had anything on the ball. From the way you describe it, it sounds terrific but probably best to stick with the Duncan. That and the Geezer are more my vibe when it comes to P's, but EMG won't make a 5 that sounds like the Geezer.

 

[KAOSBass]

So, I bought one of these, have a spare pair of Duncan Js to go in, and plan on upgrading the preamp, fingers crossed that it'll be one of the better examples.

 

[Jarneskeg]

View attachment 4292305Thomann has this for $2,599. I could actually afford this if a few things fall in place. I guess it would be time to retire from TB if I get it.

So cool with 24 frets!