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Sadowsky Question

T

timidbassist

Jan 18, 2005
300
0
38
Minnesota USA
#1
Ok so I love the look of Jazz basses!! The only problem is I dont like the tone of Jazz basses, I like the nice trebly sound except to me it sounds like there is not enough low meaty sound there. So I was wondering with Sadowskys and their active electronics do they have a meaty sound more like a Stingray or something or are they still as thin as a Jazz bass? Again in my opinion the Jazzes seem really thing sounding to me but I may not have been messing with the settings enough but anyway thats what I think of them.
Any help would be awesome!
Thanks,
Dave
 
#2
timidbassist said:
Ok so I love the look of Jazz basses!! The only problem is I dont like the tone of Jazz basses, I like the nice trebly sound except to me it sounds like there is not enough low meaty sound there. So I was wondering with Sadowskys and their active electronics do they have a meaty sound more like a Stingray or something or are they still as thin as a Jazz bass? Again in my opinion the Jazzes seem really thing sounding to me but I may not have been messing with the settings enough but anyway thats what I think of them.
Any help would be awesome!
Thanks,
Dave
Click to expand...

What's up, Dave... I've got a Sadowsky Standard 5 with the humcancelling J's. The Sadowsky pre and the woods Roger uses yield (in my experience) a very sweet and punchy tone. As far as the MM tone, Roger's Modern 5's have the soapbars in a more bridgeward (MM) configuration which may make for a more "meaty" MM-esque tone. A Sadowsky isn't going to have the depth of a neck-through Fodera (have a listen to Anthony Jackson's 6 on Michel Camilo's Triangulo album - DEEP). . . that said, I played my Standard 5 today through my Aguilar DB 750 and Epifani T-112 and it sounded positively HUGE :bassist: . Hope this has been of some help. . .
 
#4
Mine is a Metro RV5 with the humcanciling jazz pickups. And I also own an American Deluxe, it's not even close, the Fender sounds like a toy next to the Metro, the Sadowsky has meaty bottom in spades , you will be backing it off if you get one! The combination of punch and definition is tone heaven, It is not a stock jazz, I have seen some old jazzs with the right pickups and pre come close. But I've played even some of the new 18 volt pres, nice basses, but not a Sadowsky.
 
#5
Bernie Connors said:
That is such a good CD and AJ has an incredible tone on there, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

Bernie, Not to challenge you on that one, because it's a different kind of deep in a neck thru verse a bolt on. But theres an awfull lot of pure, rich, lay in the fat pocket bottom, in that sadowsky pre! And the little bit of recording I've done and the lot my friends have done has convinced me that they will "sit in the mix" as good or better then any bass made. I have one friend who has both a Fodera and a Sadowsky, the last session he was at he ended up rerecording every thing he had done with the Fodera with his Metro, he's selling the Fodera. Foderas are great basses, but they also cost 2-3 times what a Sadowsky cost, and I wouldn't take one in a tradefor my Metro. Now for certain things they might be better, and at that level instruments get very subjective, I will not knock the stuff Vinnie is turning out, they are VERY FINE instruments and for some people there better then what roger does. But like I said previously you will never be able to use half the low end in that Sadowsky pre!
 
#7
burk48237 said:
Bernie, Not to challenge you on that one, because it's a different kind of deep in a neck thru verse a bolt on. But theres an awfull lot of pure, rich, lay in the fat pocket bottom, in that sadowsky pre! And the little bit of recording I've done and the lot my friends have done has convinced me that they will "sit in the mix" as good or better then any bass made. I have one friend who has both a Fodera and a Sadowsky, the last session he was at he ended up rerecording every thing he had done with the Fodera with his Metro, he's selling the Fodera. Foderas are great basses, but they also cost 2-3 times what a Sadowsky cost, and I wouldn't take one in a tradefor my Metro. Now for certain things they might be better, and at that level instruments get very subjective, I will not knock the stuff Vinnie is turning out, they are VERY FINE instruments and for some people there better then what roger does. But like I said previously you will never be able to use half the low end in that Sadowsky pre!
Click to expand...

I definitely understand what you're saying, and I agree on the neck-through vs. bolt-on statement. Keep in mind as you read this that I own a Sadowsky and I too think they're top quality instruments. I actually e-mailed Roger recently (after getting the Standard 5 from a friend) to tell him that I never understood what all the hype was about regarding his basses. . . until I had the chance to play/gig one. They play effortlessly and, as you say, the pre is wonderfully musical.

The point I was making about AJ's bass was simply to differentiate between big low end and the depth that cannot be dialed in with a preamp. In fairness, a 34 in scale bolt-on is not going to be comparable to a 36 in scale neck-through with regard to depth of tone. AJ's Presentation is completely sans electronics, just an output jack and a pickup, and you can't fake the tone he gets out of that thing with any preamp magic in a different bass (read concert grand piano vs. upright piano). My intention was to give the original poster a point of reference for "depth" versus dialed in bass. Make no mistake, I love my Sadowsky, but I would loooooove a 36 in scale Presentation 6 as well :D

With regard to taking one in a trade for your Metro. . . :eek: if you love the Metro that much you could sell your newly acquired Presentation and buy 3 Metro's (ash/maple, alder/morado, and a fretless?) ;)
 
#11
NovusOrdo said:
why not get a P/J instead of a J/J?
Click to expand...

In deed! Good idea. I will deffinitly look into that, and as for everyone elses help thanks alot. It was all alot of help. One more question, being Valenti basses are much cheaper and also great quality can he do Sadowsky electronics in his basses being he works for Sadowsky?
Thanks again,
Dave
 
#12
What about the modern? Has a similar shape with the the soapbars. Definitely meaty...

I recently purchased one of the Sadowsky outboard preamps and was truly blown away! I have a DB924 and these are worlds apart. The Sadowsky is transparent in comparision, very musical. I like the Ag but they are definitely different. The pedal has saved me around $2k on getting a new bass
 

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