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Sadowsky vs. Fender (with pics and soundbites)

#41
I know it's been said before but the real magic of the Sadowsky tone comes out in a live mix. I purchased mine without ever trying one. I took it straight to a gig and it sounded fantastic. At home it doesn't really blow me away. If I would have tried one in a store without a live band I would not have never bought one. I'm glad I did. It's THE best tone I've ever had and I've had a few VERY nice basses.

TRY A SADOWSKY WITH A LIVE BAND before you pass judgement.
 
#43
Man, great clips! You can really hear the difference between the fender tone and the more modern (to my ears) sadowsky. From these clips, I really like the passive Fender fingerstyle tone you get. That seems to be the roundest, fullest tone you get in all your clips. Did notice that once I turned up the volume on the active clips I could hear a lot more clarity... and I do prefer the Sadowsky active pre for your slap playing... Do you notice a big difference in your output gain when you use active eq on your sadowsky? Also, how would you describe the playability of both instruments?- necks, action, etc...
 
#44
JHBassman said:
Do you notice a big difference in your output gain when you use active eq on your sadowsky? Also, how would you describe the playability of both instruments?- necks, action, etc...
Click to expand...

Yes. When you put it in active mode and boost 30% of bass you have to use a -10/-20 dB attenuator on a DI/Mixer input. The signal gets very hot.
The sadowsky is perfect to play. You can get any action (I prefer medium); the neck is very comfortable. A great working bass.
The Fender has 30 years :eek: The action is a little higher, the neck has a little curvature that the trussrod can't correct, it is heavy but it's a great bass.
But it's easy to understand why it was "replaced" with the Sadowsky for the everyday work.
Before I didn't like any bass I tried. Just my fender. But when I saved money for my sadowsky and order it....
There's only one bass that take my Sadowsky out of my hands...the fender.
My two loves. I'm not a man of too many basses. These two are enough plus a fretless bass.

Pedro
 
#45
Thanks for the clips and nice chops.

Very slight differences, but noticeable enough in the solo clips. I've only spent a little time with a RV4 and MV4 through a Focus and Flite 1x10. I need to get some quality time with a RV5. I may end up transforming my two 5's into a lighter RV5 if I can find one under 9 lbs.
 
#46
Great thread Pedro, thanks for the time involved in making the comparison.

I find the basses to be quite similar in terms of sound.
The Sad seems to be have a more tamed midrange.
However, I think the DiMarzios Ultra Jazz alter the tone from the "classic" 70`s Jazz Bass sound.

IIRC, the UJ and the Sadowsky Hum cancelling pickups are almost the same pickups. I mean there`s nothing wrong with them, but they lack that midrange agression that`s so present in stock single coils from 70`s Fender.

BTW, there nothing wrong with your playing.
 
#50
What has surprised me the most is that the fender has much more high end than the Sadowsky. I've never played a Sadowsky - but I do own the preamp. The Sadowsky sounds as if the strings are 3 weeks older, less alive somehow. But I do suppose the non-original pickups in the Fender play a major role.
Thanx so much for your effort.

Dirk
 
#53
MSIMSBASS said:
IMO I think the dimarzios preserve the sound of the bass. I have em in my 73' and
it sounds like it did when I had my singles in it, but with more oomph. I don't know
maybe it's the wood or whatever.
Click to expand...

Before I changed the pickups I made a recording with the originals and with these. The differences is very subtle. So the pickups not being the single coils is not an issue here.

Pedro
 
#56
Hi Pedro
Do you have an OHM meter and can you post the difference in the outputs of the two basses? Without the pre amp on. Do them single then with both pickups open. You don't have to open up the bass plug in a guitar cord and read it off that.
Thanks
BM
PS: The number of winding on a pickup = the output. Pre amp's are after the fact. Body woods have more to do with color and nothing to do with volume output. Play the instrument acoustically to hear the body wood resonance.
PSS: I bought my Jazz Bass for the way it sounded not plugged in, it sounded like crap plugged in. Then I changed to pickups to match the body resonance.
 
#57
I noticed that I like the high end on the Sadowsky (contained and focused like Ken Smiths) better but other than that they sound similar. If I had to choose it would be the Sadowsky due to the weight. Fender has too many hit or misses when it comes to light basses. Sadowsky's intentions are to make them light. Question is..........can I afford a Sadowsky??
 
#59
Wonder why they sound so similar, both have the same pickups. Small differences come from pickup spacing and number of strings, overall neck mass and such.
Wish you had the Fender with original pickups. It would make the Sad run for cover IMO.
 
#60
I love the sound sample comparisons! We need more posts like this. :hyper:

Anyway, I think i slightly prefer the Fender to the Sadowsky... but I really don't think anyone is going to hear any real difference when being heard in a mix of other instruments (and even if they could hear a difference they wouldn't care).

It reminds me of a conversation I was having with a friend the other day and discussing different basses... and he told me that a bass was a bass and that no one cares what it sounded like in a mix as long as it was there... :mad: I pretty much wanted to punch him in the face.

It also reminds me of when I went out to buy a new tv last year. I was really noticing how nice the samsungs and sony's looked compared to the vizios. But then I realized that I wouldn't really be able to tell the difference if I was just looking at the vizio (which I thought had a good picture too... just not AS GOOD). So I got the vizio and I love it (I just hope it doesn't break on me).
 

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