Yeah, the combination of a little boost on the treble EQ and some roll-off on the VTC (passive tone control) can give you very nice presence without the top end getting brittle. Kind of a secret weapon on these basses...
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Same Riff, Two Basses
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Yeah, the combination of a little boost on the treble EQ and some roll-off on the VTC (passive tone control) can give you very nice presence without the top end getting brittle. Kind of a secret weapon on these basses...
I'm digging the new VTC settings on the Sadowsky - much closer call now. Both are great tones - I think it comes down now to the inherent nature of single coils vs soap bars by the bridge. The Sadowsky seems to have more clarity in the upper mids & highs and may be capable of a wider spread of frequencies in general. The Peavey has a great, tight focus in the lows & thicker low mids - nice highs too! IMO, both basses sound fantastic with different strong points in different areas of the frequency range.
You lose low Mids on the Sadowsky. Thats the weakness of it for me, if there is one. It enhances the lows and highs of a Jazz bass, which is why the slap tone is so good. I like active J's with natural low mids. Fingerboard selection and pickup placement helps here. I also noticed that while I loved maple fingerboards, it was almost too much edge for me on a J bass when I was soloing. It definitely got me that Marcus type slap tone and the Tal finger style but that has been done so much I prefer something a little different.
As much as I love ash and maple, you have a point. In my experience, alder/rosewood gets plenty bright, and is probably more versatile.
Alder is very nice, but personally I love Ash bodies. Ash and Rosewood is nice - its a perfect balance. I did own an American Jazz for years that was Alder and Rosewood and producers loved the tone. It was just fine for slapping as well but you'd probably want ash for a little extra bite.
Ash and Ebony is just amazing. I have that combo now and love it, and ill have a passive 4 string Ash/Rosewood coming in less than 2 weeks. Most of the boutique builders going or the 70s tone are using Ash on their J's, but there are some Alder builds out there as well.
If you can find an Ash/Ebony J at a store, make sure and play one.
Ash and Ebony is just amazing. I have that combo now and love it, and ill have a passive 4 string Ash/Rosewood coming in less than 2 weeks. Most of the boutique builders going or the 70s tone are using Ash on their J's, but there are some Alder builds out there as well.
If you can find an Ash/Ebony J at a store, make sure and play one.
Although I really want a Metro, Carvin has some nice options that are great. Ash/Ebony combos are one of the options that Carvin will whip up for a pretty low price. For sheer looks, ash/Birdseye maple are number one for me. Ash/Maple and the fact the Carvin JB5 pickups come standard in the Seventies position guarantees an aggressive bass.
Wood aside, I think that regardless of wood or fingerboard, or pickup position, the Sadowsky preamp pretty much guarantees a sizzle Marcus style slap, if that is what you want. Angel Crusher, I get your point about low mids, but that Sadowsky is perfect for me. I don't see that combination of moderate weight, perfect neck profile, and awesome tone in any other bass. Sire looks to have a Fender five style neck, and Carvin appears to routinely produce 10+ JB5s. I compared a Fender Deluxe V alder/rosewood to the Metro, and I thought the Fender tone and neck profile plus string spacing came up short compared to the Metro.
Well, if you want the Marcus tone, you way want to research Atelier Z. They have the actual Marcus tone nailed down with the proper wood, pre and pickup spacing. But yeah, the Sadowsky pre will get you a mother of a slap tone. The combo of everything is out there, and it seems to all be made in Japan - even the Sadowksy Metro..lol. The Japanese apparently love the heck out J basses, and IMO have been making the best ones for years now. I personally think the active Bacchus is better than a Sadowsky Metro in terms of tone and neck, and definitley price. Heck, the Passive Craft J's can be found at crazy low prices and you can just run through a Sadowsky pre if you wanted. There are some 5 string actives that I believe are $1,200 or so. Not sure what you would pay for a Sadowsky Metro, but they are usually over $2k and don't have the same build quality.
Anyway, just so you have options - look at these bad boys - Bacchus Craft Japan Series - STD-JB ASH5 ver.2 - 5 String Active Bass
Anyway, just so you have options - look at these bad boys - Bacchus Craft Japan Series - STD-JB ASH5 ver.2 - 5 String Active Bass
Sure. I wish I could tell you that you could walk into the store and try a Bacchus and see the light - but unfortunately you can't. All I can tell you is I have played everything, and nothing beats them. VSN may have a really good return policy so you may just be out shipping if you don't like it. I'd be surprised if you didn't though. Also, notice the natural ash finish has a maple board. So you can get that combo you like.
You would essentially be saving a thousand dollars or so and have a handmade bass with hand wound pickups. I'd do some hardcore youtube research - BassJapan channel is fantastic for this.
