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slight neck dive on a Sadowsky: uncommon?

A

AJ Love

Oct 8, 2002
525
10
60
Madison WI USA
www.roadcatrecords.com
#1
I greatly love my new Sadowsky 4 string J bass(#3908)...incredible tone, great playability, expert craftsmanship

one thing I noticed though, is that it isn't perfectly balanced. it has a slight neck dive. not a huge deal in that with a Confort Strapp its not even noticeable, but I do play sitting down sometimes and I can tell then....not what I expected in getting a Sadowsky

so, is this fairly common or very uncommon? am I being too picky...

everyone says that EVERY Sadowsky has incredible tone, so the thought crossed my mind to trade in/sell this one and get a different Sadowsky, HOWEVER its my only bass so I can't exactly ship it off to NYC (got tons of gigs and sessions coming up), can't afford to buy another one right now....plus despite that, its still the best bass I've ever played...so....

advice/feedback appreciated
 
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#2
just to be clear: I bought this bass used. So the wonderful Sadowsky 7 day tryout period doesn't apply here...

again the tone is so incredible that I am hesitant to just try to get another Sadowsky, although (again) from what I understand all Sadowsky basses have incredible tone

I had a Fodera VW Monarch before that balanced perfectly, sitting down when I put it on my leg it just sat there without me touching it...the kicker though is that the TONE of that Fodera wasn't even in the same ballpark as this Sadowsky. Now I understand that tone is very subjective but still TO ME it wasn't even close to what I have...are most Sadowsky Modern J basses like that (perfect balance) and mine is an exception?
 
#10
I'm amazed there isn't more online on this topic! So 9 years on from the last post I thought I'd reply anyway!
I find neck dive a real nuisance and can really hamper my playing - can confirm my early 90's NYC Sadowsky has it too - must be due to the chambered body. My main bass is a bolted together jazz bass with 70's USA pickups and the weight distribution is 100% perfect (miles better than the sadowsky). Won't be trying any others as for me, some great jazz bass pickups are superior - my sadowsky just isn't as strong in the tone department.
 
#12
Neck dive is the new restless leg syndrome. :rollno:

After coffee, I need to get out my acoustic guitar and see if it dives while sitting. I'm sure it does, but not if my forearm is in playing position. Same with a bass.

Why all the crying about basses diving while in the seated position? Most of them will and always have. They did when most of us started playing also but everyone is up in arms about it suddenly.

Options:

1) Try having two straps, one for standing, one shorter for sitting. That may help the dive.

2) Play standing.

3) Get a boutique medium scale bass. Mine balances perfect while sitting or standing.

4) There's always drums or woodwinds.

Players in the past probably didn't whine about dive too much. And the old-timey cure for restless leg syndrome was a daily walk.
 
#13
JazzBassAce said:
I'm amazed there isn't more online on this topic! So 9 years on from the last post I thought I'd reply anyway!
I find neck dive a real nuisance and can really hamper my playing - can confirm my early 90's NYC Sadowsky has it too - must be due to the chambered body. My main bass is a bolted together jazz bass with 70's USA pickups and the weight distribution is 100% perfect (miles better than the sadowsky). Won't be trying any others as for me, some great jazz bass pickups are superior - my sadowsky just isn't as strong in the tone department.
Click to expand...

Nice resuscitation! There are new threads about this all the time and this blended right in! Well done, sir!
 
#14
Fuzzbass said:
Aren't the Sadowsky bodies smaller than Fenders?
Click to expand...

Heh, I posted that back in 2004. It's now 2013 (really?!) and I own 3 Sadowskys, all 5-string P-basses with full-size bodies. They are all chambered alder and fairly lightweight, but I have zero trouble with neck dive on any of them, even when using a 2" nylon strap.
 
#17
2022 here and I came to this post as a brand new Sadowsky owner. Bought a used metroline and loved the tone so much I bought another one that showed up today. Buttttt man call me a wimp or whatever, both of these have crazy amounts of neck dive. I wondered if it’s because both of the ones I’ve purchased are 24 fret. However don’t tell me all J basses neck dive, I’ve owned probably 30 basses in the last 10 years and have had plenty of J basses even with more inferior brands that balanced properly.

I’m going to try and stick it out because the basses sound incredible but the single cut that landed today, even with a strap, seems laborious.
 
#20
Some experience neck dive when sitting because they play without a strap and with the bass on the right leg.

Try classical position with a strap.
If you sit with it between your legs,it is propped between both legs and against your chest.
And no dive is realized.
Even with no strap.

BTB sit.jpeg




Or you could do this!
 
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