• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Studio Workhorse

Dr. Cheese

Dr. Cheese

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2004
57,348
120,764
Metro St. Louis
#1
Anyone notice the Brian Marshall interview in this months Bass Player? The bassist for Creed and Alter Bridge mentioned that his stage basses are Sadowskys, but his recording bass is a Stingray V. I think that choice of basses is interesting given that they do not sound alike and they certainly do not feel the same. That said, I think they roughly equal in build quality.
 
#2
In my opinion, studio and gigging basses serve different purposes. A live bass must sound good consistantly, be comfortable to play...and be easily maintainable on the road. A studio bass must be versatile and have 'the sound'. Many players record with vintage gear to get the sound they want...yet do not tour with the same gear as it is too fragile/valuable.

That being said I wouldn't hesitate to take my Stingray on the road.
 
#3
TheDepths said:
In my opinion, studio and gigging basses serve different purposes. A live bass must sound good consistantly, be comfortable to play...and be easily maintainable on the road. A studio bass must be versatile and have 'the sound'. Many players record with vintage gear to get the sound they want...yet do not tour with the same gear as it is too fragile/valuable.



That being said I wouldn't hesitate to take my Stingray on the road.
Click to expand...


Yeah, you would have to try and break a Stingray because it will not fall apart on its own! I can see the advantages of a Sadowsky as a performance bass; the main advantage being the fact a Sadowsky might be 2-5 lbs. lighter than a Stingray.
 
#5
Yup, I got my Stingray second hand from a fellow bassist from my home town....I would describe it as 'well used', it has dings all over the body and has obviously been played a lot. It still plays amazing and sounds like a 'Ray should. They take a lot of punishment!

I think that you have partly answered your own question....If I was on a long tour, the weight of my basses would definately be something I'd take into consideration. Save money on getting your back fixed later on!
 
#9
I only have spent extended time in the studio once in my life when the band I was in made a demo back in 1984 (damn I'm old!)
My poor Rickenbacker was not cutting, and the engineer tried to get me to us his Precision. If the action weren't sky high, I would have used it. Instead I played through a phase shifter turned all the way down as sort of a noise gate.
 
#16
Obviously I don't know about anyone else. But, if I were recording, I would want the sound to be "my" sound. Obviously, things like weight wouldn't really matter for recording. In other words, what I used to record would likely be my favorite bass (at least, for whatever type of music I was playing).

Stingray 5s are notorious for being heavy. But, there ARE light ones out there and if that was my favorite bass and "my" sound, I would definitely find a light one for road work - even if it didn't sound quite as good/the same, as my favorite one, which I used for recording. I might even go as far as having somebody like Pat Wilkins cut the top off, chamber the body, and put a new top on, just to get it light enough, if weight were really a factor for me.

The only reason *I* could see for using a completely different bass, with a completely different sound, for road work would be some kind of business obligation. Weight is "fixable" without going to the extent of changing to a completely different kind of bass.

But, that's just me.
 
#17
Just a thought but what did he use before Sadowsky? Could be that he used Music Man back in the day and likes the sound of them and the way they record, but switched to Sadowsky for some reason (my guess is as mmbongo said, they have a similar sound but are more lightweight so less of a strain on tour) I haven't really done any research on it but it sounds about right. What do you guys think?
 
#18
Sadowskys sound nothing like Stingrays to my ears, but live, I'm not sure it matters that much. Decades ago I remember seeing Pleasure when their bass anthem, "Glide," was a huge hit. Their bassist, Nathaniel Phillips used a Jazz for the recording, but he played a Stingray live. When I saw him, it did not matter, I just know he killed it live!
 
#19
Sadowskys sound nothing like Stingrays to my ears
Click to expand...


The CD-booklet to the 1992 Chic CD Chic-Ism says - I quote: "Bernard Edwards plays Sadowsky Basses, Nile Rodgers plays anything that sounds good"

If I wouldn't have read the CD-inlay I don't know if I would have thought "This sounds nothing like a stingray to my ears" :-)

BTW: Chic Mystique is on par with all the other classic Chic tunes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-cO1lv_Crg

On Edit: just detected the original video for Chic Mystique on Youtube. And I love it. Wow...
But that isn't a Sadowsky or Stingray, NS Spector? Just posing anyway, but why??? And on 3:23 it seems to be the Sadowsky...


Dirk
 
#20
DirkP said:
The CD-booklet to the 1992 Chic CD Chic-Ism says - I quote: "Bernard Edwards plays Sadowsky Basses, Nile Rodgers plays anything that sounds good"

If I wouldn't have read the CD-inlay I don't know if I would have thought "This sounds nothing like a stingray to my ears" :-)

BTW: Chic Mystique is on par with all the other classic Chic tunes...


Dirk
Click to expand...


For sure, Bernard always sounded like Bernard!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back