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Super Jazz advice?.. sadowsky, xotic, coda etc

#61
sifi76, congrats on figuring yourself out.

If you change your mind again, Bill Nash does a sweet vintage style bass (also, relic'd). I've played both a P and a J and both were great. I've been really happy with my Nordstrand basses. And you've gotten a lot of great suggestions in this thread already.

It's tough not to have access to sources where you can try instruments, so if you played that Bluesman and loved it, that's a good sign. I was living in Chicago when I ordered my first Nordstrand bass, and I didn't order until I'd played a ton of instruments. In Chicago I had great access to trying a wide range of stuff in person (e.g., Luthiers Access Group, Mak'n Music, the now defunct Blueberry Hill Bass), and I got to try even more during visits to my folks back home in NYC (e.g., at Jimmy Coppolo's NYC shop). By the time I played one of Carey's NJ4s, I'd had a whole lot of basses under my fingers, and made the decision with confidence.
 
#62
C
Sweet Willie said:
sifi76, congrats on figuring yourself out.

If you change your mind again, Bill Nash does a sweet vintage style bass (also, relic'd). I've played both a P and a J and both were great. I've been really happy with my Nordstrand basses. And you've gotten a lot of great suggestions in this thread already.

It's tough not to have access to sources where you can try instruments, so if you played that Bluesman and loved it, that's a good sign. I was living in Chicago when I ordered my first Nordstrand bass, and I didn't order until I'd played a ton of instruments. In Chicago I had great access to trying a wide range of stuff in person (e.g., Luthiers Access Group, Mak'n Music, the now defunct Blueberry Hill Bass), and I got to try even more during visits to my folks back home in NYC (e.g., at Jimmy Coppolo's NYC shop). By the time I played one of Carey's NJ4s, I'd had a whole lot of basses under my fingers, and made the decision with confidence.
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Hmm yeah haven't had a reply back from the bluesman guys, apparently they are having communication issues. Those nash jb 63's do look pretty cool though, if anything a light relic job would be my speed, the heavy relic looks a little overdone considering it's a new instrument. I am a fan of Lollar's though, so I'd still consider it. All depends on the quality of nash's basses.
 
#65
Overwater J5-24.....Fantastic Instrument.....
NewBass10814.1.jpg
 
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#67
Although not inexpensive, my experience with my Overwater was that it was less expensive than a comparable Sadowsky....and mine has custom dimensions...16.5mm spacing at the bridge, narrow neck, etc. It is perfectly balanced, has John East electronics, Overwater noiseless pickups, is a perfect weight....ordering the same from another company, if they would even do it, would cost much more. I priced a similar build on FBass's site, for a VF5, and the list cost was close to $8k! More than double what I paid for my Overwater.
 
#68
Yes, you're totally right -- not more expensive than many other builders discussed in this thread. I haven't played the J series from Overwater. I have played a couple of custom instruments of theirs from (I think) the Progress series. They were terrific.
 
#69
I use a Sadowsky MS5 myself as a super jazz, but I also have a passive Eliezer Lara Jazz Custom that is for me even better. I use it without any effects in a standard jazz or folk context and with pedals in a full cover band and this thing rocks. To emulate an active bass, I use an xotic RC booster and it matches any active super jazz if not surpass them by a mile for some of them. this bass is a four string and that's the only reason I am keeping the Sadowsky for when a B string is required. Check Eliezer Lara, here is a link... Link Removed ... Please note, I have no affiliation with him, I have simply bought a bass from him and at full price which is amazingly low compare to others...
 
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#70
sifi76 said:
Hi fellow tb'er's, I'm looking for a 'super j' or at least a jazz bass that can run the gamut of both active and passive needs as I play several genre's in a few bands, I usually gig with an active bass, and also do session recording so the studio guys always insist I go fully passive in that instance. I'm looking for j's that are a bit more of the 'swiss army knife' style, as I don't like lugging around more than one bass at a time if I can swing it. Here are a few I have been looking at, they all have good active/passive options.

Sadowsky Metro Ultra Vintage 60 4 (has traditional two vol and one tone when in passive mode)
Xotic XJ-IT 4
Spector Coda 4
Nordy VJ4

Okay so any advice from owners or previous owners of any of these would be great, especially given that al these models are stocked locally so it would rob be a sight unseen import. Oh and if you have any other j bass suggestions that would be helpful too (except for fender j active deluxe - played a few, but those n3 pups are a bit too sterile and stale to my ears)

Cheers :)
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It sounds like you've got the money to spend. I didn't last year, so I bought a 2014 Fender Jazz American Deluxe V. You can toggle between passive and active. I never did like the onboard preamp, so to date I only play it passive.

After plenty of mods, pedals, and other gear, and so many other adjustments, I'm finally CONTENT with my sound!
I feel you on the n3 pups. That was the first thing I swapped. It sounds enough like a Fender, but also has other sounds I've always craved.
I guess the only downside is that after adding it all up, it's cost around $3,000.00
 
#74
If I was to buy a 4 string active/passive J, I think I would look closely at an ash/maple Alleva Coppolo. He really nails a 70's Fender jazz sound more than most do and with added flexibility of onboard bi-passable preamp. A few other names that come to my mind that are all good as well. Lull M4V, Suhr, Nordy, Atelier Z, Celinder, Gil Yaron. Fender....the list goes on...
 
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#76
OutToPlayJazz said:
I liked the sound of the Xotic, but it felt too light and flimsy, rather like a Roscoe. Maybe I'm not used to chambered basses, but despite the great sound, the feel just wasn't there.
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To my knowledge, Xotic doesn't make chambered basses and having owned many Xotics (and currently own 3), i can say that they in no way feel (or sound) flimsy and are some of the best built basses that i have played. Very consistent across the board from bass to bass.
 
#77
sevdog said:
Xotic are intentionally not featherweights. They're all supposed to be medium weight bodies, I also don't believe any are chambered as was insinuated above.

I recently acquired one and couldn't be happier. It might be fastest playing jazz I've ever had, can go from vintage to modern, and the fit/finish are as good or better than anything.

The list you've got there though is a list of makers that it's hard to go wrong with.
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I agree 100%
 
#79
Dr. Cheese said:
Maybe you should get a really nice passive Jazz like a USA Lakland or Lull, and run it through an outboard preamp like Sadowsky, Aguilar, Fodera.
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This is by far the best solution. I have done this for years and it is the most versatile setup possible. A passive Lakland/etc.. through a Sadowsky pedal is honestly the best possible way to "have it all". I do a ton of studio work and most of the time I use the Sadowsky pedal on the records, but i can always go passive when needed.
 
#80
I have a Sadowsky Metroline MV5 and have only good things to say about it. I have just bought a MetroExpress RV4 and the quality is indistinguishable from the more expensive Metroline, imo.

I particularly like the boost only bass / treble preamp with the VTC (basically a regular tone control.

Basically, nothing I don’t like about the Sadowskys. I also own two Warwick Streamers, which are also great basses, just a little heavy, though.
 
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