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Thinking about a Sadowsky MV5

Ron Plichta

Ron Plichta

May 19, 2007
1,355
34
Fairfax, VA
#1
All the reviews here and elsewhere sing the praises of Sadowsky and I'm curious to try one. The problem is that I have a Mike Lull M5V and Lull V5 and don't really know if I'd be gaining anything by switching. BTW, the Sad I'm looking into has the Vintage Tone Circuit.
 
#5
Hi, I used to own an M5V Lull. It was a killer bass and was built the way a Fender should be! I had no complaints other than it weighed a bit much for long sets and the 35" scale (which I thought sounded great!) caused my tendonitis to come back (these are not the bass' fault but an issue with me being shorter and I was playing quite a bit with a corporate band that easily did two to three hour sets. ) The Lull I had was put together really well (just as good as my Metros) and was solid. I decided to get rid of the Lull and get a Sadowsky to see if that helped the physical issues. It was REALLY hard to give up the Lull but once my MV5 Sadowsky arrived and I plugged it in I knew I had made the right decision. The Lull is definately more Fender-ish in sound than the Sadowsky so this could be a factor for you. I got over this at my first session with the bass. (Keep in mind both basses looked very similar except the pickguard) A producer I had worked with for a few years was on the session. I slapped about eight notes on the new bass and heard "MAAAAAAANNNN Is that a new bass? It sounds spectacular!" from across the room. I now own three Sadowskys and my tendonitis is gone.
 
#7
Ron Plichta said:
All the reviews here and elsewhere sing the praises of Sadowsky and I'm curious to try one. The problem is that I have a Mike Lull M5V and Lull V5 and don't really know if I'd be gaining anything by switching. BTW, the Sad I'm looking into has the Vintage Tone Circuit.
Click to expand...

My Sadow MV5 is a great bass. Not sure if you have noticed this yet or not but they have a MASSIVE low end. Can be deadly to speakers and can clip a pre on a bass head. Great playability and tone. Clean highs, Thundering lows and just the right amount of natural mids to cut through. I think in my opinion that the VTC is a "needed" option on these basses. The HC pickups are very good also. get that hi-fi Jazz thing without all the hum. The VTC can really help smoothings out when playing direct into the sound system or recording. Seem to naturally sit wwell in the mix also. Just a matter if its "your" sound or not. I'm partial to MTD and Roscoe, they are just "me" but as far as Jazz basses go, these "take the cake":bassist:
 
#8
Ron Plichta said:
All the reviews here and elsewhere sing the praises of Sadowsky and I'm curious to try one. The problem is that I have a Mike Lull M5V and Lull V5 and don't really know if I'd be gaining anything by switching. BTW, the Sad I'm looking into has the Vintage Tone Circuit.
Click to expand...

You can always buy straight from Sadowsky and see if they are your kind of bass. (you get a 7 day approbal period).
 
#12
I played an M5-24 and MV5 today and I must say that I must be in the minority when it comes to Sadowsky. I thought the electronics sounded artificial and the necks too chunky for me. I prefer my Lulls and may end up keeping them (or at least 2 of them).
 
#13
Ron Plichta said:
I played an M5-24 and MV5 today and I must say that I must be in the minority when it comes to Sadowsky. I thought the electronics sounded artificial and the necks too chunky for me. I prefer my Lulls and may end up keeping them (or at least 2 of them).
Click to expand...

I did exactly as you did the other day. I sat down at the Atlanta Bass Gallery and brought my Mike Lull and my F Bass. Then, I played a number of the basses there including a number of Sadowskys, other Lulls, Fodera etc. I really did not like the Sadowsky tone as much as my Lull or my F Bass. BTW: my Lull has a tone control tha Mike added recently. Now, the Fodera NYC Empire did give them a run for the money. I thought I may walk out of there with a Sadowsky in my hand but I did not. Great basses, well made and comfortable. Just not exactly the sound for me.
 
#14
The necks take a little while to get used to. After playing a Ken Lawrence with a very thin, flat neck for years, the Sadowsky neck felt like a baseball bat at first. Now I really like the neck and I'm convinced all that wood in the neck make a difference in the tone. As far as the electronics go, my feelings are mixed. The boost only pre offers a (IMO) totally ridiculous and useless amount of EQ on both the low and high end. To me there is not much flexibility with the tone controls as anything other than a very small boost overwhelms the sound. That said, I always use the pre set flat and this bass cuts through a band like nobody's business. Same thing in the studio. It sits in the mix just amazing and has always given me the best sounding tracks of any bass I have used.
 
#15
HI

The pre on the Sadowskys is overly simple. Its just boost. Sounds amazing when the drummer kicks in. I think they sound nothing too special solo'd in my basement. I dont gig in my basement, though. I urge you to borrow one and do a gig. All u will need is to roll up the bass a bit and play. Practically plug n play. Ive owned 20 and none have failed to sound amazing live or to tape

Rob
 

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