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What makes a Sadowsky better than a Music Man or a Modulus?
- Thread starter Harper
- Start date
Chef
In Memoriam
Not me. To the contrary, as I discussed earlier, I do not want a showy/trendy bass. I'm a stay-at-home support player and my Sadowskys give me boutique build quality with the Fender look (mine are painted, no fancy figured tops).
Chef
In Memoriam
fwiw:
Many of my local bass player friends are not TB-guys.
Most of them have no idea what a Nordy/Alleva/Sadowsky is, and I get asked "what is that," a lot...if they even notice it's not a Fender.
Many of my local bass player friends are not TB-guys.
Most of them have no idea what a Nordy/Alleva/Sadowsky is, and I get asked "what is that," a lot...if they even notice it's not a Fender.
Same here. I just tell them the Sadowsky is a Fender imitation. Pretty far from the truth but keeps people comfortable.
Different discussions with musicians in the know.
Different discussions with musicians in the know.
Same with me too. Most TalkBass regulars know the boutiques, but many out in the "real world" -- including working pros -- do not.
I've had that happen to me too, but now and then I'll get guitarists and even drummers that recognize Sadowsky, and these are great players.
Enjoy the snow guys, its 70 and not a cloud in the sky down here.
The previous discussion about the Warmoth baffles me. I can not stand Warmoth necks. They are far and away my least favorite bass neck. But, since they look like the Sadowsky neck, therefore the Sadowsky is over priced?!? Good grief.
The previous discussion about the Warmoth baffles me. I can not stand Warmoth necks. They are far and away my least favorite bass neck. But, since they look like the Sadowsky neck, therefore the Sadowsky is over priced?!? Good grief.
As an owner of a Sadowsky NY Vintage 5 I have to chime in on this one. Here are some points:
- When I received my bass I fell in love with the sound and playability. I was so enamored by the sound that I failed to look at some clear-coat finish blemishes on the body. I believe it is too late to have them fixed now so have learned to live with it. I know Roger would have taken care of it immediately had I noticed on a timely basis! - My bad, not his. It is very expensive to ship the bass back to NY. The marks are not clearly seen except in direct lighting and the beauty of the tiger maple top distracts from that. Every other Sadowsky bass I've seen is gorgeous. I would buy another in a NY minute.
- The fit of the neck and body are perfect.
- The neck plays perfectly to me.
- The sound, in my opinion is what it is all about. Read about Roger's approach to instruments: "It's all about the wood." This comes from his years of building guitars. Listen to a Sadowsky and you will a woody type tone that other instruments (as far as I know) do not have (Tal Wilkenfeld's sound). I realize the other factors: strings, amps, speakers, and player can negatively impact this. Personally, I use DR Fatbeams for an even bigger sound but the wood tone cuts through no matter what string I use.
- It is hard to put into words but my Sadowsky is hard to put down. It inspires me to play more, longer, and with greater feeling.
But this is all my opinion and what I prefer. I would recommend that you play one (maybe a local has one you can try?). Some prefer a more electronically colored instrument but my Sadowsky's natural tone overcomes that influence of the active electronics.
Your original question: $3000 better? Probably not. The NY overhead costs are probably higher since housing and everything else is outrageously expensive there.
- When I received my bass I fell in love with the sound and playability. I was so enamored by the sound that I failed to look at some clear-coat finish blemishes on the body. I believe it is too late to have them fixed now so have learned to live with it. I know Roger would have taken care of it immediately had I noticed on a timely basis! - My bad, not his. It is very expensive to ship the bass back to NY. The marks are not clearly seen except in direct lighting and the beauty of the tiger maple top distracts from that. Every other Sadowsky bass I've seen is gorgeous. I would buy another in a NY minute.
- The fit of the neck and body are perfect.
- The neck plays perfectly to me.
- The sound, in my opinion is what it is all about. Read about Roger's approach to instruments: "It's all about the wood." This comes from his years of building guitars. Listen to a Sadowsky and you will a woody type tone that other instruments (as far as I know) do not have (Tal Wilkenfeld's sound). I realize the other factors: strings, amps, speakers, and player can negatively impact this. Personally, I use DR Fatbeams for an even bigger sound but the wood tone cuts through no matter what string I use.
- It is hard to put into words but my Sadowsky is hard to put down. It inspires me to play more, longer, and with greater feeling.
But this is all my opinion and what I prefer. I would recommend that you play one (maybe a local has one you can try?). Some prefer a more electronically colored instrument but my Sadowsky's natural tone overcomes that influence of the active electronics.
Your original question: $3000 better? Probably not. The NY overhead costs are probably higher since housing and everything else is outrageously expensive there.
The previous discussion about the Warmoth baffles me. I can not stand Warmoth necks. They are far and away my least favorite bass neck. But, since they look like the Sadowsky neck, therefore the Sadowsky is over priced?!? Good grief.
I don't recall anybody saying anything about Warmoth necks. My home built J has a Warmoth body and an Allparts neck. My home brewed P bass is a Fender American Standard body with an Allparts neck, too. I don't care for Warmoth necks, either. Or at least, the one that I had.
You may also dislike Allparts necks. But, I would bet money that if you built a bass with an Allparts neck, then sent it to JohnK_10 and had him reshape and refinish the neck, and clean up the board and fretwork to his standards, then presented it to 10 unbiased bass players to review, you would find that at least the majority would agree it is equal in feel and playability and overall quality to the neck on a Sadowsky NYC bass. And you would have a LOT less money in the bass than if you bought a Sadowsky.
It's not as simple as just thinning down a thick neck because the thinner you make it, the more unstable it can be. You might have gotten away with shaving down a neck before, but stability is the reason American Fenders and Sadowsky NYCs have graphite rods in the necks, why top builders use aged neck woods, multi-laminated necks, and why Fodera chose to make the 36" AJ 6 a singlecut.
While super thin necks can of course create some issues (FYI, Sadowsky necks are not particularly thin front to back), graphite bars do not really create more stability. Roger reports that he adds graphite to the NYC Sadowsky basses as an attempt to reduce dead spots.
Aged woods is more of a proxy for appropriately dried, which can be a result of age or of proper handling prior to production. However, +1, my very old maple neck on my Alleva-Coppolo has never needed adjustment in the 4+ years I've had it.
Finally, single cuts are a strange thing. Clamping one side of the neck up to the 12th fret doesn't really seem to make much sense other than aesthetically, and possibly to increase the mass of the body without making the body larger. Necks don't really move much below the 12th fret, and if they did, fixing one side of the neck and not the other would be a questionable thing to do.
That all being said, all these builders you mention use premium woods, well age and/or dried, and use all the tricks of the trade to make the basses sound great, have limited dead spots, stable necks, and otherwise perfect fit and finish.
No, I have no experience with the All Parts necks. no idea + or - on those. I don't dislike anything because it is inexpensive or because it doesn't say "Sadowsky." I have certainly messed around with my own builds and mods over the years. Just particularly disliked every Warmoth neck I ever played, that's all. Personal opinion. The one thing I will say with Roger's stuff is that you can count on it.
So, pulling numbers outa thin air ....
If my $1800 MM depreciates 50% I lose $900,
whilst if my $5000 Sadowsky depreciates only
20% I lose $1000. Acoarst for the extra $100
outa pocket I did get to play a Sadowsky but
if I actually KEEP the ax, then the Sadowsky
is $3200 extra, not just $100 extra. Keeping
it 20 yrs, I spoze the price is long forgotten.
OR .... or you can get two MMs, fretted and
FL, and keep them both for 20 yrs, and still
have $1400 left to get your kids some gear
`
I guess it comes down to tone preference, and whether or not you see a bass purchase as an investment. I personally don't see it as an investment, but I still prefer the sadowsky. At the end of the day, people don't go to concerts wondering what kind of loss a guy/gal will take on his/her bass when they sell it. People will go for the music and what it sounds like IMO. Then again, I try to buy a bass and keep it for a while, so resale isn't a big deal for me admittedly.
The law of diminishing returns definitely applies as much to basses as any other item. A boutique bass isn't a bargain, but is subjectively worth the price to many. For that matter, an SX that is completely set up by an excellent luthier, with a few mods, may also sound and play as well as a Sad, MM or Fender. Play what you want, can afford, are comfortable with and be happy.
So, pulling numbers outa thin air ....
If my $1800 MM depreciates 50% I lose $900,
whilst if my $5000 Sadowsky depreciates only
20% I lose $1000. Acoarst for the extra $100
outa pocket I did get to play a Sadowsky but
if I actually KEEP the ax, then the Sadowsky
is $3200 extra, not just $100 extra. Keeping
it 20 yrs, I spoze the price is long forgotten.
OR .... or you can get two MMs, fretted and
FL, and keep them both for 20 yrs, and still
have $1400 left to get your kids some gear
`
For me, the huge tone that Sadowsky basses have makes it worth the cost. I don't see it as an investment, because my tone at the gig is more important than what I may or may not lose when I sell it.
Well said
While some instruments are true works of art......most of us play what we do for how they work for what we like and/or need. Fit, finish, stability, is what I appreciate in my car, and my other tools. Take respectful care of them and they'll serve you well and love you long time
