- Jun 10, 2003
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ive owned a sadowsky, but it didnt do what i wanted, which was a nice vintage vibe. sounded too modern to me. I'm more happy now with my Lakland Bob Glaub w/PJs 
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Whats so good about Sadowsky!?
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Is it just me or does the first post smell feintly of troll.
On Topic - never played a Sad myself but if I was after a super J then is would be one of only a couple on my 'to try' list
Matthew
On Topic - never played a Sad myself but if I was after a super J then is would be one of only a couple on my 'to try' list
Matthew
As a Sadowsky owner, I agree that they aren't best at the warm vintage vibe. All the Sadowsky basses I've played have been more hi-fi and slightly scooped, even with the preamp set flat.xparis001 said:
And that's cool with me... I like modern tones. But I also dig the traditional Fender sound, so that's why I'll always have both Sadowsky and Fender in my arsenal.
P.S. Without a doubt, the Sadowsky has fit and finish second to none. I didn't go with Sadowsky just for the tone.
Mabis2012 said:to my ears Sadowskys sound closer to modern thru necks to fenders, especially with that scooped preamp, cant get any bite out of my sadowsky. but if you want a fender tone best go with a fender, logical right?
the preamp only scoops the mids if you scoop it (i.e., turn up the bass and treble knobs). an ash body/maple fingerboard on any bass (even old Fenders) scoops the midrange--the Sadowsky preamp seems pretty even across the frequency range with the knobs all the way down (of course drastic boosting can make the bass sound as scooped and fat as you want).
My alder/rosewood Sadowsky has all the midrange I could ever need with the preamp knobs all the way down--the bass really sounds great that way (of course it does not sound like an MTD with the low mids boosted, but the bass is not going for that--it does sound an awful lot like a vintage Jazz bass though). However, a little treble or bass can go a long way in other applications. It is a remarkably versatile preamp--but to call it "scooped" is misleading because it can be scooped just as it can be excessively bright or boomy if that is how you set it.
hi cheezewiz, i love sadowskys but i dont think they sound like fenders, as in bite i mean the bite i get from the string when i get that mid growl come back and bite me on my nipples.cheezewiz said:
in fact you were telling me that you hated sadowskys and you only liked them because you wanted to be popular on this forum, ive played Sadowskys for years i love them but they dont sound like a fender thats all im saying, bark up someone elses tree,
thanks
also yes id love to try a sadowsky with single coils,im waiting till he fits them as standard then i'll buy a 70s metro for sure.
Sadowskys may look like "just a Fender" to you, but they're more similar custom shop Fenders as in that they're not mass-produced but hand made, that's why they're so expensive. They're sort of a bass for pros who want a Fender-style bass without the inconsistencies mass-produced basses are prone to.
Sadowsky's are reknowned for the magic (crack) Roger laces the instruments with. I've seen guys who abhor Fender-style bass guitars but they try one of Roger's instruments and they're completely changed.
OK, I really don't want to pick a fight, but I'd just like to through this in.
There are a few makes that are really championed here on TB, Sadowskys and Warwicks especially. A lot of people, myself included, would love to be able to spend hours in music shops to find out what bass is for us, but we simply do not have the chance. So when someone does get to play one of the '"greats", doesn't care for it, and then asks why others love them so, it would be helpful if others could come back with constructive comments like 'I love the thin/thick neck', 'the deep growl/high, airy tone', 'the string spacing is good'. That way, when the rest of us get a precious 20 minutes in a store we will have a better grasp of which basses we are more or less likely to like.
I don't feel that this is a troll thread at all, I think it's a legitimate question.
Mods - if I'm totally of on one here the please just delete this post.
Cheers
There are a few makes that are really championed here on TB, Sadowskys and Warwicks especially. A lot of people, myself included, would love to be able to spend hours in music shops to find out what bass is for us, but we simply do not have the chance. So when someone does get to play one of the '"greats", doesn't care for it, and then asks why others love them so, it would be helpful if others could come back with constructive comments like 'I love the thin/thick neck', 'the deep growl/high, airy tone', 'the string spacing is good'. That way, when the rest of us get a precious 20 minutes in a store we will have a better grasp of which basses we are more or less likely to like.
I don't feel that this is a troll thread at all, I think it's a legitimate question.
Mods - if I'm totally of on one here the please just delete this post.
Cheers
Lord Henry said:
good point Lord Henry.
Regarding Sadowskys, I know it has been said several times before on tb, there are several high end basses that sound much better by themselves than a Sadowsky. The only way to evaluate a Sadowsky (or any bass for that matter) is how it sounds in context and that is exactly where a Sadowsky shines.
If my only experience with a Sadowsky was limited to a music store experience or any other "solo" experience, I might have not been as impressed either. In fact, the reverse is often true, a bass will sound great by itself but get lost in the mix.
Sadowskys sound really great in context.
I played a sadowsky awhile back and didn't see the big deal about them (especially with a price like that).
It didn't feel or sound right to me.
Whatever floats you boat or turns your crack or blows your skirt up.
But a Wal or a Roscoe bass, now thats where its at for me.
Those turn my crack
I'd really like to play a Zon as well
It didn't feel or sound right to me.
Whatever floats you boat or turns your crack or blows your skirt up.
But a Wal or a Roscoe bass, now thats where its at for me.
Those turn my crack
I'd really like to play a Zon as well
I don't know it having the ultimate J bass tone ( at least not to me ) but I have one anyway just for something different and it does play very well but it isn't my main bass.Woodchuck said:
You'll ither like it or you won't
Agreed.Mabis2012 said:i think the ultimate j tone comes from a fender jazz bass, especially the 70s or older models which are also a great investment. to my ears Sadowskys sound closer to modern thru necks to fenders, especially with that scooped preamp, cant get any bite out of my sadowsky. but if you want a fender tone best go with a fender, logical right?
The mids on my Marcus Miller V and my 74 Jazz bass aren't scoop at all and both of them are (Northen) ash bodied basses,however I've now been backing off the preamp in my Sadowsky and it does much bettercabcreaser said:
- Mar 11, 2005
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I really like my sadowsky because it is an update of the classic jazz bass design, with changes and new features i really like: Really well made, really nice smooth neck finish, active preamp where a little goes a long way for flexibilty, good weight, a straight neck that hasn't been warped over time... i could continue. If you really want a fender, get a fender; a good vintage one, or a reissue or a customshop or whatever. If you still want a fender style bass but updated there are other "super jazzes" out there. Mike Lull, Pensa, Moon, Celinder, etc. They are all different.
I also have a 'cheap' japanese fender jazz, 62 reissue. I want to replace it with a sadowsky RV4 because i like the smoother, punchy, sadowsky sound and big full bottom end i can get from the preamp. I still like the fender but i want something a bit different.
I find the sadowsky reacts differently to the fenders i've had. I get a lot of snap playing slap but it is smoother and has less 'click' on the notes when playing fingerstyle. However, i have the single coil pus and i think they have great growly mids. I also don't use that much bass and treble, maybe 20-30% and i prefer roundwound strings though.
I don't see what the big deal is. Getting both the humcancelling pus and the single coils means you can try both and then if you really hate one, sell them on ebay or something...
I also have a 'cheap' japanese fender jazz, 62 reissue. I want to replace it with a sadowsky RV4 because i like the smoother, punchy, sadowsky sound and big full bottom end i can get from the preamp. I still like the fender but i want something a bit different.
Mabis2012 said:
I find the sadowsky reacts differently to the fenders i've had. I get a lot of snap playing slap but it is smoother and has less 'click' on the notes when playing fingerstyle. However, i have the single coil pus and i think they have great growly mids. I also don't use that much bass and treble, maybe 20-30% and i prefer roundwound strings though.
Mabis2012 said:
I don't see what the big deal is. Getting both the humcancelling pus and the single coils means you can try both and then if you really hate one, sell them on ebay or something...
Lord Henry said:
yeah, see thats what i was trying to get at when starting this thread, details on why the guys that like em, like em.
well, i am going to try them out alot cuz now i feel curious to do it and see what fender copy builders can give to the ol traditional design concept.
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