thodrik

I have tried any number of strings with this tuning over the past 7-8 years. The fact that the low C is dropped two whole tones from standard while the other strings are only dropped one whole tone means that getting a 'balanced' set of strings from a standard pack is pretty tricky. It might be better buying single strings. My advice would be to look at the tension ratings of your preferred strings in standard tuning and try to use a set that has a similar tension in drop C. There are string tension guides online which are worth looking at (D'addario's one is very good). Of course, tension isn't the only factor. Other factors such as compliance, the touch of the player, preferred string height, the fret work of the bass, the relief in the neck, all play a role, however I think that looking at tension is good at pointing you in the general direction and after that there is a bit of trial and error. Also, if the low C is just used for a low C (and not a D for D standard) you can probably use a much heavier low C string to get a tighter response. Brief reviews of the strings I have used on a Fender Precision and Sadowsky Metro are as follows: GHS 'Heavy' Boomers: 115-50: Good strings, decent even tension, didn't last that long but perfectly good strings. Rotosound 'singles' set 115-50. Decent tone, didn't last long and it had that Rotosound 'rough texture' thing going on which I like but some folk hate. DR DDT: 115-55: Good strings but frankly I didn't like them due to how unbalanced they were. The tension on the low C was alright, however the 75 and 55 gauges were really far too tight for being tuned to C and F. Great for Sabbath tuning (C sharp standard) but anything above that was too tight and anything below that and the strings went all flubby. Dunlop Heavy Core 115-55: pretty much exactly the same issues as the DR DDTs above. They have been discontinued I think. Custom Newtone set: 50-110: better than the DR DDT, though very expensive and not as good as the D'addario set below I can source for about half the price. D'addario EXL160BT: 120-50. These have generally been my first choice. Balanced(ish) tension so the higher strings do not feel like unmoveable steel cables and low string doesn't handle like a bit of Spaghetti. Cost effective too as they only cost around £20 or so. My current choice is a set of Elixirs I made up a set on Strings Direct: 50-130 (50-70-95-130). I found that the D'addarios only last a few rehearsals and gigs before going dead. The Elixirs have been installed for more than a year now and still sound fresh (well, the lack or rehearsals and gigs probably helps!). The 95 gauge for the G (A in standard) is pretty tight but Elixir don't make a 90 string and the 85 string isn't heavy enough for my own taste/ham-fisted touch.

I think that the pricing of the Masterbuilt line is made in accordance with the general Warwick custom shop pricing rather than with any regard to Sadowsky NYC pricing. So if the same Warwick master craftsmen and women who make £6k Streamers/Thumbs are spending similar hours when making a Sadowsky Masterbuilt, then this will result in prices which are a similar to, or exceed the prices of Sadowskys made by Roger Sadowsky.

This is a good point. I think some of the complaints are based on the fact that it previously very unusual for any of the non-chambered Japan made Metros to be over 9lbs in weight, yet quite a number of the made in Germany Metros which have been released are well over 9lbs. Of course this doesn’t make the German Metros an inferior bass from a build or sound perspective, but it has inevitably caused a few eyebrows raised from those who expect a Sadowsky instrument to always be lightweight. Add that to some of the QC issues and there is a lot fuel to Warwick haters to latch onto. I’m trying to keep an open mind on the arrangement. I have never played a Warwick that I thought was a poor instrument, so I don’t doubt that instruments will be top quality once the initial QC issues are sorted out. Personally I actually prefer the increased level of figuring on the maple necks of the Warwick Metros, as the Japan Metro tended to have very plain necks. The Warwick Metros have a bit more ‘bling’ to them in general. However, I can’t say I am likely to pay the Masterbuilt prices when Roger Sadowsky himself is making basses. However, in ten years time it might be that the only way to get a custom Sadowsky bass is via Warwick, so it might be the only option, so for that reason alone I hope that the arrangement works out long term. I’ve always fancied a six string Thumb though, so that might win out if I happened to have £6-8k of spending money available, which is admittedly highly unlikely short term.

I saw Converge in the upstairs area of Glasgow Barfly circa 2007. It was incredibly loud. Mastodon in Cathouse in Glasgow circa 2004 was just ridiculously loud. I saw Dillinger Escape Plan there as well and they were pretty damn loud but the aggression of the music made the music seem louder than it actually was. High on Fire in Nice N Sleazys in Glasgow in about 2006 was borderline painful. Generally I don't suffer at the larger venues where the sound is controlled entirely by the PA. I generally only struggle in smaller venues where there is no escape from the stage sound or oversized PA subs for the tiny venue. Also Buddy Guy was blisteringly loud when I saw him.

In terms of 'mainstream' gigs, the only gigs I left early was Motorhead and Killswitch Engage. Motorhead were great but I felt ill so left. In terms of the Killswitch Engage gig, I was kind of enjoying them but I was really only there to see Every Time I Die with my mate who secured me a free ticket. My mate didn't like the silliness of Killswitch Engage's onstage antics and wanted to leave to grab a beer instead so I did. I wish I would have left the following: - Red Hot Chili Peppers - mind numbingly awful and I was fan!; and - Van Morrison - the level of contempt he had for the audience and his own band was palpable;

Buddy Guy. I used to have Danko Jones’ but lost that. That is it. Van Morrison’s guitarist threw a pic into the crowd at a gig I was at. If I had caught the pic I would probably thrown it back at Van Morrison’s head given how half arsed his performance was.

Not exactly an entirely mainstream song, but Morningstar by Baroness is one that comes to mind for me. For me it is a classic case of tagging a 'heavy rock' riff into the beginning and end of a song. The song in the middle has no relation to the opening riff whatsoever and is kind of just a standard verse/chorus rock song. The opening riff then returns at the end, again out of nowhere. I quite like the opening riff but the song leaves me a bit 'meh'. My friend likes the song but finds the opening riff 'meh'. My brother hates the whole song in its entirety. Also I just don't like the mix, the bloody hi hat is so damn loud and everything is really compressed.

Exactly, if the original bands just tuned down a semitone, I would tend to do the same unless the singer preferred otherwise and/or if most of the set is in standard tuning to being with. Generally, I don't think that the extra half step down is worth it for 'authenticity' or 'extra heavyness' if the rest of the band are happy playing it in standard tuning. Having a five string is handy, but the ability to play everything on one bass is lost if the guitarist is constantly switching between a standard tuned guitar and Eb tuned guitar over the course of a set. It is only when you get to 'classic' Sabbath songs or Queens of the Stoneage songs in very low tunings (C# standard or C standard), where I find that the songs sound a bit odd when pitched up to standard tuning. However these songs are not generally part of a standard pop/rock/blues/funk function band setlist.

If there are classic songs where the bass is tuned to Eb, I prefer to just have a five string or a four string tuned to Eb. Being really pedantic I think that a downtuned four string gives a more authentic tone of the original tracks, which were usually recorded was slightly slacker strings because of a downtuning. Sometimes a crystal clear low Eb on a tight B string on a brilliantly constructed active five string just sounds too crystal clear and modern for my tastes. However, the audience really wouldn't notice the difference over the course of a live gig. In practical terms if I am playing 2+ hours of covers in standard and Eb tuning, then being able to play all songs on one instrument is better than either switching basses or retuning the whole time. An octave pedal just has too much of an 'effect' sound for me. I had the Aguilar one for years which was a great unit but I never used it after getting a five string. There is a Digitech Drop Pedal but even that has a bit of an 'effect' sound for me.

Lars Ulrich, great song writer and a better drummer than he gets credit for. It could also do great things for my bank account.

In terms of current UK bands, I am a really big fan of Green Lung and Boss Keloid and have greatly enjoyed their two most recent albums. They both have significant 70s prog leanings though (Boss Keloid especially) so neither are bands I would consider to be straight doom metal. I really like With The Dead as well. For modern US based doom, I really like aspects of Windhand but it gets a bit samey. Yob are fantastic as well but can be tough going if that kind of hypnoticly slow riffing is not your thing. Inter Arma have doom influences, but there is lots of black metal drumming and some Pink Floyd guitar in there too which makes them a challenging, befuddling and (I think) rewarding band to listen to. I think that the Cavern EP is brilliant.

All my basses from left to right: Vigier Arpege, Vigier Excess, 1979-ish Fender Precision, Sadowsky NYC V, Sadowsky Metro, 1974 Gibson EB3. The NYC is the only bass I have bought in the last ten years. I would maybe sell the EB3 because I don’t use it, but I have been thinking that for nearly 15 years and still haven’t sold it. I would never ever sell the Precision. I would only sell the other ones if I was desperate for cash which I hope never has to happen. The original Sadowsky ‘stock’ photo of the NYC is gorgeous so that would be a tough one to let go too...

Exactly, most NYCs are made on a limited run of 1, so I don’t get how a Warwick made run of 30 identical spec basses under a Sadowsky license agreement is somehow more special than a Sadowsky bass built to your own individual spec by Roger Sadowsky himself.

That is right up my street! Thanks for sharing.

Massive stoner/doom fan here. My own bands have rarely ever been in that style over the years but that is pretty much the genre I like listening to the most. My newest (to me) band, Electric are the closest I have been to playing in that style. We are releasing our second album shortly (edit: today!) though it is the first one with me. It isn’t proper doom, but definitely in the ‘influenced by Sabbath/Down’ style. https://electricmother1.bandcamp.com (Edit: adding a picture of the cover art too!)

Thread revival. It seems that Warwick have now added Sadowsky instruments to their annual Limited Edition series. https://www.bassgearmag.com/sadowsky-press-release-sadowsky-metroline-masterbuilt-limited-edition-2021/ The basses look really nice, don't get me wrong. However, the price tag of $6,999 for the 4 string 'Masterbuilt' and $7,100 for the 5 string 'Masterbuilt' means that a 'Masterbuilt' Sadowsky by Warwick is about $1,000 more expensive than the current NYC Sadowsky instruments available for sale on the Sadowsky site which were actually built by Roger Sadowsky and his original team. Yes, the Masterbuilt instruments are released in limited numbers and feature some exotic woods, but you could probably provide Sadowsky NYC with a similar spec with a custom order for pretty much the same price, with the added benefit that the bass would actually be made by Roger Sadowsky and that it would be made to your own individual specs. I'm guessing that the Masterbuilt line is designed to cover the demand for high spec custom ordered Sadowskys now that the Sadowsky team in NYC is a lot smaller. I don't doubt the Warwick Masterbuilt quality at all, it is just tough to get my head around the notion that a instrument made under a licence can be considerably more expensive that 'the real thing', so to speak.

I don’t disagree. However, sometimes making a brief note on what was actually discussed on the phone is a good habit and can help prevent/solve disagreements later on if people have different recollections over what was said on the phone. It obviously depends though. I’m not going to make a note about a two minute call asking about whether they had some flat wound Labella strings of a particular gauge. I probably would if I had a custom bass order for an expensive bass and I was told it should be completed and delivered ‘in 4-6 months’.

In my opinion this is a very good policy to have. It enables any misunderstandings in terms of what was agreed to be ironed out at an early stage. In my work I am constantly making file notes of phone calls. It is annoying and time consuming but worth doing as it might be that one of those file notes can save the day in the event of a future disagreement.

Honestly, at this point I have would have much higher levels of confidence in a Spector made Sadowsky than the Warwick made Sadowskys we are seeing at the moment.

I do the same. I use it as a Tech 21 Bass Driver substitute. I actually had a Bass Driver but actually preferred the B3K as I thought it cut through the mix a bit more.

Getting no reply to an email is always annoying and off putting. To be fair I haven't emailed them since last July or so, but the lack of reply has never been an issue before and that has been over the course of about ten years. I might be lucky in that respect as there certainly seems to be good, bad and indifferent experiences from the looks of this thread. If I had a serious email inquiry that was ignored it would certainly put me off spending loads of money in a shop. Likewise with rude customer service in a shop which is why I pretty much stopped going to Sound Control in Glasgow after about 2005.

I generally get good service there. They also have no problems sending gear up to the Scottish Highlands and don't charge extortionate rates for doing so. They always reply to my emails within 24 hours. The replies are usually brief, business-like and to the point. I appreciate that but I could see how people used to 'how are you doing buddy? Many thanks for taking the time to provide us with your ever so special inquiry' ultra friendly tone of correspondence would find the tone of the correspondence a bit unfriendly. I will certainly continue to use them. Though, obviously given my location I am unlikely to actually visit the shop in person.

This cab would not look out of place in one of those old vintage Trace Elliot brochures, where the product description would be along the lines of 'best used in pairs for a full range stereo gig. Richard Savage used 8 of these on the most recent Def Leppard tour. Slap players may benefit from using the optional 12x6 Mega Bright Box in order to bring out some extra highs.'

Looks great! What is the 'harmonic emphasis' control? Is it like a progressive bass boost/treble boost/mid cut?

That would surely lead to a special line of 'Purr-gantino' cabinets featuring the NXV porting together with the classic 1990s Trace Elliot rat fur covering to give the cats something to claw at before going to sleep.