dub Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I did something I haven't done in years today. I went into a shop and tried out a bass. It was a five string jazz style Sadowsky with a maple neck. I just wondered if they really were that good. It was! ahh well better start saving. The guy in the shop said he reckoned that Sandberg basses were just as good (I don't think that's the way to sell a bass, he didn't have any Sandbergs in the shop) So now I need to find out about Sandbergs. Maybe I was wise to stay out of shops all those years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I would agree that the Sandberg California series are in the same class as the Metro line and they are generally a bit cheaper since the recent Metro price rises. From my experience the basses sound fairly different though. The Sadowsky's to my ear have a lot more of a modern 'snappy' sound to them, especially the maple fingerboard ones. Some people have described the sound as generic, but I thought it was just a really good clean sound that had a lot of natural bite. The Sandbergs jazz bass types I have tried I thought could deliver a sweeter more old school Fender sound. I loved both the Sandberg and the Sadowsky but I ended up with the Sadowsky, though this was before the models I tried were separated by around £800 in price as they are now! A strange sale tactic perhaps, but I always find suggestions like that to be helpful though as it gives you more information to consider before making a purchase. It also makes me more trusting when they actually do suggest something that they have in stock. If you are around the Glasgow area, CC Music should have a few Sandbergs in stock if you want to try them. Not sure if they have any five strings in though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I love my Sadowsky m24. I would recommend them to anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinewoods Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I had a Sandberg California JM 5: simply a good bass. I had a Sadowsky Metro UV70-5: a wonderful bass. I sold it to buy a NYC. I got a Sadowsky NYC Ultra Vintage J-4 seven days ago. I can´t be happier. Pure butter. There are a lot of basses as good as Sandbergs out there but few basses as good as Sadowskys; they play in another league. Price difference means something. If you can afford a Sadowsky, don´t hesitate. Go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Just got back from playing one of their MV5's in the London Bass Gallery and it was one of the best sounding basses I've ever heard. Having said this I've found one or two to be not so much to my liking... but the Sadowsky today has made me think long and hard about what my next bass is likely going to be. The Sandberg California's are great basses. Really great in fact, and I'd definitely have one (and did indeed almost have an endorsement deal with them), but I don't think they compare very well with the Sadowskys... somehow the Sadowsky feels like the more expensive instrument in your hands. Just my opinion after today anyway. Neither bass delivers a vintage Fender sound to my ears unless you run them in passive mode. I've now played quite a few of each and I'd just recommend trying both of them out before making any prejudgements on either brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dub Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Well it's good to hear a few opinions on the Sadowskys, I must say I was impressed by the one I tried. I'll have see if I can borrow one for a gig sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louisthebass Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='dub' post='1311788' date='Jul 21 2011, 05:19 PM']I did something I haven't done in years today. I went into a shop and tried out a bass. It was a five string jazz style Sadowsky with a maple neck. I just wondered if they really were that good. It was! ahh well better start saving. The guy in the shop said he reckoned that Sandberg basses were just as good (I don't think that's the way to sell a bass, he didn't have any Sandbergs in the shop) So now I need to find out about Sandbergs. Maybe I was wise to stay out of shops all those years.[/quote] I've never seen (or heard) a Sadowsky "up close & personal" - I've only ever seen Will Lee play one on the Letterman Show on TV, but there's a whole stack of people on Talkbass who swear by them. By all accounts it's the dog's danglies of all the custom builders, but there will be loads of people who disagree..... Was it an NYC or Metro? Cheers, louisthebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Cleaver Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'm off to Guitar Guitar in Birmingham today to try a few Sadowsky Metro 4/5 strings. I've heard nothing but good things and am really keen to try the MS24 5 string ! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne58 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I would highly recommend going for a Sadowsky, they are versatile, light weight with great tone and have an exceptionally good on board pre amp. Everyone has their own preferences, but I own a Sadowsky 4 string jazz and play in 3 very different bands....from Blues, R&B to original Americana/country and having used Sandbergs, Fenders etc find they work best for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Had a quick mess around on a couple at Gtr/Gtr Epsom... They looked a lot of money for the prices they were charging. For £2k for a Metro5...????? ...hmmm... I'd be pretty confident that a few local makers would make you a better bass from what I have seen or played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='JTUK' post='1313756' date='Jul 23 2011, 01:02 PM']Had a quick mess around on a couple at Gtr/Gtr Epsom... They looked a lot of money for the prices they were charging. For £2k for a Metro5...????? ...hmmm... I'd be pretty confident that a few local makers would make you a better bass from what I have seen or played.[/quote] I think that each Metro model has undergone a £500 price rise in the last 18 months or so. Mind you I'm pretty sure the price of Fenders, Musicman, Lakland etc have all gone up pretty substantially. The gap in the quality of bass you can get for £1200 comparing new to second stuff is pretty bloody scary just now. I'm not saying that the Sadowsky is the be all and end all, but it does deliver a pretty distinctive tone (which is not for everybody). I think that a lot of people that buy a Sadowsky Metro are not doing so because they want a bass that is good value for money, but because they want a Sadowsky. Saying all that, I could justify paying an extra £250-300 for choosing a Sadowsky over a Sandberg a couple of years ago. I'm not sure I could justify spending an extra £700 or so now, and I really love my Sadowsky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassybill Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I visited the Sadowsky place In Brooklyn when I was over there a couple of years back. The basses are top notch in every respect and I was tempted - very "Jazz on steroids" which is just my bag, actually. But then I realised that they wern't actually BETTER than what I already have (not for me anyway), just different. My main Jazz basses are custom jobs with Status graphite necks, but this baby is also very tasty and about the nearest thing I have to the Sadowsky vibe at present - my luvverly white Jazz with a Geddy neck, Badass bridge and EMGs. Classic and modern all at the same time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Don't get wrong, I think they are well made..but the lack of finish on the neck..?? that untreated lock always looks terrible to me. The paintwork is good, the woodwork (joints etc) is fine and I don't think the shop set them up too well... the action was average, which for me, makes it harder work, but they played ok and sounded good. I am sure the action is a 5 min job, tho' I just think the price of the best 5 they had, IMO, at £2100 or so, is into other makers territory that make better looking/made basses. And that is a strenght of Sadwosky, traditionally, as they can make some really pretty basses, and get all the right things right..it is just that I thought the price was about £600 and counting, over the top. Last time I looked the $-£ was ok-ish... as per recents times, so..?? Haven't seen a NYC of late, but for their money, I would hope they are on another level completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='JTUK' post='1313869' date='Jul 23 2011, 03:06 PM']Don't get wrong, I think they are well made..but the lack of finish on the neck..?? that untreated lock always looks terrible to me. The paintwork is good, the woodwork (joints etc) is fine and I don't think the shop set them up too well... the action was average, which for me, makes it harder work, but they played ok and sounded good. I am sure the action is a 5 min job, tho' I just think the price of the best 5 they had, IMO, at £2100 or so, is into other makers territory that make better looking/made basses. And that is a strenght of Sadwosky, traditionally, as they can make some really pretty basses, and get all the right things right..it is just that I thought the price was about £600 and counting, over the top. Last time I looked the $-£ was ok-ish... as per recents times, so..?? Haven't seen a NYC of late, but for their money, I would hope they are on another level completely.[/quote] I hear you on the neck finish for the maple fingerboards. The action on the one I got was great, though a couple of the others I have tried were nothing special. The fretwork is usually of standard though that it can go pretty low though. The frets themselves are also pretty chunky which could be a turnoff for those that prefer smaller vintage type frets. I guess the one I got just felt right so I went with it and I do not regret it one bit. When I got mine at £1500, I thought that the Metro blew away the Fenders I tried (a 1969 and a 1971, and the previous US Deluxe model), as well as a Warwick Thumb and a Wal (Mark II 1986) and was more to my tastes than the Sandberg (I don't like the relic finishes, I can get the same effect for real in a few years). For that I was prepared to let the lack of neck detail slide. I am told that the general quality of the Metro line (fretwork, woodwork, electroncis, general fit and finish etc) is as high as the NYC models. From the couple of NYCs I have tried, I found this to be the case. The NYC models though just look a lot nicer in general and probably feature more premium woods, which will result in them 'feeling' more special (felt like that to me). With the same pickups, preamp and bridge though, I didn't expect the sound to be radically different, and it wasn't. For £2000 or so though you can certainly get a bass that looks a bit more special, or sounds 'better' depending on your taste. The wood figuring and general attention to every minute cosmetic detail on my two Vigiers is miles ahead of the Metro I have. The sound of the Metro though can hang with anything though, depending on whether you like the tone you get out of a Sadowsky. I think that complaints over the sound of the Metro sound are down more to complaints of 'Sadowsky sound' in general, rather than due to a lack of quality in the Metro line. If you don't like the Metro's, I don't think spending the extra on an NYC would actually make you like Sadowskys or get you a bass that sounds completely different to the Metros. You would just have a prettier, much more expensive version of a bass you don't really like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Cleaver Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Tried an Ultra Vintage 5 Sadowsky Jazz at GuitarGuitar, came away thinking although it was a nice bass the £2k plus they were asking seemed a bit steep, the Fender USA Deluxe 5 Jazz I tried was very similar and much cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Pound for pound, the 'off the rack' Sanberg basses are better than the basses Sadowsky make. The most impressive thing about Sadowsky is their reputation and their price tag, as the playing experience doesn't really stack up. Sure, they make a fine jazz bass, but you're [i]always[/i] paying for the name. Which is madness, considering the competition is making better jazz basses cheaper. I'm not sure what disappointed me most, the Metro or NYC stuff. The Metro stuff was bad because it felt quite cheap and wasn't terribly impressive. But I expected that in a way because they are the buget models. The NYC stuff was also a big let down because, whilst you could see it's handmade roots, they were nothing special save for a few nice pieces of top wood with a massive pricetag attached. I love handmade, custom basses but the competition is so far ahead of them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='Chris2112' post='1314019' date='Jul 23 2011, 06:00 PM']Sure, they make a fine jazz bass, but you're [i]always[/i] paying for the name. Which is madness, considering the competition is making better jazz basses cheaper.[/quote] For once I actually agree Chris. Or at least partially. I've not come across anything that was 'better' built than a Sadowsky Metro that was cheaper, nor much worse, but you are definitely paying for the Sadowsky name. As long as you're happy to walk out with a bass you're happy with though, (here comes the age old argument) who really cares what you spend your money on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinewoods Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='Chris2112' post='1314019' date='Jul 23 2011, 06:00 PM']Pound for pound, the 'off the rack' Sanberg basses are better than the basses Sadowsky make. The most impressive thing about Sadowsky is their reputation and their price tag, as the playing experience doesn't really stack up. Sure, they make a fine jazz bass, but you're [i]always[/i] paying for the name. Which is madness, considering the competition is making better jazz basses cheaper. I'm not sure what disappointed me most, the Metro or NYC stuff. The Metro stuff was bad because it felt quite cheap and wasn't terribly impressive. But I expected that in a way because they are the buget models. The NYC stuff was also a big let down because, whilst you could see it's handmade roots, they were nothing special save for a few nice pieces of top wood with a massive pricetag attached. I love handmade, custom basses but the competition is so far ahead of them now.[/quote] Sorry but I TOTALLY disagree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='Pinewoods' post='1314235' date='Jul 23 2011, 09:09 PM']Sorry but I TOTALLY disagree.[/quote] Okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne58 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='Pinewoods' post='1314235' date='Jul 23 2011, 09:09 PM']Sorry but I TOTALLY disagree.[/quote] +1..... I know we all have different preferences tone wise, but I personally wouldn't put Sandbergs ahead on build quality having owned both. I think the gigging experience of Sadowskys, does add up (IMHO) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) You have to read chris's posts about Sadowsky basses whilst craning around the chip on his shoulder. Edited July 23, 2011 by Toasted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 [quote name='Andy Cleaver' post='1313999' date='Jul 23 2011, 05:46 PM']Tried an Ultra Vintage 5 Sadowsky Jazz at GuitarGuitar, came away thinking although it was a nice bass the £2k plus they were asking seemed a bit steep, the Fender USA Deluxe 5 Jazz I tried was very similar and much cheaper.[/quote] Were you there with your missus per chance? (nice chops btw) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Cleaver Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1314329' date='Jul 23 2011, 11:15 PM']Were you there with your missus per chance? (nice chops btw) [/quote] Yeah I was! I was sitting over by the corner where the Fender/Laklands are playing through a Hartke 4 x 10. I was wearing a blue t-shirt, where were you when I was playing (if it was me...). Thanks for the compliment though if it was me you saw . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 [quote name='Toasted' post='1314320' date='Jul 23 2011, 11:02 PM']You have to read chris's posts about Sadowsky basses whilst craning around the chip on his shoulder.[/quote] No, but you do have to be able to accept that I'm not going to join the fawning masses just because of the name on the headstock. An average jazz bass with massive price tag doesn't really make sense. I'm struggling to think of a Sandberg I've played that wasn't more impressive than a Sadowsky in almost every regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 [quote name='Andy Cleaver' post='1314659' date='Jul 24 2011, 12:26 PM']Yeah I was! I was sitting over by the corner where the Fender/Laklands are playing through a Hartke 4 x 10. I was wearing a blue t-shirt, where were you when I was playing (if it was me...). Thanks for the compliment though if it was me you saw .[/quote] Yes that was you! I was just perusing the basses,went in there with a friend who wanted to look at the guitars,think he was in the booth to your left shredding arpeggios and crazy train! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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