Sadowsky

[loudandclear]

[quote name='thodrik' post='1316203' date='Jul 25 2011, 08:24 PM']It always intrigues me to see how passionate some people are about not liking Sadowsky basses, to the point that every discussion about Sadowsky on this thread ends up as a mud-slinging match between those that own/like them and those that consider them overpriced/overhyped/average sounding/generic sounding. Not that it isn't entertaining its just about the third time in last year it has happened. Perhaps if the price of Metros continue to rise, the debate will become even more heated![/quote]

I think its just a case of how people present their opinions that polarises debates such as this. Whenever someone posts stating as fact that xxx basses are all average and overpriced and not as good as yyy basses it is going to invoke strong reactions all round when as has been stated many times already its just one persons opinion, and there are much better ways of presenting ones opinions.

[dub]

Wow thats a lot opinions flying around since I was away at the weekend playing gigs!
I guess from Sadowskys point of view it's good to be talked about, no such thing as bad publicity and all that..
They obviously make very good basses that are still selling well even at higher prices.
Aside from the nice neck and light weight one of the things that impressed me most was the active circuit, a really nice choice of boost frequencies.

[wayne58]

[quote name='dub' post='1316729' date='Jul 26 2011, 10:28 AM']Wow thats a lot opinions flying around since I was away at the weekend playing gigs!
I guess from Sadowskys point of view it's good to be talked about, no such thing as bad publicity and all that..
They obviously make very good basses that are still selling well even at higher prices.
Aside from the nice neck and light weight one of the things that impressed me most was the active circuit, a really nice choice of boost frequencies.[/quote]

+1
From my point of view it's the pre amp/ tone that makes the difference, the fact that they are well built and finished is a bonus.
There are many light weight, very playable expensive basses on the market.
Sadowskys quite simply are a very good tool, that's why they are chosen by top pros in every genre from metal to country.

[JTUK]

I've always wanted to like Sadowsky's, I think he has a great eye for styling, for one thing.
I haven't found one I would buy.
Sound-wise..I far prefer them to a typical jazz so everything is in place for me to own one.... but I don't.

But the reason Sadowksy got his start was because he provided basses that improved on the original..IMO.
They may now have their own identity and purpose and they may well have caused Fender to have to up their game...because at one time, they ( Fender ) made a pile of pooh, IMO.
And those piles are going for the same sort of money that a used Metro would nowdays... I wish I had that pile of pooh to sell today

Just my own snapshot opinion of the basses I came across at the time, of course..

[Musicman20]

Agreed JTUK, the problem is Fender (sometimes) make absolutely belting awesome basses now. Totally different sound really, but they can SOMETIMES be very very well made.

If Metros were the price they used to be a year or so back (£1400 ish?!) Id have ordered one.

Now? Hmm, £2000 for a Metro?! Seriously? They are lovely to look at, but its still not an NYC.

[CHRISDABASS]

An NYC will cost you more like £3000 and in IME they are no better than the metro's! Just different depending on what extra NYC options you select!

If you like something and can afford it.......buy it and enjoy it regardless of price!!

If you dont then let people make up their own minds!

Personally if i could get the same results out of a £100 bass i'd be playing that instead! I dont care what name is on the head! If it works for you its worth it!!

[Musicman20]

I understand value, etc. It just seems the idea of an 'affordable' Sadowsky doesnt exist now. I know Lakland Skylines arent really the same quality, but thats what it used to seem like to me. Is it me or are the price differences between the Metros and and NYCs getting smaller?

Dont get me wrong, I know they are GREAT. The tone is personal thing, but the build quality is top notch (and so it should be).

But £2K is a lot for their so-called affordable model. Whereas you can pickup something like a Mayones for £1200.

Roger makes a stunning Jazz, but the competition is heating up.

[gareth]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1317269' date='Jul 26 2011, 04:25 PM']Roger makes a stunning Jazz, but the competition is heating up.[/quote]


So does Leo

[Musicman20]

Agreed!

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='gareth' post='1319451' date='Jul 28 2011, 04:10 PM']So does Leo [/quote]

i've never really heard much about the G&L jazz type bass.





Played a few metro sadowskys, I wouldn't buy if i wanted a jazz but couldn't fault what they were doing. there is as good out there for less. but the same with most things, who cares? otherwise we would all be playing squiers

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1319923' date='Jul 29 2011, 12:22 AM']i've never really heard much about the G&L jazz type bass.





Played a few metro sadowskys, I wouldn't buy if i wanted a jazz but couldn't fault what they were doing. there is as good out there for less. but the same with most things, who cares? otherwise we would all be playing squiers[/quote]

Never tried a metro but I own a Sadowsky NYC. I brought this one back from the USA with me so avoided all the tax and duty (What a rip off!) which really add up and make these an expensive purchase on this side of the pond. The comparrison with fenders is understandable given the shape and pickup placement but really thats where the similarities end.
Neck shape and radius is quite different as is the string spacing at both the bridge and the nut and the sound is more modern given the onboard preamp. I feel that the common description of the Sadowsky as a "Fender jazz on steroids" is quite misleading as they are very different basses.
A big selling point for NYC Sadowsky's is that they are very lightweight (My one comes in at just over 7 pounds!) which means long gigs are effortless. The finish is first class in every sense as is the customer support ( Are you listening Fender).


I recently purchased a new Fender Jazz but was really dissapointed with the finish as the fret edges protrudedpast the fretboard and rendered the bass unplayable!
However I do own a 1964 Fender Jazz and nothing touches it

[SisterAbdullahX]

[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]

Yes, having just disagreed with something you said in another post, I think I also agree with you on this one. My experience with Sadowskys has been good and bad. I recommended a friend go and try one out, which he did, then he bought a Metro UV4. He has since become seriously unhappy with it, in particular with it's inability to sound like a Jazz Bass! I tried it at one of his gigs and loved it to bits. I then went the next day to the same shop he bought his and tried one and was completely unimpressed! Played great but sounded bland. This is when they were a still not cheap £1800, not the £2100 they are now. I enquired with the shop manager to see if they intended to get any Xotic basses in, having been blown away by a Travis Carlton vid from the Xotic site, to which he replied "nah, they're the same price as the Sadowskys but they don't have the heritage!" Who cares about heritage or reputation or name? Surely it's all about sound and playability.

[longtimefred]

i played a Sadowsky (think it was a metro p/j) a few months ago in Guitar Guitar in Birmingham recently and i was totally gutted! The time before that i had the privilege of trying one was in a shop in Pigale in Paris and that was years and years ago and was probably the nicest bass i have ever played and is a total benchmark that i think of when it comes to a quality high value bass.

The one i tried in Brum was not a nice experience, it was in dire need of a quality set up as the action was a mile high, it farted noise at you instead of that amazing tone you tend to hear , and i just couldnt get a decent sound out of it. i put it back quickly and played a Lakland P bass for a while which blew it away totally!

I aint gonna say that Sandbergs are better than Sadowsky's, but mine is much better than the one i played a while ago which really was a shame as i wanted to be blown away by one again.

Having a £700 Lakland play and sound better than a bass over £1000 more expensive is just crazy!

[Toasted]

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' post='1327931' date='Aug 4 2011, 10:36 PM']Who cares about heritage or reputation or name?[/quote]

I think a better word might be provenance, and Western Society is pretty much built on it.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='Toasted' post='1328285' date='Aug 5 2011, 09:23 AM']I think a better word might be provenance, and Western Society is pretty much built on it.[/quote]

+1. £3k is a big sum of money for a bass and one consideration is re-sale value. you never know when circumstances might change so £3k needs to be a sound investment and some boutique basses can sell like hot cakes whereas others generate very little interest

[tomlyne]

[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 just had the identical experience last week. I've been playing the same 4 string Fender Jazz since 1983 thinking I may go to my grave happy with my choice and playing a bass that could do anything (wellll, within reason) . . (ok I think about nice Alembics). Back to topic! I spent an afternoon in guitar guitar Edinburgh because I am looking to incorporate a 5 string for the purpose of incorporating a 5 string. The chaps in the store were great and very accommodating and I played everything there. For my taste and style it came down to the SDR1205 (Ibanez) which was a real surprise to me but the quality and feel of the neck, the intonation and the string spacing was totally on. What a great bass. But then I noticed a Sadowsky metro 5. I had never played one before and thought it didn't look terribly special. So I strapped it on and started playing and initially I was thinking this might almost be as good as the Ibanez! But I did like the way the strings felt under my fingers though the Sadowsky strings felt like train tracks - hard and unforgiving - I like strings that give and move - was wondering what DDRs would feel like.

This was all before I plugged the basses into an amp, I was just playing for tactile response. I need something that puts itself where I already live so I can take this extra string and put it to good use. Its started to dawn on me how very very good the Sadowsky really was as I played a bit more and let my fingers roam without forcing anything. As part of the process I swapped basses every few minutes to keep myself aware. G&L, Lakelands, Fenders, Squires, Musicman, Ibanez, I forget the rest. . . ahhh there were no Sandbergs in the shop at that time . . . . if only there had been an Alembic to compare.

I took the sdr and sadowsky to plug in and contiue the play. For the money (£969 or so) the SDR1205 was doing such an impressive job. Where it fell down was the ttotal number of knobs and switches on the thing. No one in the shop could really tell me what they all did and as hard as I tried I couldn't make sense of them all and in the heat of the moment all I want is quick access to tone and volume. So bring on the Sadowsky metro black 24 V or something like that. Again, I didn't think it was really pretty or good looking but now it already felt like my bass. Plugging it in was the first time, for me, I ever considered a low B string anything other than annoying. There was the sound and clarity. I intend to run my five string with a High C configuration as I am working solo with a singer but it was very interesting to hear the low B so clear and strong. The whole bass was strong and clear all the way up and down and across. The tone and volume are very intuitive and the split active preamp (if thats what it was) is what turns up the distinctive Sadowsky sound. I like that, I like it a lot.

Sadowsky, hmmmm. So I have been working on creating some sort of funding package since last thursday. I find it a bit unnerving how I have been so steadfastly happy with my bass (and yes I have played hundreds of basses over the year only to return to my Fender with joy every time). The Sadowsky is a great modern instrument and for the money. . . . . well . . . . as a musician there really isn't any money is there . . . . so it has to be about blood and passion. I'll get the money somewhere, at my detriment, and move on up to the Sadowsky. I think it has trumped my Alembic fantasy as well.

But I was really struck by what 'Dub' said in the initial post and now that I have been in the shop I have to admit to my attitude changing, and for that I am very thankful, it opens a new world.

Wahey!!!! (oo, I realise I wrote quite a lot - think I needed to get this all off my chest as I don't have anyone to rage endlessly about bass to here in the village - thanks for listening)

Tom

[Musicman20]

So, which stores here will order you a Metro 'new'? Eg one that's not been on the hanger for 9 months...

I asked GuitarGuitar and I felt like they couldn't be bothered.

[thodrik]

I think that you can order direct from Sadowsky to reserve an incoming Sadowsky model. Probably the Gallery in London too.

I would think Guitar Guitar could do it as well (ie reserve one of the next incoming models from their next shipment of Sadowsky Metros), though obviously you would have to be fairly adamant that you were looking to buy it rather than just try it out. Guitar Guitar were really helpful with me in securing the model I wanted, so I wouldn't see it being a problem.

However is a 'brand new' brand new bass going to be that much better than the ones in the shop? I know we can get into large conversations about temperature and humidity, scratches etc, but if you have a tried a bunch of Metros and not found one that you have really liked, I'm not sure that ordering a slightly newer model of a bass will get you a bass that you like.

Also, given that the price of Metros goes up with each new shipment, is it really a wise move to wait a few moths if the model you are interested in is already in stock?

[Musicman20]

To be fair, as much as gg have great stock, one of their stores had the Sad's right in the window with bright summer sun shining directly on them, and it was like this for months. Their sales chap also said 2-3 had chips from players testing them out.

I think I'd feel safer getting one direct, but I'm struggling to justify it at the moment when I know IF I found a decent AS Fender I'd be happier with the tone.

I'm quite a build quality fanatic.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1330795' date='Aug 7 2011, 11:44 AM']So, which stores here will order you a Metro 'new'? Eg one that's not been on the hanger for 9 months...

I asked GuitarGuitar and I felt like they couldn't be bothered.[/quote]

I think they'd probably be happier clearing one off the pegs rather than ordering you a new one. That said, they shouldn't grumble about ordering stuff in as a sale is a sale, and I've never had a problem when ordering an item in from them.

[thodrik]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1330961' date='Aug 7 2011, 02:33 PM']To be fair, as much as gg have great stock, one of their stores had the Sad's right in the window with bright summer sun shining directly on them, and it was like this for months. Their sales chap also said 2-3 had chips from players testing them out.

I think I'd feel safer getting one direct, but I'm struggling to justify it at the moment when I know IF I found a decent AS Fender I'd be happier with the tone.

I'm quite a build quality fanatic.[/quote]

Seems that way way!

I suppose that if I find a bass that plays well, I'm always willing to ignore cosmetic damage, as it is going to happen sooner or later regardless of well I try to look after it. Also, I always fear that when ordering something in, there is the fear that the bass could be not as good as the one I liked in the shop that was a bit damaged. This probably happens more with Fender than Sadowsky, but from years of playing Fenders that worry is usually going to make me a 'try before buy' guy.

If I found a few chips etc on a bass though, I would use that for the purposes of looking for a discount or getting a few extra things with the purchase (strings, straps, leads etc). I got a few extras thrown in when I bought mine just for the fact the bass arrived three days later than originally planned. I can't speak for the other GG stores, but I've never had a problem with the Glasgow branch.


If you would be happier with a Fender though, I would just keep looking for one. No point trying to justify buying a bass that doesn't really do it for you tonally, especially when it comes with the price tag a Sadowsky does.

What is all this about summer sun though? Can't say I've seen much of it myself lately!

[Musicman20]

[quote name='thodrik' post='1331353' date='Aug 7 2011, 08:35 PM']What is all this about summer sun though? Can't say I've seen much of it myself lately![/quote]

Haha, not this year!

I think it was Summer 2009...when I visited a friend.

I must admit the quality of each Sadowsky I tested was very good.

I think Fender lose a lot of sales due to the fact that we have to 'try' before we buy, everytime, whereas with Sadowsky I bet 99% of them are spot on.

[thodrik]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1331434' date='Aug 7 2011, 09:53 PM']Haha, not this year!

I think it was Summer 2009...when I visited a friend.

I must admit the quality of each Sadowsky I tested was very good.

I think Fender lose a lot of sales due to the fact that we have to 'try' before we buy, everytime, whereas with Sadowsky I bet 99% of them are spot on.[/quote]

I agree on that. I have only played one Sadowsky that I thought was a bit iffy and that was about 4-5 years ago. The only problem I had in finding one was getting the finish and model I wanted.

In terms of Fender I think you think that you could line up 5 basses of the same model and finish, they would feel like entirely different basses! That is the magic of Fender though and makes it all the better when you find one that feels right. I still think that when you actually find a really good Fender there is not much that can beat it, including the Sadowsky. Its just that after looking for about 5 years of searching I thought the Fenders I tried where nowhere close to the Metros and Sandbergs I tried, including a few late 60s and 70s Fender models.

Hell the Metro prices didn't loook that bad compared to the costs of 70s Fenders now! My 1978 P cost me £390 in 1999! Even though that was a good, I find it hard to justify paying £1500 to £2000 for a late 1970s Jazz, knowing the flexibility of the modern interpretations of the Jazz.

[dub]

Just out of curiosity does anyone know if sadowsky strings are actually made by another manufacturer and repacaged?

[Toasted]

[quote name='Sadowsky']Sadowsky Black Label strings are custom wound for me by E & O Mari (LaBella), which is owned by Richard Cocco Jr.[/quote]

To quote the man himself.