I had Sadowsky GAS 😳 (formerly “I’ve got...”)

[Al Krow]

2 hours ago, krispn said:

I played a sado in guitar guitar and was underwhelmed for the cost and while they might excel on a gig it wasn’t that memorable. 

Probably 'cos it wasn't being played on a gig?

😄

PS glad you edited that last post, first time I read it, I thought what is he on about?! 😁... Now makes complete sense. 

[ezbass]

An interview with Roger by Guitar Guitar. Some of it I’d read elsewhere, but some new stuff too.

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/140794/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SOCIALMEDIA

[ianrendall]

22 hours ago, ezbass said:

An interview with Roger by Guitar Guitar. Some of it I’d read elsewhere, but some new stuff too.

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/140794/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SOCIALMEDIA

“Roger, you are well known for making both high quality basses and guitars. Would you say that basses are when your heart lies?”

“Honestly, my heart lies with flat top acoustic guitars.”
 

Awkward. Interviewer not done his homework methinks!

[krispn]

Well he's just bolting together two bits of bought in wood when making a bass right? *ducks for cover*

[Kevsy71]

On 30/08/2019 at 17:15, thodrik said:

Frankly, I'm not sure I believe half of the bass forum or gear review comments along the lines of 'after the show the sound engineer complemented my bass tone, stating that it just sat perfectly in the mix, was phenomenally balanced, had great mid presence and even had a bit more girth in the fundamental than my usual 'go to' instrument. Some of the audience members even came up to be to complement how the maple fingerboard really helped to emphasise the slap bass passages in the set.'

I am usually impressed if people even remember I was in the band, let alone what bass I was using or what hell the bass actually sounded like. 

My one experience of this a few years ago: set finishes, I'm packing up the monitors, audience member approaches stage with a smile -

'Wow, you sounded GREAT. All those notes were clear and funky. Really drove the songs along, I danced all night!"", she says.

"Why thank you!" blushes myself

(Pause)..."So how long have you been playing sax?"
 

[chris_b]

On 03/09/2019 at 16:54, krispn said:

Well he's just bolting together two bits of bought in wood when making a bass right? *ducks for cover*

That's all anyone does when they make solid body basses or guitars. Getting that idea to work was Leo Fender's lightbulb moment back in 1949.

[chris_b]

Sadowsky basses have been a revelation for me. The bands comment on the bass more and last week I had another member of the audience asking about my 5 string bass. It's become quite a common occurrence with this bass. Also, since moving to Barefaced cabs I get a lot of comments about the overall sound of the bass. I guess that's because they can hear me better with the clear and full sound. The Sadowsky Metro has a very full and dynamic sound. I'm in a perfect storm of bass loveliness.

Some people in the audience do notice but it's the bands who play better where there is a better bass sound.

I agree about the price, that's why I play a used Metro and couldn't even look a new NYC. But the new Metro Express basses are coming in at less than the cost of a new Fender Elite/Ultra. They use the same electrics and pickups as the more expensive basses and are guaranteed to be less than 9lbs. They should be on everyone's "To Try" list.

 

[Drumsnbass]

Just a thought here.  Don’t rule out a Mike Lull.  Also USA made, similar quality, chambered bodies.

 

mike will make just about anything you want.

[bassfan]

1 minute ago, Drumsnbass said:

Just a thought here.  Don’t rule out a Mike Lull.  Also USA made, similar quality, chambered bodies.

 

mike will make just about anything you want.

I owned a Mike Lull for a while. Quality bass that I almost regret selling, if it had had more of a jazz style body then I’d probably still have it! 👍🏻

[Drumsnbass]

Had mike help me get together this custom painted Kubicki.

 

really a great guy!

[therealting]

On 30/08/2019 at 17:15, thodrik said:

One of the best things about having a Sadowsky Metro is that people who have no clue about basses  just think it is a cheap Fender copy which I play into when I say that it was made in Japan. 'Wow, your bass sounds great, you'd sound even better if you had a proper Fender!', is one of the best lines I have received from a sound engineer. 

Frankly, I'm not sure I believe half of the bass forum or gear review comments along the lines of 'after the show the sound engineer complemented my bass tone, stating that it just sat perfectly in the mix, was phenomenally balanced, had great mid presence and even had a bit more girth in the fundamental than my usual 'go to' instrument. Some of the audience members even came up to be to complement how the maple fingerboard really helped to emphasise the slap bass passages in the set.'

I am usually impressed if people even remember I was in the band, let alone what bass I was using or what hell the bass actually sounded like. 

It happens a fair bit to me. It’s usually either sound engineers who say they didn’t have to do anything to my signal, or bass players in the audience. I get this the most with my Dingwall Super P5 with Sadowsky pre, into my Noble preamp DI.  It is by far the best sounding rig I’ve ever had.

[GisserD]

One of my favourite bands bass players use sadowsky. And very little FX

The motet -  Garrett sayers

I challenge abybody to listen to their reccordings and tell us that his tone is mediocre.

I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I was in the market for another 5. But sandberg and fender have me covered for now. 

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, GisserD said:

One of my favourite bands bass players use sadowsky. And very little FX

The motet -  Garrett sayers

I challenge abybody to listen to their reccordings and tell us that his tone is mediocre.

I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I was in the market for another 5. But sandberg and fender have me covered for now. 

The Motet is a new name on me, therefore, Google search required. Ooh, they have me feeling the funk big time! And you are not wrong about that bass tone. Thanks for posting. Here's a link to a gig at Red Rocks, it doesn't start until about 13:30 

 

[bassfan]

22 minutes ago, ezbass said:

The Motet is a new name on me, therefore, Google search required. Ooh, they have me feeling the funk big time! And you are not wrong about that bass tone. Thanks for posting. Here's a link to a gig at Red Rocks, it doesn't start until about 13:30 

 

Nice....... 🤩

[Chris2112]

On 03/08/2019 at 15:47, 4000 said:

Horses for courses really. I’ve never played one that I’ve thought was anything special. 

This is my experience with them. They're not bad basses by any stretch, and their sound is inoffensive but there isn't anything particularly magical about it. I rather think their reputation has persisted since the days when they were the foremost purveyor of boutique jazz basses. The world has moved on though, and there are a lot of builders out there now who make a better jazz bass, or just a better bass altogether, IMO. 

 

[PatrickJ]

On 02/12/2019 at 19:50, GisserD said:

One of my favourite bands bass players use sadowsky. And very little FX

The motet -  Garrett sayers

I challenge abybody to listen to their reccordings and tell us that his tone is mediocre.

I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I was in the market for another 5. But sandberg and fender have me covered for now. 

Love that band, and Garrett's tone.

[peteb]

20 hours ago, Chris2112 said:

This is my experience with them. They're not bad basses by any stretch, and their sound is inoffensive but there isn't anything particularly magical about it. I rather think their reputation has persisted since the days when they were the foremost purveyor of boutique jazz basses. The world has moved on though, and there are a lot of builders out there now who make a better jazz bass, or just a better bass altogether, IMO. 

 

I have to disagree, or at least think that there is a different reason for buying a Sadowsky.

Essentially, most bass players are using instruments heavily based on a design from sixty years ago. If you have lots of money to spend on something more spectacular then you’re going to go for a Fodera or a Fbass or whatever. However, there are a lot of players want something that basically looks and sounds like a Fender, but with a few subtle improvements. These guys are more likely to be sidemen and they don’t want anything that grabs too much attention, just a bass that works in a professional situation.

Earlier this year I bought a (not cheap) 5 string jazz bass from a pro player who had upgraded to an American Sadowsky. This guy plays in pits / travelling theatre shows, big MOR tribute acts and as a sideman for well known MOR artists. I think players like this (and those who aspire to be like them) have always been the primary market for Sadowsky. Of course, there are now plenty of other builders who make basses (Lakland, Xotic, etc) that meet the needs of this part of the market.

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, peteb said:

I have to disagree, or at least think that there is a different reason for buying a Sadowsky.

Essentially, most bass players are using instruments heavily based on a design from sixty years ago. If you have lots of money to spend on something more spectacular then you’re going to go for a Fodera or a Fbass or whatever. However, there are a lot of players want something that basically looks and sounds like a Fender, but with a few subtle improvements. These guys are more likely to be sidemen and they don’t want anything that grabs too much attention, just a bass that works in a professional situation.

Earlier this year I bought a (not cheap) 5 string jazz bass from a pro player who had upgraded to an American Sadowsky. This guy plays in pits / travelling theatre shows, big MOR tribute acts and as a sideman for well known MOR artists. I think players like this (and those who aspire to be like them) have always been the primary market for Sadowsky. Of course, there are now plenty of other builders who make basses (Lakland, Xotic, etc) that meet the needs of this part of the market.

This

they seem to focus on working pro players (how I’ve got one I don’t know) - I think the UK equivalent would be Overwater - high quality, non flashy, dependable basses for working pros 

[ianrendall]

I used my Satin for pit work this week. It is the only bass in over 20 years of playing that has garnered any comments on its sound, even from non-musicians. Some may say inoffensive sounding, which I suppose it is, others would say highly useable and versatile. 

[chris_b]

49 minutes ago, ianrendall said:

Some may say inoffensive sounding, which I suppose it is, others would say highly useable and versatile. 

These basses certainly are versatile. I've used my Sadowsky Metro on 99% of my gigs (that's every genre from the 50's to this year) since I got it, about 3 years ago. The sound is far from inoffensive, it's full, fat and punchy, with a top end that can take your head off and a low end that will break your speakers in a second if you let it. Basically a huge sound. It's actually got too much of everything in the preamp and it's down to the player to control it.

I don't say everyone has to like this bass or its sound, but if anyone can make these basses sound inoffensive then they are not operating it properly.

[ianrendall]

I do find it unusual that Sadowsky don’t offer six string or neck through options. I can’t think of any other custom builders that don’t do this.

But there does exist a sole example of a six string Sadowsky built by Yoshi in Tokyo for a trade show. 

[Kevsy71]

This thread has well and truly opened the GAS pipeline -  I'd be interested to hear thoughts on J vs P/J  for a Sadowsky 5 string from those with experience of both configurations. Thanks!

[chris_b]

9 minutes ago, ianrendall said:

I do find it unusual that Sadowsky don’t offer six string or neck through options. I can’t think of any other custom builders that don’t do this.

A few years ago Lakland were asked the same thing about their US basses. They said that they get many orders a month for 5 string basses but about 1 request every other month for a 6 string. It's just not a commercial proposition.

[LukeFRC]

11 minutes ago, ianrendall said:

 

I do find it unusual that Sadowsky don’t offer six string or neck through options. I can’t think of any other custom builders that don’t do this.

 

From a marketing point of view - why would they? They have a core ethos that you see through their product range - and for the demographic of players they are aiming at this works. Branch out into neck through or six strings or single cuts, or something else and you start to loose the proposition of what you are producing - which will harm your sales in your key demographic...

 

[ianrendall]

29 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

From a marketing point of view - why would they? They have a core ethos that you see through their product range - and for the demographic of players they are aiming at this works. Branch out into neck through or six strings or single cuts, or something else and you start to loose the proposition of what you are producing - which will harm your sales in your key demographic...

 

Marketing must have decided that single cut was more viable than a sixer or neck through 🙂