| Author | Message | ||
| alemboid
Member Username: alemboid Post Number: 78 Registered: 5-2003 |
Please oh please work!!! ok- one more time- My "other" bass, the Sadowsky... Alemboid  | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1444 Registered: 9-2002 |
Gosh ...that's a most gorguous bass. She got a "Marilyn" style over here. Paul TBO | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 442 Registered: 12-2002 |
just courius,(does anyone know the sonic comparison) & how much different are SADOWSKY's ceramic pickups compared to ALEMBIC's ceramics?,ive noticed everyone makes ceramics pickups these days, thanks to alembic of course. | ||
| kmh364
Advanced Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 271 Registered: 9-2003 |
Alemboid: Absolutely gorgeous! | ||
| alemboid
Member Username: alemboid Post Number: 80 Registered: 5-2003 |
-Blush- Thanks, friends. I built her with my own two hands, and as a result she is, lets say, "special". Unlike other Sadowsky basses, I radiused the edge of the body to 1/2 inch, installed abalone fret markers, two-toned the tuners, recessed the straplocks and customized the electronics. There is a better picture of her at bryant.hilgraves.com on my bio page. There, you will also see my Orion and Clarke Deluxe. There is no comparison between the Alembic pickups and the Sadowsky pickups. The electronics in the Alembic are so radically refined. I played a friends jazz bass that has the Alembic Jazz bass replacement pickups in it- WOW!!! It was really brought to life by the Alembic electronics. I will likely replace the guts in the Sadowsky with a set. I may build another jazz type bass in sunburst for old times sake. Will we ever be satisfied with all the choices out there? Alemboid | ||
| alemboid
Member Username: alemboid Post Number: 81 Registered: 5-2003 |
-Blush- Thanks, friends. I built her with my own two hands, and as a result she is, lets say, "special". Unlike other Sadowsky basses, I radiused the edge of the body to 1/2 inch, installed abalone fret markers, two-toned the tuners, recessed the straplocks and customized the electronics. There is a better picture of her at www.bryant.hilgraves.com on my bio page. There, you will also see my Orion and Clarke Deluxe. There is no comparison between the Alembic pickups and the Sadowsky pickups. The electronics in the Alembic are so radically refined. I played a friends jazz bass that has the Alembic Jazz bass replacement pickups in it- WOW!!! It was really brought to life by the Alembic electronics. I will likely replace the guts in the Sadowsky with a set. I may build another jazz type bass in sunburst for old times sake. Will we ever be satisfied with all the choices out there? Alemboid | ||
| bigredbass
Advanced Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 263 Registered: 9-2002 |
Alemboid: So I've always wondered: WHY would I shell out for a Sadowsky when I could build the same thing from Warmoth parts? Am I missing something here? J o e y | ||
| bob
Advanced Member Username: bob Post Number: 284 Registered: 11-2002 |
Alemboid - I'm not sure how long you've been around here, and Joey was away for a while, so on his behalf I just want you to know he's asking a simple, honest question, with no offense intended. Obviously, this one is special because you built it yourself, but having never played a Sadowsky myself, I'm also a bit curious about why they have been mentioned here so often in recent months. -Bob | ||
| dadabass2001
Intermediate Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 200 Registered: 6-2002 |
For what it's worth, I know Walter Becker is listed as playing Sadowsky guitars and basses on the latest "Everything Must Go" CD from Steely Dan. Mike | ||
| kmh364
Advanced Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 274 Registered: 9-2003 |
Joey: No need to build a bass from Warmouth parts. Lakland (amongst others) has already done that for you, LOL! Seriously, you get what you pay for. Sadowsky puts a lot of craftsmanship into their instruments...something Fender leaves out. BTW, I own Fenders but not Sadowsky's. I skipped them and went straight for an Alembic, LOL! Bob: Since Sadowsky's forte is building high-end Jazz Basses, any time there's talk about Fender J's, Sadowsky's are usually mentioned in the same breath. Sadowsky's were mentioned on my Custom Orion FTC thread because I commissioned an Alembic version of a J-bass (albeit a very high-end version) without the big, heavy, clunky body. Whether you like J's or not, E. Bryant's Sadowsky is top shelf and flat-out gorgeous. The fact that he's an ex-Sadowsky luthier and that he hand- built the thing to his own custom specs. makes it all the more special. I'd hold on to that thing regardless of what value the blue book or the market dictates. Just my $0.02 | ||
| rraymond
Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 84 Registered: 6-2002 |
Other basses I played that have been sacrificed on behalf of the Balance K I'm having built: 1996 20th Anniversary Music Man Stingray 1998 Alembic Orion 5 string 1997 Alembic Epic 5 string 1985 Alembic Distillate 1998 Fender Precision Am. Std. 1997 Fender Jazz Am. Std. ???? Warmoth Jazz (neck and body made 5 years apart) Basses I'm keeping no matter what! 1995 Alembic Elan 5 string 1998 Alembic Orion 5 string (Std. Pt. body) 1980 Alembic Series 1 1973 Rickenbacker 4001 (my first real bass, bought it new in March of 1974 for $390.00, case included!) 1989 Fender Jazz fretless MIJ 2000 Zeta Strados Crossover That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Reid | ||
| alemboid
Member Username: alemboid Post Number: 82 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hello Joey, Welcome back! You ask a good question. For the price of a Sadowsky these days, you could by an Alembic. Some people can't get past the thought of a bass being nothing else than "Fender" like- meaning bolt on neck, shaped like a Fender with Fenderish sounds and painted. They may be skeptical about the Fenders available, in that their build quality varied from bass to bass, which resulted in some units sounding great (like Marcus Miller's bass) and some sounding horrible, even though they are from the same year(s). So, in pursuit of reliability and satisfaction, they go for a well built clone- Sadowsky, Modulus, Mike Lull, Lakland etc. At Sadowsky, the necks and bodies are carved on a CNC machine, and from there, everything is by hand and delicately done. If you only knew how many bodies are rejected and resprayed due to finish inconsistancies, the fuss over final set-up, meticulous fret work, painstaking neck joint fitting, etc. That's why the price is what it is, and for Fenderholics, its a dream come true. On the other hand, Alembic took what Fender did, and jumped ahead by eliminating inherent faults in the Fender design (mechanical neck joint, pots that are "good enough", less stable neck construction, simple pickup design, etc.) and as a result, you find a unique sound in the Alembic due to everything it is (thank you Ron, Susan, Rick Turner, Mica & family). You can buy a Ritter bolt-on neck bass (using 10 bolts) for $7,000.00, with a less well fit neck joint than a Sadowsky which may run $3,500.00. You can buy a Fender for as little as $300.00 if it's what satisfies you. Or you can buy what I feel is the ultimate refinement in design and the standard in build quality: Alembic. Check out the Alembic website and see the "Factory Tour". Having built my own basses, having repaired other manufacturer's basses, I must say, Alembic 200 years from now will be what the Stradivari is now-the voice of god in tone, the essence of beauty (no pun intended) and still playable. I'd like to thank the club members for their kind thoughts on my Sadowsky. What you don't see are all the autographs on the back and around the edge of the headstock by fellow bassists like Will Lee, Marcus Miller, Oscar Cartaya, Michael Rhodes, John Patittucci & more. Whenever these guys would stop by the shop, I kindly requested their signature. When I play this bass out, those names give me a boost of inspiration! One day I'll build another bolt-on neck Fender Jazz type bass for myself. One day I'll also order another Alembic. On the same day, both will be with me at a gig. What we pay is motivated by what we think its worth. What we play is motivated by everything we've been influenced by up to the current day. Some thoughts, Alemboid (Bryant) | ||
| alemboid
Member Username: alemboid Post Number: 83 Registered: 5-2003 |
After thought- (sorry), Fodera and Ken Smith Basses are very well built basses. Like Alembics, a lot of hand work goes into them. In the end, what seperates Alembic from Ken Smith and Fodera are the electronics. Ken Smith and Fodera are both active like Alembic, but the refinement in pickup design and preamp circuitry are what seperates Alembic from the other two. The irony is that the Alembic system is so simple in layout/function, especially compared to the Fodera/Pope setup. Don't get me wrong, they are fine basses, but when you consider the research and advancement, the Alembic stands out as a true value for the money, not to mention the inspiration in the design of those other basses. I hope I didn't offend anyone! ...Had to throw that in, Alemboid | ||
| kmh364
Advanced Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 275 Registered: 9-2003 |
Well said! | ||
| kevin_k
Member Username: kevin_k Post Number: 77 Registered: 4-2003 |
No other basses for me! Just the Alembic. | ||
| bigredbass
Advanced Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 264 Registered: 9-2002 |
Bryant: N O W I get it! Just like everything else in life, damn-near-perfect always costs a lot more than pretty good. Never having been a Fender guy, I just didn't get it. But I can see where Sadowsky (and fellas like you that obviously took MUCH pride in their work) is the Fender-you-always-wanted-but-they-never-built. Thanks for the insight. Bob, thanks for letting him know I really meant no disrespect; as usual, my peers know me well. J o e y | ||
| rami
Advanced Member Username: rami Post Number: 373 Registered: 6-2002 |
Reid, you gave up a 20th Anniversary Stingray?! True, it's no Alembic, but it's quite a collector's item. Here's mine!  | ||
| alemboid
Member Username: alemboid Post Number: 84 Registered: 5-2003 |
SSSSSSssssexy!!!!! 20th Anniversary Stingrays are gorgeous! They sound incredible, too. Rami. you never fail to amaze me! Alemboid | ||
| kmh364
Advanced Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 276 Registered: 9-2003 |
I've said it before: Rami needs to open a "Barber Motorsport Park"-style museum with all his basses and charge for admission. Either that or do the "Bass Culture" book thing a la JAE! Another very nice piece, Rami. What else have you got hidden up your sleeve? Inquiring minds wanna know, LOL! | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1451 Registered: 9-2002 |
Yeah ...Brother Rami's collection is REALLY something. Can you imagine the time he was into Porches??? Oh ...and I forgot the Corvettes! Huh ...just kidding but , when this goes on you never know what that guy will pull out of his sleeves next! HA! Paul the bad one Did I mentioned the HArleys also or am I trespassing Dino-country here? | ||
| kmh364
Advanced Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 280 Registered: 9-2003 |
Harleys? I know about Dino: my first posts on this site discovered that. But.... Rami's into Harley's too? Good lord! Let's see some pix, Bro! Just for Sh*ts and Giggles, I'm gonna try and post pix my new Custom Orion and my Customized H-D Road King in the showcase gallery (when I finally get the bass, that is. Hell, we already had the "Cars and Alembics" thing, now it's high time for the bikers in the group to have their day in the sun. How 'bout it, Bros? Post 'em if you got 'em, LOL! | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1452 Registered: 9-2002 |
Something serious now. Time for me to come out of the closet. Some attentive brothers and sisters already saw something different in Drive-pictures in the gig departement. Well ...there IS another new (well oh ...huh ..."new" thirdhandsomething) bass that I play. Family ...let me introduce you to Bonnies sister "Chi". See the pictures. It is a Rob Allen MB-2 35" 5 string fretless. Topwood Clarowood (yes Mica ...the SAME wood as Bonnie but ...look at her ...what a difference no???). Body ash. Neck Walnut. Fingerboard and bridge Coco-bolo. Apart from the 35" scale lenght it is a VERY COMPACT and LIGHT bass.     I loaded these pictures in a VERY LOW definition but believe me ...the wood-pattern is fabulous ...you can really get lost in it ...just by staring at it and turning it in the sunlight. It is in every view a high quality product. Soundwise there is NO bass in the world that differs more tonally from Bonnie than Chi and that is precisely the reason why I bought her. I found her with a club member and other members made me attention on her. So thanks to all of them. They know how gratefull I am Later on -end of september- I will try to post some pictures of the entire family when my "Frankenstein" project arrives. Paul the bad one Oh yes ...of course there is "Broomstick" ...she will be in the picture too!!! | ||
| kmh364
Advanced Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 282 Registered: 9-2003 |
Nice...with a piezo p/u, bolt-on neck, and that wood combo, I'd imagine it'd sound like the polar opposite of an Alembic. | ||
| rami
Advanced Member Username: rami Post Number: 374 Registered: 6-2002 |
Guys, your basses are outstanding! Isn't it great that we can just share our love for Basses without specific brand loyalty? They're all works of art - and they'll all make the ground shake! Cheers P.S. Anytime you see a Bass with "Anniversary" on it - GRAB IT! It'll be worth something oneday. At the least, something special to pass down to the next generation. If only my father was into Basses! | ||
| rraymond
Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 85 Registered: 6-2002 |
Hey Rami, yeah I sold the 20th Anniversary I had. I was definitely torn over selling it, but for a variety of reasons it hit the auction block, and was gone. Sniff, sniff. :-( However, until the BK arrives, my Elan and Orion are keeping me sonically entertained! Here's pic of the dearly departed!  Yours is absolutely beautiful. I always liked the maple-necked 20th Anniversary Stingrays! | ||
| davehouck
Senior Member Username: davehouck Post Number: 769 Registered: 5-2002 |
Paul; that's a very nice looking bass. I really like the book match of the grain pattern. The bridge is nice too. | ||
| bassman10096
Senior Member Username: bassman10096 Post Number: 525 Registered: 7-2003 |
Paul - It is beautiful wood and figuring. I echo what Dave said. Now: "Mister, Where are the Pictures?", I know when you bought this beauty - What took so long to post these?!? Congrats on a great addition. Hope Bonnie's not jealous of the attention the new kid is getting... Bill | ||
| pookeymp
Intermediate Member Username: pookeymp Post Number: 139 Registered: 7-2002 |
These are really all stunning instruments...very impressive guys. Hey Paul...I'm actually in the market for a semi-hollow 5-string fretless, but hadn't come across the Rob Allens...this gives me something else to look into...what a wealth of info here. Mikey/ | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1456 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi Bill, no Bonnie understands that Chi is something COMPLETELY different! Ho ... together with Tweak Peaks Bonnie can compete in any sound but Chi ...well ... it is a class apart. It is so different to play. Mikey ...Glad to hear from you again. I know -for about 2 years now- our taste is very close so I suggest to visit www.roballenguitars.com. Ok I may not advertise other brands ....where are these moders ...com'on.The RA IS semi-hollow indeed and weights about ...6 pounds. Bill ...I was just waiting to come out of the closet to present the "Alfa" bass (the "A"-bass= FRankenstein project) together with Chi and Bonnie (also known as Bêta). But ...well ...the project slows down a bit. Paul TBO | ||
| kungfusheriff
Intermediate Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 126 Registered: 8-2003 |
What? Bonnie has a sister? Well hellooo, nurse (laughing), but I see she doesn't wear TI flats? Not my type of girl. Brother Ray: I'd bet one US greenback that one of your reasons for selling the Anni SR is that while it was beautiful and well-crafted, its sound didn't live up to your expectations. No? And reaching waaaay back (I've ignored this thread for a while, can you tell?), when I was shopping for My New Bass earlier this year I really, really tried to go for the Sadowsky thing, mostly because they're the hip thing for a lot of people right now. They sound wonderful, especially in a mix. They play well and feel fantastic. Most of them, except the occasional Seafoam Green monstrosity, are beautiful. But the thing that turned me off them--zero offense intended, alemboid and everyone else--is that every piece is made somewhere else and meshed into their final form by the Sadowsky crew. Alex Aguilar laid the circuit for that wonderful preamp before he went into the amp business under his own name. The bodies get their rough carve from another subcontractor, and Roger refuses to say who tho he denies it's Warmoth. The paint is done by yet another person. What I respect about Alembic is that nearly every component is crafted by hand under one of their roofs. The bodies are glued and shaped and finished in one place, by hand. The pickups and electronics are made by the same person who designed them, and who, through constant close observation of these circuits, has learned to see their shortcomings and improved them. You can't buy that anymore. And the company has never changed hands. All of these things are very important to me, especially in this age where most consumer products appear to be designed and built to last a few months or years and then break, so the company, whoever owns it, extracts money from you again and again for the priviliege of owning their failure-prone device, be it a Compaq computer, a Konka TV or a Ford sedan, all of which I'm less than pleased to own. While Alembics cost more than just about all of their competitors, what you receive will be done right and the craftsmen and -women who built it don't blow you off after they get your money. Again, bravo. |
