And there ends the lesson. Thank you Roger for the wisdom and of course, for the great sounding basses. I still have the first bass(white/blue) I bought from you in the Miles days and the 5 string I bought for Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour. Whenever I plug in those basses, live or studio, the engineer always says,”Great sounding bass.” It never fails. All the very best, Darryl
Roger isn't shy about spilling the beans about his bass guitars. No secret sauce, just hard work and decade's worth of repair experience. Very educational... thumbs up.
So much great wisdom from Roger Sadowsky! This interview makes me want to purchase a Sadowsky NYC. 1 hour of listening to this man was well spent. Keep it up Roger! -new found fan-
Excellent video! It's inspiring to see someone so committed to the highest level of quality and customer service. Best regards to Roger and his crew at his NYC shop, as well as his crew in Japan. Outstanding!!!!
Thank you, Mr. Sadowsky, this interview is a great tutorial and you are not only a brilliant luthier but also an excellent tutor! It was absolutely interesting to watch and full of guitar-wisdom!
Nut only affect the sound of the open strings! Thank you! Finally, someone credible I can now quote to defend my case. Because ya know, common sense isn't enough to convince people, sadly haha.
Makes way too much sense: fret the string anywhere and YOUR FINGER is now “the nut” - the string will only vibrate that far, so the actual nut has been taken out of the equation.
after watching rig rundown with walter becker, i was intrigued to learn more about Sadowsky mystique , wow after listening to Roger explain his ideas, Sadowdky guitars jumped to top of my wish list, profoundly impressive spokesperson Roger is, for his own brand !
Wow, great video Roger! Thanks for taking the time. This makes me appreciate my Sadowsky even more. (And they still prefer "Fender-like" gear in some circles, but those in the know appreciate the Sadowsky for it's own thing!)
this may be my ultimate dream bass that i will never have. aside from the price which i cant afford, shipping is pricey since im from the philippines. i love these basses
This is a fantastic video. LOTS of good insights into set-up and construction work, and coming directly from one of the best bass builders in history. It's also interesting hearing about his history at the company..... and I LOVE the fact that he just runs a small workshop with a few employees. It obviously means they can focus more on the quality of the instruments, and it shows...... Sadowsky basses are some of the best-made around. It was interesting to hear that they spend around 10 hours setting up each instrument, and that some companies spend that much time MAKING the instrument in the first place. I love that, because so many basses in shops are TERRIBLY set-up, and it just makes you want to walk away. Not good, when some of those instruments cost upwards of 3 grand. Rock on Roger!
I owned many basses before playing Roger's and ever since that first trip to the showroom in DUMBO over ten years ago, I have been playing his electric basses exclusively. I also do instrument repairs and setups and I, and many of my colleagues, have taken his philosophies to heart for many years. Flawless fretwork really is a prerequisite not a luxury. That's just one of the many things that make a Sadowsky what it is. Great people all around. And what a great free detailed tutorial on setup!
I am an endorsing artist for a different very prominent bass company for my metal projects, but I still find myself purchasing Sadowsky basses because they are far superior in build and electronics. Someone mentioned they hadn't tried one and don't get why they are special, trust me - In my 30 years of professional bass playing I have tried and owned just about every make of boutique bass (Fodera, Lull, Spector, Warwick, etc.) and I have never had a nicer playing bass out of the box than every Sadowsky I have owned.
This is a great interview. I often refer to some older print articles by Roger that I have. I am still the proud owner of one of the original Sadowsky preamps from 1992. One article that has always stuck with me suggested that it is the acoustic quality of the wood that is the primary influence on tone, even if the construction is solidbody with pickups . In other words, the most brilliant hardware and electronics won't help very much if the wood is junk. Thanks, Roger.
39:00 - String height: distance between string underside and 12th fret top when holding 1st fret note [on Bass] * G string 2/30 inch = 1.7mm * E string 3/30 inch = 2.54mm * B string 7/64 inch = 2.78mm [on Guitar] * high E 3/64 to 2/30 inch = 1.19mm to 1.69mm * low E 5/64 inch = 1.98mm
There is so much information in this interview. i do remember Medley Music which was in Philly for a while then later moved to Ardmore Pa just outside of Philly' Its hard to believe that a person who has that kind of ties to Philly has come to be one of the best bass bass builders around.yes,I've has a chance to play a Sadowsky and I found it to be a easy playing and great sounding bass. Its a really good bass to own. Its hard to believe that a manufacture is concerned about pricing,yet is committed to making a good instrument
Best basses on the market hands down. Currently own 3 of Rogers basses. 1 of them is a metro and it’s very hard to differentiate between the NYC and the Metro basses. I’m 38 years old and these instruments will be handed down to my children as family heirlooms. They’re the hot rods every one of my bass player and musician friends want to play when they come over....rarely do they want to see me though ..
I have a 2000(year)NYC 5 string bass with Sadowsky pickups and it is one of the best basses I own. Especially for recording and cutting through the mix live playing. Everything Roger say's is accurate to my experience with this fabulous instrument. Their is only one bass that sounds like this and that is a Sadowksy!
There is only one artist that rock audience know of is Tal Wilkenfield. Marcus Miller is most know for his Fender series, like Nathan East is for his Yamaha series. So when will you come with a Tal Wilkenfield signature ?
Still the best sounding bass I have heard. I own a MV5 that I bought in 05. I also own a variety of other basses, and the Sadowsky has the best tone of all of them. I would have loved to have heard the sound demo on one of the single coil basses.
Fantastic interview, and fantastic instruments! But I'll be honest about the bass demos: it could have been done with new roundwound strings, especially because it has lots of slap. I don't know if it was done with old and dead strings, or flatwound ones, but they don't sound good and don't do Sadowsky justice to its amazing tone. But it's 11 years since the video was released, so... :D
gotta love the Marcus episode at 53:41 "the rest is history" that's exactly why i own a standard Sadowsky JB since 2000, that's my only bass and i'll never sell it :) THANKS!!!
a great guy... took an unscheduled call from me today, conferenced with Frank from Joe Bardon pickups and answered some questions .. with in 5 min, I placed an order for one of his great pre-amps sent via Fedex overnight...
Bought my 1st bass amp from Medley Music in 1982. It was a Peavey TNT 100. I had no idea Roger was their repair/setup guy in the '70's! Cool Philly connection to what was a great family-owned music store. Bought my 1st SVT there too as well as several basses over the years. My #1 bass, a Fender Roscoe Beck V, was bought there new in 2003. Sad to see Guitar Center and Sam Ash push these great music stores out of business. Now you get some no-nothing employee who knows nothing trying to sell a $2000 bass to a 35-year veteran. Sad.
Sadowsky has been my “dream bass” for many years, but the price is too restrictive for me. Someday! Saw a guy playing one at a gig and I wigged-out. I recognized the Sadowsky headstock, went to the guy between sets and then talked his ear off all night. He won the bass through a Bass Player magazine contest, and said it’s the best/most comfortable bass he’s ever had.
It's weird that Roger refers to the TCT as a bass and treble boost only pre-amp. It's a 3 band boost and cut pre-amp and he wired it that way in Marcus's bass (with the mid cut in the cavity).
Tall fret wire does not cause intonation problems. Player inaccuracies do. You are not supposed to push the string down behind the fret. On the fret is where your finger should make the string contact the fret. If you are to far forward you slightly mute the string, to far back you stretch the string.
nut makes a difference in terms of friction with the string as well. Metal nut makes the whammy action a lot easier, just like on Jeff Beck's stratocaster. Beck is famous for contantly using the whammy.
while i know the sentiment, i have heard the phrase 'cut through the mix' more than the usual amount recently and it always makes me scratch my head. i rarely want ANYTHING to cut through the mix. the mix is the most important part of the sound! like i said, i know generally what is meant by that saying, but it's such a frustrating thing when everyone in a band wants to 'cut through' as opposed to working on mixing properly. cheers.
Dear Sadowsky Guitars: Does your NYC Basses now feature "Graphite Reinforcement Rods" in the neck? I remember you guys did not do that before and your website says you do now. If you do not, could it be an option? Thank you for any information.
+Leonard Ng Most likely. Some players like old strings. When he was playing that jazzy walking bassline, it fit really well. The melodic, more shimmering stuff, didn't work out as well haha. That's why you gotta have more than 1 bass :D
strings aren't fresh but not dead. i only like new strings for songs which require me to slap more than 75% of the tune. rest of the time, old, almost dead roundwounds are my preference.
I love the video but the little snippets in between that showcase the sound of the bass aren't doing the instrument justice. It would be nice to have more of a variation of styles and tones with a possibly more accomplished player doing the demoing. Also the strings seem to be a bit dead. Other than that, this is an amazing video, thank you Roger for taking the time to do this.
Many good information, but one thing he said is not right for me. Listen at 55:40. In my opinion (and many other) heavy midrange is essential for "cutting through the mix" sound - scooped sound is quite opposite and can get lost easily in the mix.
I never tried a sadowsky bass and I cannot understand that what is the special thing about this basses...its sound like my standart jazz basses even like my sx jazz basses which are twenty times cheaper than sadowsky basses...
It's hard to describe the tonal difference between a low-cost guitar and a high-cost guitar, but it's basically a richer sound. There's more potential in the instrument in terms of versatility of sound; if you want to go for a modern sound then the bass brings out a resonating flurry of overtones, but if you want a fuller more old-school bass sound then the bass is capable of cutting the brightness of the tone and delivering a more muted but still clarified sound. Once you've seen how many different sounds can come from high-priced guitars, you realise why they cost what they do; they're several guitars in one if you want then to be. Also, the price is bumped up a bit because of the materials used and who made it / where it was made, but ultimately that's what allows for the versatile and awesome sounds: good materials and great craftsmanship. 😊
Glad somebody said it. Dudeman was good, obviously, but needs to realize we can't hear the accompaniment playing in his head. Just sounded like a flashy mess.
17:30 I find it pretty odd that Roger Sadowsky says lighter woods creates a better tone?? I find it that the best basses are Warwicks and most of them are very heavy overall for most players.
Demetrius Sage Come on? Please link us to the Warwick Fan Club thread at Talkbass as your evidence. If you honestly believe one kind of bass is "better" than any other, you've really missed the boat.
Demetrius Sage I'd definitely disagree with that. Some Warwick basses sound better than some Sadowsky basses, but the designs that the two companies employ are pretty different. Sadowsky makes Fender-style instruments with active preamps, while Warwick makes active instruments with totally different design principles. Regarding the acoustic tone, I've played at least a couple of Warwicks before that had unimpressive acoustic tone (one of them being one that I owned for awhile). It just depends on the instrument, the setup, etc. Sadowsky guitars will (IMO) generally have better acoustic tone because their bodies are a bit larger, and larger bodies = more acoustic resonance (IME). Heavy woods don't also necessarily give you better tone. I think they're great to use for neck woods, but lighter woods generally have more cavitation which effectively means more "mini resonance chambers". That's why some manufactures use swap ash; it's a very porous wood, and generally produces a very lively acoustic tone because it resonates more.
Alex Khouri Well Warwick produces a variety of basses but they also have their own fender style basses like Steamer CV. I also think that Warwick is going the wrong way right now because they are starting to use Brass hardware only, because Brass is a harder metal and will reduce Wood Resonance. Also were those Warwicks that you played made in Germany? because that also makes a huge difference.
And there ends the lesson. Thank you Roger for the wisdom and of course, for the great sounding basses. I still have the first bass(white/blue) I bought from you in the Miles days and the 5 string I bought for Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour. Whenever I plug in those basses, live or studio, the engineer always says,”Great sounding bass.” It never fails. All the very best, Darryl
pro trick : you can watch series on Flixzone. I've been using it for watching a lot of movies these days.
@Dallas Evan Yea, I've been using flixzone for months myself =)
heyyy, really appreciate your playing and musical sensibilities especially in the blue turtles :) big thanks
You have been a big influence on me Darryl - thanks for the memories 🙂
Roger isn't shy about spilling the beans about his bass guitars. No secret sauce, just hard work and decade's worth of repair experience. Very educational... thumbs up.
So much great wisdom from Roger Sadowsky! This interview makes me want to purchase a Sadowsky NYC. 1 hour of listening to this man was well spent. Keep it up Roger! -new found fan-
RODGER FANTASTIC EXPLANATION THANK YOU FOR SHARING
This is akin to an appointment with a consultant specialist at the top of his profession. Superb video, thank you.
best guitar video I've seen in a while. Roger Sadowsky sure knows his stuff.
Excellent video! It's inspiring to see someone so committed to the highest level of quality and customer service. Best regards to Roger and his crew at his NYC shop, as well as his crew in Japan. Outstanding!!!!
Thank you, Mr. Sadowsky, this interview is a great tutorial and you are not only a brilliant luthier but also an excellent tutor! It was absolutely interesting to watch and full of guitar-wisdom!
Nut only affect the sound of the open strings! Thank you! Finally, someone credible I can now quote to defend my case. Because ya know, common sense isn't enough to convince people, sadly haha.
Makes way too much sense: fret the string anywhere and YOUR FINGER is now “the nut” - the string will only vibrate that far, so the actual nut has been taken out of the equation.
after watching rig rundown with walter becker, i was intrigued to learn more about Sadowsky mystique , wow after listening to Roger explain his ideas, Sadowdky guitars jumped to top of my wish list, profoundly impressive spokesperson Roger is, for his own brand !
Jason newsted has a great sound thanks again for that sound
i love this basses sadowsky just amaizing
love the video. thanks for posting
thanks a lot for this video, Roger you're the man!!!
Wow, great video Roger! Thanks for taking the time. This makes me appreciate my Sadowsky even more. (And they still prefer "Fender-like" gear in some circles, but those in the know appreciate the Sadowsky for it's own thing!)
this may be my ultimate dream bass that i will never have. aside from the price which i cant afford, shipping is pricey since im from the philippines. i love these basses
This is a fantastic video. LOTS of good insights into set-up and construction work, and coming directly from one of the best bass builders in history. It's also interesting hearing about his history at the company..... and I LOVE the fact that he just runs a small workshop with a few employees. It obviously means they can focus more on the quality of the instruments, and it shows...... Sadowsky basses are some of the best-made around.
It was interesting to hear that they spend around 10 hours setting up each instrument, and that some companies spend that much time MAKING the instrument in the first place. I love that, because so many basses in shops are TERRIBLY set-up, and it just makes you want to walk away. Not good, when some of those instruments cost upwards of 3 grand.
Rock on Roger!
great guy, great instrument knowledge. just perfect
I owned many basses before playing Roger's and ever since that first trip to the showroom in DUMBO over ten years ago, I have been playing his electric basses exclusively. I also do instrument repairs and setups and I, and many of my colleagues, have taken his philosophies to heart for many years. Flawless fretwork really is a prerequisite not a luxury. That's just one of the many things that make a Sadowsky what it is. Great people all around. And what a great free detailed tutorial on setup!
Thank you very much indeed! It would be nice to see something about bridges too next time if it is possible. Wishing you all the best from Budapest.
Great video Roger. Very clear run-though and explanation of Sadowsky guitars!
Also great to hear you talk about what you are really passionate about!
I am an endorsing artist for a different very prominent bass company for my metal projects, but I still find myself purchasing Sadowsky basses because they are far superior in build and electronics. Someone mentioned they hadn't tried one and don't get why they are special, trust me - In my 30 years of professional bass playing I have tried and owned just about every make of boutique bass (Fodera, Lull, Spector, Warwick, etc.) and I have never had a nicer playing bass out of the box than every Sadowsky I have owned.
Wow.
Thank you.
Great info you shared...thank you for giving all these details.
This is a great interview. I often refer to some older print articles by Roger that I have. I am still the proud owner of one of the original Sadowsky preamps from 1992. One article that has always stuck with me suggested that it is the acoustic quality of the wood that is the primary influence on tone, even if the construction is solidbody with pickups . In other words, the most brilliant hardware and electronics won't help very much if the wood is junk. Thanks, Roger.
even though i own and play a stingray i found this very interesting. Thanks sadowsky
i learned so much from this video.... thanks so much for putting this up bro.
Thank you. 🎶🎶🎶🎶💞
excellent! THIS is why I will be buying my own custom Sadowsky bass. I like the science/process behind the sound
Long time comin' :^) Thanks Roger.
Cool Beans , lots of good info.
Much Thanks '
Excelente entrevista. Es más bien un curso de historia y luteria.
this is a great doc !!
Its a video dumb ass.
I love my Sadowsky MV5 bass.
39:00 -
String height: distance between string underside and 12th fret top when holding 1st fret note
[on Bass]
* G string 2/30 inch = 1.7mm
* E string 3/30 inch = 2.54mm
* B string 7/64 inch = 2.78mm
[on Guitar]
* high E 3/64 to 2/30 inch = 1.19mm to 1.69mm
* low E 5/64 inch = 1.98mm
There is so much information in this interview. i do remember Medley Music which was in Philly for a while then later moved to Ardmore Pa just outside of Philly' Its hard to believe that a person who has that kind of ties to Philly has come to be one of the best bass bass builders around.yes,I've has a chance to play a Sadowsky and I found it to be a easy playing and great sounding bass. Its a really good bass to own. Its hard to believe that a manufacture is concerned about pricing,yet is committed to making a good instrument
Best basses on the market hands down. Currently own 3 of Rogers basses. 1 of them is a metro and it’s very hard to differentiate between the NYC and the Metro basses. I’m 38 years old and these instruments will be handed down to my children as family heirlooms.
They’re the hot rods every one of my bass player and musician friends want to play when they come over....rarely do they want to see me though ..
I have a 2000(year)NYC 5 string bass with Sadowsky pickups and it is one of the best basses I own. Especially for recording and cutting through the mix live playing. Everything Roger say's is accurate to my experience with this fabulous instrument. Their is only one bass that sounds like this and that is a Sadowksy!
There is only one artist that rock audience know of is Tal Wilkenfield. Marcus Miller is most know for his Fender series, like Nathan East is for his Yamaha series. So when will you come with a Tal Wilkenfield signature ?
Still the best sounding bass I have heard. I own a MV5 that I bought in 05. I also own a variety of other basses, and the Sadowsky has the best tone of all of them. I would have loved to have heard the sound demo on one of the single coil basses.
Thats why i bought a metro .... love it
Im saving money to get my own sadowsky Im going to get one!!!!!
So, did you get one ?
This is such a wonderful documentary! Any possibility of a photo project involving these guitars??
This guy is the Johnny Morris of the bass world..... bravo
genius!
Fantastic interview, and fantastic instruments! But I'll be honest about the bass demos: it could have been done with new roundwound strings, especially because it has lots of slap. I don't know if it was done with old and dead strings, or flatwound ones, but they don't sound good and don't do Sadowsky justice to its amazing tone. But it's 11 years since the video was released, so... :D
gotta love the Marcus episode at 53:41 "the rest is history" that's exactly why i own a standard Sadowsky JB since 2000, that's my only bass and i'll never sell it :) THANKS!!!
a great guy... took an unscheduled call from me today, conferenced with Frank from Joe Bardon pickups and answered some questions .. with in 5 min, I placed an order for one of his great pre-amps sent via Fedex overnight...
He also made the Hohner Madcat telecaster replicas for Prince
This is the greatest video on bass guitar that I've seen so far. Thank you Roger! By the way do you make six strings bass guitars?
Bought my 1st bass amp from Medley Music in 1982. It was a Peavey TNT 100. I had no idea Roger was their repair/setup guy in the '70's! Cool Philly connection to what was a great family-owned music store. Bought my 1st SVT there too as well as several basses over the years. My #1 bass, a Fender Roscoe Beck V, was bought there new in 2003. Sad to see Guitar Center and Sam Ash push these great music stores out of business. Now you get some no-nothing employee who knows nothing trying to sell a $2000 bass to a 35-year veteran. Sad.
compound radius is because of the conic profile of the strings since bridge is wider than nut.
Sadowsky has been my “dream bass” for many years, but the price is too restrictive for me. Someday!
Saw a guy playing one at a gig and I wigged-out. I recognized the Sadowsky headstock, went to the guy between sets and then talked his ear off all night. He won the bass through a Bass Player magazine contest, and said it’s the best/most comfortable bass he’s ever had.
amazing guy, interesting he takes guitars as starting point for bass
It's weird that Roger refers to the TCT as a bass and treble boost only pre-amp. It's a 3 band boost and cut pre-amp and he wired it that way in Marcus's bass (with the mid cut in the cavity).
Tall fret wire does not cause intonation problems. Player inaccuracies do. You are not supposed to push the string down behind the fret. On the fret is where your finger should make the string contact the fret. If you are to far forward you slightly mute the string, to far back you stretch the string.
nut makes a difference in terms of friction with the string as well. Metal nut makes the whammy action a lot easier, just like on Jeff Beck's stratocaster. Beck is famous for contantly using the whammy.
does the metroline Rv4, have this chambered quality and yet not too neck heavy?
yea, for me it looks more like setup for a pick player too. but as Roger stated its "middle of the road setup".
he used his friends apartment as a bass? freakin legend! how did he do that? was the apartment a 4 or 5 string bass?
while i know the sentiment, i have heard the phrase 'cut through the mix' more than the usual amount recently and it always makes me scratch my head. i rarely want ANYTHING to cut through the mix. the mix is the most important part of the sound! like i said, i know generally what is meant by that saying, but it's such a frustrating thing when everyone in a band wants to 'cut through' as opposed to working on mixing properly. cheers.
Dear Sadowsky Guitars:
Does your NYC Basses now feature "Graphite Reinforcement Rods" in the neck?
I remember you guys did not do that before and your website says you do now. If you do not, could it be an option? Thank you for any information.
Do a tal wilkenfield sadowsky signature!
Are Metroline instruments chambered?
What kind of camera is that, at 25:10? LOL.
I wish they had more pickup options, they tend to only have only Jazz bass pickups. They're still amazing though!!
love the old analog reel to real tape recorder in the background at 13 seconds. Is it still in service ?
These are the guitars Walter Becker of Steely Dan plays.
Is it me, or are the strings on the player's bass dead?
+Leonard Ng Most likely. Some players like old strings. When he was playing that jazzy walking bassline, it fit really well. The melodic, more shimmering stuff, didn't work out as well haha. That's why you gotta have more than 1 bass :D
strings aren't fresh but not dead. i only like new strings for songs which require me to slap more than 75% of the tune. rest of the time, old, almost dead roundwounds are my preference.
I love the video but the little snippets in between that showcase the sound of the bass aren't doing the instrument justice. It would be nice to have more of a variation of styles and tones with a possibly more accomplished player doing the demoing. Also the strings seem to be a bit dead.
Other than that, this is an amazing video, thank you Roger for taking the time to do this.
is that him playing in the vid
Lakland skyline is the best for under $1000
Many good information, but one thing he said is not right for me. Listen at 55:40. In my opinion (and many other) heavy midrange is essential for "cutting through the mix" sound - scooped sound is quite opposite and can get lost easily in the mix.
But the tone of a guitar comes from the pickups and the speakers in an amp. The wood plays practically no part apart from sustain.
29:25 , that kinda reminds me of..... ehm...
I never tried a sadowsky bass and I cannot understand that what is the special thing about this basses...its sound like my standart jazz basses even like my sx jazz basses which are twenty times cheaper than sadowsky basses...
It's hard to describe the tonal difference between a low-cost guitar and a high-cost guitar, but it's basically a richer sound. There's more potential in the instrument in terms of versatility of sound; if you want to go for a modern sound then the bass brings out a resonating flurry of overtones, but if you want a fuller more old-school bass sound then the bass is capable of cutting the brightness of the tone and delivering a more muted but still clarified sound. Once you've seen how many different sounds can come from high-priced guitars, you realise why they cost what they do; they're several guitars in one if you want then to be. Also, the price is bumped up a bit because of the materials used and who made it / where it was made, but ultimately that's what allows for the versatile and awesome sounds: good materials and great craftsmanship. 😊
Well I had one and it was built very well and sounded great, however it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I just went back to my 74 Jazz Bass.
Playability.
This is why MIJ is so good ; They're picky and uncompromising.
Woah, the slapping does not groove. At all :/ great to hear so much from Roger, though.
Glad somebody said it. Dudeman was good, obviously, but needs to realize we can't hear the accompaniment playing in his head. Just sounded like a flashy mess.
17:30 I find it pretty odd that Roger Sadowsky says lighter woods creates a better tone?? I find it that the best basses are Warwicks and most of them are very heavy overall for most players.
That's your opinion. He has his. I agree with him.
Brad Maestas
Come on its a fact that Warwick basses are better than Sadowsky basses overall. They even have a better acoustic tone.
Demetrius Sage Come on? Please link us to the Warwick Fan Club thread at Talkbass as your evidence. If you honestly believe one kind of bass is "better" than any other, you've really missed the boat.
Demetrius Sage I'd definitely disagree with that. Some Warwick basses sound better than some Sadowsky basses, but the designs that the two companies employ are pretty different. Sadowsky makes Fender-style instruments with active preamps, while Warwick makes active instruments with totally different design principles.
Regarding the acoustic tone, I've played at least a couple of Warwicks before that had unimpressive acoustic tone (one of them being one that I owned for awhile). It just depends on the instrument, the setup, etc. Sadowsky guitars will (IMO) generally have better acoustic tone because their bodies are a bit larger, and larger bodies = more acoustic resonance (IME).
Heavy woods don't also necessarily give you better tone. I think they're great to use for neck woods, but lighter woods generally have more cavitation which effectively means more "mini resonance chambers". That's why some manufactures use swap ash; it's a very porous wood, and generally produces a very lively acoustic tone because it resonates more.
Alex Khouri
Well Warwick produces a variety of basses but they also have their own fender style basses like Steamer CV. I also think that Warwick is going the wrong way right now because they are starting to use Brass hardware only, because Brass is a harder metal and will reduce Wood Resonance.
Also were those Warwicks that you played made in Germany? because that also makes a huge difference.
unfortunate about the dudes tone in-between each section.
Tone wood is a load of bs.