Sadowsky UltraVintage S-Style

I’ve known Roger Sadowsky for many years, and he is one of the most consistent luthiers in the business. He has been the go-to guy for the NYC scene for more years than I can count. I think sometimes I even forget how amazing his guitars are! I ordered this vintage S-style guitar and it finally arrived. I took it out of the case knowing it would be a great guitar...after all, I’ve done this many times before. But this guitar grabbed my attention immediately, and made me remember that Roger’s electric roots are in bolt-on guitars, and this guitar is one amazing instrument. It also reminds me how dedicated Roger has been to making consistently excellent instruments - be they basses, bolt-ons, or archtops.  I think saying Roger has “made a science” out of making consistently great guitars, while true, makes it seem as though all he has to do is press a button and out pops a great guitar. That’s not true, of course. Roger brings too much art and soul to the table for science alone to account for their excellence.

Here’s something else you should know: Roger managed to find a single piece of ash to build this guitar. A one-piece body is exceedingly rare these days. And, it’s really light weight ash, making it extremely alive and resonant. Plus, it delivers that sonic goodness with fabulous sustain. The neck is maple with a stunning bird’s eye maple fingerboard that is just a pleasure to look at. I’ve said before how great Roger’s necks feel. This one has a 9” radius and just screams! It’s super fast, and the medium C profile gives you a great deal of versatility to play multiple styles of music.

This tone machine has Roger’s preamp/mid-boost circuit installed, and there is no better mid-boost set up out there. For those of you not familiar with this circuit, the controls are volume, mid-boost, tone, a five-way switch and a small mid-boost toggle switch tucked comfortably between the knobs and the five way switch. The little toggle has three positions: up is no mid-boost, middle is mid-boost with the mid-boost knob handling the adjustments, and down is mid-boost with gain. The factory setting is low gain, which I found perfect for adding a little juice when you need it. In addition, there’s a trimpot inside the guitar that allows you to dial up more gain if you want it. When the mid-boost toggle switch is in the middle or bottom position (activating the mid-boost), you control the mid-boost from the middle knob. It sounds complicated, but it really is very easy and intuitive. Like all of Roger’s innovations, the mid-boost circuit is a player’s tool, designed and perfected for playing music.

An additional benefit is that the preamp sends the signal from the guitar with the correct impedance to your amp, so your pickups work optimally. One more thing:  Don’t be afraid to have the mid-boost on when you are going into an overdrive pedal, because it kicks the signal into the pedal in a way that really fattens the tone.

This guitar feels so natural in your hands, like a vintage instrument, with a warm, full S-style guitar sound, and tremendous tonal flexibility. And to top it off, Sadowsky includes a very nice little goodie bag with the guitar including a Dunlop Strap Lock, a good quality bridge adjustment tool, a bar for adjusting the truss rod and guitar polish with a cloth... Sadowsky thinks of everything!

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT SADOWSKY GUITARS
Mention the name Roger Sadowsky to your average guitar player, and you'll likely elicit a "Roger Who?" But that name is spoken in almost reverent tones amongst working musicians. Sadowsky has built this reputation by giving the modern guitarist and bassist what he needs--a no-nonsense, versatile, and reliable electric guitar that performs great and sounds better. Of course, these are claims made by every guitar company in existence; but Sadowsky Guitars is one of the very few companies that can actually back it up. Sadowsky Guitars is based in Long Island City, in Queens New York where founder Roger Sadowsky built the business from the ground up in 1979, after 7 years of guitar luthier training. Today, the Sadowsky company has around 10 employees and caters to guitarists such as; Walter Becker, Jim Hall, Chuck Loeb, Russell Malone, Jimmy Bruno, and Lee Ritenour.