Other than Leo Fender himself, no bass builder is more commonly associated with the Fender Jazz-style bass than Roger Sadowsky. The New York-based luthier first made his mark in the late ’70s as the go-to repair guy for the city’s session elite. Not long after, he began to build his own line of Fender-style basses, most equipped with his famed boost-only 2-band onboard preamp. Sadowsky has since become an iconic brand, often credited with sparking the souped-up J-style bass boom that has dominated the marketplace for at least a decade now. This long-term association with Fender-style basses is what makes Sadowsky’s latest model so intriguing: The Single Cut is an entirely new design, the result of a collaboration a few years ago between Roger Sadowsky and Shop Manager Lisa Hahn. Our tester is even more special than a stock Single Cut, though, as it boasts a chambered spruce body core, here capped with a “master grade” maple burl top and back. I can’t pinpoint the date, but there was clearly a moment in boutique bass-design history when singlecut bodies became trendy. I think this is due largely to two factors: Fodera — with its exceptional artist roster and sterling reputation — released a singlecut model, and boutique bass buyers often expect their money to result in something that looks innovative, irrespective of the impact on performance. Regardless, Sadowsky stayed out of the singlecut game well into its peak popularity, unmoved by singlecut bass aesthetics, and unconvinced that the increased neck-to-body contact actually made a sonic difference. Yet, growing public pressure, as well as a luthier’s natural thirst for challenge, found Sadowsky releasing his first Single Cut a couple years ago. Not only did the instrument’s shape meet Sadowsky’s aesthetic requirements, but he also reports that there was an audible difference: “To my surprise … I immediately heard the increased resonance, sustain, and evenness of response due to the increased neck-to-body contact.” Given how ubiquitous and well-regarded spruce is as a tonewood, it’s a bit mysterious why it almost never appears in the bodies of solidbody electrics. If it’s good enough for piano and harp soundboards, not to mention the tops of million-dollar violins, surely it’ll work in a bass. Sadowsky has long championed the notion that a solidbody electric’s acoustic response translates into good amplified response, which is in part why his solidbody basses are chambered (the other reason is the weight savings). As its premier bass model, our review Single Cut signals the debut of spruce on the Sadowsky tonewood option-list. The Single Cut arrived in a robust Sadowsky-branded gig bag, the pockets stuffed with all kinds of cool documentation and certificates of authenticity. The body’s sinuous contours give the instrument a lithe and compact look. Compared to many other singlecuts I’ve seen, the Sadowsky feels and looks slenderer and more approachable