NYC Custom Will Lee Signature 22 Fret

Will Lee, the legendary Grammy Award winning musician and bassist, is best known for his long tenure in the World’s Most Dangerous Band on Late Night with David Letterman. He boasts an extensive catalog of recordings as a session man playing on hits by B.B. King, Al Green, Mariah Carey, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Billy Joel, Ringo Starr, and many others. Will has also toured internationally with many household name artists, and was recently inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum. His custom basses utilize a 22-fret neck with a thinner nut width and a mid-boost preamp designed to Will’s exacting specifications.

Will relies on Sadowsky basses and has worked with Roger for decades to get the tone and feel he needs for live and studio performances. We are proud to offer our Will Lee Model as the result of this working relationship between artist and guitarmaker. It represents Roger’s work to translate Will’s ideas into wood and wire. You can experience the same custom electronics and unique configuration that Will uses on stage and in the studio. The Will Lee Model was recognized with the Bass Player Editor Award.


Specifications

  • Swamp Ash, Alder, or Okoume body chambered for enhanced resonance and light weight
  • Maple, rosewood, or ebony fingerboard
  • Quartersawn Maple neck
  • Sleek 1.45” nut width on 4-string or 1.75" on 5-string
  • 22 nickel/silver frets .094" wide x .051" high
  • Gotoh/Hipshot tuning gears with D-tuner
  • Sadowsky Single Coil or Humcancelling J pickups
  • Sadowsky Soapbars in '60s J-Bass locations or Sadowsky P/J
  • Custom Will Lee preamp with switchable mid-boost with trimpots
  • Frequency selectable at 500 or 800 Hz, wide or narrow bandwidth
  • Front: master vol, pickup blend, treble roll-off (VTC), bass boost, treble boost, mid-boost on/off switch, preamp bypass
  • Rear: trim pots for adjusting mid-boost gain, mid-boost preamp output, and dip switch with four frequency settings
  • String spacing at bridge: 20mm on 4 Strings and 19mm on 5 Strings
  • Portabag case is included.

$6700 Base Price 4-string
$7000 Base Price 5-string

Sadowsky Will Lee Model


“For over three decades, I have enjoyed a wonderful and special relationship with the amazing Will Lee. I honestly know of no other bassist who radiates as much joy from playing bass as Will does. It is an honor and a privilege to be the maker of the Will Lee Model.”

-Roger Sadowsky



"Working with Roger is like a godsend. I kind of tell him in grunts and squawks what I like or dislike about a bass and he's able to translate those utterings into technical marvels. What I knew I wanted was a neck with more frets, a midrange boost that would allow the instrument to 'cut through' the band, especially in a live situation, and finally, a slightly thinner neck than previous Sadowsky models had offered. Roger was able to accomplish those things and I'm a happy bassist"

-Will Lee, Bass Guitar Magazine Interview