News · September 7, 2026

Legendary instruments are now in Ukraine: Ladkorguitars have officially become the representatives of the world-famous Sadowsky!

Sadowsky is an American guitar, bass guitar, and preamp manufacturer based in Long Island City, New York. The company was founded in 1979 and took its name from its founder, Roger Sadowsky. In 2011, the company had 10 employees involved in instrument manufacturing, excluding Roger Sadowsky himself.

Since 2019, Roger Sadowsky entered into a licensing and distribution agreement with Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG, to produce Sadowsky MetroLine, MasterBuilt and Custom Shop bass guitars in Warwick's workshop in Germany. They also launched a website for the German-made instruments.

Roger Sadowsky is a highly respected instrument maker, who has helped redefine the word luthier to include the subtext of brilliant handcrafted design. His instruments have been played by many of the world’s greatest artists including guitarists Jim Hall, John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny, Lee Ritenour, Chuck Loeb and bass players Marcus Miller, Will Lee, Rickey Minor, Michael Rhodes, Verdine White and Jason Newsted. Roger grew up in New York City in the 1950s and recalls his father listening to the big bands and his mom listening to songs from Broadway musicals. These early influences were the roots of his passion for music, which was kick-jumped by playing guitar in the spring of his junior year in college, learning to fingerpick by playing Gordon Lightfoot and Paul Simon tunes.

Roger Sadowsky, the founder of Sadowsky Guitars, explains that his love for music and the vibrant atmosphere of New York City drew him to establish his workshop here. Despite the difficulties of doing business and living in the city, he recognizes the energy and magic that New York offers. “I’ve hired people who were from outside of New York and I’ve seen New York chew them up and spit them out in less than a year and they never come back. And then there were many of them who just thrive on the energy here and can’t live anywhere else. So I’m one of those people.”

However, one of the biggest challenges faced by Sadowsky Guitars, and many other small businesses in New York, is the issue of rising rent. Over the course of 40+ years, Roger has had to move his shop four times due to increasing costs. The struggle to find affordable space poses a significant barrier for smaller makers and businesses. Roger points out that while large companies receive incentives when they move to the city, there is a lack of support for local mom-and-pop businesses, resulting in the disappearance of these cherished establishments. “And so that that typewriter repair guy and all the little markets, all that stuff is gone,” Roger says. “And it breaks my heart.”

When asked about the changes needed to support manufacturing in New York, Sadowsky suggests the possibility of subsidized maker spaces. He believes that the city or state should provide support to ensure affordable rents for small businesses, fostering a nurturing environment for makers to thrive.

Despite these challenges, Roger remains committed to New York City. He highlights the quality of players and the urban environment as reasons that keep him rooted there. The diverse culture, the ability to walk between stores, and the cosmopolitan atmosphere all contribute to his personal and professional fulfillment.

Reflecting on changes in the music industry over the past 40 years, Sadowsky notes the decline of the New York studio scene due to advancements in technology. The advent of synthesizers and computer music software reduced the need for large numbers of musicians in recording studios, impacting the livelihoods of many players. Additionally, DJs have significantly affected the bar, wedding, and corporate event scenes. Sadowsky acknowledges the challenges faced by musicians in the current era, with streaming services and changes in the record business making it increasingly difficult to make a living solely as a musician.

While having celebrity players use his instruments is gratifying (Lou Reed is a regular guy with an amazing ear, says Roger), it is the personal connections and the joy his instruments bring to individual customers that truly fulfill him. “The real reward for me is dealing individually with my customers and getting an email a week later about how much this instrument has changed their life and how much pleasure it brings them. That’s the reward. That’s the satisfaction.”

Roger’s journey with Sadowsky Guitars exemplifies the challenges and rewards of manufacturing in New York City. Despite the hurdles, his commitment to quality and his love for the city’s vibrant atmosphere – both in music and beyond – have allowed his business to thrive. As the city continues to evolve, supporting and nurturing small makers and businesses like Sadowsky Guitars is essential to preserving the spirit of manufacturing in NYC.

Roger Sadowsky is one of the most highly respected instrument makers in the world. His guitars, basses, and archtop guitars are played by many of the world’s greatest artists, past and present. The list includes guitarists Jim Hall, John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny, Lee Ritenour, Andy Summers, Juan Luis Guerra, Chuck Loeb, Prince, and Paul Simon. Bass players include Will Lee, Rickey Minor, Verdine White, Colin Greenwood, Tully Kennedy, and Jason Newsted. The Sadowsky Custom Shop is currently located in Long Island City, just a few minutes from Manhattan by subway.

Roger grew up in New York City in the 1950s with a Dad who listened to Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole and a Mom who loved listening to songs from Broadway musicals. He began playing guitar in the spring of his junior year in college, learning to fingerpick by playing Gordon Lightfoot and Paul Simon tunes.

While working his way through a PhD program in psychobiology at Rutgers University, Roger became friends with a group of professional folk musicians and immediately admired their wonderful vintage Martin guitars. He soon became obsessed with the guitar and began writing to guitar makers all over the world to seek an apprenticeship. A year later, he left his PhD goals behind and began working with luthier Augie LoPrinzi building acoustic guitars in New Jersey.

After two years with LoPrinzi, Roger took over a well-known guitar repair shop in Philadelphia where he spent the next five years gaining a reputation for outstanding repair and restoration work on guitars and basses. In 1979, as a direct result of his increasing reputation, he moved back to his hometown of New York City to serve the repair and restoration needs of the city’s top studio players.

Within months of opening his workshop in Manhattan, Roger was servicing the guitars and basses of the top session players in town. Bassists such as Will Lee, Neil Jason, Oscar Cartaya, Hugh McDonald, and others were having Roger customize their basses and installing an active treble/bass boost tone circuit he was working with. The immediate feedback was that they never sounded better and engineers were noticing how perfectly the bass tracks sat in the mix and cut through live. The legendary “Sadowsky Sound" was born.

In those early years, working musicians would approach Roger wanting advice on getting a good guitar or bass. He would have them buy an early-’60s Fender, which at the time could be purchased for about $800. They would bring those instruments to Sadowsky Guitars, where Roger would do his magic. At the end of the day, for the reasonable sum of around $1,300-$1500 (including the purchase price of the instrument), Roger would provide to them a first-class instrument.

In the early 1980s, with a heated vintage market increasingly pushing guitars and basses out of reach for working musicians, Roger realized that it would make more sense to simply build an instrument from scratch that incorporated everything great about a Fender bass, plus everything his valued improvements brought to the table. His background in acoustic guitar building helped him to build a lightweight, acoustically resonant instrument. His studio-proven expertise in shielding and hum cancelling technology produced instruments that were significantly quieter than many others on the market. And his longstanding reputation for employing only the highest quality materials and workmanship resulted in the creation of superior instruments.

Guitarists also received the significant benefits of Roger’s success in bass building. In addition to creating a very popular line of chambered solidbody guitars, including an especially renowned Electric Nylon guitar, he developed a very special line of archtop hollowbody and semi-hollowbody electric guitars. These instruments have become standards in the industry for superior tone, feel, playability and especially value.

Notwithstanding his increasing success in the marketplace, Roger maintains his commitment to staying small and wanting to primarily sell directly to the working musician rather than to music stores. He enjoys dealing personally with the player and seeing the entire guitar building process through from design to completion. And after many decades of producing some of the world’s most coveted instruments, Roger’s greatest joy continues to be witnessing the complete satisfaction a customer receives when making music with a Sadowsky instrument.

Timeline

1972, March — The Beginning: Roger begins making acoustic guitars with Augie LoPrinzi of LoPrinzi Guitars, Rosemont NJ.
1974, August — Medley Music: Takes over repair department at Medley Music, Ardmore PA.
1979, August — Repair Shop: Establishes repair shop at 33rd and Madison Ave, Manhattan, New York City.
1980, August — Making Electric Guitars: Begins making electric guitars under the name Dr. Frets; Customizes 1977 Jazz Bass for Marcus Miller.
1982, August — First Bass Guitar: Makes first bass guitar; begins doing repair work and building guitars for Paul Simon.
1984, August — Prince – Purple Rain tour: Makes 6 guitars for Prince’s for Purple Rain tour.
1985, August — Hiring: Hires first full time employee, JW Black.
1986, August — Moving to Broadway: Moves shop to 1600 Broadway @ 48th Street.
1992, August — Walter Becker of Steely Dan: Sells first of many guitars and basses to Walter Becker of Steely Dan.
2002, August — Moving to Brooklyn: Moves shop to 20 Jay Street, Brooklyn NY.
2003, August — Manufacturing in Japan: Begins manufacturing in Japan…introduces MetroLine basses and Jim Hall model archtop guitar.
2004, August — Tal Wilkenfeld: Makes first of many basses for Tal Wilkenfeld.
2009, August — Will Lee: Introduces Will Lee signature model bass.
2011, August — Moving to Long Island City: Moves shop to 2107 41st Ave, Long Island City, Queens.
2016, August — 2016 Line: Introduces the Single Cut bass; Satin Series Basses; Broadway Line of guitars.
2017, August — Satin Deluxe: Introduces the Satin Deluxe.
2018, August — Metro Express: Introduces the Metro Express.

The Sadowsky Crew

The current New York City Sadowsky crew. Personally led by Roger Sadowsky, the team creates a world-class lineup of archtops, basses, and guitars for the stage and studio.

L-R: Lukas Gunia, Isaac Baird, Josh Boger, Tom Mulvaney, JR Hevron, Gabi Rosen, and Roger Sadowsky.