Besides Sadowsky...

[Joebone]

I've had a Metro R5/24 for over 4 years, and love this bass, but I have made some changes so it works better for me, some of which were intended to address the same issues raised by the OP.

First a few hardware suggestions...

If you don't have the VTC, then get it as a retrofit by all means. I did this on my 5-24 metro when I first got it, and the kit was ridiculously cheap - like $75.00 at the time.

Consider switching from Pan/Volume to Volume/Volume. While I sometimes miss having a master volume knob, I love the microcontrol over tonal options. Some of those shadings can give you a bit more of the mid-lift you mention.

Finally, if you're looking for more old-school thump, try to find a set of the Nordstrand-sourced big single pickups as a retrofit for the older 5-24 soapbars. I made this final move about 6 months ago, and am very happy with the results. More fundamental and low-mid punch. A little less "songful" when soloing in the upper register, but still quite good in that respect. Makes the bass less specialized and better able to cover a traditional Fender presence, with minimal sacrifice of the characteristics that make the 5/24 Modern distinctive.

Beyond bass hardware, several other posters have noted the amp question - I'm thinking it's less a question of which amp, and more an issue of the mid-range settings you use.

And how high do you have the preamp controls on the bass? If dialed back to minimal levels, or flat, you get more mid. Passive is also pretty middy, although I have to say that passive with the big singles is more successful than with the original soapbars. Again, the VTC is your friend...

I have a second Sadowsky, an NYC P/J 5/24, but other than it being lighter and having a 1 3/4" nut, I can't tell you it's any "better" than the optimized Metro. In fact, I had a friend over yesterday who has strong slap technique (I'm mostly fingerstyle), and I was thrilled by how good the Metro 5/24 sounded. I also think the 5/24's consistently have better B-strings than other Sadowskys - I've had my Metro 5/24 side by side with NYC Sadowskys, including another 5/24, and it saw all of them off.

For me, the 5/24 is a very special bass (I totally dig the ergonomics), and a new or used 5/24 Metro provides exceptional value. It's worth some work to see if you can make it work for you!

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by atlboriqua

The main difference for me is having a "mid" knob. The sadowsky records so well because the way the pre amp is designed, it cuts out the frequencies you typically would remove in a recording situation. I believe right around 300 +/-. It sounds very round and full. But I really like to use mids to add some punch and growl to my tone. I think Sadowsky's "Vintage Tone Control" solves that problem. I wish I had that on my Sadowsky.

The VTC is essentially a treble cut. I like the way the Sadowsky preamp works in my Modern 5-24s, but I put a Pope Flex Core in my UV70 to get the mid controls. I have to admit that the tone set "flat" is not the same as with the Sadowsky preamp, but having two mid controls pushes the versatility over the top. The Pope preamp is a little cleaner than the Sadowsky - not better or worse, but different.

[bass12]

It sounds like you want a JJ sound to come out of a soapbar setup and that isn't going to happen. I guarantee that if you get your hands on a Sadowsky Jazz you won't have any issues sitting nicely in the mix in live settings. Lulls are another fine option and, while I prefer the Sadowsky preamp, you might find that the preamp options with the Lulls suit you better.

[jasonbraatz]

Originally Posted by bass12

It sounds like you want a JJ sound to come out of a soapbar setup and that isn't going to happen.

Yup. Pickup configuration and placement is the primary component of why a bass sounds like it does. There's absolutely no use in drawing any conclusions across basses with different pickup configuration.

[atlboriqua]

Thanks for all the advice and options. I'm pretty sure I'm just looking for a JJ sound and I need to go with that setup instead. As I said before, the bass sounds great!! However, I am just looking for a different tone. I am mostly a finger player but use slap technique when necessary. And I am not impressed with the slap tone on the R5-24. It just seems very thin to me. I like the J bass slap sound more. It feels more "alive" and full.

A friend of mine also owns this bass and he loves it. He is more of a jazz / latin player and he swears by it. Each time I've seen him play, it sounds incredible. But typically he isn't playing rock too often. As I'm more of a rock / contemporary player I really like the jazz bass tone for what I do. I've never gotten too much into the P-bass style as I need something that has more tone versatility. I'm hoping in the next week to go check out a JJ style Sadowsky and hear the difference.

[bslayton]

I have both Fender AM DLX v & M5-24. Great basses! My ultimate bass is the Lakland 55-02, it just seems to be the one that always ends up in my hand. They are amazing!

I did order the Cravin you mentioned and immediately returned it. Didn't like it at all & all the other blew it away.
Good Luck!