Club Sadowsky!!!

[MOSCOWBASS]

Anybody have experience with the German Metroline PJ basses?

Yes. 5 string pj, dark lake placid blue, morado fingerboard.

 

[scubaduba]

Would love to hear what you think of it. Pics?

 

[MOSCOWBASS]

Would love to hear what you think of it. Pics?

This was an early bass and suffered from hum/buzz, i think the current versions are fixed. Mine is fixed now. Warwick sent a new preamp, that didn't make any difference to the hum/buzz, but it did fix the large gain difference between active and passive. They also sent a new scratchplate with shielding, that partially fixed the hum, but not the buzz. I wasn't happy with the new scratchplate, screw

holes were countersunk differently, so I shielded the original scratchplate with sticky back foil tape. I also shielded the rear pickup cavity. I rerouted the wires from the pickups away from the preamp. This seems to have fixed the issue. The bass is beautifully built, neck feels as good as my NYC, really nice to play. I'm very happy with it now and wouldn't hesitate to buy again. Tuners look nicer to me than the hipshots on the NYC and work fine. Fretwork is perfect and I like the hidden fret ends. The picture of the control cavity shows the unshielded white scratchplate and rear pickup wire hanging across the preamp.

 

[scubaduba]

Wow. No shielding on the back of the scratch plate. My understanding is these issues have been fixed. I like the look of the ocean blue pj “hybrids” I’m seeing with open grain satin finishes.

 

[Joeykun]

Live shot from our show on Friday using my NYC PJ4! Our singer Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages, American Idol) is tearing it up as well!!

 

[macieq]

Hi Club,
Someone wants to sell their Sadowsky NY 5 JB?

 

[number six]

Love that dark Lake Placid blue.
Something about the blue with the white p/g and the black hardware.
I sprayed a Squier Precision in dark Pelham blue (yeah, a Gibson colour).
Couldn't source dark Placid in nitro.
I may even like your blue better than sunburst/tort. Hmmm.
Forget the 'coffee tables'.

 

[Holdsg]

random Reverb weirdness time.

Who would pay $100, ok $80 for this? Something that is given away at the asking by the shop I'm thinking?
Sadowsky Owners Packet With Warranty, RoHS Compliance Letter, Diagram Of Bass Controls, & More | MIMOSA MUSIC | Reverb

maybe there is an aftermarket for such things, who knew.

 

[cxcxcx]

random Reverb weirdness time.

Who would pay $100, ok $80 for this? Something that is given away at the asking by the shop I'm thinking?
Sadowsky Owners Packet With Warranty, RoHS Compliance Letter, Diagram Of Bass Controls, & More | MIMOSA MUSIC | Reverb

maybe there is an aftermarket for such things, who knew.

I think the seller is influenced by the occasional sale of vintage Fender hang tags, manuals, catalogs, and case candy items from the 60’s and 70’s. Collectors do buy them, and they’re not comfortably priced. In addition to being rare guitar-related items, they are genuine Americana at this point.

Not to sully the maker or his mark, but Sadowsky doesn’t occupy that niche. I have some Fodera literature, manuals, and promo material nearly 40 years old that isn’t worth a lot because the “F” on it stands for Fodera, not Fender. There’s a market for old Fender incidentals. Not so much for other brands except in the case of extreme aficionados.

I keep my Sadowsky packets with my important papers because I regard the instruments they’re associated with as heirloom items that I’d want cared for properly in the event of my early demise. I just don’t see the paperwork becoming as being as valuable as Fender stuff.

 

[Chris Breese]

Kind of a long story...
I purchased a MIG MetroLine 5 string a few months ago. Amazing build quality. A very very fine instrument indeed. The only things that I wish we're better were the weight (9.6 ish lbs), and the pickups (humcancelling).
A few weeks ago I purchased a Lakland Skyline 55-60. I was really surprised at the tone of the single coils in it (and the over all high quality of the instrument. Very very good at any price point, IMO). Kind of shocked actually, because I found that I preferred the sound of the Lakland over the Sadowsky.
Well that just won't do, will it?!
So I scoured the interwebs and located a set of Sadowsky 5 string single coil pickups.. in Australia! ( I live in Illinois).
Anyway, I just got the Sadowsky back from having the single coils installed.
Just after playing the bass at home, I can tell that the difference is pretty extreme. These pickups sound amazing compared to the humcancelling ones.
Probably not a big surprise to anyone here. Even Mr. Sadowsky himself says that single coils are better sounding.
He's correct!
Anyway, thanks for listening.

 

[rmayer]

random Reverb weirdness time.

Who would pay $100, ok $80 for this? Something that is given away at the asking by the shop I'm thinking?
Sadowsky Owners Packet With Warranty, RoHS Compliance Letter, Diagram Of Bass Controls, & More | MIMOSA MUSIC | Reverb

maybe there is an aftermarket for such things, who knew.

Silly me, when I removed the protective clear plastic film on the front and back of my Sadowskys I just threw it away. Maybe I could have sold it on Reverb for $29.99.
Plus $10 shipping.

 

[TimothyGroovy]

random Reverb weirdness time.

Who would pay $100, ok $80 for this? Something that is given away at the asking by the shop I'm thinking?
Sadowsky Owners Packet With Warranty, RoHS Compliance Letter, Diagram Of Bass Controls, & More | MIMOSA MUSIC | Reverb

maybe there is an aftermarket for such things, who knew.

.............LMAO..........I should coonsider to sell all mine...

 

[rmayer]

Finally got my custom built Nordstrand Big Splits for my NYC 24 Fret. They built them to the exact string spacings. Worth the wait, now just waiting for a string height gauge to set pickup height. These seem a bit hotter than the Soapbars. So far, they sound great, clearer highs, tight with with plenty of bottom.

 

[Holdsg]

my fave pickups evah

 

[scubaduba]

OK. I splurged and bought the 2021 Masterbuilt LTD.... Yep, it is killer too. Love it. Is it worth the significant cost increase over the Metroline version? Not if you judge only by tone. But it is enough extra special to me to keep it. I can't keep both so, I've put my as new 2021 Metroline LTD in the classifieds. No way would it be leaving otherwise.

Both of these are two of my favorite basses ever. Warwick absolutely knocked it out of the park with these things. Simply stunning!

 

[KaseOfBass]

I know this is a long shot, but I've had a pickup die in my WL-5. I've emailed Roger to see if I can get a replacement set, but I thought I'd check the club just in case anyone happens to have some of the Duncan-made single coils you might be convinced to part with. If so, give me a holler.

 

[alembicbones]

Kind of a long story...
I purchased a MIG MetroLine 5 string a few months ago. Amazing build quality. A very very fine instrument indeed. The only things that I wish we're better were the weight (9.6 ish lbs), and the pickups (humcancelling).
A few weeks ago I purchased a Lakland Skyline 55-60. I was really surprised at the tone of the single coils in it (and the over all high quality of the instrument. Very very good at any price point, IMO). Kind of shocked actually, because I found that I preferred the sound of the Lakland over the Sadowsky.
Well that just won't do, will it?!
So I scoured the interwebs and located a set of Sadowsky 5 string single coil pickups.. in Australia! ( I live in Illinois).
Anyway, I just got the Sadowsky back from having the single coils installed.
Just after playing the bass at home, I can tell that the difference is pretty extreme. These pickups sound amazing compared to the humcancelling ones.
Probably not a big surprise to anyone here. Even Mr. Sadowsky himself says that single coils are better sounding.
He's correct!
Anyway, thanks for listening.

Hey Chris,

I'm right there regarding the Sadowsky Single Coils vs. the Hum Cancellers. My first Sadowsky was a Metro MS-5 when they first hit the market back in the mid 2000's. It had the stock Hum Cancellers. It was a very nice bass. Then I picked up a Fender Marcus Miller 5 string. It had single coils. I came to a point where I could only keep one. I kept the MM5. The single coils were just more organic sounding.

Flash forward to when I turned 50. I knew I wanted an NYC Sadowsky. I ordered it with the single coils and it sounds amazing.

Bones

 

[Chris Breese]

Hey Chris,

I'm right there regarding the Sadowsky Single Coils vs. the Hum Cancellers. My first Sadowsky was a Metro MS-5 when they first hit the market back in the mid 2000's. It had the stock Hum Cancellers. It was a very nice bass. Then I picked up a Fender Marcus Miller 5 string. It had single coils. I came to a point where I could only keep one. I kept the MM5. The single coils were just more organic sounding.

Flash forward to when I turned 50. I knew I wanted an NYC Sadowsky. I ordered it with the single coils and it sounds amazing.

Bones

Agreed! The humcancelling pickups aren’t even close. I’m trying to be respectful here, but I wonder why the humcancelling pickups are stock and not the single coils..?

 

[sifi76]

Hi guys, I’m a newly minted sadowsky Metroline owner and thought I’d come in and say hi plus ask a q you might be able to help with. I recently purchased a candy red Metroline 5 jazz, one of the new production basses out of the Warwick factory, but pretty much identical to the Japanese models preceding them, though I gotta admit the Warwick UV flash coat creates the best candy apple I have ever seen, and I’m not even a CAR guy lol

Ok, so I love this bass, and I’m not giving it up bar a fight.. and even then I’d prob agree to lose a limb just to keep her lol but I have onnnne issue.. well two but we will get to that. The pickguard, now don’t get me wrong, I like the mint on candy, but I’d like to be a bit different and throw a new pg on to cement the fact I own it.. but here’s the rum. You used to be able to get metro pg’s direct but now it’s through pickguard planet, not the easiest people to deal with, but that’s not the issue. There’s supposed to be an identifying number on the back of the pg which denotes what trace they need to use at planet, but after removing my pg.. well there isn’t one. Normally the other route is to ship it to them, but I’m in little New Zealand.. sooo bit of a long trip just for a measurement.

Does anyone have any other alternative sources that might be able to make a guard up? I wasn’t sure if anyone else was suitable given trade deals etc with sadowsky.

Second little issue, I’m experiencing cycle hum every time I turn up the VTC. I thought these were supposed to be noiseless pups. Even with the pickups balanced, as soon as I touch the vtc there’s a hum, and it’s worse when I get near electronic devices so recording is not fun. I’m prob going to get this shielded but is this common with the German made Metrolines? I never heard about the issue with the Japanese equivalent.. maybe just a few bugs to iron out in production?

Cheers for any advice in advance

 

[Tjluke]

^^^
I currently own two Sadowsky basses by Warwick (JJ 5 LTD 2020 and Modern 5) and both of them are dead quiet.
So the cycle hum you are experiencing is not normal.
If you have purchased the bass as new then is under warranty: return it to the store and ask to fix this issue.