Honestly I have never noticed any hum issues when soloing a pickup at a gig, although I do usually just marginally favour one. This is despite having issues with my Fender jazzes. Your later point about gig noise hiding it may be valid though. There was an earlier discussion where several Will Lee owners commented favourably on the the same point.
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I usually play in a 1200 seat church with higher end fixed installation lights and sound. My 2017 Sadowsky Satin 5 string JJ that did NOT have the newer stacked pickups (newer ones after Sept 2018) experienced quite a bit of lighting hum - almost unbearable in our IEMs. The NYC shop replaced them with the newer stacked pickups and the issue was resoled. My current Sadowsky Japan Metro JJ 5 string with single coils has no problems in this same lighting environment and I love the tone. Thats my noise experience with the three types of Sadowsky 5 string jazz pickups.
I had a Verdine White Metro. Great instrument. Traded only to get a 1.75" neck.
Maybe a SMALL factor. The primary decision between 4 and 5 string basses should be your musical need, not relatively minor pickup nuances.
I've owned A LOT of basses and don't find the Sadowsky B string any better or worse than any other quality bass.
I have found the B string on Sadowsky basses to be excellent. Especially the Moderns with pickups more toward the bridge.
That's what I thought^^^ I am confused about the Metro Express though... the first ones came out of Japan, correct?
Now they come out of China, but without the Sadowsky logo, but with RSD...Roger Sadowsky Design
Now they come out of China, but without the Sadowsky logo, but with RSD...Roger Sadowsky Design
My post above about the Sadowsky B string was not to disparage it in any way, it is a good, solid B. I just don't find it to stand out over other well made basses.
FWIW, that's what I understood from you. Thing is, that's exactly what you want from a B. I've also owned basses where the B string was "a bit much", which is also a problem. But yeah, the Sadowsky B is exactly what it needs to be.
Yeah no I didn't take it that way at all, I think my first 5 string just had a horrible b string and it scarred me lol.
I have a TYO masterbuilt Verdine 4. Perfect in every way. Yet I tend to play my MIJ Metroline HPJs more. Similar feel and tone.
For the MIJ basses, single coils were standard on the Will Lee and the Teppei model. The TYO Teppei is to die for—and I’m not even a J bass guy. Love love love. Have not had the pleasure of playing a Will Lee.
Japan models were TYO (masterbuilt), Metroline (team built), and Metro Express (assembly line). I can vouch for the TYOs and Metrolines as righteous. Others here have shown lots of love for the Metro Express basses. But the MEs retailed for about 2x the price point of the RSD.
Stop the lusting, start the buying I say!
My Metroline Will Lee is a damn sweet bass.Stop the lusting, start the buying I say!
I'm waiting for an Ampeg PF-50T and a Mesa Boogie SW115 to be delivered, and charged, this week.
I'll keep my eye out for a Warwick MetroLine RW4-WL from the NYC shop. Production seems far from ramped up now.
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