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Dang. $358 for a set of Sadowsky Hum free 5 string ?
I guess I won’t be changing after all.
Ok I have to ask, why in the world would Sadowsky do this ? (Make pup sizes non-standard) For what purpose ?
Roger ?
As long as I can remember, the 5-string pickups have been this size across all of the Sadowsky lines - NYC, Metro, MetroExpress, etc. I've never replaced the jazz pickups with anything else (I have an NYC Will Lee 5), but I've seen plenty of others do so. I know I've seen Bartolini, Delano, and Nordstrand pickups in a Sadowsky, so they're out there, but you might have to special order because of the sizing.
The Sadowsky pickups on the Warwick website do appear to be rebranded Nordstrands. Sadowsky has Nordstrands (and Seymour Duncans) made to spec…they are not the standard Nordstrand pickups. That said, Nordstrand has licensed versions of their pickups made overseas for Ibanez and other companies. If Warwick or MEC is making these, they are totally to Roger’s specs if they have his name on them…they may be copies of the pickups he uses on his NYC basses. Looking at the ones on the Warwick website, I noticed they have a split coil jazz bass pickup with Alnico 3 magnets on the low strings and Alnico 5 magnets in the high strings. I don’t recall seeing this anywhere else, but I do know Nordstrand makes pickups with those magnets as options, so it sounds like they are made to spec pickups. That said, no reason to change unless you don’t like the sound…they are very high quality.
Thanks for the info. I do like the tone/sound of these pickups however I only wish the bass had the hum canceling variety rather than the stacked single coil.
You mean the split coil? You might ask Warwick if they will allow you a trade-in with a restocking fee?
Yes, I mean’t the split coil.
*anyone here have a set of split-coil 5 pups that will fit they want to sell or trade ?
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The stacked coil, especially as it relates to a 5 string jazz pickup, is actually more hum free than a split coil. This is why Roger switched to the stacked 5 over the split.
Oh, perhaps I need to give them more time before I decide. Thanks for the info.
I think there is a tone difference between the two types. In my experience the stacked has a bit more mid range than the split.
Understand I'm posting on a club thread so my question,
Why do i want to buy a Sadowsky 5st Metroline when I don't need and am unsure if it will get any playing time.
Of course, I'll know better once I have it, but I have 5st Jazzes well and truly covered with very good options, imo.
The price is ok, and condition is very good.
It is standard with VTC but I'm not someone who likes a lot of basses that don't play out and I typically carry 2 already.
Why do i want to buy a Sadowsky 5st Metroline when I don't need and am unsure if it will get any playing time.
Of course, I'll know better once I have it, but I have 5st Jazzes well and truly covered with very good options, imo.
The price is ok, and condition is very good.
It is standard with VTC but I'm not someone who likes a lot of basses that don't play out and I typically carry 2 already.
That seems like an easy problem to solve. Don't buy it if you don't need it, won't play it, and have the jazz bass thing covered.
Yep, I think the price is decent for a used, but vgc, Japanese build.
I'm assuming that the build is quality, as a lot of stuff coming out of the Pacific at this pricepoint really has to be.
I think i will most likely go for it if the seller is cool.
I've been thinking about another J5 so just want to find one that fits. I don't flip, but might have reached my limit of useful basses so want something I stand a chance of using.
I'll also read back through this thread...but its a lot of pages
I'm assuming that the build is quality, as a lot of stuff coming out of the Pacific at this pricepoint really has to be.
I think i will most likely go for it if the seller is cool.
I've been thinking about another J5 so just want to find one that fits. I don't flip, but might have reached my limit of useful basses so want something I stand a chance of using.
I'll also read back through this thread...but its a lot of pages
You said it yourself: you'll know better once you have it. You're buying used, so you shouldn't take a significant financial hit if you decide it really isn't for you. OTOH, maybe you'll love it enough to let one of your other basses go. Either way, you'll have gained Sadowsky experience.
You said you're well covered and don't need it -- but even so, you're curious enough to pose the question here. There's some inconvenience to flipping (new bass or existing one), but I simply don't see a huge downside to answering your own question by trying the bass.
P.S. At least you have Metroline as an option! I'm a five string P-bass guy, and had to take a chance on an NYC when the Sadowsky P5 first became available back in 2004. (Fortunately for me it became and still remains my #1 P5, but of course that doesn't mean you will feel the same).
when 5 strings first started to become popular there was no standard. At some point a couple of things started to become common and half of the industry went one way while the other half went the other. There are plenty of pickups manufactured in 3.75. Dimarzio was one of the big ones that stuck with that size and since they built the original split 5 pickup for Roger I would imagine there was some influence there. It’s not hard to find pickups that fit that size and most of the better manufacturers will make them either way if you ask.
Realistically the current fender 5 string size is the new kid on the block. At one time fender had both sizes on different models in their line.
