Ok don't beat me up. I'm using a Feder elite 5er and a MM Bongo. I'm thinking about a MetroLine, cant afford a NYC hahah. My question is it that much of a difference from my Fender which is my go to bass.
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5 Reasons: 1 Value, 2 Weight, 3 B string, 4 Quality, 5 Adjustable Nut
The NYC 5 in my profile pic has become my main bass. However, I have two Fender Elite 5's that I honestly believe to be equal to my Sadowsky in terms of tone, playability and construction. The Sadowsky is a bit lighter but the Fender's are a very manageable 9.5lbs and cause no back or shoulder issues. The B string on all three are equal. The guitar player in one of my bands prefers my Fenders. All three are great basses.
All 5 string Fenders I have seen are 10lbs+ and they all have pretty terrible floppy B strings, although I heard the new mononeon B string is not bad at all -
Lets not make this a Fender vs Sadowsky thread because we all know who is the superior brand bass maker
He specifically asked if there would be a difference between a Metroline and his Fender Elite. You gave your response and I gave him mine. I've owned 4 Elite 5's and they were all great. One of the 4 was 10lbs the others are under 10lbs. I'm not making this into a Fender vs Sadowsky post. I compared the two based on me being very experience with both brands. I've owned a large number of Sadowsky NYC 5's over the years. They were all nice but none did I like as much as any of my Fender basses until I got my current one. I have another NYC 5 on order due at the end of February. I'm a Sadowsky fan but that doesn't mean I have to knock Fender or not like them. The fit and finish, fretwork etc are flawless on my Fender's just like the Sadowsky. I honestly can't say the Sadowsky is constructed better than the Fender. I'm sure there are examples out there that are not as good as mine but I'm only comparing what I actually own.
He was asking the difference between Sadowsky and Fender and I gave him 5 reasons, I never said Sadowskys were "better" - better is subjective but value and quality can be quantified, also, I did not even mention neck feel and profiles
I have owned 2 Fenders and have played many of them, they sound great, they feel terrible IMO
Value and quality? I bought my Fenders new for $1650 each. Both together were less than my NYC Sadowsky, and about the same as one new Metroline. The build quality is equal in all measurable ways. As for neck profiles, I do like the profile on my Sadowsky, perhaps slightly better than one of my Elite's but it's very similar to another. I've played other NYC's that I didn't like the feel of as much as my current one or the Elite's. I didn't like the profile on the original Japan made 5's. They were much thicker than the NYC. I understand the German made Metroline 5's have a thinner profile more similar to the NYC's but I haven't played one of those.
He was asking the difference between Sadowsky and Fender and I gave him 5 reasons, I never said Sadowskys were "better" - better is subjective but value and quality can be quantified, also, I did not even mention neck feel and profiles
I have owned 2 Fenders and have played many of them, they sound great, they feel terrible IMO
I own 3 German Sadowskys, A will Lee, a Single Cut Modern 5 and a PJ5 (which I am selling or trading because I prefer modern tones) They all have impeccable quality, some are around 8lbs and the adjustable nut is a game changer......My nephews 4 string Fender is heavier! lol.... I also played a Japanese M5-24 for 15 years and it was an amazing bass! Everywhere I went and played people always complimented the tone - I regret letting it go and recently saw it here in the classifieds but whomever had it after me did not take care of it at all so I will not buy it back
I don't particularly like super light weight basses. Every Sadowsky or Fender style 5 that I've owned that was less than about 8.5lbs I didn't like in terms of balance on a strap and tone. For the tone I prefer, they were too shy in the natural lows and had something weird going on in the mid range. I don't want a boat anchor either. The Sadowsky I have on order is a solid body with a goal weight range between 8.5-9.5lbs.
Is the one you have on order a NYC? I wasn't aware that you could order one that wasn't chambered.
Both of my Fender 5’s are 9.5 pounds or less, and have solid B strings. No floppies. That was a 90’s Fender thing. I use them vs a Sadowsky because they have 18mm bridges, and an associated neck taper that feels much more comfortable on the strap than that found on the 19mm basses. Both have Sadowsky preamps.
If Sadowsky JJ5’s with 18mm neck tapers ever become available, then I will switch over.
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For fretless, I’d ‘venture’ chambered would be the common preference. (Mine’s chambered—love the tones)… Fretted is where the chambered/non-chambered debate could be had…can of worms though, and not wanting to debate!
NBD... Rare bird, single coil NYC Sadowsky.
