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Club Sadowsky!!!

#61,281
Thumpy Fenda 5 said:
As far as I know their metro express line had noisy preamp issues. That model is made in China and have corrected the issue with their recent batches. Didnt know their more expensive metroline (germany)basses had the same issues. Mines weird bcuz I only hear the issue when using the xvive. Might try another brand of wireless to see if the issue persists...
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Yes, that's a good idea. But to address what other people have been saying regarding the Warwick pre-amp:

1. I have no experience with RSDs. I believe that ALL Sadowsky preamps in the MIG basses are Made in China, but I understand there are differences between the preamps used in the MIGs and RSDs. The drop in preamps available from Warwick are Made in China, the drop in pickups are Made in Korea. These are what are used in the MIG basses.
2. These Sadowsky preamps ARE noisier than the ones that came with my TYO and NYC, but are not the early batch of Warwick preamps that were egregiously loud.
 
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#61,282
Jmm757 said:
Yes, that's a good idea. But to address what other people have been saying regarding the Warwick pre-amp:

1. I have no experience with RSDs. I believe that ALL Sadowsky preamps in the MIG basses are Made in China, but I understand there are differences between the preamps used in the MIGs and RSDs. The drop in preamps available from Warwick are Made in China, the drop in pickups are Made in Korea. These are what are used in the MIG basses.
2. These Sadowsky preamps ARE noisier than the ones that came with my TYO and NYC, but are not the early batch of Warwick preamps that were egregiously loud.
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Somehow, I find it shocking that MIG Sadowsky preamps are made in China.
 
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#61,285
Thumpy Fenda 5 said:
Where were the preamps/pups made/sourced originally?
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Originally? As in, in the NYCs or the MIJs? I'm not sure. Wouldn't surprise me if the preamp was Made in China before (like most electronics). Pickups would vary on the manufacturer I imagine (Nordstrand, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, Bartolini, EMG etc). I don't want to imply that a product is poor quality simply because it's Made in China. All I'm saying is that I've personally noticed a difference in the noise level of my Warwick preamp vs my other Sadowsky preamps. That being said, I have noisier preamps from other manufacturers - it's not that bad.
 

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#61,286
As I've mentioned recently, it's been my experience that the German preamp does not sound or respond quite like the NYC. I prefer the NYC but the German one isn't bad at all and is similar enough. I think in general the pickups on the German models are probably the weakest link but again they're not bad, either. What I greatly prefer on an NYC compared to the German made is the nitro finish on the back of the necks. The nitro just feels nicer to me.
 
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#61,287
WorktheWood said:
As I've mentioned recently, it's been my experience that the German preamp does not sound or respond quite like the NYC. I prefer the NYC but the German one isn't bad at all and is similar enough. I think in general the pickups on the German models are probably the weakest link but again they're not bad, either. What I greatly prefer on an NYC compared to the German made is the nitro finish on the back of the necks. The nitro just feels nicer to me.
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I have never owned a NYC but I have a 2007 modern/metro....the lows and highs are subtle and beautiful, where the German preamps are way to sensitive, like you get most of the full EQ in the first 15% turn
 
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#61,288
I recently swapped out my long favored DR Sunbeams back to Sadowsky Blue Steels which brought about a very noticeable improvement in tone to my ears. Surprised me, as I am very much in the DR camp on all my basses. Today I swapped in my old set of Thomastik flats, my Will Lee is a different beast again. Quite unique, not quite old school but it has that vibe, and quite funky. Needed a tweak of the truss rod but that is simple enough on a Sadowsky. Such an honest bass that responds clearly to little changes and tweaks. I will leave the flats on for a few weeks before I decide whether to put the Blue Steels back. I almost need another Sadowsky so I can have flats on one and SS on the other, the vibes are so different but equally great.
 
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#61,289
WorktheWood said:
As I've mentioned recently, it's been my experience that the German preamp does not sound or respond quite like the NYC. I prefer the NYC but the German one isn't bad at all and is similar enough. I think in general the pickups on the German models are probably the weakest link but again they're not bad, either. What I greatly prefer on an NYC compared to the German made is the nitro finish on the back of the necks. The nitro just feels nicer to me.
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I agree. But there are also a few things that the Warwick Custom Shop offers that I wish NYC did too (eg matching veneer headstocks, wooden rear covers - these may be off the book options now, but weren't last time I checked), and the adjustable nut was a great addition. What I'm most disappointed by is the price of the Warwick Sadowskys, given they are a step back in the aspects mentioned (again, in my opinion and in my experience). I don't know about Europe or North America, but in Australia and Japan there was a significant price increase.
 
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#61,290
WorktheWood said:
As I've mentioned recently, it's been my experience that the German preamp does not sound or respond quite like the NYC. I prefer the NYC but the German one isn't bad at all and is similar enough. I think in general the pickups on the German models are probably the weakest link but again they're not bad, either. What I greatly prefer on an NYC compared to the German made is the nitro finish on the back of the necks. The nitro just feels nicer to me.
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Another nitro fan here. Something about it that just works for me, although I wouldn't want to swear that I could pick the difference in a blind test. Interestingly the Will Lee metrolines have nitro necks, at least the Japan ones did so I expect the Warwickskys will also???
 
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#61,291
I believe all the Japan Metros had nitro necks. I don't believe Warwick is able to or want to spray nitro. I'm pretty sure I can tell a difference in a blindfold test. I doubt I bother getting my German neck resprayed to nitro, though.

Tim1 said:
Another nitro fan here. Something about it that just works for me, although I wouldn't want to swear that I could pick the difference in a blind test. Interestingly the Will Lee metrolines have nitro necks, at least the Japan ones did so I expect the Warwickskys will also???
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#61,293
Has anyone noticed any difference in the finish durability on their German metros?

My oly white Metro is my newest bass and has seen less playtime than several other basses but has suffered some pretty intense finish wear on the back of the bass.

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#61,294
Addison said:
Has anyone noticed any difference in the finish durability on their German metros?

My oly white Metro is my newest bass and has seen less playtime than several other basses but has suffered some pretty intense finish wear on the back of the bass.

View attachment 5042833 View attachment 5042834
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yep! Because of my slapping style my right hand nails strike the body a lot, guess what, after 15 years of constant use My 2007 metro has NO nail scratches at all but my brand new 2023 German singlecut already has a lot of nail marks, it seems like the German finishes are very very thin. ....honestly I am growing a bit disillusioned with them (I have bought 5 Germans, 4 new and 1 used one) so far I have experienced tuners that stick, 1 tuner that would not stay in tune, some preamps that are too aggressive, some soapbar pickups that are very soft, flimsy finishes etc. my next Sadowsky will either be a NYC or a Japan metro from the 2000's
 
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#61,295
I haven't experience any durability issues with the finish yet but haven't kept a German Metro long enough to see. I'm hoping to keep the one I just got for awhile and will let you know. I will say that I've seen better quality finishes on less expensive instruments.
 
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#61,297
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#61,299
WorktheWood said:
The MIJ's were nice but I the thing I like better on the German made is the neck profile on the 5's. The MIJ profile is thicker while the German is much more similar to the NYC and is thinner.
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Fair enough. I’m kind of a Goldilocks with neck width but generally prefer somewhat thinner rather than thicker. The MIJ 5 feels about right to me.
 
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