Club Sadowsky!!!

[Vic]

Fingerboard dots? Clay vs MOP? I just got an email from the shop to confirm my choice, which I’m 99% on clay, on a Brazilian RW ‘board with the pearl skyline at the 12th fret

FWIW, the choice for me would be simpler than that, because I think it'd be strange to have two different types of inlays on the same board. Since you're locked into MOP due to the Skyline, IMHO, MOP dots (or no dots) are the only option anyway.

Without the skyline, I'm still mostly a MOP (or nothing) kinda' guy, especially on ebony (though I know that's not what you're getting), but I do admit on brown/red boards like Pau, Rosewood, etc., clay would look very nice... especially if the paint color was a classic looking one.

 

[anezthes]

Dots are a crime against humanity.

 

[Joebone]

Here is my P/J 5 with MOP dots on an ebony board:

And my old 25th Anniversary (which I foolishly sold and would love to get back), which also had MOP dots on an ebony board:

I may have been a subsequent owner of this very 25th Anniversary 5-24 -- and certainly had the same thing -- and sorely regret selling it. I got involved in a band where I needed more soft-beater thump rather than the exquisite attack offered by this bass - I now know that I could have subbed in some Nordstrand fatstacks and been totally happy. Oh, well.

 

[KaseOfBass]

Just to follow up on my original post, the Warwick/Sadowsky team was quick to jump on it, providing fantastic customer service! I emailed yesterday evening and had a response first thing this morning. Apparently, they've changed the material used, so I'll have some new pickups on their way to me shortly.

View attachment 5063584

Following up on this one more time, to say the whole thing has been resolved. I received the new pickups last Thursday and was able to get the new swapped out for the "flaky" covered ones this morning. Ashley and Robynn at W-Music Distribution USA were nothing short of fantastic - delightfully professional, prompt, and courteous. Even found out Ashley owns a Metro Vintage 4 during our email conversations

If you're in the USA, don't hesitate to reach out to them. My experience is that they'll do everything you've been used to from Sadowsky NYC!

 

[KaseOfBass]

I may have been a subsequent owner of this very 25th Anniversary 5-24 -- and certainly had the same thing -- and sorely regret selling it. I got involved in a band where I needed more soft-beater thump rather than the exquisite attack offered by this bass - I now know that I could have subbed in some Nordstrand fatstacks and been totally happy. Oh, well.

I know I was, and you might have bought it from me (as I bought it from Tom). Like you both, I also wish I still had that bass. Though, admittedly, I'd now wish for it to have a 1 ¾" nut width, but it was such a fantastic example of an NYC.

 

[Joebone]

I sold it to a guy in Brazil - I hope that it has been put to good use!

 

[tombowlus]

I sold it to a guy in Brazil - I hope that it has been put to good use!

Thanks for the lead! Any chance you could PM me the contact info for whom you sold it to? In general, I find that the pickup spacing on the M24 basses (like my 25th Anniversary) are tonally not my ideal when played solo, they do really sit in a mix oh, so well. If the current player ever decides to part with it, I'd love a chance to buy it back.

 

[Mark Ambler]

I'm considering buying a German Sadowsky, just concerned as the tuners were a bit 'scratchy' and the the pots felt looser than the ones on my Japan Sadowskys, are all the German Sadowskys like that, or was I unlucky with the one I tried. Maybe there is a fix for the tuners, as they didn't feel so 'smooth'?

 

[KaseOfBass]

I'm considering buying a German Sadowsky, just concerned as the tuners were a bit 'scratchy' and the the pots felt looser than the ones on my Japan Sadowskys, are all the German Sadowskys like that, or was I unlucky with the one I tried. Maybe there is a fix for the tuners, as they didn't feel so 'smooth'?

I love my MIG MJ5 Metro, but mine also suffered from the tuners not being what I've grown to expect from Hipshot. I wanted to swap to black hardware anyways, so I just put Hipshot USA UIltralites on it. Likewise, the pots are a bit easier to turn than my NYC, but that didn't bother me.

Plenty of others have said they had no issues with the tuners, but still there are definitely reports of those that weren't thrilled with them, too.

 

[Mark Ambler]

I love my MIG MJ5 Metro, but mine also suffered from the tuners not being what I've grown to expect from Hipshot. I wanted to swap to black hardware anyways, so I just put Hipshot USA UIltralites on it. Likewise, the pots are a bit easier to turn than my NYC, but that didn't bother me.

Plenty of others have said they had no issues with the tuners, but still there are definitely reports of those that weren't thrilled with them, too.

OK, So it appears the hipshots used on the German Sadowskys are different to the ones on my significantly cheaper Japanese Metro Express

 

[KaseOfBass]

OK, So it appears the hipshots used on the German Sadowskys are different to the ones on my significantly cheaper Japanese Metro Express

For clarification, they’re not Hipshots in the German basses, they’re made by Warwick and do look very similar. Slightly heavier than Hipshot USA Ultralites, too. The MIJ MetroExpress had Hipshot Licensed Ultralights.

 

[Jmm757]

OK, So it appears the hipshots used on the German Sadowskys are different to the ones on my significantly cheaper Japanese Metro Express

Yeah, they're not genuine Hipshots.

 

[Frank Kreber]

Hi, my Metroline SingleCut arrived a few hours ago. I m totally in love with every aspect of this instrument. Playability, sound, look, weight… a dream and much more has come true. I played many basses in the last years, this one stands high above them all…
By the way, tuners are ok; the bass has a bit neck dive, but no problem with my strap on it

 

[Mark Ambler]

Yeah, they're not genuine Hipshots.

Well for the money these basses cost, I’m very disappointed that the tuners are warwick copies of hip shots.

 

[Vic]

Well for the money these basses cost, I’m very disappointed that the tuners are warwick copies of hip shots.

this sounds like you're saying the Warwick made products are inferior. I haven't tried them myself, just asking, are they? Otherwise, if you're judging quality without having tried them just assuming if they're not HS they're not as good, I don't think that's reasonable.

 

[stingray78]

View attachment 5082532 Hi, my Metroline SingleCut arrived a few hours ago. I m totally in love with every aspect of this instrument. Playability, sound, look, weight… a dream and much more has come true. I played many basses in the last years, this one stands high above them all…
By the way, tuners are ok; the bass has a bit neck dive, but no problem with my strap on itView attachment 5082531

Congrats on your new instrument!!

 

[SzunaP]

Yes to this. When I was working in the shop every day we'd have to explain this to people a lot. You will get hiss if you max out the treble. That isn't a flaw of the preamp. It's a user error.

Yes, definitely, but most bass players didn't used to play great, well balanced toned basses, and used to turning up all the knobs on a standard/cheaper bass to get some sound out of it. Then realized that these axes doesn't need all the way up every knobs at normal/fine environment and amp.

 

[ragetoca]

Congrats on your new instrument!!

The tuners are not up to par to Hipshot, I replaced mine with USA hipshots on my singlecut...night and day difference! Also the ML preamps are not great, they don't feel good, I've had 5 germans and the preamps are the weak link, they feel all different and sound very different, EQ too aggresive

 

[Frank Kreber]

Hello ragetoca,

Thanks for the information regarding the
Hip Shot, maybe I try them someday.
I cannot subscribe your other statement, the pre amp very versatile and thanks to VTC I get a very good tone for soul or funk.

 

[Vic]

The tuners are not up to par to Hipshot, I replaced mine with USA hipshots on my singlecut...night and day difference! Also the ML preamps are not great, they don't feel good, I've had 5 germans and the preamps are the weak link, they feel all different and sound very different, EQ too aggresive

wow, that's disappointing and a bit of a surprise (admittedly i have not been super faithful at reading all the posts here if this has been covered before). i hope they improve on it if this is case.