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Joeykun
pronounced ジョーイくん
- Jun 22, 2007
- 4,200
- 16,150
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: LAKLAND SADOWSKY GENZLER DARKGLASS NORDSTRAND TEMPLEBOARD KIRLIN DRSTRINGS ACCESS
Hipshot USA Ultralites 1/2” are a direct replacement with no mods. Easy fix!!
Green or red = hot. The other one and grey = ground.
Y'all. I just received my first Sadowsky bass a few days ago and I can't tell you how much I love it. It's a 2020 metro vintage jazz 4. I love it so much that I already ordered a metro PJ 5 too. Now I'm concerned for my other basses. They are jealous. Some of them could end up getting the boot. One was fire sold just last night.
But I do have a question. What kind of strap lock buttons are on these basses? The locks on my strap that fit my Fender Ultra P does not fit this bass. I guess I need to buy a new set to get the right locks. What could I buy that would fit? Schaller S-Locks?
But I do have a question. What kind of strap lock buttons are on these basses? The locks on my strap that fit my Fender Ultra P does not fit this bass. I guess I need to buy a new set to get the right locks. What could I buy that would fit? Schaller S-Locks?
Just want to say, got the Drop in pre amp for My Metro-Express P-J and it made a huge difference. The passive treble cut takes a bit of clankeness out of both pick ups. Ironically the active treble boost doesn't seem to have that clankiness. I used it today in church and it nailed P tone great. I am going to upgrade to hip-shots. But this is a GREAT bass, especially as a back up. It is a bit heavy at just under ten pounds.
I’d have to agree that my MIC MetroExpress has tuners that work but don’t feel particularly great. For the price I paid I’m not mad and understand these won’t be as nice as my NYC’s but this would definitely be something I’d love to upgrade if I keep the bass long-term.
I’m not sure if this has been discussed in this thread or maybe somewhere else on TalkBass, but I’ve been debating a “total vintage makeover” on my MetroExpress to make it a bit more my style and speed…something like a solid color, matching headstock, drop-in Sadowsky preamp with VTC, universal route for JJ/PJ swapping capabilities, relic work, maybe even different frets.
The MetroExpress line seems like it would be the perfect platform these kind of mods to a make a solid working bass a cool and unique instrument…anyone else out there been considering this?
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I think the tuners used on the MetroExpress are the same all the way up the model lineup to the Custom Shop basses, which is unfortunate. For the MetroExpress line, no complaints with 'em, but for the Metroline and up price point, they should be better than they are. Never had any complaints with the licensed Hipshots on other basses I've had, and I've dang sure never had a complaint with Hipshot USA. With that, I put Hipshot USA Ultralites on my Metro MJ5 and am very happy with that bass overall as everything else is what I'd expect in an instrument with Sadowsky on the headstock.
I've wanted to snag a MetroExpress though - especially with the rumors that a bunch of the early revised ones actually had 1.75" nuts on them instead of 1.875". But, there's the talk of the necks being different in a chunky way. To quote Hall & Oats - "I can't go for that," so I've resisted the urge.
I've wanted to snag a MetroExpress though - especially with the rumors that a bunch of the early revised ones actually had 1.75" nuts on them instead of 1.875". But, there's the talk of the necks being different in a chunky way. To quote Hall & Oats - "I can't go for that," so I've resisted the urge.
I put Hipshot Ultra-Lites on my MetroLine Will Lee. It just wouldn’t hold its tuning for very long. Like a few tunes or overnight like other basses I have. Problem solved.
I have a German Masterbuilt and love it. My favorite Sadowsky out of all the USA, Japan, German and China made Sadowsky’s I’ve had. But, yes, for the price of the German Masterbuilt (over $8K), the tuners really could be USA Hipshot.
Mike, if you want to check mine out feel free to come by. The neck is a little chunkier, but not real noticable once you start playing. Maybe it's because it has super fast flat finish and the edges are rolled a bit and real smooth. my biggest complaint about mine is the weight (just under 10 pounds) it's noticable compared to my Will Lee. But for the price it kills. I do notice a difference on the tunners. I'm also pickier on tunners since I got a Martin with Waverly's. They are unbeliveably precise.
Speaking of a platform to mod, check this out. https://reverb.com/item/79033759-sadowsky-metro-express-metallic-ice-blue
(Not affiliated)
Oh wow, that's such a great looking bass!! It's taken a lot of years but I'm now a big fan of maple and the blue with that board is amazing!
The only real thing that I don't love is the 1.875" nut as well, like you I greatly prefer a 1.75". Someone was selling a MetroExpress prototype on the TB Classifieds with the 1.75" nut but the price was a bit more than I can pay at the moment for it. It would be super cool to see the MetroExpress line expand with the thinner 1.75" nut width available on all models as well as other things like a P body and a P-only configuration.
I can bring my MetroExpress back with me the next time I'm in Texas and you can check it out for yourself if you'd like! The neck profile is somewhat thinner than I expected for a 1.875" nut and does help a bit for those acclimated to thinner necks.
Thinking of getting one of the new Metro Express p/j models. Never played a Sadowsky before and can’t find any ME models to demo in person. But I love the sound clips posted online and they look great with the roasted maple necks. The specs seem on point for me and the price is right too.
So…
How is the weight balance, any neck dive at all on these models?
I’ve gotten burned by that before ordering online sight unseen on basses I can’t try in person (looking at you Bacchus), so want to avoid that mistake again.
So…
How is the weight balance, any neck dive at all on these models?
I’ve gotten burned by that before ordering online sight unseen on basses I can’t try in person (looking at you Bacchus), so want to avoid that mistake again.
Yeah man, that'd be awesome! I've been wanting to get my hands on one for awhile now. I saw that one that's popped up in the classifieds a few times, and I've thought about it every time it has. Each time I've decided to hold off because I really don't need another bass.
That is pretty cool, thanks for the link! That Metallic Ice Blue is nice but I'm pretty serious about Sudbury Bulldog Blue from Shoresy since my Metro Express since it has a Morado board with a nice brown color (looks a bit lighter onstage than in natural overcast outside light):
Does anyone know what the bridge string spacing and pickup placement is on the 5 string Metroline MJ? The Stingray one?
Can anyone shed light on the evolution of the Sadowsky humcanceling Jazz pickups over the years? I recall reading an article 10-12 years ago in which Roger discussed the most recent revision. Merely wondering if there was a timeline on who has manufactured Sadowsky's humcanceling Jazz pickups over time and any notable developments on these over the years. Thanks!
For the record, regardless of year or maker, they've all sounded sweet and hum-free to me.
For the record, regardless of year or maker, they've all sounded sweet and hum-free to me.
18mm at the bridge on those. Not sure on the bridge pickup exactly, though I can tell you it’s not in the same spot as a Music Man, the Sadowsky is closer to the bridge. More like the positioning of a Lakland.
Hopefully it's ok to ask a new question in here instead of making a new thread. I was wondering if anyone could educated me a little about the Metro Express basses? I saw a video on The Bass Channel on YouTube where the host compared it to a Squier CV, a MIM Fender, and an MIA Fender, and had a Vegas cover band bassist play each one for one of his four sets and rank them. That video piqued my I interest and found out they're distributed in the US by Warwick, and when I looked them up, I noticed a drastic price difference between Sweetwater and Thomann. The bass was over double the price at Sweetwater as it was on Thomann, however when adding it to the cart on Thomann's site, I got an error message that this product couldn't be shipped to my country. I was wondering if anyone in here could explain the price difference, or have any advice for someone in the US wanting to acquire a Metro Express more on par with the Thomann price, even if shipping is on the expensive side.
I also found an older Low End Lobster review of what looks to be the first generation of the model, which didn't rate them that great. Other than the roasted maple neck and the Sadowsky logo on the headstock, what's different about the earlier ones to the current ones? Thanks!
I also found an older Low End Lobster review of what looks to be the first generation of the model, which didn't rate them that great. Other than the roasted maple neck and the Sadowsky logo on the headstock, what's different about the earlier ones to the current ones? Thanks!
