Love the invisible frets and just-a-nut on Warwick made Metrolines
^ This!
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^ This!
Having been in a monogamous relationship with an EB MM SR5H for the last 25 years it did feel like I was cheating a bit when I was forced to get my hands on a new German Metroline PJ (for the full story see the SR5 club thread)
That feeling was soon replaced by- why did I wait so long?
These are beautiful, well crafted instruments that have had a great deal of thought and refining over the years eg the adjustanut and invisible fret technology amongst many other things that Roger and co have designed/refined, that are possibly just taken for granted like quick release bridge for string changes or soft touch PU covers or the ability to work with or without a battery etc etc (things that annoyed me about the SR5 was the occasional slip off the G string, no battery no play)
All of that aside, the VTC on the PJ has been the biggest revelation for me personally, never having had that as an option before. It even works in active mode
Last gig rig Metroline PJ into a Subway WD800 2 1/15s - GLORIOUS!
What a great era to play bass!
Thanks Roger and Team Sadowsky
That feeling was soon replaced by- why did I wait so long?
These are beautiful, well crafted instruments that have had a great deal of thought and refining over the years eg the adjustanut and invisible fret technology amongst many other things that Roger and co have designed/refined, that are possibly just taken for granted like quick release bridge for string changes or soft touch PU covers or the ability to work with or without a battery etc etc (things that annoyed me about the SR5 was the occasional slip off the G string, no battery no play)
All of that aside, the VTC on the PJ has been the biggest revelation for me personally, never having had that as an option before. It even works in active mode
Last gig rig Metroline PJ into a Subway WD800 2 1/15s - GLORIOUS!
What a great era to play bass!
Thanks Roger and Team Sadowsky
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I was going to send you a DM since it is a little bit off topic, but you apparently have those turned off. No problem, just explaining to others here.
Ironically, my Sadowsky basses have been my most frequently played of my stable for many years, and recently, I have gotten into the SR5HH... partly because a lot of the music I play in the current band benefits from that ultra-modern sound, but also partly just because it's nice to have such a departure from my mainstream after all this time, and expand my tonal spectrum.
Funny, I had an SR5H years ago and one of the main reasons I flipped it was that damn G string issue. I'm shocked that they haven't done anything about it, because I guarantee you and I are of a great many with this complaint. I've just decided to deal with it and treat it as a tool to force me to improve my precision, but yeah, it's annoying as hell.
Get the Ernie Ball tool instead. It's cheap, works great, and is easy to use.
Truss Rod Adjustment Tool
Truss rod adjustment tool for Ernie Ball Music Man instruments.
Here's a deep cut from Christopher Cross's first album featuring my Metro Express Modern:
Question to the brains trust. Is it normal for the J pu to have a lot less gain than the P pu on a PJ Metroline
I have tried adjusting the heights as much as I dare so the J is 2.8mm and the P is 3.8mm from the B string but it’s still quite a noticeable difference. Can I go more extreme to get parity?
Thoughts?
I have tried adjusting the heights as much as I dare so the J is 2.8mm and the P is 3.8mm from the B string but it’s still quite a noticeable difference. Can I go more extreme to get parity?
Thoughts?
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Thanks that’s good info. I was just using the booklet that shipped with it, which showed J bass only. It did not mention anything about PJ set up. I’ll try it out.
I just added the Stacked Coil Noise Cancelling Pickups too. The Bridge Pickup is way quieter than the Neck. Need to test some Pickup heights.
What I dislike about the Warwick Shop Hardware. Almost all screws for black hardware are chrome. That doesn´t really look good.
I will replace them from time to time.
What I dislike about the Warwick Shop Hardware. Almost all screws for black hardware are chrome. That doesn´t really look good.
I will replace them from time to time.
I just got a MIG RV4 because I wanted an Alder 4 string in the arsenal. While my MIJ Will Lee MV5 is still my #1, the MIG is certainly built as well and sounds as good as any I've had. And I have owned 3 other MIJ metros (including one of the first from the NAMM show), 2 NYC MV5's and I also have a MIC PJ5 Metroexpress. The Metro express MIC is the only one that doesn't come up to Sadowsky levels, it is still a very good bass, through heavy once I got the VTC added.
I am looking for a set of Sadowsky SC or HC set, 4 string. Anyone has a spare set? NON German made ones. Thanks!
From Roger:
"Sadowsky pickups are all made to my existing specifications, under license, by Warwick.
We have different manufacturers for the MetroLine and MetroExpress basses. The pickups sold Worldwide are the same as the premium MetroLine pickups."
