Club Sadowsky!!!

[76Dub]

I must admit that I was surprised to read (2 pages back) that Metro's have Hipshot LICENSED tuners (if I read it correctly) For the price, I would have expected the USA version, as they certainly feel better in my experience. I'm beginning to wonder about the price point of the Metro models, if you get not-the-best tuners, no graphite in the necks, and not much choice to speak of, what are you paying for, when eg a Lakland Skyline (at a much lower price point) has the same tuners,graphite reinforced neck, brass bridge, Plekked frets etc. Are you buying a Squier as opposed to a Fender when you buy a Metro as opposed to a NYC? I'm not trying to insult anyone who has one, or the people who make them, but I was considering one myself, and I'm now wondering if I would maybe be a bit disappointed when for another $1G or so I could have the real deal. The difference in price between the USA Laklands and Skylines is massively more than the Metro's and NYC's - assuming similar quality all round, how come?
(I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but I'm genuinely curious)

To add if I may...I have owned several metros and NYC Sadowskys. The Lakland skylines aren't even in the same category as the Metros. The Metros should be compared to the USA Laklands if anything. I am not knocking Lakland but I never played a skyline that was even remotely worth the price that they were asking...even used...I love the Metros and are worth more than the price they are asking
Just my 2 cents

 

[Vic]

Our ...bridges are the same used on NYC's as Metro's.

No offense, but Roger already commented that this is not the case.

This has been rehashed so many times I'll just make a general comment, and of course, only MHO...

I think the Metros are truly great basses, and worthy of the brand. No doubt. However, of the (many) Metros I've played, and having even owned (and also gigged!) a few of them, I honestly feel the NYCs are noticeably nicer, and not just in a strictly cosmetic way. At least for me, the difference is worth the price difference. This is NOT the case for everyone.

 

[Coelho]

i like carrots!

 

[Fran Diaz]

I never really feel the need for a mid boost with my NYC non-routed ash/maple vintage, especially with the single coil pickup option

+1

 

[svtb15]

I would like to respectfully disagree with part of the post.. . I have felt some very lightweight Sadowsky NYCs that sound huge..and punchy.
I played Hugh Mcdonalds first sadowsky,, It was an Ash /Maple 24 fret. maybe 7.75 pounds. it was used on the Keep the Faith Album..Then the lightweight Alder/Maple JJ5.. It sounded pretty good as did his real light Solid body Alder PJ5 in Oly white that someone on the forum bought a while ago . that PJ5 was just a tad over 8 pounds... That thing sounded great too. It may be him.. Every bass he touches sounds the same and incredible.

I had an Ash/ Maple 24 that was 8,1 pounds and was real big but had a tight compressed low end.. but still layed down the booty ....
And my now NYC non chambered Alder/ Madagascar RW in CAR PJ5 ,Mint PG with additional Parchment Rev "P" PG and Rev Pan pot from normal Sadowsky Pans...which i have had a about 7 years now..
Shes a Porker..at about 9+ pounds ... its a bit heavier than any sadowsky that i have owned but sounds amazing...

If it were 1 pound lighter it would be the ultimate perfect all around bass for me
.. but it sounds very good... its broken in and plays like buttahhh

I look cross eyed in the photo.. but im not i.. at least not yet.. Pic from about 2 years ago

And the one i NEVER should have sold

I loved this bass.. it was very light.. yet it was punchy and big sounding.. I have very few photos of it except for these that i posted. I had sound clips posted on my myspace but due to copyright laws they AUTOMATICALLY deleted the sounds and threatened litigation..... I only played bass and not the copyright holder.. ughhhhhhhh

Also, I've been relatively unimpressed with the very lightweight ash body Sadowsky J's. I greatly prefer the non-routed, somewhat heavier (but still light in an absolute sense) ash bodies with these particular models. The very lightweight ones sound a bit thin down low, and to my ear, in general, quite 'clacky and ganky' in the upper mids.



IMO (and I guess IME from playing a few very lightweight Sadowsky ash/maple J's).

 

[76Dub]

Kirk..I bet it plays like buttah, but does it play like powdah

 

[svtb15]

I cant believe Poudah bass is that famous.. hahahahaha
I guess it helps that i carved it up like a thanks giving turkey..
dare i carve up my PJ5
Its weird but those two basses go with me all the time...
But i have been rocking around my head to put the Sadowsky Universal Route a try out and make my PJ5 a JJ5... just a thought....
That is what i love about the Sadowsky NYC PJ5.. the ability to do different PU configs without cutting up the bass.. Great Idea!

Kirk..I bet it plays like buttah, but does it play like powdah

 

[KJung]

I would like to respectfully disagree with part of the post.. . I have felt some very lightweight Sadowsky NYCs that sound huge..and punchy.
I played Hugh Mcdonalds first sadowsky,, It was an Ash /Maple 24 fret. maybe 7.75 pounds. it was used on the Keep the Faith Album..Then the lightweight Alder/Maple JJ5.. It sounded pretty good as did his real light Solid body Alder PJ5 in Oly white that someone on the forum bought a while ago . that PJ5 was just a tad over 8 pounds... That thing sounded great too. It may be him.. Every bass he touches sounds the same and incredible.

I had an Ash/ Maple 24 that was 8,1 pounds and was real big but had a tight compressed low end.. but still layed down the booty ....
And my now NYC non chambered Alder/ Madagascar RW in CAR PJ5 ,Mint PG with additional Parchment Rev "P" PG and Rev Pan pot from normal Sadowsky Pans...which i have had a about 7 years now..
Shes a Porker..at about 9+ pounds ... its a bit heavier than any sadowsky that i have owned but sounds amazing...

If it were 1 pound lighter it would be the ultimate perfect all around bass for me
.. but it sounds very good... its broken in and plays like buttahhh

Hey Kirk

I should clarify my post. I was strictly talking about the J bass models (vintage and standard), and more specifically the ash/maple J models. I totally agree, there is so much fatness coming from the pickup placement and those big humbuckers that the Moderns don't need much help in the 'balls' department. I had one slightly under 8 pounds, and it was HUGE sounding.

 

[Vic]

...there is so much fatness coming from the pickup placement and those big humbuckers that the Moderns don't need much help in the 'balls' department. I had one slightly under 8 pounds, and it was HUGE sounding.

I can personally vouch for this.

Not the big pillowy fatness like with a JJ or PJ, but more the in yer face punchy fatness, tho. It's a MONSTER in a mix.

 

[svtb15]

Hi Ken..
I may get a modern again one day... Cool concept,.
I may get my tail whipped for this one,, but it(the 24 modern) sort of has a super tweaked out to the max PJ vibe.... sort of.. its tight bottom has a pinched up mid focus.. perhaps from having the two coils close as in a PJ bass where the rear coil close to the front one.
The modern 24 to me is i nice swing on a fender HiFi style tone...punchy and focused.. just goose the bass control a little and you r off to the races.
TO me,, my 24 mod was more HiFi sounding than my PJ5 which to me is more rock oriented...

Hey Kirk

I should clarify my post. I was strictly talking about the J bass models (vintage and standard), and more specifically the ash/maple J models. I totally agree, there is so much fatness coming from the pickup placement and those big humbuckers that the Moderns don't need much help in the 'balls' department. I had one slightly under 8 pounds, and it was HUGE sounding.

 

[dragonbass]

Dragonbass - my point WAS that Skylines use licenced tuners
My DJ5 IS graphite reinforced
Plekked frets are going to be pretty much perfect
Skylines also use the same p/ups etc as the USA models
No-one was attacking you - I was asking for answers, and I don't think you gave me any. As to Vietnamese fretting - why be insulting about it? If it's plekked afterwards, it'll be as good as you can get.(And if you look on Harmony central and BGRA you'll see a couple of reviews where the reviewers express surprise at the quality of the fretwork on the Metro's)

Hullaballoo,

I must have misread your original post...I'm sorry.

I didn't take it that you were attacking the basses, and I thought if I listed some features it would help...I in no way meant to diss Lakland (Hell, Dan's a great guy, and I love his Basses! I Have owned quite a few).

Sorry if it came off like I was poking fun!

Rob

 

[Vic]

I may get my tail whipped for this one,, but it(the 24 modern) sort of has a super tweaked out to the max PJ vibe.... sort of.. its tight bottom has a pinched up mid focus.. perhaps from having the two coils close as in a PJ bass where the rear coil close to the front one.
The modern 24 to me is i nice swing on a fender HiFi style tone...punchy and focused.. just goose the bass control a little and you r off to the races.
TO me,, my 24 mod was more HiFi sounding than my PJ5 which to me is more rock oriented...

I won't whoop ya, but I will say trying to use fender or even a PJ as a reference point to describe a Modern/24F's tone would probably do more to confuse than to clarify for most folks (which is probably why you're finding yourself using so many qualifying words in your post ).

I hear what you're saying, and you make good general tonal comments, but I think it's a lot more accurate to simply describe its tone in reference to other basses that have a similar generally bridge oriented dual soap sound, like a Cirrus, Smith, etc... Not to say it sounds just like either one of those, but at least I think those are in a much closer tone family than any fender or even any PJ.

IMHO of course.

 

[KJung]

I won't whoop ya, but I will say trying to use fender or even a PJ as a reference point to describe a Modern/24F's tone would probably do more to confuse than to clarify for most folks.

I hear what you're saying, and you make good general tonal comments, but I think it's a lot more accurate to simply describe its tone in reference to other basses that have a similar generally bridge oriented dual soap sound, like a Cirrus, Smith, etc... Not to say it sounds just like either one of those, but at least I think those are in a much closer tone family than any fender or even any PJ.

IMHO of course.

+1 I can hear a little bit of 'P Bass' in there when you favor the neck pickup. Otherwise, it's a modern punch hammer, and I agree, in a similar tone universe as the Smith and Cirrus basses.

 

[Coelho]

+1 I can hear a little bit of 'P Bass' in there when you favor the neck pickup. Otherwise, it's a modern punch hammer, and I agree, in a similar tone universe as the Smith and Cirrus basses.

That share similar PU placement.

 

[svtb15]

No, its OK, you can whooop me. I deserve it.. Im not very good at expressing tonal concepts... and i am terrible at typing...I do know when i hear something if its right though.. cant explain it..

That was maybe a bad example..i guess it sort of looks like a fender style.. but has a super tweaked to the max tone...
I better stop while im still a littel ahead..

I won't whoop ya, but I will say trying to use fender or even a PJ as a reference point to describe a Modern/24F's tone would probably do more to confuse than to clarify for most folks (which is probably why you're finding yourself using so many qualifying words in your post ).

I hear what you're saying, and you make good general tonal comments, but I think it's a lot more accurate to simply describe its tone in reference to other basses that have a similar generally bridge oriented dual soap sound, like a Cirrus, Smith, etc... Not to say it sounds just like either one of those, but at least I think those are in a much closer tone family than any fender or even any PJ.

IMHO of course.

 

[svtb15]

YOu said it.. and nailed it...
I better stick to the questions that are more hardware oriented.. that is my forte..
However i do think the front PUP on the Modern 24, even though it is the Sadowsky Dual Coil, they are roughly in the position of the "P" bass D-G coil.. And reminiscent of the P coil in that position.. and it is much more what i think is HiFi is than a stock style "P" pup.. that combined with the rear coil Dual Coil on the sadowsky is a near J coil on a jazz bass.. summing the two sound like a tweaked out HiFi P-J bass with much higher grade components.
But punchier,tighter, and as the other basses you described, Smith, Cirrus etc..

I guess i could have just wrote +1 to your statement...

Im going over to the AMP forum now to start some trouble...

I hear what you're saying, and you make good general tonal comments, but I think it's a lot more accurate to simply describe its tone in reference to other basses that have a similar generally bridge oriented dual soap sound, like a Cirrus, Smith, etc... Not to say it sounds just like either one of those, but at least I think those are in a much closer tone family than any fender or even any PJ.

IMHO of course.

 

[Vic]

^^^^ LOL

 

[Hullaballoo]

Dragonbass - I certainly wasn't offended by what you said, neither did I mean to offend anyone elseby my questions. I was just genuinely surprised that a Metro has non-USA tuners, which to me at least, has the ring of cost-cutting. It does say on the site that the Metro's are the same quality as the NYC's, just get an NYC if you want a fancy top or colour, or whatever, which made me think that they were essentially the same bass, but with fewer options, and made by a small team in Japan instead of the USA, but that isn't the case. I'm sure they're fabulous basses -they wouldn't have the reputation they have if they weren't, I'm sure, but I WOULD have been surprised if I had opened the box the first time and found lower-cost tuners on what is a high end bass. I suppose it all depends on what you mean by quality - they could be great quality, but using lower cost parts, and the blurb on the site would be accurate.
If I thought I was getting a full-blown Sad for less because of fewer options, place of manufacture,and so on, because of that blurb, then I would be mistaken, because the basses aren't the same, however good (and once again, I'm sure they are)
Never mind, when I get one, I'll go for the NYC - I think we all know what it's like to read the manual on a car for the first time and it says something like "climate control switch....only on certain models" and then to find yours doesn't have it, and feel like you should have done a bit more research before you handed over your money and got the top-ot-the-line model for a few pounds more - well I don't want that feeling when I lay out my money for what I expect to be the best bass I've ever bought.

 

[Marlat]

Dragonbass - I certainly wasn't offended by what you said, neither did I mean to offend anyone elseby my questions. I was just genuinely surprised that a Metro has non-USA tuners, which to me at least, has the ring of cost-cutting. It does say on the site that the Metro's are the same quality as the NYC's, just get an NYC if you want a fancy top or colour, or whatever, which made me think that they were essentially the same bass, but with fewer options, and made by a small team in Japan instead of the USA, but that isn't the case. I'm sure they're fabulous basses -they wouldn't have the reputation they have if they weren't, I'm sure, but I WOULD have been surprised if I had opened the box the first time and found lower-cost tuners on what is a high end bass. I suppose it all depends on what you mean by quality - they could be great quality, but using lower cost parts, and the blurb on the site would be accurate.
If I thought I was getting a full-blown Sad for less because of fewer options, place of manufacture,and so on, because of that blurb, then I would be mistaken, because the basses aren't the same, however good (and once again, I'm sure they are)
Never mind, when I get one, I'll go for the NYC - I think we all know what it's like to read the manual on a car for the first time and it says something like "climate control switch....only on certain models" and then to find yours doesn't have it, and feel like you should have done a bit more research before you handed over your money and got the top-ot-the-line model for a few pounds more - well I don't want that feeling when I lay out my money for what I expect to be the best bass I've ever bought.

I am a little perplexed by your concern. For a identically spec'ed (ie body wood, fingerboard wood and finished) Metro, you will pay roughly $1000 less than the NYC. How can you not expect for there to be differences to justify the lower price?

If the use of non-licensed tuners is a big deal, then you can, of course, buy the NYC. But to expect an identical product for $1000 less defies economic logic. Have you experienced a noticable tonal difference between Hipshot tuners and the licensed ones in the past?

 

[sandman]

Hey dudes, just got a little comment on my NYC modern 5/24...
with blend in centre position, it's freaking awesome, although the first gig run is still forthcoming, i seems as if, on that setting, the bass seems designed to be a raw pocket groove machine, and less of a articulate lead beast?! that may not make sense... but I am SOO excited to get out and play this bass with a drummer, and experience the groove of the thing.

Anyway, if i blend the pickups a little either way, or solo them, then they sound err.. less "fat" than the centre position.
I think the first gig will answer all my questions anyway, thought i'd run it here anyway.

The pups are nordy big singles.

Also let me say, the b string is as close to perfection as ive played, there is no need to compensate dynamically for a weak b at all, it's montrous, but controllable if you know what i mean. And the VTC, well that's just plain genius!!

Well done Rog and crew.

this is what i did most of the weekend, drag the bass into the lounge room.....