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Dissapointed in Sadowskys

B String

B String

Apr 11, 2002
5,318
1,268
Los Angeles
#1
After reading opinions and talking with the Sadowsky shop,
(the Sadowsky guys are as nice as humans can be)
I was very excited when a local store received a number of
Metro's. Even after setting them up, I was very dissapointed.
In the passive mode, the tone was not as usable as the
Lakland JO, or stock Fender jazz. With the preamp on, it was
god like, wonderfull tone for days. Still, the basses were
heavy and clunky feeling. I guess I expected more from a
$2,200. bass. The only new Fender am dlx V I've found felt
much more "elegant". More of a players bass at almost half
the cost. I had my heart set on a Metro. AARGH!!!!
 
#2
This is why you gotta try before you buy. Or think about buying. There are a bunch of dudes up on this board who have fallen in love with a bass without even trying one. I have been guilty of that in the past and it has not helped. I like Sadowskys fine, but it would not be my it bass. But I can understand why some people would kill for theirs. I can understand why some peeps would kill for their Smiths, but that is not me either.

To each his own, and if you are thinking about spending a ton of dough, just like if you are thinking about spending the rest of your life with one person, make sure you have gone through a good inspection instead of just drooling over the pin up on the wall.
 
#3
B String said:
After reading opinions and talking with the Sadowsky shop,
(the Sadowsky guys are as nice as humans can be)
I was very excited when a local store received a number of
Metro's. Even after setting them up, I was very dissapointed.
In the passive mode, the tone was not as usable as the
Lakland JO, or stock Fender jazz. With the preamp on, it was
god like, wonderfull tone for days. Still, the basses were
heavy and clunky feeling. I guess I expected more from a
$2,200. bass. The only new Fender am dlx V I've found felt
much more "elegant". More of a players bass at almost half
the cost. I had my heart set on a Metro. AARGH!!!!
Click to expand...

Wow, heavy?!?!?!! Clunky?!?!?! :hmm:
I played about 5 different Metros (6 if you count mine) and they were all as light or lighter than just about any Fenders or JO basses. Mine is light as snot.
Clunky neck wise?!?! Because the Metro body is actually scaled down a bit from a "normal" Jazz type.
The Am Dlx V neck has a bit more "girth" to it than the Metro, unless you played one other than the regular ones that seem to populate most places.
Hmm, well good luck and sorry the Metro didn't do it for ya. As you stated, there are a serious bunch of fans of Sadowskys here.
BTW, did ya get the Fender???
 
#4
To each his own.

Yesterday, this bass was dubbed "THE ONE" by a local Fender/Music Man player and dealer of 25+ years. He kept going on and on about the tone and playabilty. He said this bass was his needle in a haystack. To bad it's not his bass. ;)
 

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#5
Clunky is not a term that I would use for these basses at all. Every Sadowsky that I have come across was very light in weight and had a great feel to the neck, even the Metros. I'm sure there are bad ones in every company...maybe you just found one that wasn't the best that has rolled out of the Sadowsky shop. I wouldn't give up on them, plus, the Sadowskys with the VTC are much more usable in passive mode.
 
#6
JRBrown said:
Yesterday, this bass was dubbed "THE ONE" by a local Fender/Music Man player and dealer of 25+ years. He kept going on and on about the tone and playabilty. He said this bass was his needle in a haystack. To bad it's not his bass. ;)
Click to expand...
That's a USA model though, right?
I played some Metros recently and I was way less impressed than I thought I'd be. The two USA Sadowskys I've played were much better. But, like the man said, to each their own.
 
#7
I guess to each his own, I've played about 8, haven't played a bad one. I have played some that were better then others. I love mine (Roger must like it too, it's the only RV5 in the photo archive namm 3 of 10) It is deffinently" the one" for me and it is a Metro. I do notice the blue ones sound better (just kidding). One thing I have noticed about Rogers basses, they sound better in the mix, they sound good alone but unbeleivable in a band context. they just fit in a band context, bottom without mush and clear,clean highs, studio engineers love them too. But it's not the only good bass, by any means.

PS: My previous instruments have been good stuff, and the Metro is still the one, and it is not by any means the most expensive bass I've owned!
 
#8
Yeah I don't get the "heavy" "clunky" thing at all. But its your perception, and thats what counts. I had an amazingly beautiful Sadowsky 5 for awhile. Lightweight, gorgeous to look at. I just never got used to the "extra" string. Sold it, and after swearing off Sadowsky's for a couple of years, I got a Sadowsky 4 in a fit of GAS, and have never been happier. It feels like home to me. Lightweight, great tone, feels fantastic.
 
#9
I'll never forget the time when I was demoing some NYC basses at Club Bass. I brought my then brand new Japanese Fender '75 RI Jazz and began the testing, expecting to be blown to pieces.

Nope.

After testing each of his basses, I finally just shrugged my shoulders and said said to Dave Freeman (the owner/salesman/Sadowsky cheerleader) "Hey man, my bass sounds better." I then handed it over to him, and after a few seconds of some viscious thumb slapping and pseudo be-bop lines, his sheepish reply was, "Well yeah, it's a Fender." :smug:
 
#10
I've played a lot of the basses that people rave about, and didn't like them at all. There is no accounting for taste! If you have access to one of the "botique" style bass stores that are floating around, go in and just play everything they will let you play ;) You'll learn a lot and probably fall in love with something.
 
#11
Not all of the Metro's were heavy, just the one that played
and sounded the best of the Metro 5's they had. The maple
necks all had sharper edges, less rolled that the new am dlx 5.
Don't get me wrong here, I like the Sadowsky body, sound,
etc, I'm just saying that these basses just didn't feel very
good, and one of them was heavier than a dead relative. And
I went in the store really wanting to buy one.
 
#12
I usually keep really quiet, since I don't want to get flamed, but, I've tried hard, really hard, to like the Sads. I've played about 10 total, and they just don't speak to me. I like the Fender FMT (and DLX) 5's I've tried much better. Heck, I got a chance to try a Lakland 55-01 (upgraded with the USA electronics) and thought that sounded better.

Maybe I just haven't tried the right one yet, but the neck profile just doesn't grab me, and I haven't been really fond of the tone either. I listen to Will Lee on the Letterman show and for the most part it sounds so washed out, no distinction. On the other hand Rickey Minor's maple f/b sits perfect and sounds killer, but I just saw the Gospel celebration, and his Rosewood (or Pau Ferro) f/b one doesn't sound near as defined/clean, it's not horrible per se, just not very 'there' if that makes any sense.

Again, this is all my opinion, to each his own, and I certainly won't discount those for loving their Sadowskys. But at this point I guess I'm just one of those people who don't get it.
 
#13
Dave Siff said:
That's a USA model though, right?
I played some Metros recently and I was way less impressed than I thought I'd be. The two USA Sadowskys I've played were much better. But, like the man said, to each their own.
Click to expand...

Yes, It's a USA model.

I don't profess to be a follower of any particular make of bass. They all have pluses and minuses relative to the
player's desires, but the Sadowsky basses have the fewest negatives of any bass I've owned thus far. If I had to have just two basses, they would be:

- Transwhite Sadowsky PJ-4 ash/maple
- Ken Smith Black Tiger-4

JB
 
#14
JRBrown said:
I don't profess to be a follower of any particular make of bass. They all have pluses and minuses relative to the player's desires, but the Sadowsky basses have the fewest negatives of any bass I've owned thus far.
Click to expand...
That's cool. I really expected to love the Metros, although I'm kind of glad I didn't 'cause I can't afford one! The first USA Sadowsky I ever played, a used P/J at Bass Central, absolutely blew me away.
 
#15
I to finally got a chance to play a RV-5 & MV-5, I took along my Atelier Z-5 , I expected to be blown away considering all the reviews,
and actually was looking into traded my bass.

The Atelier felt and played better to me, had more of a Fender vibe to it, the Metro's are very nice basses, but i'm cool with my apple.
 
#16
I like the "needle in a haystack" analogy.

I have owned Zon, Roscoe, Pedulla, Alembic, MTD and Sadowsky among others. Call it GAS or the search for "the one", but I've owned about 40 basses in the last 20 years.

The Sadowsky USA I bought played wonderful and sounded great but had a terrible dead spot on the 5th fret. It just didn't work for me.

I found my needle in a haystack in Japan. An early 90's Moon jazz. The one in my avatar. It's the bomb.

Mosy guys have a particluar tone and feel in mind. Sometimes it takes years and many dollars to find it.
 
#17
Ricky Minor's Sadowsky has been sounding totaly stupid on
the American idol shows. I'm sure it helps that he's the MD
on the gig. Sort of assured of being up front in the mix.
BUT!! His bass has that "Sadowsky" sound, and it sounds
killer! Again, I love the sound, just not the playability or the
feel of the Metro's that I played.
 
#19
Basses are "art"... Each one is subjective as to what is "it". I think Sadowsky's are very consistent as far as feel and playability. Every Fender won't be as good as every other. Also too, doesn't mean if everybody likes it, it's right for you.

The reason I think companies like Sadowsky, Lull, Lakland etc. exist is that they provide a consistent quality in their basses which you can't get from Fender. Yes they all make J Bass copies of good quality and high price, but definitely with a different slant on what makes a great jazz bass.

A couple of months ago I thought I wanted a Sadowsky. Ended up buying a Modulus Genesis 5 and I am much happier than I think I would've been with the Sadowsky
 
#20
I currently have an Metro MV4. I recently traded my beautiful Fender FMT Jazz V for a beautiful '57 reissue P. The FMT was constructed very well... but it just never really did it for me. The '57 is also well put together and I love it... very light as well. The Metro... well, it's just in another class. The craftsmanship is incredible. The finish is amazing. The playability is ridiculous. The only thing that bothers me about it are the fret ends are sharp. They are seated well and level, but they extend over the edges of the fingerboard, which really surprized me(I bought it sight unseen). The sound... more beautiful than every angel in heaven playing their harps in unison.
I will say, however, that my Stingray is about as well constructed as my Metro, and the fret work is flawless. I know it's an easy fix, but I thought i'd point out the only flaw in an almost perfect bass.
 

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