Fender Jazz Bass Elite 5 or Sadowsky MV5

[Big_Nate]

I feel your pain, Nate... Good luck on your quest, and Go Bucks...

... 20% chance Nate's a fan of Maize and Blue.

Those chances are accurate but don't represent me lol but the other side of my family is Maize and Blue.

 

[gustobassman]

The Metros are fine basses. I took the leap on an RV5 this past year and it was a game changer for me. I think of the tone and build quality of the Sadowsky as a more mature, refined and just about perfect (to me) Fender-styled bass. If the Sadowsky tone is what you are after, then don't even bother with the Fender. IMO.

Used Metros come up on the classifieds often, they are a great buy for the money.

 

[TMARK]

Exactly what I've been afraid of but I know I would like the elite just not as much as a Sad.

The conundrum is that you really need to own the Sadowsky to stop from wondering if it is THE bass for you. I did and found, while awesome, the Sadowsky is not better for me. I would have just changed our the electronics, wired it passive, but that seemed like a waste.

While in Chicago dig on the Lakland and Lulls. Different flavors of great.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[TheMartianBassist]

Dude NYC'a are literally the biggest waste of money ever man. I made the mistake of buying one new and totally regretted it after playing the Metros.

Metros are hands down the best value and quality for your money. They also sell like hot cakes.
And people tend to freakin' forget - $3000 for a new metro? That's a lot of money!

 

[bass12]

You say you prefer the sound of the Sadowsky so I would say you at least need something with a Sadowsky preamp in it. You now need to play a Sadowsky and see if you like the feel of the instrument. My first Sadowsky was a four string Standard Jazz. I also had a Fender Jazz at the time and preferred the overall feel of the Fender (I preferred the feel of the neck and I wasn't a huge fan of the Sadowsky's undersized body). I have also owned some Sadowsky five string jazzes and very much like their necks. Still not a big fan of the undersized bodies but I can work with them (I'm not sure if the Metros have dinky bodies or not). If you find you do like the feel of Sadowskys then the next step is to find not a Sadowsky but the Sadowsky for you. This is an important point because choosing a bass is kind of like choosing a cat from a litter. Just because they come from the same place and share the same DNA doesn't mean they are all the same. Each Sadowsky has its own subtle character differences (just like any other bass brand/model). So take it with a grain of salt when someone posts saying "I tried one Sadowsky and it was amazing - you can't go wrong!" or, "I tried one Sadowsky and it was lifeless - Sadowskys are lifeless instruments". Sometimes you luck out on the first try and sometimes you have to shop around for the right one. If it turns out that you don't like the feel of Sadowskys then the good news is that the primary component in achieving the Sadowsky sound is the preamp and that preamp can be dropped into another bass if you so desire. Lastly, I would be suspicious of the "NYC is by definition better than Metro" hype. Good luck finding your bass!

 

[project_c]

I had a Metro and have an Elite. With that in mind, I have some thoughts. First, as you know, Sadowskys don't sound like Fenders. They just don't. Second, the Neck shapes are different. I like the Elite neck better, but that's just me. Third, the Sadowsky has tall narrow frets while the Elite has large low frets, but they are more narrow than some Jumbo fret Fenders. Fourth, the Sadowsky had the nitro neck finish which is unreal. Fifth, the build quality is better on a Metro. Not like night and day, but the Metro fretwork is a bit better, and if you look under the hood the Metro is well sorted, with remarkable cable management.

All that being said, I like the Elite better because I like that Fender sound and the neck shape. So I think a trip to Chicago is in order. You really do have to play them.

This is very similar to my experience. I had a Metro and sold it to get a Jazz Dlx. The Metro wasn't better or worse, both basses are excellent, but I wanted a Fender tone, and the mid boost. The Sadowsky had a beautiful tone but it didn't have the old Fender vibe, even with the VTC. It depends on what sound you're after, and also how you play. The Fender responded better to dynamic fingerstyle, but if I played slap a lot, and liked a more scooped tone, I think I would have preferred the Metro.

 

[DavC]

i really do miss my Sadowsky Metro UV70 5ver ...

if you like your current MIM ... replaced the bridge , install Sadowsky pups , ad Sadowsky preamp .. ?!? Fendowsky .. !?

my Sadowsky felt great ... for my medium hands ... the VTC is a must , which gives you a passive tone control to use in both active/passive modes .. ( Vintage Tone Control )

buy used ... there's always a couple in our classifieds ...

 

[Big_Nate]

i really do miss my Sadowsky Metro UV70 5ver ...

if you like your current MIM ... replaced the bridge , install Sadowsky pups , ad Sadowsky preamp .. ?!? Fendowsky .. !?

my Sadowsky felt great ... for my medium hands ... the VTC is a must , which gives you a passive tone control to use in both active/passive modes .. ( Vintage Tone Control )View attachment 1015355

buy used ... there's always a couple in our classifieds ...

I just discovered the classifieds. Love at first sight

 

[GregC]

I've plotted on Bass Club Chicago. It's like 5 hours from me and thats nothing (I've driven to NYC).

Most of all, enjoy the pursuit! Take your time, try them out and find your bass! I work with band and orchestra kids all the time and when they go for their collegiate instrument, they go all over to find the one. Bassist, guitarist are often impulse buyers and lose out on the romance of it all.

If you make the drive to Chicago, make sure you check out Chicago Music Exchange. Go in the front door and take the stairs down to the bass-ment (yes, they have an entire floor dedicated to basses). I was there a few weeks ago and they had Sadowskys, Roscoes, Fodoras, and many other vintage and boutique basses to try. Friendly staff as well. Be prepared to spend a few hours there.

Good luck!

All of these. If you're locked in on the Sadowsky sound, then just make sure the bass is comfortable for you and you're good. Buuuut, I recommend taking the time to check out some of the other great basses you're going to encounter. Both Bass Club and CME have excellent inventories, and they carry some different brands. For example, CME carries Sandberg, which might fit what you're looking for tonally as well. Both Mark at Bass Club and Marc (who runs the bass department at CME) are good guys, by the way.

Yup getting some pizza while I'm there too!

If you haven't already decided, Lou Malnati's makes great deep dish and has a couple locations on the North Side. Now if you get over to Michigan Ave., check out Gino's East--great atmosphere. But it's very difficult to park over there.

 

[Big_Nate]

All of these. If you're locked in on the Sadowsky sound, then just make sure the bass is comfortable for you and you're good. Buuuut, I recommend taking the time to check out some of the other great basses you're going to encounter. Both Bass Club and CME have excellent inventories, and they carry some different brands. For example, CME carries Sandberg, which might fit what you're looking for tonally as well. Both Mark at Bass Club and Marc (who runs the bass department at CME) are good guys, by the way.
If you haven't already decided, Lou Malnati's makes great deep dish and has a couple locations on the North Side. Now if you get over to Michigan Ave., check out Gino's East--great atmosphere. But it's very difficult to park over there.

I'm definitely trying as many basses as I can. Who knows I may find that something else is better for me but from what I've listened to Sadowsky has my sound. I like the sound MTD's and Ken Smith's make as well as some others.

 

[MattB88]

All of these. If you're locked in on the Sadowsky sound, then just make sure the bass is comfortable for you and you're good. Buuuut, I recommend taking the time to check out some of the other great basses you're going to encounter. Both Bass Club and CME have excellent inventories, and they carry some different brands. For example, CME carries Sandberg, which might fit what you're looking for tonally as well. Both Mark at Bass Club and Marc (who runs the bass department at CME) are good guys, by the way.
If you haven't already decided, Lou Malnati's makes great deep dish and has a couple locations on the North Side. Now if you get over to Michigan Ave., check out Gino's East--great atmosphere. But it's very difficult to park over there.

I second Geno's East. God bless my homeland of Chicago and their many fine pizza pies!

 

[Low Key]

I had intended to get a Sadowsky fiver for the longest time. Once I saved enough pennies to get a "premium bass", I went to try one and just couldn't love the neck. I liked the Fender Elite neck better, but think that bass is simply overpriced. I ended up getting a fantastic deal on a slightly used Mike Lull M5V and this was my nirvana. Everyone is different!

Another endorsement for Chicago Music Exchange and Bass Club Chicago. Two great places for bassists to shop, only a few miles from each other. Just plan to spend a while finding a parking spot near CME!!

 

[bass12]

I had intended to get a Sadowsky fiver for the longest time. Once I saved enough pennies to get a "premium bass", I went to try one and just couldn't love the neck. I liked the Fender Elite neck better, but think that bass is simply overpriced. I ended up getting a fantastic deal on a slightly used Mike Lull M5V and this was my nirvana. Everyone is different!

Another endorsement for Chicago Music Exchange and Bass Club Chicago. Two great places for bassists to shop, only a few miles from each other. Just plan to spend a while finding a parking spot near CME!!

I have a Lull M5V with a Sadowsky pre in it. I actually prefer the necks on the Sadowsky 5s but like the 35" B on the Lull. My M5V (with the Sad pre) sounds as much like a Sadowsky as any Sadowsky Jazz I've played.

 

[TMARK]

To those who are saying the Elise are over priced, they go with a coupon for $1550 or so. I think that is fair. I do think $2k is a bit high.

 

[Mr_O'B]

You say you prefer the sound of the Sadowsky so I would say you at least need something with a Sadowsky preamp in it. You now need to play a Sadowsky and see if you like the feel of the instrument. My first Sadowsky was a four string Standard Jazz. I also had a Fender Jazz at the time and preferred the overall feel of the Fender (I preferred the feel of the neck and I wasn't a huge fan of the Sadowsky's undersized body). I have also owned some Sadowsky five string jazzes and very much like their necks. Still not a big fan of the undersized bodies but I can work with them (I'm not sure if the Metros have dinky bodies or not). If you find you do like the feel of Sadowskys then the next step is to find not a Sadowsky but the Sadowsky for you. This is an important point because choosing a bass is kind of like choosing a cat from a litter. Just because they come from the same place and share the same DNA doesn't mean they are all the same. Each Sadowsky has its own subtle character differences (just like any other bass brand/model). So take it with a grain of salt when someone posts saying "I tried one Sadowsky and it was amazing - you can't go wrong!" or, "I tried one Sadowsky and it was lifeless - Sadowskys are lifeless instruments". Sometimes you luck out on the first try and sometimes you have to shop around for the right one. If it turns out that you don't like the feel of Sadowskys then the good news is that the primary component in achieving the Sadowsky sound is the preamp and that preamp can be dropped into another bass if you so desire. Lastly, I would be suspicious of the "NYC is by definition better than Metro" hype. Good luck finding your bass!

Great analogy comparing bass selection and pet selection!

 

[Altitude]

\There are other differences (like the fretwork quality, slightly trimmer body, and truss rod adjustment), but they all favor the Sadowsky, IMHO.\

First guy to mention this, but I think it weighs in when the choice is this close.

I think the standard J body is a little too big, unless the player is a big guy. I'm not, so I appreciate the slightly downsized body design Sadowsky uses. All else constant, that will give you a lighter bass, too.

You can actually see the difference pretty clearly here. The red bass is a Skjold, which is very true to the original Fender J size. The burst bass is a Valenti, which is extremely close to the Sadowsky J sizing. The burst on the Valenti might make it appear even more petite than it is, but I think it is a great proportion for the J body.

 

[Mr_O'B]

Like me you seem to be intrigued by Sadowsky basses without having played one. You should buy the Sadowsky knowing you can recoup your money to buy the Fender Elite in case you don't like the Sadowsky.

Going that route is a win-win situation for you!

 

[Bass Viking]

I played a Fender MIM for 10 years and loved it until the bridge got funked up. I'm looking to make a sound investment and want this to be my baby for some years (hopefully the bridge will stay intact).

Do you still have the MIM? Buy a replacement bridge and keep rocking it. Then buy the Sadowsky!

For good measure you could buy a Sadowsky outboard preamp for the Fender.

 

[Big_Nate]

Do you still have the MIM? Buy a replacement bridge and keep rocking it. Then buy the Sadowsky!

For good measure you could buy a Sadowsky outboard preamp for the Fender.

Nope sold it. I regret it too I loved that bass but this next purchase will make up for it.

 

[Big_Nate]

Like me you seem to be intrigued by Sadowsky basses without having played one. You should buy the Sadowsky knowing you can recoup your money to buy the Fender Elite in case you don't like the Sadowsky.

Going that route is a win-win situation for you!

I didn't think of this actually thanks but I really want to go to a store that has boutique basses. I got some other bass on my radar for the future and I want to get my hands on them too. I feel like the Sad will be my bread and butter tho.