I would love to have a Metro 5. I have watched the youtube vids that Roger has put on there about the way he builds, which is the way the luthier in Japan builds, and also have listened to countless owners that own both Metros and NYC's and they are hard pressed to tell the difference however, some feel that the chambered NYC bodies sound abit better or different than the solid body Metros. I own and have owned several Fender Jazz basses, and vintage Japan j basses from Fender and the lawsuit era builds coming out of the Matsumoku plant, and now also have a fine Xotic XJ-1T 24F which is by far the most expensive and nicest boutique bass I have owned which, as far as build quality goes, is up there with Sadowsky, Benevente, MBass, and others. As far as Luthiers or builders from Japan?? They are some of the best in the world. I have never tried a Sadowsky preamp but I would have to add that owning a Sadowsky bass is more about owning the whole package. A Sadowsky not only sounds like a Sadowsky because of it's pre-amp. It is also because of the wood choices, the way the necks join the bodies, the fretwork and the overall package is what gives a Sadowsky the tone it has. It's too bad that you live where you don't have access to trying out all the different basses out there. Of course, if you buy a Metro for $1800 you will probably be able to sell it for $1800 too. As for whether or not a Sadowsky is a step up?? I would have to say yes because of the build quality. And if anyone thinks that because Roger has a team building basses in Japan that they are cranking them out on a production line as fast as Fender is, think again. It might as well be Roger over there because it is basically the same set up as the New York shop.
