Looking forward to your report on the updated one. It would be great if these turned out to be good, especially since it seems they are keeping the weight on the lighter side for these.
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Looking forward to your report on the updated one. It would be great if these turned out to be good, especially since it seems they are keeping the weight on the lighter side for these.
I've been holding off after checking out your review and waiting for new production runs. In the meantime I found a MetroExpress RV5E made in Japan that should be here Monday. Tore up the couch cushions to fund it.
Should be here Monday. That should hold me over until GAS hits again.
Your follow-up should be interesting. I recently bought a Metro Express 5 RSD. I don't seem to have any other the hum issues no matter how I adjust the pickups. I am going to replace the pre-amp with an Audere though. The overall tone just seems a little off. Overall the quality of the bass was pretty good though. I just followed up with a Metro Express 4 RSD today. I will play the new arrival tonight. I got a super deal on the 4 string. $607 used in great shape. How could I resist?
I am pretty sure you will be impressed. I recently purchased a MV5 and it sounds killer.I've been holding off after checking out your review and waiting for new production runs. In the meantime I found a MetroExpress RV5E made in Japan that should be here Monday. Tore up the couch cushions to fund it.
Damn yeah that's a good deal. I need to find a deal like that. I assume all the ones out on Reverb are the original / ver1 ?
Yes, the price I got these last two leave some room to mod. I do believe the RSD are a great platform to mod from. The one that arrived today is just a 1/5 of the price of my Satin NYC. Now that leaves alot of room to mod.
Yeah not sure if you saw my previous post but I do want to mod. Just not sure at the current $900ish price is worth it but at your price you found then I can see definitely a nice viable option. Here's what I wanted to do:
Replace the electronics to passive only to not only address the pre-amp issues but also because I actually prefer passive-only mode anyways. Was going to either rewire for passive only or even swap out the pickups with the DiMarzio DP126BK Model P+J pickups I had purchased to originally install in a Fender PJ. My intent was to wire it up: Master Vol, 3 Way Select Switch or Knob (P, PJ, J), 2 Way Switch P Serial (stock P bass wiring), or Parallel, Master Tone. Putting the P in parallel would make the neck pickup kinda act like a neck J pickup. Then after that get the bass plek'd and setup.
I will follow-up after my mods. I will replace the RSD 5 string pre-amp with a Audere and keep the original pickups. In the RSD 4 string I will take some Nordy pickups our of a Warmoth pj i built up and install them and keep the original preamp. I figure that will narrow down why I feel the tone is somehow off and just not at the level of my previous Sadowskys. Let me know how yours works out.
So I got my used Sadowsky RSD 4 string today. I got this one for just a little over 600. Weight is 8 1/4 pounds. I was thinking I was going to mod this but I am having second thoughts. I am impressed with her overall. Yes, there is some hum if you go over more than 1/4 off the bottom of the tone controls but hay it is a single coil setup. In passive mode I get very little hum if any at all. The pre-amp is kind of on the loud side though. Going from active to passive you need to turn up the overall volume. I took the strings it came with off and loaded some TI flats on her which really made a nice difference as far as mellowing out the tone. I did a quick setup and she plays great. I will play her for a week before I make up my mind on mods. I even went a a second session tonight and I broke my 9:00 rule. I usually try and show some consideration for my neighbor and call it quits at 9 but it was kind of hard putting her down. Bass on!
I was saving for a MIJ MetroExpress when the Roger cut the new deal with Warwick. So then I've been waiting on the second batch of MIC MetroExpress basses. I've been waiting for used MIJs to be listed here. Yesterday my new-to-me Sadowsky RV5E arrived, thanks @Littlewing6283. Awesome bass! I may end up with a MIC ME, but for right now I'm stoked. Played it at church this morning. Stoked!
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For some reason I get an error message when I try and view your pics. Either way it sounds like you are happy with your new bass. Is yours a made in Japan? I also got a MV5 awhile back. Great basses. I did compare my RV4E to my satin NYC and they are pretty dam close. I am just curious what is the weight of your 5?
Thanks for the heads up. Pics should work now.
It's made in Japan MetroExpress RV5E. Rounded up, it weighs 8.6 lbs. Been playing a lot of ash/maple basses the last few years. Forgot how much I like the alder/pau ferro combo. Left it flat for both services. Very clear and easy to play. While others may not feel the difference, the 34" scale and the 12" fretboard radius feel great.
Just following up with some mods on my RSD PJ 5. Even though this one doesn't really have the hum issue I decided to upgrade the pre amp. I am just curious where this off tone thing is coming from. The stock preamp just doesn't have that Sadowsky tone or range I would like. So I bought a Audere pre amp and put it in last night. It was an easy install. Now it is pretty dam close. The tonal range is so much better. Even though the Audere doesn't have a true passive feature it does a great job getting there. There is zero hum now no matter what setting it is on.
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I am happy with the upgrade. I have a Sadowsky onboard pre amp coming for a RSD 4 string (this one does have some hum). It should be interesting comparing the two different pre amps in the RSDs.
How are your mods going?
Yea its a tough call on the RSDs. Tone is such a subjective thing. The RSDs don't sound like my other Sadowskys. I guess a more modern tone in a way and a little weak. I got my second one used for 600 so dropping another 200 into her is a no brainer. I just can't settle on that china pre amp so the mod makes sense to me.
Other than wood and I believe electronics, is there a hardware difference between the China MetroExpress vs Japan or German Metro?
That is a good question. Even though the hardware looks the same I do feel like its a step down as far as quality which is understandable given the cost. The RSD hardware does work like it should though. I will take a closer look tonight and see if that is true. I worked as a machinist in my past so I do have some insight in the quality area. The way I look at the RSD Line is you are getting most of Rogers great ideas in a more affordable package. I don't regret either RSD purchase. I kind of knew what to expect. I guess what surprised me the most with the RSD line was how much better quality wise they were than the impression I was getting from the pictures.
I currently have two metros. I believe they are both from 2010. They are both 10s in my opinion. Both were just over 2000 I believe. They both have this growl to them that the RSD doesn't have. I personally go for a japan metro over any of the current metros. Follow me on reverb and if I every sell one of the metros you will catch it. My big tip on buying a bass would be do your research and have the money ready to pull the trigger. The longer you look you really get a feel of what is out there. I noticed lately not to many Japan metros out there to choose from though.
I am thinking when I drop that new pre amp into the RSD I may be good to go and sell some basses.
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