Sadowsky/Warwick Announcement Video

[baxter_x]

Sell your Metro expresses now before the cat's out of the bag and your instrument loses half its value.

Also it's fascinating that he hasn't made an affordable entry-level instrument for his entire career spanning almost 45 years but all of a sudden in semi-retirement he will.... let's be clear, this isn't cashing out, this is a mass dilution of the brand with money as the motivation. If anything this will just make NYC Masterbuilt more valuable down the line.

I could not disagree more with that very input! Roger Sadowsky is a master luthier, the last thing he has in mind is the dilution of his brand. Also the accusation of money as motivation is very unfair and a bit insulting to me.

 

[mmon77]

5:45.
Fender copies.
Sighs.
Turns and walks to the door

What were you expecting? Some kind of Bubinga-bodied, Wenge-necked modern Warwicky J bass or something?

Boutique Fender-styled basses have always been Sadowsky's M.O.

 

[bassman74]

I prefer traditional alder/ash, but definitely intrigued by the metro express at sub $800 price point.

IMHO alder and ash are a part of the success of Sire. Most Brand are going with basswood or any other type of Asian mahogany at this price point. I am still intrigued by the metro express but I’m sure that with alder and ash they would become an instant success.

 

[SgtHulka]

I could not disagree more with that very input! Roger Sadowsky is a master luthier, the last thing he has in mind is the dilution of his brand. Also the accusation of money as motivation is very unfair and a bit insulting to me.

I see it this way, why add this low priced instrument right at the time of retirement when previously nothing was offered in this very low (for Sadowsky) price range?

He's had a very successful shop and brand for a long time now, I'm sure he's made enough money to retire on. But he still wants to work, which is great, and if he wanted to, could continue on as he has done with his offerings.

Instead, we now we get the same lines, but now the Express will be 1K cheaper. A Sadowsky in this price range should sell very well with his reputation. I believe that Warwick may have insisted on an instrument in this price range otherwise it may not be worth their while to take over the operations where the previous point of entry was $1,900, they needed something that they can really sell, and this is it.

It's possible that money wasn't his primary motivation, but it should certainly be rolling in after the new Metro Express releases. My guess is that it could likely double the amount of total basses sold among all of his offerings.

 

[baxter_x]

I see it this way, why add this low priced instrument right at the time of retirement when previously nothing was offered in this very low (for Sadowsky) price range?

Expect those MetroExpress hit the market way before this Warwick cooperation.

 

[SgtHulka]

Expect those MetroExpress hit the market way before this Warwick cooperation.

At $2,000.00 not $800.

Why the drastic price change then?

 

[line6bassist]

I'm the only one that can't wait to see a used Warwick/Sadowsky metroexpress in the classifieds? Imagine seeing a $500-$600 used Warwick/Sadowsky metro Express a year from now.... woohoo!! I'll take it

 

[monkeyland]

5:45.
Fender copies.
Sighs.
Turns and walks to the door

Were you suddenly expecting sadowsky to do something drastically different? That’s what they are and many of us love it. I’m excited to see the new German Metroline.

 

[Leonid Nidis]

Pre warwick gonna be like pre CBS?
I think its all the same plus the cheap model which is good.

 

[DrMole]

I see it this way, why add this low priced instrument right at the time of retirement when previously nothing was offered in this very low (for Sadowsky) price range?

He's had a very successful shop and brand for a long time now, I'm sure he's made enough money to retire on. But he still wants to work, which is great, and if he wanted to, could continue on as he has done with his offerings.

Instead, we now we get the same lines, but now the Express will be 1K cheaper. A Sadowsky in this price range should sell very well with his reputation. I believe that Warwick may have insisted on an instrument in this price range otherwise it may not be worth their while to take over the operations where the previous point of entry was $1,900, they needed something that they can really sell, and this is it.

It's possible that money wasn't his primary motivation, but it should certainly be rolling in after the new Metro Express releases. My guess is that it could likely double the amount of total basses sold among all of his offerings.

If money is the main consideration, that would be very much like every successful business that has ever existed.

Make money, make a product of which one is proud, look to future so company can stay in business to provide jobs and $$ for the employees and owners.

Nothing nefarious, shady or unusual about this move; regardless of intentions.

 

[scowboy]

I own a "pre-Warwick" Metro Express 5 string and I can tell you it's a first rate instrument and I've also had two Metro's. If I had to pick one thing to complain about it's that the finish is almost great but not Metro quality. With that said the bass looks amazing so I have no complaints. I know what I paid for it and it was worth every penny of the price and then considerable amount more.

Regarding Warwick, what most concerns me is how they themselves have diluted their own boutique models by building 9 million different levels of knockoff's of their own brand where the quality ranges from good to crap, but mostly crap.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I see it this way, why add this low priced instrument right at the time of retirement when previously nothing was offered in this very low (for Sadowsky) price range?

He's had a very successful shop and brand for a long time now, I'm sure he's made enough money to retire on. But he still wants to work, which is great, and if he wanted to, could continue on as he has done with his offerings.

Instead, we now we get the same lines, but now the Express will be 1K cheaper. A Sadowsky in this price range should sell very well with his reputation. I believe that Warwick may have insisted on an instrument in this price range otherwise it may not be worth their while to take over the operations where the previous point of entry was $1,900, they needed something that they can really sell, and this is it.

It's possible that money wasn't his primary motivation, but it should certainly be rolling in after the new Metro Express releases. My guess is that it could likely double the amount of total basses sold among all of his offerings.

I have no problem with Sadowsky putting its name on a bass at a lower price point if it delivers the feel and tone of the Sadowsky plus excellent fit and finish. Less expensive components are to be expected. Sire showed just how good a bass in this price category can be. Warwick/Sadowsky wants a chunk of that money too.

 

[ClassicJazz]

Interesting considering there is a great interview with Roger from 2011 where he talks about how he is not interested in making basses where you are talking about in terms of units and container loads. And he goes on to talk about how Japan came to be. So now Chinese made Sadowsky basses! Guess that thought process has changed. He talks about it around the 13:00 mark on the video.

 

[SgtHulka]

If money is the main consideration, that would be very much like every successful business that has ever existed.

Make money, make a product of which one is proud, look to future so company can stay in business to provide jobs and $$ for the employees and owners.

Nothing nefarious, shady or unusual about this move; regardless of intentions.

Sure, and I have no problem with that. What we were told though was that he was retiring and that he didn't want to manage a bigger shop anymore so he is selling the production and management of those basses to Warwick.

You can point to operations like Sterling by Musicman (SBMM) to see how wildly successful they have been by offering lowered price version/s of their flagship instrument. But, IMO, they already had those which are considered to be high quality, not by adding a super cheap version that doesn't seem to have anything Sadowsky on it except for the headstock. Okume BTW it's just a step above balsa wood in it's density.

In this announced configuration, I don't see anybody buying a Metro or Masterbuilt anymore or as much as they once did.

 

[SgtHulka]

That is interesting. Not surprisingly, there were some significant shortcuts taken to get the MetroExpress at the more or less $1,000 mark like no VTC and a less expensive bridge.

I'd take the sire, personally. With no VTC I'd have no way to get roll back the high end. Just my thoughts.

What I hate is the jump from the metro express at <$800 nothing else until $2400. Giving up the sweet spot for me personally at around $1500

I could be wrong, and have been before so if you can correct me, please go ahead, but the VTC sounds to me like no more than a greasebucket circuit, a treble roll off without the bass dropping out as in a standard tone control. If so, it's a very easy mod on the $800 version.

 

[slamsinger]

I’m pretty sure he said 700-800 euros not American dollars

 

[SgtHulka]

Interesting considering there is a great interview with Roger from 2011 where he talks about how he is not interested in making basses where you are talking about in terms of units and container loads. And he goes on to talk about how Japan came to be. So now Chinese made Sadowsky basses! Guess that thought process has changed. He talks about it around the 13:00 mark on the video.

"Once we get to the point where we are talking about container loads and units, that's when I check out".

He certainly entitled to change his mind but he seemed pretty emphatic about knowing he didn't want to go this direction, which isn't *that* long ago.

Also, I'm surprised a well respected builder called Vietnam and Indonesia made basses "really low end". An aristocrat?

 

[projectapollo]

Sell your Metro expresses now before the cat's out of the bag and your instrument loses half its value.

I think the opposite. The Japan MEs are now rare and will hold value or go up. They are terrific instruments. It’s the one line I predict will deserve the pre-Warwick label in the used market.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I’m pretty sure he said 700-800 euros not American dollars

Yes, he said Euros. In dollars, I think the four will be $823 and the five $1,000.

 

[FunkHead]

I am very interested in how the German Metro’s will compare to the MIJ’s.
No interest at all in the express line.