"Sadowsky" Metro Express Basses

[OliverBlackman]

45 minutes ago, lonestar said:

I think I’m planning to get a Tesco Express

 

The aforementioned  Sadowsky NYC owning chap at Guitarguitar reckoned that the ME was worth adding about £200 of upgrades.

Every little helps

[Machines]

I tried a red 4 string Jazz a few weeks ago in GG. Setup wasn't great and didn't allow me to get a great feel, but it didn't feel like it was worth the price to me.

[BassAgent]

So my review isn't due to print for a few weeks so a translated version will have to wait a while too, but I can say I liked it so much I'm going to order a four string version of the bass I have here. I already own an amazing five string Jazz (with my De Gier Bebop) so a fiver won't get used a lot here, but a four string version will definitely get a lot of hours. 

 

I took the fiver to a gig a few weeks ago and my face pretty much tells how that went...😁

[ezbass]

56 minutes ago, BassAgent said:

So my review isn't due to print for a few weeks so a translated version will have to wait a while too, but I can say I liked it so much I'm going to order a four string version of the bass I have here. I already own an amazing five string Jazz (with my De Gier Bebop) so a fiver won't get used a lot here, but a four string version will definitely get a lot of hours. 

 

I took the fiver to a gig a few weeks ago and my face pretty much tells how that went...😁

Quality bass face.

[lonestar]

On 18/08/2021 at 13:47, BassAgent said:

So my review isn't due to print for a few weeks so a translated version will have to wait a while too, but I can say I liked it so much I'm going to order a four string version of the bass I have here. I already own an amazing five string Jazz (with my De Gier Bebop) so a fiver won't get used a lot here, but a four string version will definitely get a lot of hours. 

 

I took the fiver to a gig a few weeks ago and my face pretty much tells how that went...😁

Really looking forward to reading the review.

How did you get on with the noisy pickups?

[DiMarco]

Shielding and grounding the cavities with self adhesive coppertape will fix the noisy pickups issue.

I did the same with a Fender USA Jazz and a Ric 4003. No more noise after that.

 

[E sharp]

Yes that’ll stop the hum. But really should someone have to do this with a bass at this price point?

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, E sharp said:

Yes that’ll stop the hum. But really should someone have to do this with a bass at this price point?

Not really, but my Fender JMJ Mustang has no shielding in the cavities either, something I must address. 

[DiMarco]

2 hours ago, E sharp said:

Yes that’ll stop the hum. But really should someone have to do this with a bass at this price point?

Of course it does. Especially since it has to be done as well on the basses I mentioned which are at 3 to 4x as much as this price point.

Single coils do hum. In any instrument. Musicman solves this by adding a dummy pickup in their HS models that does nothing but cancel out hum.

 

 

[DiMarco]

My Zon Sonus 5 also hums when soloing either pickup. This is normal.

 

[BassAgent]

I really didn't hear any humming on the pickups. It might also be because I'm used to badly shielded Fender-ish basses (the JMJ is, as @ezbass mentioned, also poorly shielded and my two old Fenders are pretty hummy as well) so I have a finger connected to the strings at all times, or the volume turned all the way down. Neither me or the sound guy noticed any humming. Even when we played One Of Us (ABBA song, bridge pickup only) there were no issues.

Edited August 22, 2021 by BassAgent

[lonestar]

50 minutes ago, BassAgent said:

I really didn't hear any humming on the pickups. It might also be because I'm used to badly shielded Fender-ish basses (the JMJ is, as @ezbass mentioned, also poorly shielded and my two old Fenders are pretty hummy as well) so I have a finger connected to the strings at all times, or the volume turned all the way down. Neither me or the sound guy noticed any humming. Even when we played One Of Us (ABBA song, bridge pickup only) there were no issues.

Thanks. That’s very encouraging.
I have a USA standard Jazz and have rarely noticed a hum with it,except occasionally under some rehearsal studio lighting with my usual 80%/100% neck bridge split.

[lonestar]

1 hour ago, BassAgent said:

I really didn't hear any humming on the pickups. It might also be because I'm used to badly shielded Fender-ish basses (the JMJ is, as @ezbass mentioned, also poorly shielded and my two old Fenders are pretty hummy as well) so I have a finger connected to the strings at all times, or the volume turned all the way down. Neither me or the sound guy noticed any humming. Even when we played One Of Us (ABBA song, bridge pickup only) there were no issues.

Forgot to say that’s a great bass part! Rutger Gunnarsson? Top bassman 

[BassAgent]

9 hours ago, lonestar said:

Forgot to say that’s a great bass part! Rutger Gunnarsson? Top bassman 

The gig was an ABBA tribute gig and boy, all those Gunnarsson bass parts are absolutely amazing.

[JD1]

No hum on my Japan Metro Express.

[warwickhunt]

On 22/08/2021 at 14:17, DiMarco said:

 

Single coils do hum. In any instrument. 

 

 

...but these pups aren't single coils are they?  Afaik they are split humbuckers as per the Dimarzio pups on which they are based.  

[LukeFRC]

13 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

 

...but these pups aren't single coils are they?  Afaik they are split humbuckers as per the Dimarzio pups on which they are based.  

Listed as single coils on thomann- easy way to make them cheaper to make.

to be fair the Japanese Metro you traded to me has the single coils too (nordstrand made)

[BassAgent]

The Warwick website isn't very clear about that: it says "J style pickup" and if they're 'actual' Jazz pickups, they're singles.

[DiMarco]

The Warwick site is never clear about anything really... But ask them anything through e-mail and Hans Peter Wilfer will most likely personally answer. And usually pretty quick too.

 

[chris_b]

2 hours ago, JD1 said:

No hum on my Japan Metro Express.

 

No hum on mine either.

 

[BassAgent]

So uhm I've decided to keep the five string and to also order the exact same bass as a four string. Can't wait.

[lemmywinks]

2 hours ago, BassAgent said:

So uhm I've decided to keep the five string and to also order the exact same bass as a four string. Can't wait.

 

 

What's the weight like on the 5er?

[BassAgent]

It's incredibly light. I don't have scales so can't tell you the exact weight but sub 10 lbs easily.

[lemmywinks]

3 hours ago, BassAgent said:

It's incredibly light. I don't have scales so can't tell you the exact weight but sub 10 lbs easily.

 

Nice one thanks, this ticks a lot of boxes for me. 

[lonestar]

1 hour ago, lemmywinks said:

 

Nice one thanks, this ticks a lot of boxes for me. 

The one I tried was very light, possibly lighter than my 4 string US Jazz. I’d quite like one of these now and will probably buy one when funds allow