New bass advice, Sadowsky Metroline or Metro Express (or Sandberg / Lakland)

[Steve1250]

I've been looking at both of these, massive price difference, so has anyone got experience of both?  Is the Metroline worth 2 grand more than the Metro Express? I've got a chance of a 5 string Metro Express with the vtc preamp installed, will this get anywhere close to the Metroline? 

 

Also looking at Sanberg and Lakland, Sandberg have a great configurator and a 35" scale 5 string pj with preamp works out around the same price as the Metroline.

 

 

 

[asingardenof]

2 hours ago, Steve1250 said:

I've been looking at both of these, massive price difference, so has anyone got experience of both?  Is the Metroline worth 2 grand more than the Metro Express? I've got a chance of a 5 string Metro Express with the vtc preamp installed, will this get anywhere close to the Metroline? 

 

I suspect if you have a VTC preamp installed in the SMX you'd be hard pressed to justify spending the additional £2k on the MetroLine.

[chris_b]

My Sadowsky Metro RV5 is the best sounding bass I've owned so far. I've compared it to chambered NYC models and it sounded better. My US Lakland 55-94 was the second best sounding bass, and my Skyline 55-02 was very close to the US version. I have a Sandberg TT5 SL which is in the same sonic ball park. These basses are a "cut above" the other basses I've owned and played. 

 

The Metroexpress is seriously cheaper but has Chinese made electronics, pickups or hardware. IMO these basses don't come close to the German (or Japanese) Sadowsky's, so I'd give that one a miss. If you are aiming to buy a great bass, get a "Premiership" bass, not a "Ryman's League" copy.

 

I find the VTC the least useful control on my Metro. The bass and treble controls are so powerful they take over.

 

IMO there are also great deals to be had for the basses on your list in the classifieds. Also consider Roscoe, ACG, Shuker, Sei and Elrick.

Edited January 19 by chris_b

[Steve1250]

10 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

I suspect if you have a VTC preamp installed in the SMX you'd be hard pressed to justify spending the additional £2k on the MetroLine.

That's what I was thinking but can't get past the made in China bit

[NancyJohnson]

Owned a Lakland Skyline DJ5 a few years ago and have played other Lakland Skylines and their US versions; if you're going to a public forum for affirmation that ANY manufacturer's USA Series models (at $4-5K a pop) really worth double/triple the price of the Korean/Indonesian versions, then you already know the answer.  Sure these companies (Sadowsky/Lakland/Lull/Sandberg etc) have a business in which their core models are largely based off Fender copies, but at ridiculously expensive prices.

 

As I've posted elsewhere this week, the market has swung from original basses and cheap copies thereof, through to original basses and very expensive copies thereof; the bass market is broken.  We've already proven that people can't even identify the tone of their own basses in a blind test, I'm sure that the temptation of custom colours, clay dots etc. are really worth the extra £££.

 

Just go with the cheaper models.  You won't notice any discernible difference, your bandmates/audience/soundguy won't give a rats what you're playing.  As an additional bonus you won't lose so much when you sell it on!

[Steve1250]

1 minute ago, chris_b said:

My Sadowsky Metro RV5 is the best sounding bass I've owned so far. I've compared it to chambered NYC models and it sounded better. My US Lakland 55-94 was the second best sounding bass, and my Skyline 55-02 was very close to the US version. I have a Sandberg TT5 SL which is in the same sonic ball park. These basses were a "cut above" the other basses I've owned and played. 

 

The Metroexpress is seriously cheaper but has Chinese made electronics, pickups or hardware. IMO these basses don't come close to the German (or Japanese) Sadowsky's, so I'd give that one a miss. If you are aiming to buy a great bass, get a "Premiership" bass, not a "Ryman's League" copy.

 

I find the VTC the least useful control on my Metro. The bass and treble controls are so powerful they take over.

 

IMO there are also great deals to be had for the basses on your list in the classifieds. Also consider Roscoe, ACG, Shuker, Sei and Elrick.

That's helpful, thanks. Did look at a Shuker but  have settled one of the three above...edging towards Sandberg at the moment

[neepheid]

I don't think any bass is worth two grand more than any other bass, to be completely honest.

[asingardenof]

11 minutes ago, Steve1250 said:

That's what I was thinking but can't get past the made in China bit

If that's important to you then forget the SMX, you'll always just be wishing you had bought the MetroLine no matter how good the SMX is, and if you can afford to spend the extra £2k then go for it. If you can get past that though then you'll have a great bass and £2k to spend on something else.

[asingardenof]

9 minutes ago, neepheid said:

I don't think any bass is worth two grand more than any other bass, to be completely honest.

Agreed - diminishing returns and all that.

[dub_junkie]

I had a 2007 M5-24 Metro bass which was a wonderful thing. I sold it but still have a first gen black J/J SMX. Great feeling,playing bass too. No VTC but as has been mentioned the bass and treble are so wide ranging I don't miss having it

[ead]

I owned an RSD Chinese Metroexpress (fretless) for quite a while and the simple expedient of taking out the original fit preamp and replacing it with a John East drop in J Retro Deluxe tuned it into a very decent bass indeed.  I found no issues with the hardware and the original fit pickups, although not the Saowsky hum cancelling ones, were also perfectly fine.

[thodrik]

I've had a original Japanese Metro since 2009 and an NYC 5 since 2016. Great basses. 

If you like the preamp and provided that the previous QC issues have been sorted out, then the SMX bass should offer great value for money. Andy Irvine (former Warwick demonstrator) has bought/acquired loads of SMX basses which he has upgraded and modded and now uses as his main basses. There is a cool Facebook group for that called 'Sadowsky Metro Bass Owners' where he regularly posts about upgrades he has done. 

[wiltflea]

I currently own a Warwick Metroline MJ5 and a Warwick MetroExpress 5,  so I feel qualified to answer this.  Before I get into the difference let me answer your question this way.  Which bass to purchase depends on your position in the music world to me.  If you are gigging regularly then I say get the Metroline because you should make the money difference up in a few months. Now this is where it gets interesting,  if you just play with a few friends, do garage stuff, etc...then it depends on your money.  The Metroline is a better bass, it's chambered ( 7.76 lbs is mine ), the neck is 1.75, versus the MetroExpress at 1.875.  the fret work is impeccible on the Metroline,  it's very good to very good on my MetroExpress.  The VTC is the sauce, the pickups are different as well.  So to not ramble let me just say the Metroline is 2000$ better,  but if you add the VTC and especially the Sadowsky Humcancelling pick ups ( which I would replace the pickups before the preamp ) then you basically have a slightly heavier Metroline, with a slightly wider neck.  Which the MetroExpress is still very comfortable to play.  The MetroExpress is the best under 2000$ bass I have ever played.  The Metroline is the best bass I have ever played,  it's a difference. The Metroline is worth the price.  My Metroline costed 3650$,  My MetroExpress cost 1140$.  In closing I have owned two MetroExpress ( new models ),  the first one I had shipped with the VTC and Sadowsky humcancelling pups.  I installed them myself and I was so intrigued I had to get the Metroline,  The MetroExpress I have now I just replaced the pickups, because with my Metroline being my workhorse it is no need for the VTC in the MetroExpress, so there is no wrong answer,  but yes no matter what you add to a MetroExpress,  a Metroline is 2000$ better.  

[NancyJohnson]

58 minutes ago, wiltflea said:

I currently own a Warwick Metroline MJ5 and a Warwick MetroExpress 5,  so I feel qualified to answer this.  Before I get into the difference let me answer your question this way.  Which bass to purchase depends on your position in the music world to me.  If you are gigging regularly then I say get the Metroline because you should make the money difference up in a few months. Now this is where it gets interesting,  if you just play with a few friends, do garage stuff, etc...then it depends on your money.  The Metroline is a better bass, it's chambered ( 7.76 lbs is mine ), the neck is 1.75, versus the MetroExpress at 1.875.  the fret work is impeccible on the Metroline,  it's very good to very good on my MetroExpress.  The VTC is the sauce, the pickups are different as well.  So to not ramble let me just say the Metroline is 2000$ better,  but if you add the VTC and especially the Sadowsky Humcancelling pick ups ( which I would replace the pickups before the preamp ) then you basically have a slightly heavier Metroline, with a slightly wider neck.  Which the MetroExpress is still very comfortable to play.  The MetroExpress is the best under 2000$ bass I have ever played.  The Metroline is the best bass I have ever played,  it's a difference. The Metroline is worth the price.  My Metroline costed 3650$,  My MetroExpress cost 1140$.  In closing I have owned two MetroExpress ( new models ),  the first one I had shipped with the VTC and Sadowsky humcancelling pups.  I installed them myself and I was so intrigued I had to get the Metroline,  The MetroExpress I have now I just replaced the pickups, because with my Metroline being my workhorse it is no need for the VTC in the MetroExpress, so there is no wrong answer,  but yes no matter what you add to a MetroExpress,  a Metroline is 2000$ better.  

 

*Sadowsky.