TheGhostofJaco Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Hi all, I have a NYC 4 string Sadowsky PJ that is easily the best playing bass I have ever owned. The neck and the action on it are absolutely perfect. I'm looking for a Jazz and don't have the cash for another NYC so I'm checking out older 2010-2013 Japanese Metrolines like MS4 and MS5. Ran across a 5 string metro that weighs maybe 8 pounds and a 4 that weighs the same. So they are both plenty light which is great. My issue is that I am pretty torn on getting another 4 string or going 5. I played a Sadowsky 5 a long time ago and remember loving it but I can't remember how the neck played. Its a 19mm spacing I think, and I believe it is easy to slap cleanly on? I am going to use this bass for a lot of slap and fusion style playing. Going for that more modern clean sound. I can slap on my G&L L2500 and that has a narrower spacing. The narrow spacing is nice, but it almost feels like the strings are too close together. Anyway for you all who have played both, did you encounter any technical issues playing the 5 (upper register notes easy to grab, hand fatigue, issues slapping...etc)? I am pretty torn because a 4 is of course easier to play but when I think of that hi fi fusion sound, I feel like the low B is a big factor there and can really hold its own among electronic instruments as well. Would love to hear any pros and cons you all can think of. I read the metro versus NYC posts too and I feel like the Japanese Metrolines are a pretty good value. Just have to decide on the 5 v 4 thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulhauser Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 I don't seem to remember trying a 4 string Sadowsky but I owned and used a 5 string Metro and a NY5. The Metro was an early MV5, under M1000 serial. It had some of the best feeling neck I ever tried on a 5 string bass, I could play for hours both thru gigs or practice. 19mm spacing at the bridge. It sounded great with the Sadowksy hum cancelling pickups and was very light, too. I let it go because my other basses at the time were (and still are) Spector 5 string NS basses with a much tighter specing and they fit sound and playing -wise better to my preferences. Still think about getting a Japaneese Metro 5 string PJ from time to time though as they had a great impression on me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 I have a five string NYC and a four string Metro (Japan). Both are standard sixties style JJ basses, so not the modern designs which I think are probably better suited to more expansive playing styles. In terms of upper fret access, outside of the 24 fret models I would say that the upper fret access is no better and no worse than the equivalent Fender. Essentially, it is fine 90% of the time. The string spacing on the Sadowsky five strings are generally 19mm so there is loads of space for slapping. The neck on my five string (and all other Metro five strings I have tried) is pretty wide at the nut. As much as I love the bass for tone and general playability, it is a fairly substantial neck to navigate if you are playing more progressive legato stuff. It is still absolutely possible, but it requires a bit of effort and I find left hand 'fretboard gymnastics' easier to play on the four string, or my five string Vigier Arpege which has a much narrower neck and slightly narrower string spacing. Though I do play with fairly high tension strings with a 'medium' action so I'm not really going for a super low action/play with a really light approach to begin with. In terms of space to use slap and double thumb techniques etc, I much prefer the Sadowsky to the Vigier owing to extra string spacing near the pickups and bridge. In terms of comparing the Sadowsky 4 to 5, I can switch from four to five very easily owing to the string spacing being essentially the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 My Sadowsky RV5 Metro, from 2006, is just about the best playing and sounding bass I've picked up. I have a bad back and the 9 3/4lbs (I know that's not heavy) is an issue so I stopped playing it for awhile. I've just started bringing it to gigs again, because it sounds so much better than the basses that I bought to replace it. A few years ago I compared it to several chambered NYC basses they had in Guitar Guitar and I preferred the sound of my Metro by a mile. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 The metro Japan basses are lovely... but the "they are all lightweight" is something they started doing in the Warwick-Sadowsky era - so don't presume that it's going to be lightweight. I have a 4 string Will Lee metro - I only got it in a trade as it was going to be easier than my bass to sell on... that was 6 years back and it's been my main bass since 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGhostofJaco Posted February 27 Author Share Posted February 27 Appreciate it everyone, that was really helpful. And yes, I definitely don't assume the Metro japans are all light. I know they can weigh in close to 10 pounds, so I always ask about that to sellers. It may boil down to economics, I have a pretty nice deal I can get on a 4 that would save me $500 compared to what someone is asking for the 5. I figure I can take that savings plus other sales I will be making put that $$ towards a Ken Smith 6 or an Fbass BN5 so I get that extended range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Jaco only needed 4 strings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGhostofJaco Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 I ended up going with a sub 9 pound 5er. I went and played a Sadowsky 5 (got lucky there, a local shop happened to have one.) and I really loved the neck on it. Plus I love having the low B when I am playing in the upper registers or want to play in that E-A range. Something about the Sadowsky 5s just feel right. And since I have a Sadowsky 4 already it just seemed to make sense. Anyway, should have it next week, I am looking forward to it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 On 27/02/2024 at 11:59, Baloney Balderdash said: Jaco only needed 4 strings. Yeah, thats really helpful. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 1 hour ago, Gwilym said: Yeah, thats really helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 39 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said: Well by that logic 😂 balderdash noun senseless talk or writing; nonsense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Gwilym said: Well by that logic 😂 balderdash noun senseless talk or writing; nonsense. Humour isn't your strong side, is it? Edited March 2 by Baloney Balderdash 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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