Sadowsky RSD Metro Express 4 JJ - There's something missing here.. - LowEndLobster Review
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2024
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RSD Metro Express (first run) Unboxing: • Sadowsky (RSD) MetroEx...
Sire V7 w/ Sadowsky Preamp: • Sire V7 Vintage w/ Sad...
Hey everyone! Today we're reviewing the Sadowsky RSD Metro Express 4 string JJ bass from Sadowsky. These basses had a very rocky initial launch, but Roger Sadowsky promised improvement with subsequent releases. Now that we have a second batch model, does his statement hold true? Let's find out!
Edit: The tuner's aren't hipshot, but they're nearly identical to ultralites. Pickups are 60's spacing
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with MJC Ironworks Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(125) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at www.mjcironworks.com
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Time to re-review these with the new versions!!!
You should have way more subscribers. You are doing a much better job than a lot of other bass-related channels on YT.
Thanks! Hoping to get there soon enough :)
Your honesty is so appreciated.
Thanks Dana!
Allow me to join the chorus of those who appreciate your reviews. It seems like most of the "reviews" of basses on UA-cam are either created by stores or manufacturers trying to sell you the bass, overly exuberant fans of a particular brand or poorly informed players who fail to answer obvious questions about the bass being reviewed. It really means a lot to have access to such intelligent, unbiased and fair reviews, created by a good bass player with good production values, no less! Keep doin' that thing you do!
Thank you Tom! I'm glad you appreciate the reviews :)
Lobster you do a great job reviewing bass gear and we all appreciate your honest and candid opinions! Please keep up the good work!
You are the only source of info I know of that tells things as they are...the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thanks for that!! I never was much of a Sadowsky fan, always seemed like an overpriced Fender clone.
East Coast has a cluster of builders, and some of the oldest in the US are still there today.
Tal still uses her Sadowsky, Brian Marshall (like many others) left Sadowsky and went back to Ernie Ball.
Don't be confused though, this isn't a Sadowsky bass, at least not based on what they typically make. Sadowsky basses are exclusively in the $3K+ range while this was meant to be "cheap"
Thanks Mike! Sadowsky MIJ, MIG, and especially MIA basses are absolutely exceptional 'next level' Fender inspired basses. This chinese-made RSD however does not belong with the rest of the 'Sadowsky' family. It's a shame that these basses may turn people off of the higher end ones which are absolutely stellar instruments.
Lobster, this or a Sire V7?
I totally agree with you. This is an honest channel with honest reviews. This is my go-to channel when thinking about buying a bass.
I appreciate your honesty here. Anyone in the market would be keen to know these details
Thanks James!
When I first learned of plans for a (then Japanese) Metro Express line, I was really excited about the possibility of acquiring a high-quality but affordable Sadowsky Verdine White bass. I fully expected that the Metro Express line would require some quality sacrifices to bring it in at a lower price point, but I was encouraged by Roger's pledge that the new line would offer the highest quality instruments at that price point. It's disappointing that these Chinese instruments have proven to be deficient, not just on the first try, but on the second as well. I'm glad you've been willing to speak the truth about these instruments. I think Roger has built such a fine reputation that his company is kind of a sacred cow in some bass circles, and that's not helpful for potential buyers.
Thanks Tom! Indeed- though my experience with the higher end ones is limited, I still can see the craftsmanship and quality in those instruments. These Chinese ones do not have that special sauce, and just feel like a 'knock off' of a Sadowsky that one could buy on Aliexpress.
Considering Chinese guitars and basses have decent quality now it is absolutely surprising that this came out the way it is. The artisans at RB factory are well aware of the trade and should have come up with a bit more finesse
I also have to concur with the negative sentiments on the metro express. The one I tried had such horrific fret work my hands ended up actually bleeding. I'm shocked and at the same time disappointed Roger would compromise his integrity and good name with these junk basses. Oh well I guess money can make people do strange things?
I always love your honesty on reviews. That help us a lot. Thanks again.
Thats why im following this channel, i appreciate your honesty, good job
Thank you Simon!
I've had a chance to try most of the new models. From the Chinowsky Metro Express to the German Metroline costing around US$4300.
The Chinowsky 5 string J really surprised me. For the price, it feels and plays better than most Fender & Sterling 5s I've tried. The low B on it is fantastic for something so affordable. Yes the pickups are noisy on their own, but I haven't found them to be noisier than other single coils. When used together there is no hum! Including when pushing the preamp to its limits. GREAT preamp btw. Very useable. I prefer active mode on this bass. A GREAT BASS - I hope you get to review it at some point :-)
The 4 string Chinowskies on the other hand are pretty average and retail for more than Mexican fenders here.
The German Metroline feels beautiful but I would pick something else for the price. Ridiculously expensive.
One last thing - every Chinowsky that came out of the box needed a serious truss rod adjustment... Maybe it's the climate change? Or they just don't bother with setups..
For anyone interested: as of late 2023, these have dropped price in the EU (Thomann) to 500 quid. I suspect they want rid of them due to the newer 23 models being released. Nice info and great video as always anyway, Lob.
Is it better to buy the RSD than a Squier and add the drop-in preamp? The cost is almost the same. You´ll get better hardware with the RSD but better electronics with the Squier. Thoughts?
@@ciudadindustrial oooh, I'll be honest man, I had a Squier where the electronics were woegeous! Shite capacitors, all the soldering looked fine but everything was scratchy and badly treated. It was an Indonesian one, 2019, not Chinese. I returned it, the neck was the best part about it. This is why I was looking at the Chadowsky. There are Sire, Harley Benton but I have heard how amazing the neck and small body profile is on Sadowsky.
Thanks@@SchismaticProductions I have a Harley Benton with modified electronics and sounds amazing, but it´s a heavy instrument and I´m looking for something lighter. The Chadowsky at half price looks like a good option with some mods.
Let me tell you something... Sadowsky is a geniuos. He knows what jazz lovers likes to listen from.
Your review is spot on! I love the tone and playability of this bass but one of the issues is the fret edges. It makes it feel like a kinda’ cheap bass but it does have its strong points too! Great review sir!
yet another bass that looks nice and sounds ok. Great and honest review as always dude.
Thanks Jason!
Ty very much for the update Lobster
NP. Will be checking this out again next year to see if they've improved.
Man, I WANTED to like the RSD basses. Almost pulled the trigger on one. I recently copped a $450 mint condition Fender Player Jazz Bass (that now retails at $750) from the TalkBass forums and that was an absolute steal. I can’t imagine paying upwards of $899 for this.
Thanks Jaxon! Nice! Awesome price on that. The option is there to pop in a Sadowsky preamp or J Retro if you wanted as well!
Yeah - I think the trick that bass can do is bass boost on the bridge pickup to get bassy thwacky thump so you get lots of low end but with huge attack. I mean, it'd be a fantstic funk live bass. It does appeal to me but only second hand at a great price so I could take a 70s configured instrument and really customise it to my requirements. Thanks for a great review...
Love the Donny Bennet shirt! And as always, great work!
Thank you Brock!
The way Talkbass talks about Sadowskys, you'd think they were made by God himself. Glad to see an honest review!
To be fair they're almost certainly talking about the American, or Japanese made Sadowkys... this a new lower Chinese made tier. I'm not Sadowsky's biggest fan by any means, but he's earned his reputation. A couple years from now once they've ironed out all the kinks for this low tier model, I'm sure they'll be great for the price. Many manufacturers have rough early runs for new models.
They are! I've played a NYC 5 string, 24 fret Sadowsky (sadly, not mine) and it is one of the finest basses I've ever played.
This is no Sadowsky. It just has his name on it. The Japanese and USA Sadowskys are impeccable.
I believe you have it mixed up here. The Sadowskys you often see in the forums are typically the extremely high end USA and Japan made lines that cost thousands of dollars. They are arguably the best Jazz-style basses money can buy to be honest. These RSD Metro Express basses are meant to be a "budget" option and imo they're not worth your time at all considering what you can get for a similar price
As others have said, the quality of the MIJ, MIG, and MIA Sadowsky basses are top notch and have helped Roger build a legit reputation. Talkbass can definitely have its echo chambers, but the quality of 'true' Sadowsky basses are absolutely top tier. That being said, they're in the price tier of major diminishing returns (like all basses up there IMO), but quality is quality.
Thanks so much for the nice and honest review! Keep up with the great job!
Thank you Luigi :)
Was considering buying one of these basses glad I came here first I appreciate it because I know you will give it to me straight no chaser
Thanks Marc. To be fair, this was part of the earlier run of the basses. I do plan on revisiting this model to see if they've improved. However, the limitations that I've mentioned with the lack of tone control still remain. Glad you enjoyed the video!
The one I was looking at is on the GC used gear website I would assume it has the same issue lack of a tone control as the one in your video happens to be the same color as well thanks again Lobster 🦞
You are an educator, not just a reviewer. Sunday is now complete. Time for bed.
Thank you!
Excellent review as always Lobster. It's your boldness to clearly state your mind without beautifications of any kind that keep me coming.... and your calm, meticulous and thoughtful approach in general :)
My greatest gripe with J-style basses is balance when sitting. The body shape -namely the positioning of the "thigh trough" makes the bass very neck-heavy when sitting and it becomes a problem if you need to free-up your right arm to play fast up-and-down the strings, for fast funky/dance stuff.
Thanks Moto! I used to be a hardcore J guy, but I've been much more appreciative of the more symmetrical bum of the P bass and Stingray body styles.
Hi Lobster, another good and honest review. This bass is just ok.
The rear pickup is in the ’60s position. 👍🏾🙏🏿
Thanks Trevor!
Thanks Lobster! A great review as always. I have never been all that impressed with the Chinese built Warwick basses, and if Roger Sadowsky is set on using that factory - he will need to twist a few arms with Warwick a bit IMO to get the build quality up. Besides, the lack of tone control is a deal breaker as far as I'm concerned. You could get a used Squire Classic Vibe jazz bass and drop in a John East preamp for a lot less than you'd pay for one of these. Personally - I could build one from scratch and have all USA made parts for less. But, I would think that future runs will be better. At least one can hope. Cheers for now!
Thanks Chris! Having a Sire w/ aftermarket hardware, DiMarzio Area J pickups, and the Sadowsky preamp makes me think Roger made a mistake not making a deal with Sire. Sire body/neck, Sadowsky Preamp, Sire/Sadowsky pickups, Sadowsky hardware - Winner! This one just feels so unfinished in comparison. You're absolutely right about the Squier/John East combo (my main bass for years was a frankenjazz w/ j retro), though that being said I think the Sadowsky preamp is the best J bass preamp because of it's simplicity and its approach to 'enhancing' a Jazz vs giving someone controls that may/may not be utilized. The blue Valenti I reviewed had a similar setup to the Sadowsky pre w/ VTC except it was boost/cut vs boost only and IMO it was a stellar setup as well
Great Review Lobster. Thanks!!
Thanks T H!
Top - notch video ! Thanks !
Thanks Hi! :)
You're right on with the Charvel basses. Amazing pieces. If they sold a IV jazz, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Huge respect for that Donny Benet T-shirt!
Thank you BD!
I was really impressed with the Sadowski's tone overall. What a shame it has so many faults and there's no way I'd buy one as it stands. Thanks for an excellent review, Lobster.
Thanks Andy :)
Great review, as always! I have this bass in a 5 string and my biggest issue are the fret edges, they could have done a much better job of smoothing them out! Overall, great tone and playability, but I should have held out, saved a little more money and gotten an American made Sadowsky.
Great review. Honestly sounds like a Squire jazz with an Audere pre-amp would be as good.
Thanks Bevin! You're not wrong.
Excellent review !!!!
Thanks Chris!
Cool bass! 😍
I tried this bass a few months ago and it sounded great but it doesn't have that 70s jazz bass tone, so I ended up buying the Sire V7 vintage 2nd generation 😅
Nice review as always 💙
Thanks EJ! You chose well. I think that my upgraded V7 has the best of both worlds and is my ultimate J bass, as is my V5 fretless for a fretless J.
@@LowEndLobster thanks for your feedback 💙
Finally an honest review. Thank you 🙏
That color makes me green with envy.
XD Thanks BCC!
It really has this Sadowsky tone.
Thanks k0brakai!
Nice review, man. I can't live without a tone control! I'm a bass player that actually uses it on all my basses. As you pointed out, Sadowsky does make some beautiful basses like the ones made in LIC Queens, NYC; This seems a bit expensive for what it is. One can Rock a Fender Japan that will be stellar or a Squier, LTD, and other makes for the inexpensive route, you know what I'm saying?🥂
Thanks Steve! I'm right there with you, especially on a J. These active J's are all about enhancing the original J with added features, but to take away the tone knob and have folks pay another hundred bucks to get the tone control!? That's just nuts
Hey Lobster, would love to see you review a G&L JB-2. G&L always impresses me with their build quality.
Heyo! We'll definitely be checking out the Tribute version of that bass for sure :)
Amazing review.
I want to love the RSD basses but it seems they aren't really up to scratch yet. I'm loving my Sire V7 4-string (though I am definitely looking at replacing the tuners), and have been eyeing up the 5-string RSD for my next purchase, but I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that either a 5-string V7 or saving up for an MIJ MetroExpress would be a better use of my money.
Love to see you review the Spector legend 4 standard.....
i kinda like this more over the new Fender Player Plus. If it had noiseless pups and a tone control, it would've been perfect, I love the tone.
Nice review again Lobster a lot better from the first.one cheers 👍
Thanks Paul!
Gotta love the lobsters 🦞 bass face
bass fass ;P
@@LowEndLobster Touché
Lobster, you should see if you can get your hands on a 2023 model. The improvements look interesting, especially for the price. Maybe they have fixed the QC issues.
I have a 2023 model coming in Sept. The current ones out to media outlets are prototypes.
I do have a Shadowy bass preamp SP B1
A great pedal
Nice! We're hopefully going to start to do more pedal stuff at some point down the line, that preamp will definitely be on the list!
The colour is nice. Still no Sadowsky logo on the headstock :-( Thanks for the review!
You're welcome :)
Loving the “mad bass scientist” look. Hoping the beautiful Afro is coming back....
It’s a beautiful bass from this end, except the ugly headstock and logo. I really like the colors and the maple neck/fretboard. They seem a bit expensive when considering the FGN is available and a little easier to get, at least from what I can see. Maybe I’m wrong and I have no idea what I’m talking about. I haven’t played either, but from what I’ve seen, I think I know which I’d rather buy. Great real video. Thank you for sharing. Cheers
Btw. Thank you for your honesty
Haha thank you! You're absolutely right. I wouldn't call FGN easier to get, but I'd say they're much more worth it at the end of the day.
@@LowEndLobster thought about it after I wrote it and....well, I haven’t tried to get either....
Cheers buddy. Hope your weekend was refreshing
Seems like Sadowsky sold out just to make more money. That is so sad. Thanks for your honest review.
Thanks Russell!
I never use tone control on active basses and rarely on passive. On passive I adjust the neck or bridge volume controls to get my desired tone and it never sounds muffled.
Thanks Richard!
Much love for Donny Benet!! Love that dude!
Thank you! He rules!
I believe i would just buy a fender in that price range. To much money to just turn around and upgrade. I agree with you lobster they should have just included as stock for
the model. Fender player jazz sounds just as good and is a little cheaper in price. Love your honesty on evey review and that you r so thorough. Love ya lobster! Tony franklin 2021 brother. Cant wait.
Thanks Brooks!
@@LowEndLobster dont forget me and Tony my friend!
I love your Dr. Phil T-Shirt. Tight!
It has a really cool J tone, lots of character.
Thanks Platinum!
The Lobster is On The Boil !
As always very thorough. Shame these are not of the standard expected with the name.
Have yiu come across MARUSZCZYK basses. Seem to be coming popular in Germany and UK. Hand made in Poland. Stay safe keep rocking. Stu
+1 for a look at the Maruszczyk basses!
I hope to try one at some point, they look excellent!
I enquired about custom build maruszczyk bass. Been quoted 4-5 months. Not sure prepared to wait that long but the spec you can get hand built for £1500 is unbelievable. Elwood L4A twin delano himbuckers Darkglass preamp Roasted bird's-eye maple fretboard and neck. Even cheaper without Roasted. Great value . Why buy a USA Fender that's generic when you can get these cheaper . Do I order one and wait and use something cheap to go on with is my dilemma.
Knowing its built for you I think is awesome at this price.
Any thoughts. Keep up the great work 🦞
Some early Metro Expresses are on Reverb for $459. Might be worth buying one and then upgrading the pickups and preamp...
These need the Sadowsky hc jazz pups. They're specifically made to be complimented by the preamp and are probably the only humcancelling J sets I actually think sound good (even if they do need a preamp to do so).
Thanks Samantha! I haven't tried the Sadowsky HC pickups yet, but I have been dabbling with the DiMarzio Area J's and I loooooove them
Donny Benèt ❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
He's the best :)
Great review. Although it sounds good, for the price and what you get I don’t see or hear anything to rival my Fenders an Squier Classic Vibes. A message to anyone interested, my Squier CV 5 string with Ernie Ball Slinky’s sounds a lot like this Sadowsky in passive mode. I got rid of all my active basses. It does seem like a good slap bass however.
Thanks Raymond!
Hmm. Not bad; but not great! For a Sadowsky; I was expecting more as far as Tone is concerned. It’s weird; I’m a bassist, but like Sadowsky strat guitars MORE than their Basses. I played a Sadowsky 24 fret Tokyo model and like that BETTER than their USA model. You go figure! The bass is not bad, but can use a passive tone control on it. For the money, should’ve had the Passive tone on there. Thanks for the review!😌🎶👍🏾
Hi lobster! Do you plan checking out the 2023 updated models?
Let’s gooooo
WOOO!
What if I want a PJ, and I mix the PUs, will I have hum?
Yes unless you get a hum cancelling J pickup.
Nice shirt! I see you are a man of culture and experience 😏
Thank you Nathan :)
Thanks for that detailed review. That must've been a lot of work. This bass, because of the name, must be like buying a cheap Cadillac. You might as well buy a loaded Chevy for the price. Getting out of the vintage look and just focusing on price. You could pickup an Ibanez SR805 and kick some serious butt with that. Although it doesn't have an active/passive switch. It does have a 3 way mid range boost.
Thanks Rick! Well said
@@LowEndLobster thanks man for the reply. If we're going down the car road. Why buy a cheap Infiniti, when you can get a fully loaded Lincoln. Unless that's what you want.
That Donny t-shirt is too good.
Thank you :) Donny rules!
@@LowEndLobster He really does! I learned about him after hearing you play one of his lines in another review video and scouring the comments for the source.
Good review. I bought the Sadowsky PJ 5 Hybrid at a deep b-stock discount, knowing I was taking a chance based on the reviews. The feel of the neck, the slap tone, and weight are killer IMO. The ergonomics is also very pleasing except for the sharp corners on the bridge that can scrape your forearm. They need round out those corners. I looked at the bass as being sort of mod platform / project bass / experiment and it would take some extra work and cash. I replaced the pickups and installed hum-cancelling Sadowsky pups. Then I dropped in a Seymour Duncan 3 band preamp that I installed on a 4 knob jazz plate. There is something about the bass that made me want to invest in it as a project, maybe it is the Sadowsky mystique. Even with mods the output of the Seymour Duncan pre was somewhat low. It seems as though the 1st quarter of the range of the Seymour Duncan pre output is minimal. The bass really came to life when I plugged it into a mini TC Electronics Spark clean boost then to my amp. I'm loving it now. Granted... I have 3 Sires that I just love, including the preamps... 2 V3 5 string jazz basses and a P7 5 string... they were awesome right of the box. The Sires high level fit and finish exude a quality build, they arrived ready to play, and sounded fantastic with plenty of mojo.
One shouldn't have to spend a ton of cash buying extras and upgrades. The Metros should come with hum cancelling pups and the Sadowsky pre with VTC. This is a no brainer... what are they thinking? But I must say even with the issues the Metros have a lil' somethin' somethin' about them that I can't quite put my finger on. I just ordered another discounted b-stock Metro Hybrid that I will keep stock but I will drop in the Sadowsky preamp with VTC. We'll see how it goes. BTW there's an expensive $25cent diode mod that can be done to cancel the noise, I'll be trying this mod out as well. If you look around you can get one at a discount.
Great comment! Thank you for sharing your experience. I agree on the config, the pre with VTC is a no brainer - why not include it?
I came for the sadowsky review, but left intrigued about that surf green job in front of the silverburst jack cassady in the rack to your right - what is that? I need it.
Thank you Krev! Good eye, that's my ESP LTD GB-4. Here's my latest vid on it- ua-cam.com/video/5u0lC5qBqWo/v-deo.html
Awesome bass.
Really wish Sire would use that bridge design! I thought that bass sounded pretty good, but noisy as f@#$. Didn't even sound like it was grounded. For nine hundred bucks, seems like the Sadowski name is a big driver of the price. I really don't care for brands exploiting their name like that. Seems to cheapen the brand. Anyway, good review. Seems like there are really better options for that money.
Right!? Honestly, if Sire and Sadowsky got together it would be the ultimate J bass. Hardware from the Sadowsky, the 'real' Sadowsky drop in pre, the Sire build quality - neck and body. My V7 is essentially this, but with DiMarzio Area J pickups and it is my faaaaavorite J.
It does sound real nice.
Nice t-shirt, Lobster ;)
Thank you :)
🦞, Has Warwick added the just-a-nut on this model yet?
I'm not sure, this one didn't have one. I guess they'll be added at some point.
Weird. They have been promoting that feature on the website. Perhaps the 2nd gen will be money. Thank again for a fun and informative bass review.
Thanks!!! Hey that shirt looks familiar. What album is that?
Mr. Experience
^Chris knows his Donny!
If I was Sadowsky, I would have teamed up with FujiGen instead....Sire and Ibanez totally smoke this....even Harley Benton are better than that
Thanks Chris! I was thinking FujiGen, Mirr (Korea), Sire, or Cort to provide the body, neck and assembly. These would have come out so much better.
cool bass
Thanks Ricardo!
I really want to like a Sadowsky. (I'm a NYer.) The MiJ bases were hot. This one, meh. Man...
Thanks John! Indeed, it's been quite a while since I've played an NYC or MIJ but my memories of those are quite fond. This misses the mark on all accounts.
That Donny Benét T shirt 👌
Thanks Facu :)
It says a lot when the hardware made by other manufacturers is better than the product that comes with it.
You're not wrong!
5:24 The position of the bridge seems to be too close to the neck. The bottom string saddle is tightened beyond the center. That’s a deal breaker.
When I looked at the German Metroline, it wasn't.
Now that it has been a year since this video was posted, are there any updates on this line? Still made in China? Does this line still exist? Curious minds want to know but from the source we can all depend on; Lobster.
Have you ever reviewed a Squire VM Jazz Bass 5. That Bass and a Sadowsy Preamp might be a Beast Bass. Just Saying!
I looked at the Classic Vibe 5, thought it was average. Sounded good but the QC wasn't the best. I put a Sadowsky preamp in my Sire V7 though and replaced the pickups with DiMarzio Area J's and the result is EPIC. Sadowsky drop in preamp (with VTC) is one of the best J bass preamps out there because it looks to enhance what the J does instead of just give you a bunch of controls for the sake of control.
They should have just made it passive with quiet pickups.
I think they missed the mark on a lot of things here
That shirt...Dr Phil apparently also couldn't get a haircut lately. Nice statement!
Thanks Patrick!
Hi. Great, honest review. Could I ask what rating you would give this bass if it came with the VTC as standard?
Thank you and great question! I think the VTC addition as standard would at least make this a somewhat average value. The build quality and fit/finish have a LONG ways to go and is definitely below average. I still stand by my statements of the high quality hardware used here. Honestly, if Sire and Sadowsky teamed up on these, we'd have a perfect J bass IMO.
@@LowEndLobster so by that reckoning, if you could find a clean, well put together example on the second hand market, and added the VTC, it could be a pretty good bass.
Ehhhhh..... I think the used Sire V7 + the Sadowsky preamp is a much better option. I got my V7 for $450 on reverb used, preamp was another $200 (got it from Warwick direct when they first came out), and I'm still over $200 under what one of these is new. The neck of the RSD is really sub-par for the price point IMO in terms of fit and finish.
@@LowEndLobster I guess I'll find out for myself next week. Incoming delivery.
@@livefromthelivingroom7833 Let me know what you think!
My recommendation would be to forget this thing and get a FGN Mighty Jazz instead.
The truth!
Roger should ask Cortex make him the cheap version of Sadowsky bass, because Cort already has very shine poor man version Sadowsky MV bass since 2017 ~ GB74JJ.
Hope you able make a comparison between Cort GB74JJ side by side with this China made Sadowsky in further review. Tq
Thanks Totomo! No comparison needed, but I'll happily try the Cort. I really enjoyed the GB64jj, and I have no doubt the higher end 74 will be similar
I will gladly install an Audere four control z in that bass. Money can buy you, love.
We will definitely be checking out the Audere drop in J preamp (and others) and be comparing them to the likes of Sadowsky for sure
PJ or JJ is better? I'm still considering....
100% JJ
Ugh... that "Grandma's 70s Sunday driver" paint!!! Yuck! Sounds okay though. No money will be leaving my wallet anytime soon for a Sadowsky of any kind. I'd save for a Valenti, if I were a J bass guy. Thanks again for a great review.
I recently purchased this bass and have been very happy with it. I’m curious about the VTC retrofit kit you mention early in the video. Is that an option that can still be installed? Or will something else be lost in the process?
It comes with a new tone control pot and a bass/treble stack knob to replace the existing 2-band 2-knob setup I believe.
@@LowEndLobster So, am I right that would work when the preamp *isn’t* engaged?
@@leecrooks3048 Yes
@@LowEndLobster Thanks! Soo appreciate your replies, and your channel!
I'm no Expert, but I thought I read somewhere that single coil J pickups work better with pedals.. But like I said I'm no expert and I could have read that wrong. I have a PJ configuration on my bass, i just turn down the J pickup, also turn down tone control seems to get rid of that nasty hesss. Sorry I forgot that the Sadowsky bass doesn't have a Tone Control Bummer ~ NEXT..
Thanks Richard! Right? It seems silly to not have a tone control when you have single coil pickups like this, especially on the PJ!
Sadly for $900+ you can get a much better, non-Chinese made bass that doesn't have goofy headstock decals. Sad as I think would be a real market for a 900-1500$ import Sadowski.
Right? I absolutely agree. So many facets that IMO would have benefitted from holding off the launch and fine tuning the product/sorting out trademark issues.
Boost only preamps work best in basses that have a really nice fundamental tone, which I think this bass has. Ideally, a boost only preamp never needs more than minimal boost.
It’s funny that you disliked the Squier Contemporary Jazz HH because it is boost only with a passive tone control, just like traditional Sadowsky’s. I can definitely use the tone to tame the harshness of the treble boost.
It sounds like you did not like the fret edges on this bass. That is entirely unacceptable when there $500 basses with good fret edges.
Thanks! I've recently swapped in a set of DiMarzio Area J's into my V7 w/ the Sadowsky OBP and it might be the perfect J bass for me. The boost only works so well there! You can really have your way up to 100% boost on both the bass and treble and it just sings! You're absolutely right, in a bass with strong fundamentals this preamp (esp. w/ VTC) is killer. With the Squier, my biggest gripe was that the preamp did so little. Thinking back and comparing it to other preamps I've tested, it reminded me of the Tone Monster that I put in the SUB during the Stingray Mod Series.
@@LowEndLobster fair enough. I get good results out of that Squier but I never boost it much.
Hello, I really love your reviews. I am looking to purchase a sub 1000.00 Jazz bass. I was considering, the Sadowsky ME, Fender Player series, vintera series. I am not brand loyal and would love any recommendation(s) from you. I am also considering saving a few more pennies for a cu stom Bass (N1) made by Marco Cortes. As you probably know, they start at around 1,200.00 and are hand made and include a hard case.
I just did a build using Fender replacement parts including the hi-mass bridge, lightweight MIA style tuners, and their roasted maple neck and the result has been pretty great. The only drilling I had to do was for pickguard holes and tuner holes on headstock. If you want something how you want it out of the box and are willing to put in a little elbow grease, a legit Frankenfender is a solid option and you can have it your way! Otherwise, there's some great J options with FGN, Sire, Fender, Cort, Schecter. FGN IMO is quality king for the price, but harder to source compared to the others. Hope that helps!
@@LowEndLobster Thank you very much! I look forward to watching more of your videos. I really appreciate your honesty and knowledge! I am a trumpet player (48 yrs)who just started playing bass last June as I got board of trumpet during Covid Lockdown. I truly love practicing bass. Best!
Would you recommend the Charvel over the Sadowsky?
Neck pickup sounds awesome. So cool finish. Green? Meadow green? xD
It's a bright meadow ;P
@@LowEndLobster reminds me of that guy in Status Quo, didn't he have a Tele in this finish?
Hi! Love your channel! Question maybe you can answer. I have the P/J Metro Express and bought the Sadowsky Onboard Preamp with Vintage tone control as you suggested and when I put the pickup blend in the middle, it sounds thin and perhaps out of phase. When it is full J pickup or full P pickup it sounds nice and full. Does that have to do with it being two different pickup types? Thanks in advance for any information you may be able to provide.