I purchased one of these basses on November 16 on-line. I'm having the same noise problems that are heard in this video. My bass is the white PJ MetroExpress. The bass is nicely made, but the noise issues are very frustrating. Less expensive basses do not have these noise problems. I would have paid more to have the VTC installed, and make the bass strictly passive. Mine is also going back to Nashville (Warrick Sadowsky MetroExpress HQ). Keep you all posted.
Thanks Kevin! Mine was sent there as well. Roger reached out personally to let me know that he's addressing these issues. Haven't heard anything else yet, but thank you for your comment!
PS...I was never told I was getting a replacement. The Sadowsky Rep wanted their staff to look at it, and see what the issue is. I referred them to this video, as my bass is sounding the same. Doesn't matter what amp used, Mesa, Aguilar, Ampeg, EBS, ..........this bass is way too noisy.
@@LowEndLobster PS: 10-15 years ago I owned a Metro Sadowsky, and a NY Sadowsky with the VTC. I under stand those basses are allot more $$ then this line, but never had the noise like the Metro Express.
I just received my new Metro Express 5 string jazz bass. I have the same horrible noise problems as everyone noticed. Being an electronics geek I had to look in to the problem and stared poking around inside the electronics compartment. I noticed that if I touched the blue or green wire going from the treble control to the input of the preamp the noise would increase. It looked like the problem was at the input of the preamp. I went to my electronics parts bin and found a .01uf bypass capacitor. The type used in most circuits to suppress (bypass) RF signals to ground. I placed it between the blue wire (lug) and ground (lug) on the bass control. Amazingly this fixed the problem and now I have a very quite Metro Express. One thing that is notable. Sadowsky already has a bypass capacitor between the blue wire and ground. So adding my capacitor placed it in parallel to the stock one. The fact that adding my capacitor fixed the problem tells me that either the stock capacitor was defective or it was not large enough to suppress the noise. Also, adding only .01uf on the treble control will not roll off audio frequencies.
Damn, that's a bummer! Glad you fixed your issue. You can buy the drop in preamps with the VTC from Warwick, they're expensive but expertly wired (vs the stock ME basses). I just dropped one into my Sire V7 and am very impressed thus far.
I've recently purchased the Verdine White Metro Express out of China, and have owned Japan Metro's and later, Metroline models. The Verdine White feels and plays as good as the more expensive models., and with a good setup to an owners preference, they play beautifully. Despite your comments the tone sounded quite good in your video. I agree that your unit must have grounding issues, but my bass was dead quiet, even with the single coils. I also installed a Vintage tone control, and stacked bass treble, and it now sounds exactly like the higher end models. With no ability to reduce the treble, even with it set flat, or bypassing the pre, it still doesn't allow to reduce the tone down for a vintage or muted sound. Thus installing the VTC is highly recommended on these RSD units. But pop in a VTC, and maybe a hipshot string tree, and it'd be hard to tell the difference between a metro express, and a German made Metroline. except maybe the headstock logo....
I was planning on saving up for the $949 fiver but it looks like I’ll be spending my money elsewhere. Thanks for the great work all the time, Lobster. Still looking forward to the full review and demo!
Dude, nice - this has to be one of the first and best videos of the MIC MetroExpress. On the positive side, I thought the bass sounded good. Apart from that though, at that price point it did not seem like it would be worth it, especially with the gear Sire is putting out there :( For folks that want a Sadowsky, it would probably make more sense to look for a used MIJ Sadowsky.
Thanks Taconeko! Cool seeing you on the bass hang yesterday! You make excellent point. I'm getting a replacement bass, this time a J/J... and might compare to a Sire V7 4 string ;).
Man SO GLAD you didnt just say OK on our trade and let me know there HAS to be an issue with this particular bass ....WHEW!!!..like i said probably made this one on a Friday eve at quitting time...hahahahah J/K ...But for the price....well lets just HOPE the replacement that they are sending to rectify the issue with this one does EXACTLY that and rectifies it for you and this line of Sadowsky basses!!!!!!!!!
@@LowEndLobster For better or worse, it's something that never leaves your innate being. BAWK HAWNDA on the Automile. Come on down! Ugh, see what I mean?
Any plans to do an updated review on these? Was wondering if you noticed the glowing review from the latest Bassplayer magazine. Enjoy your channel very much. Thanks.
I just checked out another review of a Sadowsky Express Jazz bass and it seemed pretty quiet so I expect that you will find something amiss under the hood when you check it out. That brings up obvious quality control issues if not actual electronics issues.
This bass sounds awesome Nice review 💪💪💙 I don't know if it's only my impression, but I feel like when you're playing slap with both pickups on it reminds me the sound of Victor Wooten 😍
I'm just NOW looking @ this. I was looking @ getting a 5 string fretless version, but I'll wait. It's kinda sad. Roger has always made great basses and guitars. He even set up my bass back in '82 when he was a repairman/luthier at Medley Music back in Bryn Mayr Pa. Warwick needs tp step their game up and correct those issues. We're talking about a man's reputation here. I want to have a "Sadowsky" bass in my collection; even if it's a metroline. But IT'S GOTTA BE TOPS! Anyone agree?
I will be revisiting this. This was a year and a half ago during the initial (and atrocious) launch. A good amount of time has passed and I want to see if they made good on the promises of improvements.
@@LowEndLobster Oh Ok. Cool. Let’s hope they’ll improved. Too many Jazz basses out here sounds BETTER than the Sadowsky and “cheaper;” and realistically IT SOULDN’T BE, imho.😕🎶👍🏾
It seems like a lot of passive basses with active preamps that you test tend to be on the noisy side which leads me to wonder if maybe it's a ground issue with your electricity in that room, or maybe your cable/amp? Or of course they could just be that noisy, lol and the horn on your amp is turned up enough to really emphasize it?
Hey Seth! You're right for some basses earlier on in the channel. When I moved my studio/office down to my basement, the electricals down here were a bit noisy. I did however snag a power conditioner a couple of months ago, and that seems to resolve a lot of the noise issues for certain instruments. EQ on the amp is at 12 o'clock across the board, and I checked with multiple cables. I think this particular example may have been defective. Hoping for the replacement to be better!
Our video had no signal processing. Was direct. There is some faint noise when not playing that is audible. It is barely audible while playing. If a compressor was being used with a lot of makeup gain it would increase the noise floor noise. What I do notice in this video is the buzzing is barely audible while playing as the noise floor is being pushed down. There seems to be a ton of compression on this signal.
LEL-Review,as good as ever! Thanx for telling the truth about all these basses.For me youre the best Reviewer off all.! Ps.: love youre cat!🤩I'm also a bassist & catlover🙃... Greetzs from Austria,and keep on!..🤟
I picked up a 5 string MetroExpress last week and it does seem that there are QC issues with these. I attempted to remove the control knobs so I could get the plastic of the control plate and, even with the knob screws completely removed, couldn't get two of the knobs free. Felt like they were glued on as well. More concerningly I attempted to back off the truss-rod as more relief was needed and just couldn't get it to where it needed to be. The rod felt like it was at the end of resistance and I didn't want to try and turn it further so back it goes.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say these Chinese-made express basses will be cut if the quality can't be improved. I just don't think Roger would stand for putting his name on such a product. Quite frankly, given the status of Sadowsky instruments it might just make more sense to have Warwick make the higher-end metro basses in Germany and leave this price point to other builders. I'm actually surprised they didn't go with a factory in Indonesia for these, there have been some pretty good instruments coming out of there the past several years.
Thanks gt! Me too. When Roger called me, he was pissed that a bass like this would make its way through QC. I'll be following up with him directly soon to get some additional info on a revision.
Hey Vitor! Thank you :). That's a great question. I'm actually getting a replacement Sadowsky MetroExpress that'll be a JJ... and I just so happen to have a Sire V7 coming in as well :). We'll do an in depth comparison soon.
I ended up transferring the cost of the bass to another purchase, essentially returning it. But I did send this to Roger. I'm going to wait for the next batch to see if things have improved. I would not get the first batch right now.
Thanks Jermaine! I agree, they definitely cut way too much on this bass both literally and figuratively for it to be worth it. Jackson minion is the same length, 20 bucks less, has two pickups, standard hardware... we'll be seeing one very soon ;)
Looks- awesome. Headstock logo- too bad. That’s the part that looks cheap. Sound- wow. High end snap with buttery creamy sophistication. For that price I’m not entirely surprised but I doubt it’s that noisy by design. Through in a high end pre or make it passive with shielding and it’s a seriously awesome workhorse. Slap sounded really high fi with the PJ.
Thanks Rick! Hoping the replacement is better. This thing does not have any shielding whatsoever. I think going passive and having a bit better QC would have done wonders here. Outside of the noise, there are a lot of glaring omissions (NO BATTERY DOOR OR COMPARTMENT WTF) that make this a hard sell at $900.
That's my Status Graphite Electro II Fretless, a rare bird. I did a vid on it a while back (first 5 claw review, this thing is GREAT). Def gonna do a follow up at some point since it's been a while.
The Nordstrand designed pickups made all of the difference in the Ibanez SR655. Seems like they're doing the same in this bass. The neck looks like brand new, unseasoned wood though. My 2017 Rockbass Corvette $$ was Chinese made and lasted only 1 year. The truss rod broke the first time I adjusted it. Trust issues? Lol
Agreed, those CND pickups are spectacular. The SR is a much more complete package than this right now though. Really underwhelmed, but we shall see if that holds true with the replacement bass!
I am confused how this is a Sadowsky yet has some sort of copywrite issue? Can you explain that issue? Why couldnt the headstock have the Sadowsky name on it if its a Sadowsky bass even if its from China. Glad you were getting it replaced or refunded (not sure what happened with the return for you). Dead E string, useless preamp and noise with ok fret work and I would return that for sure and move on. $800 is alot of money when compared to L-2000 or some of the Sterling line. Thank you for the video!
Thanks Mike! I believe there was some Chinese trademark law BS that happened where another company swooped in and grabbed the trademark before Roger even considered doing something in China with Warwick. Honestly, I would have produced these in Indonesia or Korea IMO but I don't know the specifics of the deal Roger has with Warwick. Roger did reach out personally to apologize and to let me know that the second batch will have the items I mentioned fixed. I was definitely not the only one who got a major dud like this bass. I did end up getting a refund and purchased another bass instead, but I will happily buy one from the second batch to review whenever they're available.
I have Glarry Jbass that feels great and doesn't have Rogers name on it! and trust me it sound just as great, and it didn't burn a hole in my pocket! But its also from China!
Thanks Omax! Yeah man, Roger done flubbed here. I don't think these new MetroExpress basses will be around for long unless they really step up the quality and QC.
@@LowEndLobster My Glarry doesn't have active sound board, but it does hum the same! Hot pickups maybe? Something interesting I noticed, if you adjust both volumes a quarter degree apart from either pot, they cancel or mute the hum! Or if you place them parallel also! However the tone pot will increase the hum greatly if you divide the value +/- past a quarter value? Great review over all, the subject matter is on point, keeping it real is important over all! Its a beautiful bass without question, but the guts need to be on par as well!!! Bang for the buck, as we say!
Thanks Keith! So the replacement one I'm getting is actually going to be a JJ, and we'll be doing a head to head comparison with a Sire V7 4 string of similar spec that I just got as well :)
Great question, Paul! I'm actually getting a replacement instrument from the vendor Fret Nation. I think this one might have something wrong with it. I took a quick peek inside and didn't see anything glaring.
@@LowEndLobster the 5-string version of this is on my radar but the VTC will follow close behind, initially for the tonal versatility but now hopefully to solve this noise issue
@@LowEndLobster Do you find that the neck on the RSD MetroExpress is a bit wider than on other basses? It looks wide in the video to me. It sure is nice that it has the rotary truss rod heel adjustment. I like that feature!
@@samlelowitch Yeah it felt a little fuller, I haven't had it for several weeks (transferred the cost to another bass, waiting on the next batch of Sadowsky RSDs) so I can't remember any specifics.
$900 is 3x what I am will to spend on one of these. I'll just put a passive P-Bass Pickup in my Jazz Bass. I can get a pickguard blank square to cutout a new P/J pickguard.
Did I see and hear a furniture commercial? You mentioned that you haven't spent much time setting it up, just how much time should you have to spend setting up an 800 dollar bass? I see Reverb in the future!
Hahaha yes ;P. Honestly, every bass I get I do a little setup on. I'll leverage Dom if I'm overwhelmed, but for an instrument like this I usually adjust the neck and action a bit - just usually before I shoot the vid. I did specifically request Jason not give it the Fret Nation touch, as I want my experience to be indicative not of a Fret Nation customer but of someone who would purchase this from anywhere. Jason @ Fret Nation ROCKS, killer service and a great selection of instruments - can't say enough nice things about this dude.
@@LowEndLobster You have just started this channel not long ago and you base is still climbing plus this is the first commercial I have seen on this channel. Merch is usually what comes next...
I ended up returning it and getting the spector (vid dropped today). Will definitely be snagging another Sadowksy from the second batch- I wouldn't go near the first.
Lobster Would you Please review Some MTD Kingstons. Kingston Super 5 s, , ZX 5 s, Ssratoga Deluxe etc ( Made in China) But Used by Many Many Gigging Bassist Like your reviews. Would like to see how they stack up in Comparisons. Keep up the excellent work sir. God Bless!
Thanks Kalvin! Yes, going to be checking out some at some point. I did a quick look at an older Kingston (single H and passive), but some of the new ones have caught my eye :).
Great question Golf! I'm not sure what the electronics differences is (minus the issues that I experienced with my chinese model), but the Chinese one uses an Okoume body, has cheaper neck construction, and cheaper materials overall. Big price difference with these coming in around $899 USD to the $3k of the MIG ones.
Probably a smart move by Warwick to buy the production rights to this bass. The Sadowsky name is pristine, and looks like in this case, it allows you to put lipstick on a pig, and pass it off as a Playboy model. I'm sure there is a fat margin on these basses as a result. I suppose I would take another look, but the fact that this was even allowed to leave the factory with that buzzing is a cause for alarm regarding the quality control.
Thanks! Roger Sadowsky actually reached out to me personally and it looks like they're doing what they can to rectify the issue both with the current batches and ones still in production. He was saying that the travel restrictions (and COVID in general) have made it impossible to do the in-person checks both in China and their QC spot in Nashville. I'm hoping that the first release bugs get worked out!
I don’t buy the Sadowsky copyright issue. Surely there isn’t any problem for basses being produced with the same Sadowsky on them for distribution outside of China? I think Roger S is waiting to see what the production models are actually like before either condoning them or distancing himself from the RSD models.
If that is the case, I think he's going to want to distance himself from these based on what I saw with this one. Hoping my replacement is a bit better or these will be quite the letdown, we'll see next week :)
Unfortunately passive mode is just a preamp bypass. Controls are V/Blend/Bass/Treb (or treb/bass, don't remember... sent this one direct to Roger to evaluate)
Boutique bass manufacturers are attempting to make affordable instruments, some have been successful with their overseas connections. Was under the impression Warwick's German factory was producing Sadowsky Metro basses. The Japanese made really good Metro basses wonder what happen?
Thanks Ralph! These are a notch below the MIG/MIJ Metro basses. I think they cut too many corners here. I'm hoping that I'll have a better experience with the replacement coming soon :)
A quiet preamp is not hard to do at this price level. Ibanez, SBMM, Sire, and others do it regularly. I suspect this issue will sorted out with the next generation of RSD basses. Besides the preamp, it looks like a very nice bass in the $1K category.
Thanks Joe! I'm hoping this is just a one-off fluke. Replacement bass incoming, JJ this time, and we'll be comparing it to one of the competition as well :)
Sounds to me like this preamp was rushed, not grounded and not wired correctly something that would never happen at Roger's shop. Roger is known for his QC, and for his higly respectable preamps. This one definitely didn't get the proper inspection before shipping it out. Hopefully they can send you a replacement preamp to swap this faulty one. I would definitely contact them asap.
Thanks! indeed something was definitely up. Roger reached out to me personally to ensure that the issues I encountered are being addressed both on the production line and at the QC shop. I'm actually sending this one straight to Sadowsky to investigate. Very impressed with Roger's reaction, very swift and direct. He knows the Sadowsky name means something to bassists, and I believe he'll do what he can to correct things as much as possible.
@@biga173rdify I have heard no word yet. I know mine just got to Roger today (slow shipping around holiday season). I'll be doing a follow up vid as soon as I have some info at least, don't worry :)
You've reviewed cheaper basses that had much less or no noise. Even if everything were flawless on that bass the boost only preamp with no passive tone control would be a deal breaker for me. I find myself cutting treble a whole lot more often than boosting, and having that on the bass itself is just way too handy. I'd rather they just eliminate the preamp, add a passive tone control and put the money they'd save into a better setup.
Thanks Michael! This is true. Roger stepped in, they're going to look at what went wrong with this bass and are making some changes to the next batch to improve things. My replacement sample should still be from a similar batch, but I'll be checking another one out once the changes fully propagate.
Had the same bass in JJ for one day. Preamp way too hot. No hum with mine but bad hiss with treble at %50. And in active mode if you backed the volume down about a quarter it got noisy a bit. Yes the preamp will just amplify any issues. Especially a preamp that hot. I just sent it back today. Too bad. I really thought Sadowsky had a $900 bass nailed.
Thanks Richard! I think many of us were hopeful that we'd get a solid affordable import bass with sadowsky electronics. Doesn't seem to be the case yet, though I understand that some revisions are on the way in response to the issues.
@@LowEndLobster really? I'd better hold off on getting that Sunburst Geddy Lee then lol. Actually I was tempted to buy an actual Sadowsky preamp and drop it in. There was a used one on Reverb for about $200 but I decided against it.
I'll be sure to mention that on the full review! I actually sent this back to Roger directly (he reached out) and will be getting a replacement at some point.
@@LowEndLobster hell yeah, compare old and new sadowsky although with some brands that would be dancing with the desire that led to the giant musicman array of competitive analysis (as we used to call it). I feel like if I had the flow to do it (it would be a bit of an endeavor, but people would probably want to buy every last one) I could do a month of content on many lesser known as well as vanished/acquired/resurfaced brands every time I found a new thing like Dame or Daisy Rock...I should start matrixing in twitch bot and content accounts before I cross the critical mass threshold of my patience with the universe. I have cams in storage literally for online chronicling...UGH
Still not. I returned the instrument and am waiting for the second production batch. Others have had similar experiences to me, and it's a real shame that these instruments were released in such a state!
@@paulsayer426 I spoke with him on the phone when this happened and he was not pleased! He was very apologetic and seems committed to rectifying the situation, however it will take a lot to redeem these instruments after such a botched launch. IMO these basses are DOA and I'm not sure we'll see them continue.
There should be a pretty substantial drop in level going from Active to Passive with this bass. The J pickup is single coil so some noise is to be expected when solo. No doubt there is some noise there, but when you are playing it is very faint. When you stop it gets very loud. It appears there is a ton of compression in your signal and a lot of makeup gain which is boosting the noise floor when you are not playing. Can you please go over your signal chain and also the settings in your "mix."
Thanks Slapinfunk! The noise wasn't just in the signal chain, it was coming out of my amp too. I'm plugged direct into my amp, and have about 50 or so different basses here and this was by far the noisiest - hoping it was just an issue with this particular example. Signal chain is very simple, going from bass -> amp (orange crush 50 BXT w/ line out)-> focusrite 4i4. I have a 1981 Ibanez Roadster RS824 which is known to be quite noisy, and even that pales in comparison to the Sadowsky here. Maybe the amp has a bit of compression built in? It's a pretty simple interface.
No Sadowsky logo on the headstock......sorry that's horrible. Can't believe someone else has the copyright over the Sadowsky name. And the noise in active mode is just not normal. I'd be pretty disappointed with that. That's just so not a Sadowsky. Thanks for your honest review.
Thanks Belman! Roger is taking this very seriously, and called me to let me know he's investigating the issue with these. Roger and his team haven't been able to have the oversight that they'd like on this project due to travel restrictions and whatnot which is a bummer, and the launch models definitely suffered for it. Patiently waiting for my replacement and I'll be giving it another go :)
@@jaxonvictoria4345 it was like $3k used... and it just felt like a bass... sounded like... a bass. I played some squires, fenders, MMs, jacksons, and esps along with it and it didn't feel or sound as good as any of them at any price range. Now it was only one, and the only one I've ever seen. The store manager pulled it out of the back for me to play and check out as he knows I have a tendency to make pretty large purchases on impulse. And there just wasn't anything unique about it. Nothing to even remotely warrant a 3k dollar used price.
@@rl-ub9hx I completely understand what you mean. I’ve always believed that a $100 bass and a $1000 bass will have a night-and-day difference, but the difference between a $1000 and $3000 bass is mostly the little details that may or may not be necessary in the improvement of the sound, tone, and feel of the instrument. A bass is a bass. I recently purged my collection of high end Fenders and now I have two: a Squier and a Sterling by Music Man and I’m just as happy if not happier.
@@rl-ub9hx That is definitely not the same bass. If it was 3K used it was not one of the new RSD MetroExpress basses made in China that just came out last week :D
@@fretnation I'm aware, and if it were to play like the one Ingot my hands on I would consider it an option as I feel the one I did play was no better than the $500-1000 basses I sampled at the same time. I would love to get a hold of another and see if that one just happened to suck? Either way, my first impression was lack luster.
Indeed! I was not the only one with this experience. I just got two new RSDs yesterday that are from the second batch. I will be doing a double unboxing (shooting later today hopefully), kind of nervous hahaha. Hoping that the second batch is better.
Great question Michael! Sire all the way here. Much better build quality (though the Sadowksy hardware is VERY nice, the pickups, preamp, and overall build quality are sub-par IMO)
@@LowEndLobster Thanks man. After I saw this I looked at a few other vids out of curiosity, not b/c I'm looking. I think I like the Sire better, overall, from what I've heard. Plus after you saying much better build quality, etc.
@@michaelb.42112 Don't get me wrong, the Sire has its own issues. I don't like the hardware that they use, or the number of (and quality of) knobs on the control plate for a J is a bit overkill. Funny enough, my Favorite fretted J is my modded V7 vintage with Sadowsky preamp and I have a set of DiMarzio Area J's coming to finish it off :)
Since when did China start worrying about trade marks? They rip everything off over there haha. I'll hold off my opinion till you set it up properly, which is only fair, as the $800 dollar mark has some very stiff competition. It does look nice tho.
Thanks Paul! I just snagged a Sire V7 as well which is one of the big shots in the sub-$1k active J category. The replacement Sadowsky will be a JJ as well, so we'll see which one is best!
I agree, though I haven't played many MIC instruments in this price range, but very disappointed with these. Looking to try some of the MTD Kingstons at some point (MIC, I played a MIK one previously)
Honestly, outside of the noise... I'd still agree with you. I get that they're trying to bring the sadowsky sound to the masses in an affordable instrument, but IMO they mayy have cut too many corners here.
I bought one a few months ago, and i have to say i'm utterly disappointed. The fret work is horrible. Its impossible to get rid of the fret buzz whatever i try. The quality just isn't up to scratch, save your money for a different bass!
Thanks Luuk! Yeah the first batch was a MAJOR doozy. Probably one of the biggest bass blunders of 2020. I just got two of the 'second batch' basses in yesterday, still haven't unboxed but I'm kind of nervous that the issues still haven't been fixed. Roger reached out to me personally after this because he was not pleased with the quality of the instruments (really wholesome dude). He assured me they next run will address all the things I mentioned (and he took some swift action involving his QC team). We shall see!
@@LowEndLobster we shall see indeed! I'm curios if there is a significant difference in the second batch. Can't wait to hear your toughts about them, cheers for the response!
@@LowEndLobster Hello! New to your channel and sub'd. Great heads up on this rsd. Im itching to grab a 5 JJ and was wondering if you got around to checking out the 2nd batch? Also how do we find out which is the first and second batches? Thanks!!
@@2012mrlee they send me a new one last week, i guess it was from the "second batch". This time the pre-amp was noisey and the fret work was still horrible. I send it back and asked for a refund. My advice: do not buy this bass.
I purchased one of these basses on November 16 on-line. I'm having the same noise problems that are heard in this video. My bass is the white PJ MetroExpress. The bass is nicely made, but the noise issues are very frustrating. Less expensive basses do not have these noise problems. I would have paid more to have the VTC installed, and make the bass strictly passive. Mine is also going back to Nashville (Warrick Sadowsky MetroExpress HQ). Keep you all posted.
Thanks Kevin! Mine was sent there as well. Roger reached out personally to let me know that he's addressing these issues. Haven't heard anything else yet, but thank you for your comment!
PS...I was never told I was getting a replacement. The Sadowsky Rep wanted their staff to look at it, and see what the issue is. I referred them to this video, as my bass is sounding the same. Doesn't matter what amp used, Mesa, Aguilar, Ampeg, EBS, ..........this bass is way too noisy.
@@LowEndLobster Thank you! I have back-up now! :)
@@LowEndLobster PS: 10-15 years ago I owned a Metro Sadowsky, and a NY Sadowsky with the VTC. I under stand those basses are allot more $$ then this line, but never had the noise like the Metro Express.
China needs to understand that there are somethings that you just can not fudge.
I just received my new Metro Express 5 string jazz bass. I have the same horrible noise problems as everyone noticed. Being an electronics geek I had to look in to the problem and stared poking around inside the electronics compartment. I noticed that if I touched the blue or green wire going from the treble control to the input of the preamp the noise would increase. It looked like the problem was at the input of the preamp. I went to my electronics parts bin and found a .01uf bypass capacitor. The type used in most circuits to suppress (bypass) RF signals to ground. I placed it between the blue wire (lug) and ground (lug) on the bass control. Amazingly this fixed the problem and now I have a very quite Metro Express. One thing that is notable. Sadowsky already has a bypass capacitor between the blue wire and ground. So adding my capacitor placed it in parallel to the stock one. The fact that adding my capacitor fixed the problem tells me that either the stock capacitor was defective or it was not large enough to suppress the noise. Also, adding only .01uf on the treble control will not roll off audio frequencies.
Damn, that's a bummer! Glad you fixed your issue. You can buy the drop in preamps with the VTC from Warwick, they're expensive but expertly wired (vs the stock ME basses). I just dropped one into my Sire V7 and am very impressed thus far.
I've recently purchased the Verdine White Metro Express out of China, and have owned Japan Metro's and later, Metroline models. The Verdine White feels and plays as good as the more expensive models., and with a good setup to an owners preference, they play beautifully. Despite your comments the tone sounded quite good in your video. I agree that your unit must have grounding issues, but my bass was dead quiet, even with the single coils. I also installed a Vintage tone control, and stacked bass treble, and it now sounds exactly like the higher end models. With no ability to reduce the treble, even with it set flat, or bypassing the pre, it still doesn't allow to reduce the tone down for a vintage or muted sound. Thus installing the VTC is highly recommended on these RSD units. But pop in a VTC, and maybe a hipshot string tree, and it'd be hard to tell the difference between a metro express, and a German made Metroline. except maybe the headstock logo....
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like they're starting to sort out the QC issues that were plaguing the first runs. Great to hear!
this sounds so nice, cant wait to hear it with no buzz. getting a tone like that for 899 seems like a steal
Thanks Ricardo! Hoping the replacement doesn't have this issue!
I don't think I've ever clicked "like" on youtube videos until yours... it's just so fun
I had a Metro from Japan, the build quality was insanely good. It played and sound killer. Should never have sold it.
Thanks Mark! I've heard nothing but good things about the MIJ Metro basses. Hope to try one on the channel at some point
I bet the ground wire is not attached; that is just too much noise for something to not be wrong. Bass sounds killer; really like the tone very much.
Thanks Keith! I hope that's the case. I'm getting a replacement one and will be doing another unboxing and full review on that :)
I was planning on saving up for the $949 fiver but it looks like I’ll be spending my money elsewhere. Thanks for the great work all the time, Lobster. Still looking forward to the full review and demo!
Lets talk! th-cam.com/video/wV4vyUDhMV0/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Jaxon! Hoping the replacement is better :)
Look at the Fret Nation reviews for the 4 and 5 strings. No noise at all. Saw a demo from another store too. No noise.
@@richardmilligan1410 I actually just got my first fiver, I went with the Ibanez EHB1005MS.
@@jaxonvictoria4345 very good. Hope it serves you well for many years.
I've been waiting for this one Lobman😆
Thank you :)
@@LowEndLobster have you perhaps solved that terrible noise issue?
Great stuff. Thank you for sharing. Have a super awesome week lobster. Cheers
You too Tommy!
Dude, nice - this has to be one of the first and best videos of the MIC MetroExpress. On the positive side, I thought the bass sounded good. Apart from that though, at that price point it did not seem like it would be worth it, especially with the gear Sire is putting out there :( For folks that want a Sadowsky, it would probably make more sense to look for a used MIJ Sadowsky.
Thanks Taconeko! Cool seeing you on the bass hang yesterday! You make excellent point. I'm getting a replacement bass, this time a J/J... and might compare to a Sire V7 4 string ;).
Thank you for doing the Sadowsky metro express review. I’m thinking about buying a 5 string.
Thanks Shawn!
Man SO GLAD you didnt just say OK on our trade and let me know there HAS to be an issue with this particular bass ....WHEW!!!..like i said probably made this one on a Friday eve at quitting time...hahahahah J/K ...But for the price....well lets just HOPE the replacement that they are sending to rectify the issue with this one does EXACTLY that and rectifies it for you and this line of Sadowsky basses!!!!!!!!!
Thanks man! Hopeful for a resolution as well!
I had to take a moment after that Bernie & Phyl's ad. Childhood flashed before mine eyes.
:D I'm surprised at how many people picked up on that hahaha
@@LowEndLobster For better or worse, it's something that never leaves your innate being. BAWK HAWNDA on the Automile. Come on down! Ugh, see what I mean?
For $900 the fret work and Preamp should be top notch
Agreed!
Any plans to do an updated review on these?
Was wondering if you noticed the glowing review from the latest Bassplayer magazine.
Enjoy your channel very much.
Thanks.
I did a review of one, and will probably revisit the bass at some point this year
I just checked out another review of a Sadowsky Express Jazz bass and it seemed pretty quiet so I expect that you will find something amiss under the hood when you check it out. That brings up obvious quality control issues if not actual electronics issues.
Thanks Keith! Didn't see anything, but there is def something wrong. Hoping the incoming replacement is better!
great review and im very happy that i can finally afford a sadowsky bass
Thanks Claus :)
Well at least you start out with the most important part of Sadowsky ownership, the box.
LOL Thanks Eric!
This bass sounds awesome
Nice review 💪💪💙
I don't know if it's only my impression, but I feel like when you're playing slap with both pickups on it reminds me the sound of Victor Wooten 😍
Thank you :)
froge approves
You heard it here first, folks! ;P Thank you my friend
I'm just NOW looking @ this. I was looking @ getting a 5 string fretless version, but I'll wait. It's kinda sad. Roger has always made great basses and guitars. He even set up my bass back in '82 when he was a repairman/luthier at Medley Music back in Bryn Mayr Pa. Warwick needs tp step their game up and correct those issues. We're talking about a man's reputation here. I want to have a "Sadowsky" bass in my collection; even if it's a metroline. But IT'S GOTTA BE TOPS! Anyone agree?
I will be revisiting this. This was a year and a half ago during the initial (and atrocious) launch. A good amount of time has passed and I want to see if they made good on the promises of improvements.
@@LowEndLobster Oh Ok. Cool. Let’s hope they’ll improved. Too many Jazz basses out here sounds BETTER than the Sadowsky and “cheaper;” and realistically IT SOULDN’T BE, imho.😕🎶👍🏾
That's way too much noise and issues at that price level. Mighty power is essentially the same price.
Yeah, the MP is a vastly superior instrument. We'll see how round two looks with the replacement!
It seems like a lot of passive basses with active preamps that you test tend to be on the noisy side which leads me to wonder if maybe it's a ground issue with your electricity in that room, or maybe your cable/amp?
Or of course they could just be that noisy, lol and the horn on your amp is turned up enough to really emphasize it?
Hey Seth! You're right for some basses earlier on in the channel. When I moved my studio/office down to my basement, the electricals down here were a bit noisy. I did however snag a power conditioner a couple of months ago, and that seems to resolve a lot of the noise issues for certain instruments. EQ on the amp is at 12 o'clock across the board, and I checked with multiple cables. I think this particular example may have been defective. Hoping for the replacement to be better!
need to snag me one of these. Great playing and content!
Thanks Carlos!
Good tones😎 Noise bad ☹️
Edit: The RSD that Jason @fretnation did a demo with didn’t have a noise issue like this one.
Our video had no signal processing. Was direct. There is some faint noise when not playing that is audible. It is barely audible while playing. If a compressor was being used with a lot of makeup gain it would increase the noise floor noise. What I do notice in this video is the buzzing is barely audible while playing as the noise floor is being pushed down. There seems to be a ton of compression on this signal.
Thanks Ozzie! Hoping the replacement is better, the noise here is definitely not normal
Looking forward to the follow up review. Can't decide on a schecter model T, charvel or metro express
Thanks Brian! Here it is- th-cam.com/video/15WCG7cZtV4/w-d-xo.html
LEL-Review,as good as ever! Thanx for telling the truth about all these basses.For me youre the best Reviewer off all.!
Ps.: love youre cat!🤩I'm also a bassist & catlover🙃...
Greetzs from Austria,and keep on!..🤟
I picked up a 5 string MetroExpress last week and it does seem that there are QC issues with these. I attempted to remove the control knobs so I could get the plastic of the control plate and, even with the knob screws completely removed, couldn't get two of the knobs free. Felt like they were glued on as well. More concerningly I attempted to back off the truss-rod as more relief was needed and just couldn't get it to where it needed to be. The rod felt like it was at the end of resistance and I didn't want to try and turn it further so back it goes.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say these Chinese-made express basses will be cut if the quality can't be improved. I just don't think Roger would stand for putting his name on such a product. Quite frankly, given the status of Sadowsky instruments it might just make more sense to have Warwick make the higher-end metro basses in Germany and leave this price point to other builders. I'm actually surprised they didn't go with a factory in Indonesia for these, there have been some pretty good instruments coming out of there the past several years.
Thanks gt! Me too. When Roger called me, he was pissed that a bass like this would make its way through QC. I'll be following up with him directly soon to get some additional info on a revision.
The build quality is good, however the internals are questionable here!
Warwick doesn’t make their own entry basses in Germany.
Lobster, good video. what do you think about this bass ( RSD) in relation to the Sire V5 or V7/V3? Thanks I love your reviews :)
Hey Vitor! Thank you :). That's a great question. I'm actually getting a replacement Sadowsky MetroExpress that'll be a JJ... and I just so happen to have a Sire V7 coming in as well :). We'll do an in depth comparison soon.
@@LowEndLobster Thanks :)
@@LowEndLobster I too look forward to that. I am looking for a new 5-string PJ. But that noise is a concern.....
It is now one month ago, did Sadowsky already fix the problem?
I ended up transferring the cost of the bass to another purchase, essentially returning it. But I did send this to Roger. I'm going to wait for the next batch to see if things have improved. I would not get the first batch right now.
I think if making 'budget' versions costs this in much quality then companies should just stick to the premium models🤔
Thanks Jermaine! I agree, they definitely cut way too much on this bass both literally and figuratively for it to be worth it. Jackson minion is the same length, 20 bucks less, has two pickups, standard hardware... we'll be seeing one very soon ;)
Considering there are $200 basses that are quiet...
Looks- awesome. Headstock logo- too bad. That’s the part that looks cheap. Sound- wow. High end snap with buttery creamy sophistication. For that price I’m not entirely surprised but I doubt it’s that noisy by design. Through in a high end pre or make it passive with shielding and it’s a seriously awesome workhorse. Slap sounded really high fi with the PJ.
Thanks Rick! Hoping the replacement is better. This thing does not have any shielding whatsoever. I think going passive and having a bit better QC would have done wonders here. Outside of the noise, there are a lot of glaring omissions (NO BATTERY DOOR OR COMPARTMENT WTF) that make this a hard sell at $900.
There's Fret Nation videos where there's no noise. Several videos actually.
Damn, that sounds really good.
Thanks Jack! Yeah I dig the tone, hoping the replacement (JJ not PJ this time) will have the nice tone without the not-so-nice noise!
Wow, the tone is ..stellar. Did you discover /solved the noise problem?
Doesn't seem to stack up against the sire pj and the yamaha bb735a
what is that gorgeous bass in the upper left of the frame? been gassing for a minute seeing it in your videos
That's my Status Graphite Electro II Fretless, a rare bird. I did a vid on it a while back (first 5 claw review, this thing is GREAT). Def gonna do a follow up at some point since it's been a while.
The Nordstrand designed pickups made all of the difference in the Ibanez SR655. Seems like they're doing the same in this bass. The neck looks like brand new, unseasoned wood though. My 2017 Rockbass Corvette $$ was Chinese made and lasted only 1 year. The truss rod broke the first time I adjusted it. Trust issues? Lol
Agreed, those CND pickups are spectacular. The SR is a much more complete package than this right now though. Really underwhelmed, but we shall see if that holds true with the replacement bass!
I am confused how this is a Sadowsky yet has some sort of copywrite issue? Can you explain that issue? Why couldnt the headstock have the Sadowsky name on it if its a Sadowsky bass even if its from China.
Glad you were getting it replaced or refunded (not sure what happened with the return for you). Dead E string, useless preamp and noise with ok fret work and I would return that for sure and move on. $800 is alot of money when compared to L-2000 or some of the Sterling line. Thank you for the video!
Thanks Mike! I believe there was some Chinese trademark law BS that happened where another company swooped in and grabbed the trademark before Roger even considered doing something in China with Warwick. Honestly, I would have produced these in Indonesia or Korea IMO but I don't know the specifics of the deal Roger has with Warwick. Roger did reach out personally to apologize and to let me know that the second batch will have the items I mentioned fixed. I was definitely not the only one who got a major dud like this bass. I did end up getting a refund and purchased another bass instead, but I will happily buy one from the second batch to review whenever they're available.
Thanks for posting
Thanks Paul!
@@LowEndLobster liverpool UK
nice demo! it's active or passive or both?
It has a preamp bypass, but no passive tone control. 2 band active preamp.
I have Glarry Jbass that feels great and doesn't have Rogers name on it! and trust me it sound just as great, and it didn't burn a hole in my pocket! But its also from China!
Thanks Omax! Yeah man, Roger done flubbed here. I don't think these new MetroExpress basses will be around for long unless they really step up the quality and QC.
@@LowEndLobster My Glarry doesn't have active sound board, but it does hum the same! Hot pickups maybe? Something interesting I noticed, if you adjust both volumes a quarter degree apart from either pot, they cancel or mute the hum!
Or if you place them parallel also! However the tone pot will increase the hum greatly if you divide the value +/- past a quarter value?
Great review over all, the subject matter is on point, keeping it real is important over all! Its a beautiful bass without question, but the guts need to be on par as well!!! Bang for the buck, as we say!
Great tone but the buzzing is very disappointing! I'd rather have a Sire P7 5. Have you compared the Sadowsky to the Sire?
Thanks Keith! So the replacement one I'm getting is actually going to be a JJ, and we'll be doing a head to head comparison with a Sire V7 4 string of similar spec that I just got as well :)
Did you sort of the hum. Shielding ?
Great question, Paul! I'm actually getting a replacement instrument from the vendor Fret Nation. I think this one might have something wrong with it. I took a quick peek inside and didn't see anything glaring.
Might be worth upgrading to the VTC, which I understand is a solderless drop-in replacement?
Already ordered one. This bass was sent back to Roger... but I have plans for that preamp ;)
@@LowEndLobster the 5-string version of this is on my radar but the VTC will follow close behind, initially for the tonal versatility but now hopefully to solve this noise issue
Or like you mentioned the lights and other things plugged into the same plug circuit.
Thanks Mark!
There’s no way that’s normal .
There simply HAS to be something wrong with that bass.
Looking forward to the resolution.
Thanks! Replacement coming soon complete with another unboxing vid and full review of that one :)
Interesting review, Lobster! Based on this video alone, I’d have to say I don’t see much to impress me about this bass. I guess the jury is still out.
Indeed, I understand Roger is working on addressing the issues
@@LowEndLobster Do you find that the neck on the RSD MetroExpress is a bit wider than on other basses? It looks wide in the video to me.
It sure is nice that it has the rotary truss rod heel adjustment. I like that feature!
@@samlelowitch Yeah it felt a little fuller, I haven't had it for several weeks (transferred the cost to another bass, waiting on the next batch of Sadowsky RSDs) so I can't remember any specifics.
$900 is 3x what I am will to spend on one of these. I'll just put a passive P-Bass Pickup in my Jazz Bass. I can get a pickguard blank square to cutout a new P/J pickguard.
Yepppppp. I got a second PJ too that was just as bad. These are such a dumpster fire.
Did I see and hear a furniture commercial? You mentioned that you haven't spent much time setting it up, just how much time should you have to spend setting up an 800 dollar bass? I see Reverb in the future!
Hahaha yes ;P. Honestly, every bass I get I do a little setup on. I'll leverage Dom if I'm overwhelmed, but for an instrument like this I usually adjust the neck and action a bit - just usually before I shoot the vid. I did specifically request Jason not give it the Fret Nation touch, as I want my experience to be indicative not of a Fret Nation customer but of someone who would purchase this from anywhere. Jason @ Fret Nation ROCKS, killer service and a great selection of instruments - can't say enough nice things about this dude.
@@LowEndLobster Just a note; many channels have experienced a decline in subscribers for using in video commercials....
@@Bass.Player I make mine skippable :).. at least they should be. No decline here (yet)!
@@LowEndLobster You have just started this channel not long ago and you base is still climbing plus this is the first commercial I have seen on this channel. Merch is usually what comes next...
@@Bass.Player Swag is coming my friend... Swag is coming ;)
Do you get a true subtle balance adjustment of the 2 PUPs with the balance knob, or is it all on/all off of each PUP with a center detent for both on?
Hey man. Did Roger get you a replacement, or did you get one at all?
I ended up returning it and getting the spector (vid dropped today). Will definitely be snagging another Sadowksy from the second batch- I wouldn't go near the first.
@@LowEndLobster Appreciate that. Would you say mostly electronics was the reason?
Lobster Would you Please review Some MTD Kingstons. Kingston Super 5 s, , ZX 5 s, Ssratoga Deluxe etc ( Made in China) But Used by Many Many Gigging
Bassist Like your reviews. Would like to see how they stack up in Comparisons. Keep up the excellent work sir. God Bless!
Thanks Kalvin! Yes, going to be checking out some at some point. I did a quick look at an older Kingston (single H and passive), but some of the new ones have caught my eye :).
What different between germany metroline and china metro express?
*in case of sound and material
Great question Golf! I'm not sure what the electronics differences is (minus the issues that I experienced with my chinese model), but the Chinese one uses an Okoume body, has cheaper neck construction, and cheaper materials overall. Big price difference with these coming in around $899 USD to the $3k of the MIG ones.
Probably a smart move by Warwick to buy the production rights to this bass. The Sadowsky name is pristine, and looks like in this case, it allows you to put lipstick on a pig, and pass it off as a Playboy model. I'm sure there is a fat margin on these basses as a result. I suppose I would take another look, but the fact that this was even allowed to leave the factory with that buzzing is a cause for alarm regarding the quality control.
Thanks! Roger Sadowsky actually reached out to me personally and it looks like they're doing what they can to rectify the issue both with the current batches and ones still in production. He was saying that the travel restrictions (and COVID in general) have made it impossible to do the in-person checks both in China and their QC spot in Nashville. I'm hoping that the first release bugs get worked out!
I don’t buy the Sadowsky copyright issue. Surely there isn’t any problem for basses being produced with the same Sadowsky on them for distribution outside of China? I think Roger S is waiting to see what the production models are actually like before either condoning them or distancing himself from the RSD models.
If that is the case, I think he's going to want to distance himself from these based on what I saw with this one. Hoping my replacement is a bit better or these will be quite the letdown, we'll see next week :)
I tried the 5 string version and i felt that string spacing was more narrow compared to a Fender Jazz (or Sire V7).Any idea? Thanks !
Im assuming the bass has normal controls in passive? Is it a pickup blend knob or 2 volumes?
Unfortunately passive mode is just a preamp bypass. Controls are V/Blend/Bass/Treb (or treb/bass, don't remember... sent this one direct to Roger to evaluate)
@@LowEndLobster ah ok, would the passive mode still work if the batteries died?
I like it very much!
Thanks!
It’ll be interesting to find out what you discover under the hood. The tones sounded a bit meh to my ears.
Thanks Rev! Getting a replacement, hopefully that one will fare better. We'll be doing a comparison with one of the competition as well ;).
Did you buy this from thomann? if you didnt can you give me a link cuz i wanna buy this bass WITH the gig bag
No, I bought it through Fret Nation.
Boutique bass manufacturers are attempting to make affordable instruments, some have been successful with their overseas connections. Was under the impression Warwick's German factory was producing Sadowsky Metro basses. The Japanese made really good Metro basses wonder what happen?
Thanks Ralph! These are a notch below the MIG/MIJ Metro basses. I think they cut too many corners here. I'm hoping that I'll have a better experience with the replacement coming soon :)
A quiet preamp is not hard to do at this price level. Ibanez, SBMM, Sire, and others do it regularly. I suspect this issue will sorted out with the next generation of RSD basses. Besides the preamp, it looks like a very nice bass in the $1K category.
Thanks Joe! I'm hoping this is just a one-off fluke. Replacement bass incoming, JJ this time, and we'll be comparing it to one of the competition as well :)
Sounds to me like this preamp was rushed, not grounded and not wired correctly something that would never happen at Roger's shop. Roger is known for his QC, and for his higly respectable preamps. This one definitely didn't get the proper inspection before shipping it out. Hopefully they can send you a replacement preamp to swap this faulty one. I would definitely contact them asap.
Thanks! indeed something was definitely up. Roger reached out to me personally to ensure that the issues I encountered are being addressed both on the production line and at the QC shop. I'm actually sending this one straight to Sadowsky to investigate. Very impressed with Roger's reaction, very swift and direct. He knows the Sadowsky name means something to bassists, and I believe he'll do what he can to correct things as much as possible.
@@LowEndLobster Wow that's great, and from the man himself. Now that's customer service.
@@LowEndLobster Any updates on when the new bass will arrive?
@@biga173rdify I have heard no word yet. I know mine just got to Roger today (slow shipping around holiday season). I'll be doing a follow up vid as soon as I have some info at least, don't worry :)
@@LowEndLobster Awesome!
You've reviewed cheaper basses that had much less or no noise. Even if everything were flawless on that bass the boost only preamp with no passive tone control would be a deal breaker for me. I find myself cutting treble a whole lot more often than boosting, and having that on the bass itself is just way too handy. I'd rather they just eliminate the preamp, add a passive tone control and put the money they'd save into a better setup.
Thanks Michael! This is true. Roger stepped in, they're going to look at what went wrong with this bass and are making some changes to the next batch to improve things. My replacement sample should still be from a similar batch, but I'll be checking another one out once the changes fully propagate.
@@LowEndLobster That's awesome that Roger stepped in! Looking forward to the follow up video. 👍
Very bright and modern, all hifi, no character, or personality, all preamp. But it's an option.
I would go with a BassMods preamp.
Interesting, I've honestly not checked out much of their stuff but I really should
Had the same bass in JJ for one day. Preamp way too hot. No hum with mine but bad hiss with treble at %50. And in active mode if you backed the volume down about a quarter it got noisy a bit. Yes the preamp will just amplify any issues. Especially a preamp that hot. I just sent it back today. Too bad. I really thought Sadowsky had a $900 bass nailed.
Thanks Richard! I think many of us were hopeful that we'd get a solid affordable import bass with sadowsky electronics. Doesn't seem to be the case yet, though I understand that some revisions are on the way in response to the issues.
@@LowEndLobster really? I'd better hold off on getting that Sunburst Geddy Lee then lol. Actually I was tempted to buy an actual Sadowsky preamp and drop it in. There was a used one on Reverb for about $200 but I decided against it.
This review scares me from buying one. Damn! On to look for something else.
Oh also man, could you tell me what the neck dive is like on this?
I'll be sure to mention that on the full review! I actually sent this back to Roger directly (he reached out) and will be getting a replacement at some point.
@@LowEndLobster nice, will keep my eye out for it. Otherwise, lovin the vids, keep them comin
The Lobster is Cooking.
Is it possible to get a tagima on the channel?
I have two coming in tomorrow :)
It 100% sounds like a Sadowsky.
Thanks! I haven't played one in a loooooooooong time, so I don't have much of a reference point.
@@LowEndLobster then borrow an old one lol
@@LowEndLobster hell yeah, compare old and new sadowsky although with some brands that would be dancing with the desire that led to the giant musicman array of competitive analysis (as we used to call it). I feel like if I had the flow to do it (it would be a bit of an endeavor, but people would probably want to buy every last one) I could do a month of content on many lesser known as well as vanished/acquired/resurfaced brands every time I found a new thing like Dame or Daisy Rock...I should start matrixing in twitch bot and content accounts before I cross the critical mass threshold of my patience with the universe. I have cams in storage literally for online chronicling...UGH
I thought this was going to be one of the MIJ Sadowskys. Glad it's not given the noise. Disappointed so far, given the price.
Thanks John! Agreed, going to save my full verdict for the replacement.
Has it been sorted now ?
Still not. I returned the instrument and am waiting for the second production batch. Others have had similar experiences to me, and it's a real shame that these instruments were released in such a state!
@@LowEndLobster
Mr Sadowsky will not be pleased !
@@paulsayer426 I spoke with him on the phone when this happened and he was not pleased! He was very apologetic and seems committed to rectifying the situation, however it will take a lot to redeem these instruments after such a botched launch. IMO these basses are DOA and I'm not sure we'll see them continue.
There should be a pretty substantial drop in level going from Active to Passive with this bass. The J pickup is single coil so some noise is to be expected when solo. No doubt there is some noise there, but when you are playing it is very faint. When you stop it gets very loud. It appears there is a ton of compression in your signal and a lot of makeup gain which is boosting the noise floor when you are not playing. Can you please go over your signal chain and also the settings in your "mix."
Thanks Slapinfunk! The noise wasn't just in the signal chain, it was coming out of my amp too. I'm plugged direct into my amp, and have about 50 or so different basses here and this was by far the noisiest - hoping it was just an issue with this particular example. Signal chain is very simple, going from bass -> amp (orange crush 50 BXT w/ line out)-> focusrite 4i4. I have a 1981 Ibanez Roadster RS824 which is known to be quite noisy, and even that pales in comparison to the Sadowsky here. Maybe the amp has a bit of compression built in? It's a pretty simple interface.
RSD? But what about NSD and MTD???
Investigate all the Ds lol
Hahaha gotta catch em all
R U coming through a direct box?
Nope, going into my Orange Crush 50 BXT combo amp (used for all my vids, not my main amp), and the line out for that is going into my Focusrite.
@@LowEndLobster You could use a little more gain on that Focusrite.
@@rmccain99 Thanks! It's a balancing act because a hair too much and it overdrives the signal. I appreciate the suggestion :)
No Sadowsky logo on the headstock......sorry that's horrible. Can't believe someone else has the copyright over the Sadowsky name. And the noise in active mode is just not normal. I'd be pretty disappointed with that. That's just so not a Sadowsky. Thanks for your honest review.
Thanks Belman! Roger is taking this very seriously, and called me to let me know he's investigating the issue with these. Roger and his team haven't been able to have the oversight that they'd like on this project due to travel restrictions and whatnot which is a bummer, and the launch models definitely suffered for it. Patiently waiting for my replacement and I'll be giving it another go :)
Bernie and Phyl's reference!
Nineties-00's New England Furniture Chain Commercials
@@LowEndLobster I used to live in South Shore MA and we had one. :)
No matter how it feels or sounds, the headstock logo would bug the hell out of me. I would only be able to think "I have a fake Sadowsky".
Yep, that was one of the biggest aspects that they botched was the branding.
@@LowEndLobster 👍
Send it to Shada Cah cah Johnny long to put a monster Pre amp in it at the hoboe depot!
SHADA KA KA! XD
@@LowEndLobster lol. Thank you for correcting my English with SPEACH! ( Trading Places)
Dang heart breaking
Yep! Hopefully we don't go 0 for 2 with the replacement.
I need another go at these, I was not at all impressed with the one I played
Why? How was the one you played?
@@jaxonvictoria4345 it was like $3k used... and it just felt like a bass... sounded like... a bass. I played some squires, fenders, MMs, jacksons, and esps along with it and it didn't feel or sound as good as any of them at any price range. Now it was only one, and the only one I've ever seen. The store manager pulled it out of the back for me to play and check out as he knows I have a tendency to make pretty large purchases on impulse. And there just wasn't anything unique about it. Nothing to even remotely warrant a 3k dollar used price.
@@rl-ub9hx I completely understand what you mean. I’ve always believed that a $100 bass and a $1000 bass will have a night-and-day difference, but the difference between a $1000 and $3000 bass is mostly the little details that may or may not be necessary in the improvement of the sound, tone, and feel of the instrument. A bass is a bass. I recently purged my collection of high end Fenders and now I have two: a Squier and a Sterling by Music Man and I’m just as happy if not happier.
@@rl-ub9hx That is definitely not the same bass. If it was 3K used it was not one of the new RSD MetroExpress basses made in China that just came out last week :D
@@fretnation I'm aware, and if it were to play like the one Ingot my hands on I would consider it an option as I feel the one I did play was no better than the $500-1000 basses I sampled at the same time. I would love to get a hold of another and see if that one just happened to suck? Either way, my first impression was lack luster.
The proper plural of Express is "Expri"! :D
XD
If this continues to be a flop, I don’t think Roger Sadowsky and his team will continue to pursue getting the naming rights of ‘Sadowsky’ in China.
Thanks Jaxon! I agree, though I will save my full verdict until I get my replacement. Hopefully it's quieter than this one here.
@@LowEndLobster if they do get the Sadowsky name then this’ll be a collectors item of sorts. Pretty cool.
It looks like they are having A LOT of quality control issues there...
Indeed! I was not the only one with this experience. I just got two new RSDs yesterday that are from the second batch. I will be doing a double unboxing (shooting later today hopefully), kind of nervous hahaha. Hoping that the second batch is better.
Something is wrong with the wiring. I would pay that much for it passive.
Yup, something was very wrong here! Sent this to Roger
Ah the mint smokes that thing. More money for cat food too lol
Thanks Wes! Yeah the minty project is something else, I love that thing. I'm hoping I fare better with the replacement bass coming soon :)
vs Sire P7 ??? Opinions, Lobster ? Thanks ! - mb94952
Great question Michael! Sire all the way here. Much better build quality (though the Sadowksy hardware is VERY nice, the pickups, preamp, and overall build quality are sub-par IMO)
@@LowEndLobster Thanks man. After I saw this I looked at a few other vids out of curiosity, not b/c I'm looking. I think I like the Sire better, overall, from what I've heard. Plus after you saying much better build quality, etc.
@@michaelb.42112 Don't get me wrong, the Sire has its own issues. I don't like the hardware that they use, or the number of (and quality of) knobs on the control plate for a J is a bit overkill. Funny enough, my Favorite fretted J is my modded V7 vintage with Sadowsky preamp and I have a set of DiMarzio Area J's coming to finish it off :)
Is this a "low end" sadowski? Gig bag? You had to give it a setup? Humming? Hmmmmmm.
Same bag is included with the new Made in Germany MetroLine basses. It is a pretty nice bag!
Fret Nation is accurate, it is a VERY nice bag.
Ah, i see you went to the LTTstore.com
I did ;P... I didn't take the plunge on the undies yet.
Normally- I am not a label or cosmetic guy- but the stupid headstock labeling puts me off. Don't know why but it does.
I hear you. One of the many things that made the release feel rushed.
Since when did China start worrying about trade marks? They rip everything off over there haha. I'll hold off my opinion till you set it up properly, which is only fair, as the $800 dollar mark has some very stiff competition. It does look nice tho.
Thanks Paul! I just snagged a Sire V7 as well which is one of the big shots in the sub-$1k active J category. The replacement Sadowsky will be a JJ as well, so we'll see which one is best!
it's coming out of China..... Can't do it …...
Yep. Never again for me. That still leaves the US, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, the UK, the EU and Japan - all better choices.
I agree, though I haven't played many MIC instruments in this price range, but very disappointed with these. Looking to try some of the MTD Kingstons at some point (MIC, I played a MIK one previously)
Nice Squier Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified basses made in Indonesia.
Sounds like a swing and a miss for Sadowsky on these ones.
Honestly, outside of the noise... I'd still agree with you. I get that they're trying to bring the sadowsky sound to the masses in an affordable instrument, but IMO they mayy have cut too many corners here.
They're fighting against Sire for the sub-$1k Jazz Bass On Steroids niche, so they've got some work to do to fit in there competitively.
Not all. Check out the Fret Nation videos for these basses. No noise.
😦
:)
I bought one a few months ago, and i have to say i'm utterly disappointed. The fret work is horrible. Its impossible to get rid of the fret buzz whatever i try. The quality just isn't up to scratch, save your money for a different bass!
Thanks Luuk! Yeah the first batch was a MAJOR doozy. Probably one of the biggest bass blunders of 2020. I just got two of the 'second batch' basses in yesterday, still haven't unboxed but I'm kind of nervous that the issues still haven't been fixed. Roger reached out to me personally after this because he was not pleased with the quality of the instruments (really wholesome dude). He assured me they next run will address all the things I mentioned (and he took some swift action involving his QC team). We shall see!
@@LowEndLobster we shall see indeed! I'm curios if there is a significant difference in the second batch. Can't wait to hear your toughts about them, cheers for the response!
@@LowEndLobster Hello! New to your channel and sub'd. Great heads up on this rsd. Im itching to grab a 5 JJ and was wondering if you got around to checking out the 2nd batch? Also how do we find out which is the first and second batches? Thanks!!
@@2012mrlee they send me a new one last week, i guess it was from the "second batch". This time the pre-amp was noisey and the fret work was still horrible. I send it back and asked for a refund. My advice: do not buy this bass.
Hey! I already shot the review of the second batch one. It's better, but not by much. It'll be launching soon!
$900.00 for a bass that noisy? My $300.00 musicman Sterling was whisper quiet.
Yup! They didn't get any better either :(. Was very disappointed with these