2024 Sadowsky Metro Express Vintage JJ 4 String Bass

The Sadowsky MetroExpress delivers the DNA of one of the most storied names in professional bass guitar at an accessible price point. Born from the vision of Roger Sadowsky — the New York repair technician turned luthier whose instruments became the backbone of professional funk, R&B, and jazz sessions — the MetroExpress brings his legendary 2-band active preamp, hum-cancelling J-Style pickups, and a fast, stable roasted maple neck to players who demand professional performance without the custom shop price tag.

The Sadowsky MetroExpress series represents Roger Sadowsky's vision of bringing his acclaimed New York-built instruments to a wider audience at an accessible price point, with production handled overseas to his exacting specifications. The MetroExpress punches well above its price class in both build quality and tone.

The MetroExpress features a roasted maple neck in a comfortable C-shape profile, paired with a roasted maple fingerboard. The roasting process stabilises the wood against humidity and temperature changes — a practical benefit for touring and gigging musicians — while also lending the neck a distinctive warm, aged appearance. At 1.875" nut width on the 5-string, it strikes a balance between comfortable playability and string spacing that suits both fingerstyle and slap technique.

The bass is loaded with Sadowsky's own passive hum-cancelling J-Style pickups, with the bridge unit placed in the classic 60s position for a slightly warmer, fuller character compared to a standard 70s bridge placement. The result is a punchy, articulate tone with excellent clarity across all five strings.

Where the MetroExpress truly distinguishes itself is the onboard Sadowsky 2-band active preamp, offering Bass and Treble boost with a push/pull bypass on the bass knob to drop into passive mode. The Sadowsky preamp is legendary in bass circles — it adds presence and punch without colouring the core tone, making it equally at home in the studio or a loud live mix.

The super slick roasted maple neck is a joy to play. Origanially shaped to deliver a very fast playability whilst still providing the right amount of neck depth, this profile feels fantastic in the hands. The Roasted maple gives this bass excellent stability as well as fast attack and responce. 

Featuring an Okume body which gives you the classic warm tones of alder, beautiful mids and low mid growl whilst also producing a solid bottom end. The body is contoured and slightly reduced in size to give you that added Sadowsky comfort. 

Roger Sadowsky

Roger Sadowsky is one of the most respected figures in the bass guitar world. Starting out as a repair technician in New York City in the 1970s, he developed a reputation for making Fender Jazz and Precision basses play and sound better than they left the factory. This led him to begin building his own instruments, and by the 1980s Sadowsky guitars and basses had become the go-to choice for top-tier session musicians and touring professionals in New York. His instruments are closely associated with the sound of modern funk, R&B, and jazz bass, and his onboard preamp design became one of the most imitated circuits in the industry. Artists including Will Lee, Marcus Miller, and countless others have made Sadowsky basses central to their sound. 

• Sadowsky MetroExpress 21-Fret Hybrid P/J Bass
• 5-string electric bass
• 34" (864 mm) long scale
• Bolt-on construction
• Okume body
• Maple neck
• Maple fingerboard
• 12" fingerboard radius
• Sadowsky Just a Nut III
• 38.5mm nut width
• 21 nickel silver frets (width: 0.094" (2.4 mm) / height: 0.051" (1.3 mm))
• Passive Sadowsky J-Style pickups 
• Active Sadowsky 2-way electronics
• Controls for Volume / Balance / Treble / Bass
• Sadowsky Light machine heads with open gear
• String spacing 57 mm
• Sadowsky S-style security locks
• Sadowsky bridge with quick string release
• Chrome hardware
• Stainless steel 045 - 105 strings
• Weight max. 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg)