Japanese MetroExpress Basses

Update 12/30/19: We are not taking new orders of the current, Japanese-made MetroExpress basses. All previous orders will ship by March and the new MetroExpress basses will be available sometime in the spring.

The Sadowsky MetroExpress

Roger Sadowsky has always been committed to making the highest quality instruments regardless of price point. 
In 2003, 10 years after his internship at Sadowsky Guitars, Yoshi Kikuchi began production of the Sadowsky MetroLine in Japan. With Roger's exacting standards in mind, Yoshi recruited a team of veterans from the Japanese guitar industry to make an affordable line of Sadowsky instruments under his direct guidance and supervision. 
Over the past 15 years, Roger and Yoshi have established the MetroLine as the premier line of basses made in Japan. 

Due to the overwhelming success of the MetroLine, we have forged a relationship with one of the top factories in Japan to produce an even more affordable instrument. Roger and Yoshi have spent the last 18 months working with the factory's production manager, challenging him to make a bass worthy of the Sadowsky name. 

Your fastest way to a new Sadowsky!

The MetroExpress is guaranteed to weigh less than 8.9 pounds, for a true Sadowsky lightweight experience.

Roger's commitment: "Since 1979, we at Sadowsky have earned a reputation for building some of the highest quality basses  anywhere in the world. While there are certainly cheaper places in Asia to manufacture instruments, the level of workmanship available to me in Japan—combined with Yoshi's commitment to quality—made my decision very clear. I will not compromise when it comes to quality, performance, integrity, and service." — Roger Sadowsky

Roger Sadowsky and Yoshi

Specifications: 

  • Solid alder body and a morado fingerboard or a solid ash body and a maple fingerboard
  • Durable poly finish on the body and sleek nitro finish on the neck
  • Graphite strips in the neck dramatically reduce dead spots and create a more even response on every note
  • Classic Sadowsky Treble and Bass boost pre-amp with true bypass switch
  • Controls: master vol, pickup blend, treble roll-off (VTC) with pre-amp bypass, bass boost, treble boost
    Sadowsky pickups, strings, and hardware
  • Available in 4 and 5 string vintage models
  • Following finishes available: black, olympic white, candy apple red, sage green metallic, ice blue metallic, and ‘59 burst
  • Each bass is guaranteed to weigh less than 8.9 pounds

$1875 for 4 string models

$1975 for 5 string models


Recent reviews of the MetroExpress:

MetroExpress Bass, Premier Guitar, December 2018

MetroExpress Bass, Downbeat Magazine, November 2018

MetroExpress Bass, Bass Player Magazine, June 2018

Japanese MetroExpress Basses