In praise of the humble SX

[Doner Designs]

Ready for wiring and final setup...

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by Doner Designs

Ready for wiring and final setup...

Just AWESOME!

If THAT doesn't produce some charity income, man, NOTHING will!

I positively LOVE it!

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by Rick Moors

I know the SX debate is never ending, but if you can find a better road bass for under $200, you'd better snag it.

I won't argue with either part of that statement.

BUT, I don't get all the comments here. Band sounds awesome, playing is great, recording phenomenal, especially for a live setting... but all the coments on killer tone???!!!??? I guess that's why I'm in such disagreement with people's opinions on SX basses. And I've owned and gigged a few. Even with the bass going through the board and live micing, the tone on these clips to me is lacking any character whatsoever. The tone, not playing mind you. It sounds like just plain flat scooped bass, doing the bare minimum that a bass could/should/would do.

These clips are also with a 3 piece, a tele, and super laid back drummer. Throw that same bass in a loud rock band and well...

Not looking to troll or start trouble. Just felt I had to add this as a reality check for myself and anyone else who watched and wondered. Again, I think the band and everything is great, and if there were no mention of the SX bass I probably would have nothing bad to say at all about this. The fact that people are throwing out stuff about "amazing" and "killer " tone has me a bit miffed though. I disagree. And I can.

[C.Linton]

You can disagree all you want, but the fcat is some people will tell you (including myself) that they think the tone of their SX is indeed killer. And guess what? They're not wrong. No matter how much you disagree with them, they are not wrong. If one likes the tone off an SX , then they like it, period. Just because you don't doesn't invalidate their opinion.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

You can disagree all you want, but the fcat is some people will tell you (including myself) that they think the tone of their SX is indeed killer. And guess what? They're not wrong. No matter how much you disagree with them, they are not wrong. If one likes the tone off an SX , then they like it, period. Just because you don't doesn't invalidate their opinion.

Did I invalidate anyone's opinion? I thought I was pretty clear about the fact that I realize this is why my opinion differs from most here regarding SX basses.

Tone is a totally subjective thing. If the OP loves and is looking for precicely the sound he's getting, then there's no argument. For him, the bass and tone might be killler. Same for anyone else that loves it. For me it sounds like there's no sustain, and like there's different output from each string. Doesn't sound full and rich to me, just flat and lacking in character. That's my opinon, and I too am right. Just a little surprised at the accolades it's receiving. And I can't help to wonder these days if people would speak the same of SX basses if they cost the same as a squier, or mexican fender.

I think SX basses are absolutely the best bang for the buck in the bass world. But I don't think they're what some people here make them out to be. And again, that's not going out to the OP. But it is going out to the raves regarding the sound. I just don't get it. And to anyone who does, that's great. You can save yourself lots and lots of money.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

For me it sounds like there's no sustain, and like there's different output from each string. Doesn't sound full and rich to me, just flat and lacking in character.

IME, your assessment is inaccurate.

[mjac28]

If people would buy basses using just their hands and ears these basses would be even more popular unfortunately sometimes after our eyes glance the headstock our minds filter the sound of the bass.

[fourstringbliss]

I've owned and played tons of different basses and am now the proud owner of this bass:



It's not perfect but it sure does sound great! I also prefer the SX Jazz neck profile to almost any bass I have played.

The frets need work. They are square at the end so I need to round them, and one of them isn't seated correctly. All of this is fixable and I've got the tools coming.

The pickups are great, though! The MM is a 4-wire pup - not the typical 2-wire jobby - and is epoxy sealed! I put a north coil/hum/south coil switch between the tone control and the jack, and now I can get 60's jazz/MM/70's jazz. The neck pup has a big ceramic magnet and sounds really good on its own.

I think I'm going to start my SX collection with this bass.

[Ric5]

I have owned 5 or 6 SX basses ... They are good basses for someone who can do repairs and mods. They usually need fret work and the benefit from new pickups and electronics.

Here is my favorite SX ... an SX stingray. I had to replace the neck and replace the preamp.



And this SX has been so modified that all that is left is the SX body.



Some of the SX basses were harsh sounding from the wood used in the body.

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Tone is a totally subjective thing. If the OP loves and is looking for precicely the sound he's getting, then there's no argument. For him, the bass and tone might be killler. Same for anyone else that loves it. For me it sounds like there's no sustain, and like there's different output from each string. Doesn't sound full and rich to me, just flat and lacking in character. That's my opinon, and I too am right. Just a little surprised at the accolades it's receiving. And I can't help to wonder these days if people would speak the same of SX basses if they cost the same as a squier, or mexican fender.

Tone IS where you find it (or don't find it). And obviously tone is subjective,, but to say things like "no sustain" or "a different output from every string" is just flat out wrong in my opinon. That would be because I happen to OWN a bass which has a different output from string to string... My Ibby SR206. I got it used in the same price range as a NEW SX. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that bass. It has a FAT tone that an SX never has. And you can EQ the output to balance the strings. But like a Squier it still cost more new than a new SX. And speaking of Squier, I've got one of them too. Today it's a KILLER PJ 5er. But I had to level the neck, and change the pickups. And even then the body is just Agathis (pine) unlike the nice Ash or Alder on SX basses. But luckily tonewood doesn't make much difference.

And hey, I'll go even further as tell you why I think your assessment is in left field. I also happen to own a MIM Fender deluxe V. In many ways it's a wonderful bass. BUT tone was always nasty. No life. B string lousy. In short about what YOU have accused SX of being. And lets get down to it. My SX basses are made of three pieces of really nice wood (some of them actually matched!) The MIM Fender is a bunch of sticks glued together with a veneer over the top to make it look like a million. But luckily tonewood doesn't much matter. But pickups DO! That darn Fender was NEVER right no matter what I tried until I replaced the factory pups with Fender SCN pickups (now discontinued for some odd reason). So NOW that bass is killer! But the crucial question is did I EVER have to change the pickups in any of my (7) SX basses because I hated the tone? Answer: no.

How many pickup changes on my SX basses? NONE. How happy am I with them: reasonably happy. If you'd whined about single coil hum, i'd have joined in the whining. But tone? Generally single coil pups never sound bad. It is alledged (Chunger and others) that SX pickups have a sort of overload characteristic if you push them too hard. He calls it the "SX effect". And I think I can agree with him. You can minimize it by simply lowering the pickups. Chunger spent quite a bit of time and money working with Nordstrand to try to duplicate the SX pickup sound in a hum-free pickup. That is pretty odd if they were so terrible!

Oddly, I have only encountered ONE SX bass with pickups I felt were bad. That was ONE of my three SX 6ers. It has pickups DIFFERENT from the other two! And it is very much as you describe. But that is the ONLY SX that I've seen that had something undesirable in the pickups.

Of course, if you don't like the tone. That's just you. Lots of people don't even like the sound of Jazz basses, let alone jazz clones. For a long time I didn't either. But you seem to go beyond just having an opinion on tone, finding things most of us don't think are really there.

[KingRazor]

My SX is better than most of the MIM Fenders I've played. If the fretwork was better it could compete with an MIA...IMO of course.

[SBsoundguy]

Originally Posted by Ric5

I have owned 5 or 6 SX basses ... They are good basses for someone who can do repairs and mods. They usually need fret work and the benefit from new pickups and electronics.

Here is my favorite SX ... an SX stingray. I had to replace the neck and replace the preamp.



And this SX has been so modified that all that is left is the SX body.



Some of the SX basses were harsh sounding from the wood used in the body.

I don't know man....I guess we all have our own different philosophies on what effects tone.

The mods you've made look fantastic.

[Doner Designs]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

You can disagree all you want, but the fcat is some people will tell you (including myself) that they think the tone of their SX is indeed killer. And guess what? They're not wrong. No matter how much you disagree with them, they are not wrong. If one likes the tone off an SX , then they like it, period. Just because you don't doesn't invalidate their opinion.

Indeed this is one of the differences between making music and reproducing it.

[Doner Designs]

Originally Posted by Ric5

I have owned 5 or 6 SX basses ... They are good basses for someone who can do repairs and mods. They usually need fret work and the benefit from new pickups and electronics.

Here is my favorite SX ... an SX stingray. I had to replace the neck and replace the preamp.



And this SX has been so modified that all that is left is the SX body.



Some of the SX basses were harsh sounding from the wood used in the body.

Beautiful Stingray copy! Looks like a single slab of ash.

[Doner Designs]

Originally Posted by bassbenj

Just AWESOME!

If THAT doesn't produce some charity income, man, NOTHING will!

I positively LOVE it!

Thanks, we hope so!!

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by Doner Designs

Beautiful Stingray copy! Looks like a single slab of ash.

I am not sure of the wood. Maybe ash ... maybe Elm??

But it is heavy and has a nice resonance and it is 3 pieces glued together. I think all SX bodies are 3 pieces.

[chuck norriss]

Regarding bodies, there really isn't much difference between these and other more expensive brands is there. I'm talking body only--ash or alder--I may as well get one of these w the pup config I like, sell off the parts and pimp it out with upgrades.

[LoTone]

You sound really good. I just hoped that they would have brought you a little bit more forward in the mix. You guys are a trio and that guitar player has a little bit too much sonic real estate for my taste.

Originally Posted by Rick Moors

I took my SX Jazz Bass copy on a short road trip because, well........it's a cheap bass, but damn, it sounds consistently good even with a series of backline gear that ran the gamut from good to barely adequate. I use this same bass for Reggae gigs and it works equally well, D'Addario Chrome flats.

Here's a little clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fSGR9X1Nbc

I know the SX debate is never ending, but if you can find a better road bass for under $200, you'd better snag it.

[LoTone]

Your bass has almost as many knobs as an F-22 Raptor!

Originally Posted by bassbenj

Just AWESOME!

If THAT doesn't produce some charity income, man, NOTHING will!

I positively LOVE it!

[fourstringbliss]

Here are sound clips of my SX MM/J. I'm playing them through a Zoom B3 on the Hartke setting and it's strung with Sadowsky flats.

60's spacing both pups

70's spacing both pups

MM/J both pups

60's spacing both pups in series

70's spacing both pups in series