Rondo purchased...

punisher911 · #1 01-06-2013, 02:22 PM

I've been wanting to mod a bass for a while now.. When I saw this color combo, I just had to order it. I see some QPs possibly in its future.. I want to put in some pickups that have a bit of growl to them.

http://www.rondomusic.com/ursa4rnpbu.html

also had to order this one too.. This will definitely get some flats and new pickups as well...

http://www.rondomusic.com/ursa1mnmsl.html

**BoomBoomOGTL** · #2 01-06-2013, 04:55 PM

Good choice... I've had my eye on the powder blue/rosewood w/blocks since they put those on the site. I just haven't pulled the trigger but think about it everytime I see it.

What mods are you planning for it?

punisher911 · #3 01-06-2013, 06:10 PM

Thinking maybe some Dimarzio Model Js or something with some growl to it. Probably with the series/parallel switch mod and new pots too, maybe 500k. Probably some Roto 77s or Chromes. I'm just a flat guy. Maybe a BAII bridge. I just love the powder blue with the tort..So that will stay.. Not sure what else to do.

Hmmm, maybe switch over to black hardware.....

ih8law · #4 01-06-2013, 06:56 PM

That is the one style SX bass for which the new headstock style really seems well fit.

I love that color with the tort pickguard.

klejst · #5 01-06-2013, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ih8law

That is the one style SX bass for which the new headstock style really seems well fit.

I love that color with the tort pickguard.

But just enough to slip by Fender's legal action

Those are two great looking basses though and for the price you can't really beat it.

Bassbubble11 · #6 01-06-2013, 07:08 PM

I had that same exact LPB URSA. I bought it 'cause I wanted a
Jag style bass. I had an SX jazz I bought a few years earlier.
The reason I mention the Jazz is because it was such an awesome
bass for the money so I thought I would be getting the same value
from the URSA. NOT. It was a toy-ish piece of crap by comparison.
I gave it away.

I'm not putting SX's down. I am thinking that like most inexpensive
basses they are hit and miss. Mine was a miss. I hope you get a good
one.

Man it looked so freakin' nice too.

punisher911 · #7 01-07-2013, 04:26 AM

Well I've had good luck with their 7 and 8 string guitars. I'll keep my fingers crossed that my basses are decent as well.

punisher911 · #8 01-10-2013, 04:20 PM

well, received my SXs today. The p has a loose neck pocket, decent frets, and a powerful sound. The blue jag has a good quality to it, but both basses have a ground issue.(I think) Both of them hum like the dickens when you don't touch the bridge or the strings. Fret work is decent on them, I've seen MIA Fenders with worse fret ends. The P is my biggest complaint, the loose neck pocket and some sort of silver paint/solder around the input jack on the pick guard. I definitely don't want to keep the P with the loose neck and I'm iffy on the Jag. I like the looks of the blocked neck and the color and all, I fully expected a pup swap which would fix the hum issue. Since I have my $$ coming Monday, even with upgrades, am I even going to even play these? Just thought I'd give my experience with them since I finally received them. The jag I could keep. The P would go back no matter with the neck to body fit.

Tmw2011 · #9 01-10-2013, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by punisher911

and some sort of silver paint/solder around the input jack on the pick guard.

Actually, this is the shielding tape that they have on the back of the pickguard. It seems they slap the tape on the back of the pickguard and then just use the jack to punch through tape. They just don't clean up after after the process very well. I had the same thing going on with my Ursa 1 as well.

Mastermold · #10 01-10-2013, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassbubble11

...
I'm not putting SX's down. I am thinking that like most inexpensive basses they are hit and miss. Mine was a miss. I hope you get a good one.
...

Having owned a few I agree, you can find some gems but have to remember these are cheap instruments so keep expectations low.

bassbenj · #11 01-11-2013, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by punisher911

well, received my SXs today. The p has a loose neck pocket, decent frets, and a powerful sound. The blue jag has a good quality to it, but both basses have a ground issue.(I think) Both of them hum like the dickens when you don't touch the bridge or the strings. Fret work is decent on them, I've seen MIA Fenders with worse fret ends. The P is my biggest complaint, the loose neck pocket and some sort of silver paint/solder around the input jack on the pick guard. I definitely don't want to keep the P with the loose neck and I'm iffy on the Jag. I like the looks of the blocked neck and the color and all, I fully expected a pup swap which would fix the hum issue. Since I have my $$ coming Monday, even with upgrades, am I even going to even play these? Just thought I'd give my experience with them since I finally received them. The jag I could keep. The P would go back no matter with the neck to body fit.

Hum is not a pickup issue (when it goes away when you touch the stinrgs) it is a SHIELDING issue. By now don't even SX noobs know that every SX needs a shield job right off? And usually when doing that I like to mod the electronics to my liking (often series-parallel switch as well). If your necks are nice that is a first step as often there are a few high frets that need filed down, which does not seem to be your case.

Which gets me to the P neck pocket. Nasty "handmade" neck pockets are an SX tradition. The real question is not is the neck pocket "loose" but rather how ratty is it. It's common for SX to drill the same size pilot holes in the body and the neck and then jjust use a power-driver to put it all together. Results are often predictable. Another of my "standard" SX mods is to install threaded inserts in the neck joint. Believe me, it changes the whole "feel" of the bass. So I'd say if the neck joint looks pretty good but is just loose, think about the insert mod. If it's just too ratty all around, ship it back.

punisher911 · #12 01-11-2013, 06:27 AM

Hmmm. Threaded inserts will tighten it up? I may have to look into this and maybe keep these then.. The necks are actually nice. They have a vintage tint to them. The tuners seem to move freely. I've definitely seen worse tuners that were tight to turn and felt bad. Like I said about the jag, it looks stunning. The only issue was the hum. Shielding huh? I did not know that.. The only electronic experience I've had was putting BareKnuckle pups into guitars. The shielded pick guards are a new thing to me.

punisher911 · #13 01-13-2013, 05:12 PM

I played both SXs at our practice today. For some reason the loud hum I had with them at home with my practice amp wasn't present with my normal rig. They both played well and sounded good. The P had a huge output advantage over the Jag. I guess for the price they will be keepers after all.. I'll give them a few more days of trying.

I'm thinking Dimarzio Model Js for the Jag. Not saying it sounds bad now, but I just love high output stuff to make my Orange TB growl.