Fender Jazz Bass vs. SX (Essex) Jazz Bass - BLIND TEST !!!

[Emre Hanli]

Sorry for not reading all posts before posting, but I want to see if I got it right or wrong, so I'm avoiding the answer now

1- Fender Jazz
2- SX
3- P

Edit: OK I saw that I got it right. Now, among the jazz basses, I think the SX sounded like an SX because of a bad setup. Strings responded unevenly. The P was obvious.

[basslinejam]

Sorry if I missed it, but, assuming the SX is bone stock...

#1 Fender
#2 SX
#3 Precision

The first clip has a clarity I associate with high level passive electronics (incl. pots and cap)
# 2 is a little muffled, with more limited dynamic response which is what you get with lesser components (and SX's are weak in the electronics department)
#3 is just a Precision

My SX P with upgraded harness (Alpha pots, Sprague cap, Switchcraft jack) and Fender Original pickup is my main bass, so I'm a big supporter of SX, but they do get a lot better with simple mods. The Fender already has a good harness and pickups.

[ProfGumby]

Originally Posted by michael_atw

I'll stick with trying to buy American as much as I can. Hopefully they aren't $150 sweat shop products.

Prove that statement. And what else in your house or on your person was also made in an overseas sweat shop? Your shoes? Your toaster? How about that walk man?

The point made is basically nonsense. As has been mentioned, the folks who unload the ships are American, the guys who truck the Chinese basses across the country are American, Kurt and his people are American and the UPS or Fed Ex drivers are American, there are a lot of American hands on that Chinese sweat shop bass.

And I also notice many of the buy American crowd does not take shots at Ibanez, Squier Fender (MIM and CIJ) Cort or any other major manufacturer who has the lions share of their product made in pacific rim based companies. And is the dislike for non American products also aimed at the fine manufacturers in England or Germany too?

What the post proves is not many people can identify the American Jazz bass by sound alone. So then the nitpicking on how the test was flawed begins...

Jeez people! Get over the name on the headstock! And if you can't, you better start going through your house and riding it of all the evil Chinese made goods you have there, lest one be dancing on the hypocrite line...and once again I must point out that I have no issue with Fender and I love my Squier basses, oops, those are Asian made too...But the Geddy Lee...oops, that's Japanese.

[addylewis]

Got that wrong then!

I thought the SX was the P bass...is it just me or was the sound slightly more "meaty" (meaning for me "bassy") than the American?

[Craig_S]

Well, I got the P-Bass right. I guessed the smoother, quieter sounding of the two Jazz basses (not the better sounding of the two) was the American Jazz. Noisy or not, The American Jazz sound better.

[crazybutable]

I couldn't tell which is which (I'm new to this whole bass thing) but I really liked the first one. Then I liked the second one even more, just felt a little fuller, and the third one seemed ... clacky? Felt like each note was a constant amplitude or pitch or something.

But yeah, what matters is... do you like YOUR bass. Always, always trust your ears. Got a tube amp for my guitar one time and it sounded terrible overdriven. Bought it anyway because I thought it was just me and I was doing something wrong. Had a friend of mine play his guitar through it and he confirmed that it was horrible. Luckily I was able to return it a few days later and get a better one that sounded awesome from day one.

There is no such thing as a Fender bass or an SX bass... there is only the bass you are holding in your hands. The bass you are holding might be a Fender, or an SX or a Sadowsky or a Lakland. Whatever it is, you have to look at the bass as it exists, not the ideal bass you are imagining in your head, and play it to see if you get along with it or not.

[calebbarton]

Originally Posted by ProfGumby

Prove that statement. And what else in your house or on your person was also made in an overseas sweat shop? Your shoes? Your toaster? How about that walk man?

The point made is basically nonsense. As has been mentioned, the folks who unload the ships are American, the guys who truck the Chinese basses across the country are American, Kurt and his people are American and the UPS or Fed Ex drivers are American, there are a lot of American hands on that Chinese sweat shop bass.

And I also notice many of the buy American crowd does not take shots at Ibanez, Squier Fender (MIM and CIJ) Cort or any other major manufacturer who has the lions share of their product made in pacific rim based companies. And is the dislike for non American products also aimed at the fine manufacturers in England or Germany too?

What the post proves is not many people can identify the American Jazz bass by sound alone. So then the nitpicking on how the test was flawed begins...

Jeez people! Get over the name on the headstock! And if you can't, you better start going through your house and riding it of all the evil Chinese made goods you have there, lest one be dancing on the hypocrite line...and once again I must point out that I have no issue with Fender and I love my Squier basses, oops, those are Asian made too...But the Geddy Lee...oops, that's Japanese.

+1 you tell em brother.

[Jefenator]

Originally Posted by basslinejam

Sorry if I missed it, but, assuming the SX is bone stock...

#1 Fender
#2 SX
#3 Precision

The first clip has a clarity I associate with high level passive electronics (incl. pots and cap)
# 2 is a little muffled, with more limited dynamic response which is what you get with lesser components (and SX's are weak in the electronics department)
#3 is just a Precision

My SX P with upgraded harness (Alpha pots, Sprague cap, Switchcraft jack) and Fender Original pickup is my main bass, so I'm a big supporter of SX, but they do get a lot better with simple mods. The Fender already has a good harness and pickups.

That was my impression as well and... [buzzer!!!]

The SX pickups seem to really kick butt sometimes. (Pretty impressive when some "reputable" replacement pickups could cost more than the whole bass. )

I also suspect the AmStd neck *might* have played a role in "dulling" down the [second] sample. (I have yet to be swept away by one of those newer graphite-reinforced Fender necks - no offense, YMMV.)

[GassieBall]

Darkhorse,

YOU ARE MY HERO!!!

I have two SX's which can hang right up there with my Lakland and Sterling. I'm quite happy to play them. Let the gear snobs lament

[Flaked Beans]

Darkstar, you had to wait for my reply! I'm always too late
now listen, I dont have a Corona Fender (except my '95 jazz) so my vintage Fenders sound completely different than your 3 examples (even the '95 jazz!). Honestly, there was no doubt about the 3rd sample (precision) but soundwise your SX is closer to my '95 MIA standard jazz! I never played (heard) an SX jazz bass so maybe my vote coud go for the no.1 but I would listen the samples more carefully before my final decision. The no.1 was too bright without the specific jazz bass low end growl (still the open airy smooth sound of a jazz bass was there).
I didn't like the sound of the clips because of the compression used and they all sounded like active basses (or colored with some preamp), that's why (I think) many guys mixed the SX with the Fender....
but I'll make some quick samples of my '95 jazz and my '77 precision and we'll see the difference (my clips are 100% clean, no preamps, compressors, efects or whatever).
GREAT THREAD!

[joshmickelson]

Originally Posted by ProfGumby

Prove that statement. And what else in your house or on your person was also made in an overseas sweat shop? Your shoes? Your toaster? How about that walk man?

The point made is basically nonsense. As has been mentioned, the folks who unload the ships are American, the guys who truck the Chinese basses across the country are American, Kurt and his people are American and the UPS or Fed Ex drivers are American, there are a lot of American hands on that Chinese sweat shop bass.

And I also notice many of the buy American crowd does not take shots at Ibanez, Squier Fender (MIM and CIJ) Cort or any other major manufacturer who has the lions share of their product made in pacific rim based companies. And is the dislike for non American products also aimed at the fine manufacturers in England or Germany too?

What the post proves is not many people can identify the American Jazz bass by sound alone. So then the nitpicking on how the test was flawed begins...

Jeez people! Get over the name on the headstock! And if you can't, you better start going through your house and riding it of all the evil Chinese made goods you have there, lest one be dancing on the hypocrite line...and once again I must point out that I have no issue with Fender and I love my Squier basses, oops, those are Asian made too...But the Geddy Lee...oops, that's Japanese.

yea, the sweat shop comment was ridiculous.

[arginator]

[color="Red"][size="4"]
Which means that 81.25% of the bass players that took the poll were unable to determine which one was the SX Jazz Bass copy.

QUOTE]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great thread! I love it!

[jimmy rocket]

I was one of the 81.25%.

Not to qualify my incorrect answer, but I picked the first one to be the SX because I thought it sounded better, and I'm constantly surprised at how awesome these sound when recorded.

Maybe we should have had a "which do you like better" thread!

[Diogenes]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Here you go -

1) Fender Am Std Jazz Bass
2) SX Jazz Bass
3) Precision Bass

Wow... I find those results very surprising. My least favorite tone out of the bunch was #3 yet my favorite bass to play, because of tone and feel, is my Twerk P.

[chrisrusty99]

Originally Posted by CapnSev

I'm still surprised that the P bass didn't stand out as a P bass for more people. I thought that one was a gimmie.

yeah when I heard it I instantly thought "P-bass" as well. Maybe it's because I always play jazzes and the difference really stood out to me...

[wellshuxley]

Very cool! It would be interesting to hear a blind test between Fender Am. Standard Jazz, Fender AV 62 RI Jazz, and the Squier Classic Vibe 60s Jazz. Just picked up a Squier CV 60s J today and it has tons of bang for the buck, though I may replace the pickups and nut at some point.

[phxlbrmpf]

Well, that P bass was easy to spot (less pronounced highs, stronger low mids and that trademark percussive quality) but I honestly had no idea which was the Fender Jazz and which was the SX.

[mcapote]

hmm I actually liked #2 over #1 but I never heard any of the 3 basses before so I didnt try and guess.

[petch]

A most enjoyable and enlightening exercise and read. At least I got the P right...

[mcapote]

what model SX was that the 57?