• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Another SX Bass Question

C

conditional78

Oct 10, 2008
18
0
Vidor, TX
#1
I am thinking about buying this SX (essex - SX SJMB-62 3/4 FL 3TS) short scale fretless:
Link Removed

On the only review I have seen (http://reviews.harmony-central.com/...duct/SX/SJMB-62+3/4+Short+Scale+Fretless/10/1) I read the following:

"the white inlays on the neck are a concern. They look fantastic, but the surface is harder than rosewood. That means...you will at times be fingering on white plastic and not on rosewood, and the tone will be a hair different...a player who's obsessive will notice a touch more buzz on the plastic."

Has anyone played one of these or any other similar fingerboard and had this problem? I just want to be able to slide over the inlays without being able to hear the difference. If it is a problem, I'll get this one:
Link Removed

Thanks for any input.
 
#3
It won't sound like all of a sudden there is a different instrument being played. If there is a change in tone, it will be so slight you would only hear it under heavy observation in a home practice environment...

I would guess having inlays would change the overall tone of the instrument, but not necessarily only when playing over top of one.. but I don't know...
 
#4
Had the fretted version. Guess I'm not obsessive...never noticed a thing. Loved the bass, just needed the money more or I'd still have it.

Bigger issue is the neck dive on these. Short upper horn causes it to dip easily and often.
 
#5
That doesn't make any sense. Since the fretboard is coated (lacquered, if you will) and you are not playing on bare wood, it stands to reason you will not be playing on bare plastic either. You will not be able to tell the difference. I had a fretless P-bass short scale and it wasn't a problem. I couldn't tell if I was playing on the fretboard or the inlays unless I was looking at the fretboard.
 
#7
DeanT said:
That doesn't make any sense. Since the fretboard is coated (lacquered, if you will) and you are not playing on bare wood, it stands to reason you will not be playing on bare plastic either. You will not be able to tell the difference. I had a fretless P-bass short scale and it wasn't a problem. I couldn't tell if I was playing on the fretboard or the inlays unless I was looking at the fretboard.
Click to expand...
+1
 
#9
conditional78 said:
I appreciate all the input, thanks.

I'll go ahead and get the bass I wanted with the inlays.
Click to expand...

You will not be sorry. Enjoy it.

By the way, I have this SX (SJB-75 LTD) and have never "felt" the inlays while playing.

SXSJB75LTD-1.gif
 
#10
This is for fretless basses. They're not talking about the block inlays, they're talking about markers at the positions where the frets would be on the neck. Yours is fretted, so it won't matter, but the reviewer is worried that on a fretless, the strings being pushed on the fret markers would affect the sound.
 
#11
guizzy said:
This is for fretless basses. They're not talking about the block inlays, they're talking about markers at the positions where the frets would be on the neck. Yours is fretted, so it won't matter, but the reviewer is worried that on a fretless, the strings being pushed on the fret markers would affect the sound.
Click to expand...

Well, my point still stands. The fretboard is coated, so you won't feel the fret lines or any inlays. By the way, I had the exact fretless bass the OP posted and never had a problem.

I just couldn't resist posting a photo of my SX.
 
#12
"the white inlays on the neck are a concern. They look fantastic, but the surface is harder than rosewood. That means...you will at times be fingering on white plastic and not on rosewood, and the tone will be a hair different...a player who's obsessive will notice a touch more buzz on the plastic."
Click to expand...

My fretless SXs have rosewood fingerboards and there is no perceptible difference in tone to the human ear when fretting either on top of the plastic fretline or on the rosewood itself. Anyone who claims to hear a difference should be avoided at all costs... they tend to not be in touch with reality and are easily convinced into believing almost anything, especially by themselves. The only reason you may hear a buzz with the SX is because of pronounced fretlines. This can occur on any fretless bass that has minute highspots along the fingerboard be they wood grain or fretline. My SXs had a few pronounced fretlines that caused slight buzzing but then I set my action very low and this issue was easily correcting with some light sanding.

My advice is to buy the SX and enjoy it. I bet you won't regret it.
 
#13
I got my bass last night (5 day delivery time btw) and wanted to share my impressions to help anyone else considering one of these.

  • The looks are as great as I expected
  • The intonation is off slightly (fixable)
  • There are a couple of places I get fingerboard buzzing (fixable)
  • I absolutely CAN NOT hear the difference between fingering on the inlays vs. the rosewood as the reviewer I read said he could
  • I don't like the flat-wound strings that come on it. They sound like rubber bands dipped in mud to me (fixable)
  • NECK DIVE! I didn't know what neck dive was before last night! I plan on drilling a new hole to move the rear strap button (fixable)
  • When I slide on the D string, it sometimes seems to shift slightly (toward or away from the head if you know what I mean) with a "click" sound. I've never encountered this one before. I wonder if it's working itself out of tune. Any ideas?

In summary, I don't regret the $160 spent on this ($140 + shipping.) It does need some adjusting/setting up of course, but I think I will end up very happy with it. The only issue I'm not sure about is the shifting of the D string.

I'll post again after the adjustments have been made.
 
#14
DeanT said:
That doesn't make any sense. Since the fretboard is coated (lacquered, if you will) and you are not playing on bare wood, it stands to reason you will not be playing on bare plastic either. You will not be able to tell the difference. I had a fretless P-bass short scale and it wasn't a problem. I couldn't tell if I was playing on the fretboard or the inlays unless I was looking at the fretboard.
Click to expand...

Oh my gosh! When will this stuff end! Les Paul made a guitar out of a plywood 2X4 and a Epiphone neck and had the sound for a long time. Electric basses are just thick-stringed siblings of "The Log." Sure fancy woods are pretty and what-not, but they only contribute a little seasoning to the stew. The fingers, pickups and amp--in that order--provide the voice, not the wood. End Rant.
 
#17
conditional78 said:
"the white inlays on the neck are a concern. They look fantastic, but the surface is harder than rosewood. That means...you will at times be fingering on white plastic and not on rosewood, and the tone will be a hair different...a player who's obsessive will notice a touch more buzz on the plastic."
Click to expand...

That is exactly why the folks at Alembic do not recommend inlays on fretless basses (they state it on their web site). And I think they know a hell of a lot more about building basses then SX!
 
#19
ClassicJazz said:
That is exactly why the folks at Alembic do not recommend inlays on fretless basses (they state it on their web site). And I think they know a hell of a lot more about building basses then SX!
Click to expand...


But then there are a lot of high end luthiers who do add fretlines and don't build instruments the way Alembic does. Believe it or not luthiers/companies will point out the most inconsequential things as being a boon or drawback... it's called marketing/spinning/advertising. Cutting slots for fretlines and gluing them in place and then trimming them adds quite a bit of work time and undercuts the profit margin. Why wouldn't they encourage customers to make their job easier when possible?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back