How good are SX basses?

[BarkerBass]

cheers for the uk/ireland webpage iv been lookin for something like that for ages! pity they dont have the p/j on the jazz body with maple neck im after but an email will be sent when im done writing this. cheers

 

[Darkstrike]

No bother, I hope you get what your looking for!

 

[DeanT]

They are very good in many ways: cost, playability, bang-for-buck. They aren't high end basses, so don't expect high end quality. They are good, useable, inexpensive basses that sound decent out of the box and play well. With a little modding they can be great basses.

 

[mellowgerman]

yeah man, they're pretty nice. especially the gloss finish on the neck. gotta love that. I would say they rival fender standard basses, provided that you know how to set them up properly.

 

[jaymeister99]

Wish I had a $1 for every post on here about SX!

These are great for the price, it is comparable out of the box to any Squier bass for more than twice the price. Its hands down the best for its price range.

Great tuners, horrible strings, dead quiet pickups (yet dull sounding), usually excellent fit and finish.

If you get a setup, change the strings (stock strings are crap), and get a fret job, you can have something that may even be on par with a MIM Fender.

Add a new set of pickups and a bridge and you will have quite a nice bass without spending any major money. IMO The best about a SX is you can get a very inexpensive bass and continue to upgrade it as you improve.

 

[lexxmexx]

What's the difference between the SJB-57 and SJB-62?
They looked very similar though.

 

[nickn]

What's the difference between the SJB-57 and SJB-62?
They looked very similar though.

-57 is a maple fingerboard
-62 is a rosewood fingerboard
-75 is a maple fingerboard with natural finish body

 

[lexxmexx]

thanks, man!

 

[waseok]

Of course, it would be cheaper to have it bought by an American friend and have him send it to me as a gift, but I do not have American friends

Anyway, who can answer my question?

U can ask kindly some one on TB to do that for you, i have seen stuff like that. People here are very kind

 

[Ric5]

The SX basses are incredibly cheap in price and also somewhat cheap in quality ...

They quite often have a problem with the neck pocket and problems with the frets and some of them have s curve necks and they have cheap hardware and some of them the wood sounds harsh ...

but that low price keeps sucking me back in to buy one ...

 

[moomoocajoo]

I'm probably going to buy one of these soon. It'll cost a little bit to get it into the UK but not a massive amount.

You can get them here in the UK. A shop in glasgow (McCormacks Music) had them in the window the other day.

 

[rappa29]

Good enough to warrant 4 megathreads from players who at least own or have played 1 along with their Sadowsky's, Fenders, MM, Laklands, G&L's, Ibanez', Ricks, boutique basses, customs, etc....

 

[savit260]

Buy one then post a Youtube video of you doing a cover song, I can't wait : /

Sorry, not a cover song, but I hope this will do.

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There's more live footage of the same SX in action from an electronic press kit linked off my profile under homepage.

 

[lexxmexx]

The Sx'es seem to always get very mixed reviews. Some swear by them while some condemn them and it's always on either of these two extreme ends. It makes me wonder if this is the psychological effect of not accepting something that is too good to be true.

 

[DeanT]

For some reason a lot of posters here have a hard time admitting that SX basses are a good value for the money. They refuse to acknowledge that a cheap bass made in China can play and sound good. It's their loss I guess.

 

[Marill]

i've tried a SX and i absolutely hate the neck.

the neck's narrow which is good, but my problem is the shape of the neck at the back.

It's protruding out too much - it's like gripping something rounded at the back, as opposed to a flatter and thinner grip on other bass guitars that I've played.

that's my personal preference, may you will like it... try it out.

 

[Eric Perry]

Good enough to warrant 4 megathreads from players who at least own or have played 1 along with their Sadowsky's, Fenders, MM, Laklands, G&L's, Ibanez', Ricks, boutique basses, customs, etc....

Here are my two SX basses surrounding my custom Conklin. The LPB one is stone stock other than the thick poly off the neck. The black one is modded to all hell!!! They are both awesome basses for thje money and for much more, IMO.

 

[dabbler]

Here are my two SX basses surrounding my custom Conklin. The LPB one is stone stock other than the thick poly off the neck. The black one is modded to all hell!!! They are both awesome basses for thje money and for much more, IMO.

Eric, I hate to disagree with you, but from what I know of your heavily modded SJB I'd call it more heavenly than demonic (or maybe you just like things from hell).

 

[jdier]

Here's my summary. I own one SX and have read most of the megathreads.

They are decent quality components, assembled in a cheap factory. They may or may not have a good set-up out of the box.

Mine required some significant set-up work. Neck relief and string height were both bad out of the box. But after several set-up sessions, I got it all worked out, and it plays and sounds nice, now.

Some folks find them fine out of the box. I didn't.

I think that is a pretty fair assessment of the basses.

Personally I like mine (fretless P) fine. I upgraded the bridge and the electronics and cannot imagine ever buying another fretless.

Regarding the set up, it is really a crap shoot. I have two SX guitars and once came up with great string action and intonation... I mean, really great. The other was unplayable. However, a $35 trip to my local tech and the thing plays unbelievably well.

If you are buying with out playing first, I would tell you to assume that it will need a professional set up.

Many people complain about the fret work. My bass is fretless but the frets on my two guitars are just fine. As good as most MIM fenders.

Regarding the electronics, I have heard many different experiences from people here. Personally I think they are crap. I could not make my bass or my strat sound even close to usable. My tele actually had a nice sounding bridge pickup.

I think the deal here is that they very well may change certain components from time to time as market prices and availability change.

I have read some people say that Rondo does not stand behind their gear. I have not found that to be true. I had a shipping damage problem and Kurt from Rondo made sure that I was happy in the end.

In my opinion a lot of the hype about the instruments is due to the fact that for so little money you get such a nice chunk of wood. To me, they are really good looking instruments that are assembled pretty darn well.

Bear in mind that at these low prices that quality control is one of the areas where cuts are made, so you could buy one and have a problem or issue that no one else has seen.

 

[OldSchoolBass]

To answer the OP's question: They're an excellent value for the money. A lot of users say they compare very favorably to Made In Mexico Fenders.

I have an SX Essex and I LOVE it.

For what it's worth, I'd get the green one myself.

I found it MORE favorable than a MIM Fender that I actually modded!!

I am with you. I am thrilled with my SJB 57 - it's a beaut, and I paid $140 for it.