... "Impulse GAS Relief!!!" We've all been there -- that place where you "just want to get a new bass." No real need, no real purpose -- you just want a new piece of gear. The problem is, basses can cost crazy money and most of us don't have unlimited funds like that. I'm not talking about when you are SERIOUSLY looking at an American Fender, a Stingray. or a Sad. I'm talking about when you are just itching for a new piece of gear "Just Because." Well, I have come to the realization that the cheapest, easiest way to cure this condition is to buy one of the SX basses! They're cheap They're excellent values for the $$ They're easy to mod They are decent players that can be made into excellent ones. You can get one in a few days and voila -- GAS cured. (Without spending a mint!) Seriously -- the tone of this post is a bit silly but my point is a valid one. For the price, the SX's are a good way to chill out your GAS. And chances are, you'll get a whole lot more bass than you bargained for.
119.95 for a fretless J? I'm a Rick and P-Bass guy, but I've wanted a fretless J recently...just because. Do they sound anywhere near a MIM fretless J? ...if so, then I need one!
I don't know, but I've got an Ash SX J-Bass (4 string fretted) and it's amazing, it works better than many 400 $ Yamaha basses I've used. Yeah, I know they're not Fender J-Basses, but still. I'm really happywith it, it's amazing what you can get for the money. Get it right now!
As long as the tone and finish of the wood is decent it can be as good as you want it to be. All you have to do it mod it to your style. Everything is moddable except the tone of the woods used and even those are moddable but then again that defeats the purpose of getting an inexpensive piece of gear if you have to mod that.
While this may work for some (and to those that it does, I say kudos!) I've learned that "instant gratification" can very much be a negative. Thanks to the fiancées understanding over the past three years I've been able to overhaul my entire setup including top-o'-the-line preamp, power amp, and cabinets for my "signature" tone, and more then double my basses (I'm of the "a tool for each job" mindset in that area). While I now have a number of good quality instruments to choose from, I've noticed that I "fall into lust" far less often while playing a new bass. Would I like to pick up a "quirky" bass like a Dean Edge Hammer 10 or even a upper-midrange bass like a Bongo? Sure, but I realize it's setting me that much farther away from my "dream instrument", in my case a Mike Lull Modern 5. I'd rather toss the $150 that would go towards a SX (and nevermind the additional cost of upgrading hardware, pickups, and a fretjob/setup) towards something that would suit me for far longer in the future. Try an OLP - I personally think there are better choices around, but a friend I trust swears by his MM3 and I certainly trust him enough to not throw his opinion out. Better yet, grab a SUB - they're extremely close to the "real thing".
