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Modding an SX. Why?

#22
DeanT said:
Well, that's one way of looking at it I guess. But my questions was more along the lines of if you have to spend $300 to get a $200 bass up the the standards of a known capable $500 bass, why not just spend the $500 on the known capable bass in the first place? But I guess the whole fun is in tearing it apart and replacing the parts.
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Well, no, your question specifically stated a $150 SX with $200 in mods. Now you've upped the ante to $300.

You can ask the question in such a way that there would NEVER be a reasonable answer. And, there is a diminishing return when you start pounding that much into the project.
 
#24
DeanT said:
Forgive my newbie stupidity, but can you explain to me why someone would go out and spend $100-$150 on an SX bass, then spend another $200 or so on modifications like new pups, filing the frets, new pots, etc. Why not just go out and buy a $500 bass to begin with, like a nice Ibanez or a Yamaha? If the SX is so bad that it needs all this work why does anyone buy one? And if so, why do so many people rave about them?
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Because $200 + $150 = $350 not $500...

Hambone said:
Well, no, your question specifically stated a $150 SX with $200 in mods. Now you've upped the ante to $300.
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or $300.
 
#25
Hambone said:
Well, no, your question specifically stated a $150 SX with $200 in mods. Now you've upped the ante to $300.
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You people are missing the point. The money is just an estimate, not an exact amount. Obviously some people put more into it than others. The point is whay spend all that extra money on a cheap bass, when you can just by a better bass to begin with. The dollar amount is irrelevant, it's the spending extra that's the point.
 
#28
Let me ask another question.

Do most pickups and other mod items drop into a SX or does it require further mods such as routing?

I am looking at the P copy and was wondering if the mods are a bunch of trouble ,such as better pickups.
 
#29
DeanT said:
You people are missing the point. The money is just an estimate, not an exact amount. Obviously some people put more into it than others. The point is whay spend all that extra money on a cheap bass, when you can just by a better bass to begin with. The dollar amount is irrelevant, it's the spending extra that's the point.
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Th dollar amount isn't irrelevant...it actually matters..;)

I think that SX's must be a decent bass...and probably just as good as some that cost much more...look at all the great reviews.. I'm sure they're not all beginners that just touched a bass for the first time..

Maybe if they actually cost $500...that would make them a better bass?

I've played plenty of basses around $500 that aren't worth their weight in salt...I'd rather spend 200 upgrading an SX than get most Yamahas, or Ibanezes(there are a couple I like, but they are "old school" in looks and circuitry)....

Let's face it, many people like the "Fender" sound, and can't afford a new MIA Fender, or a MIM one......which many say that the SX is just as good as..

Now, take that extra cash, and upgrade the bass - most people have fun with this, and it doesn't have to cost a lot at all...Ebay iis great for this..and you can wind up with a bass that sounds even better than that $500 bass for a whole lot less..

..but, if you like a bass just the way it is pretty much, and want to save extra $$ to get a more expensive one, by all means, that is fine also..as is the case with my last bass.....

My next bass will be a fretless P maybe, and I will definately look the SX route, as I already like P basses, and want to learn more and tinker around with it..

Some people don't want the same basses as you.:)
 
#30
DeanT said:
You people are missing the point. The money is just an estimate, not an exact amount. Obviously some people put more into it than others. The point is whay spend all that extra money on a cheap bass, when you can just by a better bass to begin with. The dollar amount is irrelevant, it's the spending extra that's the point.
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Say you buy an SX for $99 (not including shipping). So now you have a $99 bass that sounds like a $300-400 bass right out of the box.

You purchase a pair of new pups for $150. Now you have the sound of a $500-600 bass for ONLY $249.

Then you purchase a nice set of strings for $40. Now you have a total of $289 invested and have the sound quality of a $700-800 bass.

I'm sorry, but I don't see what the confusion is here. And I don't see spending $190 on a $99 bass as "all that extra money" to get to the sound of a $700-800 bass.

Now if you go out and buy a $700-800 bass, spending money on it to replace strings and pups won't give you the big jump in performance since it already has the better parts in it. You would probably have to spend about $400-500 in parts alone to make any real noticable improvements, which at that point becomes useless since you could get the same added performance by just buying a bass for $1100-1300 to begin with, if not better performance.

Hence the reason I plan on buying a 5-string SX when I can just for the heck of it. :D
 
#31
The more one modifies any bass, the worse it becomes as an investment. Unless one has no cash on hand, it always makes sense financially to buy a non modified bass as close to what you want..up to a point. A new high end bass, like a new Jaguar automobile, is going to depreciate the moment you walk out of the store. But a used stock Sadowsky, like most mid priced instruments, will always see you losing less cash if you sell it than a hot rodded SX.

That being said, if one doesnt think of instruments this way, then its just a fun thing to do for those with the inclination to mess with things and with lots of free time.

I bought my SX P/J to have for those times that im going to be leaving a bass in a car or rehearal space for a couple days or similar situations.

But please lets lose the financial justification for modifying an SX. It just doesnt make sense.
 
#32
Sorry to butt in, but i don't think Dean T is trying to start a fight, he's just asking a question. When he said the dollar amount is irrelevant, he meant it was just an example - he didnt mean in everyday life. Please no arguments guys :) we are all friends here yes?
 
#33
To each their own, there are some good basses to be had off the rack but also some great relatively cheap parts for ppl who want to roll their own.

If I buy a cheap SX, then buy the same bolt on parts I would want for any good P or J bass, I might end up with exactly what I want. If not and I realize that the SX is holding me back due to its construction or materials, I can put it back to original and sell it for $30-$50 less than I bought it for or just keep it for a knock around bass or maybe even gift it to some poor kid trying to learn how to play. I can then buy a Fender or some Warmoth parts and bolt on the stuff I originally bought for the SX. This is not rocket science.

Sometimes a few changes can totally transform a bass. I had the pickups potted, a setup and changed the string type on one bass I have and it is a totally different instrument than it was before.

Just rambling but I don't think it is all about dollars, I sold all of my more expensive electrics years ago because I found cheaper basses that suit me better.

I held on to the fancier basses for a long time because they were supposed to be better but finally sold them because I was not playing them.

Ymmv
S
 
#35
Because it's fun...i love tinkering with stuff anyway so why not my bass. It's all in the journey for me.

I don't buy basses to invest in anyway..i buy them to play. no offense to those that do.

Regardless of if I bought a $500-$1000 bass, I just wouldn't and couldn't resist messing with it to make it MINE!! lol
 
#36
matt"bass" said:
I think its a great way to learn how to start building your own basses from scratch. By dismanteling an old one, and studying its different aspects of construction, and then changing adding, removing bits to suit you. plus its cheap, and you have abass that no one else will have. :)
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I agree very much. Also, the more that you tinker with your instrument to get it exactly how you want it, the more it becomes your instrument. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that buying a stock Ken Smith or Sadowsky means that it's not yours, I'm just saying that it's possible to have a connection with your instrument based on playing it, memories you've had with it, and many other ways. One of those ways is to personally rewire or otherwise modify it with your own hands. You can have an investment in your instrument through investing time to earn the cash to buy it, or you can invest your time in working on it by hand. Neither is better than the other, it's a matter of personal preference and feasibility.

duke2004 said:
The more one modifies any bass, the worse it becomes as an investment.
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...Which is why people do this on a 99 dollar bass. There's only so much you can devalue an SX. The money invested in accesories and upgrades can always be removed and dropped into other instruments.
 
#37
Oh, and I just finished modding the electronics on my very nice 1999 Squier P-bass today. I added a series/parallel switch, new cloth wiring, and a switch to change between a .039 and a .1 pf capacitor. I had to learn how pots work, how basic circuits work, and more in order to wire it properly. Tinkering is a great teacher, and now instead of loudly bragging how much money I can afford to spend on my instrument, I can loudly brag how much of a dork I am.
 
#38
Its not about the money, if your woried about money, then why are you playing music?? its just fun, Theres great bass players that have never worked on an instrument before, its like a car, you take more pride in working on it yourself, then having other people do it for you.
 

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