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My Essex Experience

LongJim

LongJim

Jun 14, 2011
17
18
Denton, TX
#1
Hello all. Newbie here.

I just wanted to relate my experience with SX/Rondo. I had heard good things here and elsewhere about these basses, and after 25+ years of not playing, decided to pick it up again on an informal, record-stuff-on-the-laptop sorta way.

I initially ordered the SX Ursa 2 MN NA Ash (Jazz copy), and was pretty impressed with the heft, quality of build. Real solid. Neck and frets were smooth. Frankly, I was blown away by how good the neck was out of the box. Intonation was pretty much spot on. Setup was surprisingly good, and would only require a bit of tweak for a bit of relief. Hardware was decent.

BUT...pickguard was not flat against the wood. Screwed down with a small ripple. Not a big deal but nagging for my mild OCD. Knobs were crooked over pots. Neck pickup was DOA. Deal breaker right there.

Back in the box it went.

After contacting Kurt, he was no hassle, and let me return and reorder. I then said what the heck, and ordered the "pro"
SX Ursa 2 MN PRO 3TS.

Got it last week, and really nice bass. Grain is nicely matched back and front. Knobs true, and good quality. Nice high mass bridge. Upgraded tuners, and the neck and pickups are good. Neck needed some relief to eliminate fret buzz on D string, but not a big deal. It may be just me, but I love the necks on these basses. So much better for a "cheap bass" then when I first picked up a cheapo back in the '70's. Like night and day, as many here have probably mentioned.

Only issues with this bass was that the pickguard (pearloid) had been screwed down too tightly near the volume pot/bottom edge area, and had split the clear laminate. In fact the pickguard was sort of roughly finished all around, but after a bit of super glue action, it's ok.

Plays great. Good tone, and very quiet--surprisingly. Really happy with the experience from Rondo and Kurt, and can honestly say that I feel like I got a much more expensive bass for a lot less money.

Kurt's customer service is great, and wanted to acknowlege that, also. Just wanted to share the joy.

Also--really enjoying the forum here. Lots of good info.
 
#6
Nice. And congrats on the new bass and the return to playing.

I stopped playing for almost 10 years and an SX was the first bass I bought when I got back into it about 4-5 years ago.

Still really blown away at the quality-for-price ratio.

And like you I LOVE the neck!

I also bought an SX Tele copy which is also far better than I expected (and has a neck I love.)
 
#7
I've ordered 2 SX basses - a P/J and my current fretless P. I love the finish and feel and only upgraded pickups (for tone) and pickguard (for looks). And intend to put in a graphtech nut.

I also have 3 SX SJM guitars and also love them. I do not like Fender strat necks that I've tried and certainly never have been a tele person, but I love my SJM's.

Anyways, I was a huge proponent of SX instruments, but the headstocks pretty much ruined it for me. I just can't look at those, unfortunately. Those who can - SX guitars and basses are still a great deal, especially for modding.
 
#9
Muddslide said:
Nice. And congrats on the new bass and the return to playing.

I stopped playing for almost 10 years and an SX was the first bass I bought when I got back into it about 4-5 years ago.

Still really blown away at the quality-for-price ratio.

And like you I LOVE the neck!

I also bought an SX Tele copy which is also far better than I expected (and has a neck I love.)
Click to expand...

I also LOVE the SX necks! I love the SX jazz pickups too (except for the single coil hum!)

I bought my first SX some years ago (back when they still had the "canoe paddle" headstock) for a "bar bass" so I wouldn't have to worry about damaging or losing an expensive bass. You all know the story! Now I've got five SX basses (original, fretless, new Ursa with both fretless and fretted necks, and two SX 6ers) I also have two SX strats. One A stock (killer) and one B stock (always has a buzz in the bridge which I couldn't find so eventually I bought a whole new bridge for it). I haven't installed it yet...no rush as the B stock strat is done ENTIRELY in "nuclear orange", YIKES! But hey, I figure B stands for "Backup", right?

I think some people expect too much from SX basses. I know there are people here who play them out of the box, but my experience has been that they ALWAYS seem to need some fixing here and there. A new pickguard, shielding, new knobs or pots, or cleaned up neck joint, whatever. I've never had one so bad it had to go back though. Which is why I really love the "pro" idea. A few more bucks and SX takes care of some of the stuff that normally I'd have to fix myself. Well worth the extra cost to me.
 
#10
I'm glad you're so pleased. :) It's good to see a bass player enjoying his new instrument. Having said that, however, if I had the same experience, I wouldn't have been so happy. That dead pickup on a new bass would have soured me on Rondo for good. I know they wound up fixing it in the end but there are too many stories like that and too many other examples of basses from competing companies that come spot-on perfect straight off the shelf for $300 for me to consider SX.

ghostdog93 said:
Not to toot his horn too much, but Kurt is generally tops when it comes to customer service. He's usually quick with a response and the no-hassle return policy is great.
Click to expand...

That's the one thing he does well and he has to do it because SX are usually a bit flawed to start out with. His talent is damage control after the fact... doesn't it seem like that's a good quality that we should never even need to enjoy? It'd be kind of like saying "This guy is my favorite waiter. He cleans up SO quickly and thoroughly every time he spills soup on my table, which is almost every time he brings me my order, but he's SO good about cleanup!"

bassbenj said:
I think some people expect too much from SX basses. I know there are people here who play them out of the box, but my experience has been that they ALWAYS seem to need some fixing here and there. A new pickguard, shielding, new knobs or pots, or cleaned up neck joint, whatever. I've never had one so bad it had to go back though. Which is why I really love the "pro" idea. A few more bucks and SX takes care of some of the stuff that normally I'd have to fix myself. Well worth the extra cost to me.
Click to expand...

That they need that extra fixing is the disappointing part. ARE we expecting too much? Relative to the price point, it's possible to find more reliable options.

I know it's been repeated over and over and over but every time these stories come up, I can't help but think that if someone had spent just a bit extra, they could have had a Squier Classic Vibe and not been able to find a single real problem.
 
#11
ghostdog93 said:
Not to toot his horn too much, but Kurt is generally tops when it comes to customer service. He's usually quick with a response and the no-hassle return policy is great.
Click to expand...

nocontrols said:
That's the one thing he does well and he has to do it because SX are usually a bit flawed to start out with. His talent is damage control after the fact... doesn't it seem like that's a good quality that we should never even need to enjoy? It'd be kind of like saying "This guy is my favorite waiter. He cleans up SO quickly and thoroughly every time he spills soup on my table, which is almost every time he brings me my order, but he's SO good about cleanup!"
Click to expand...

Since I've never had to return anything to Rondo, I have no experience with Kurt's excellence in "damage control", as you put it.

I was, however, referring to the fact that he ALWAYS responds to my emails in a prompt and courteous manner, even when most of the time I'm just asking questions or bugging him about parts, and not actually buying anything. That is also customer service.

I'm not going to speak for Kurt, but I think the level of service he provides is a matter of choice, and not because he is forced into it by the quality of the product. Frankly, I think a small business that stands behind what they sell (with a return policy like Rondo's, for example) is a good and commendable thing, especially in this day and age.

I also think it's completely ridiculous to say that we should "never have to enjoy" the benefit of good customer service. The world isn't perfect. Products don't roll out with zero defects 100% of the time - that's why there are warranties and return policies. When something does go wrong with a product, no matter if it's a $300 bass or a $30,000 car, I like to know that I'm going to be treated well and the problem is going to be solved to my satisfaction. I certainly don't want the hassle of poor customer service on top of having to go through the trouble of returning or replacing an item. Maybe you do.

If you think SX products aren't worth the price, are flawed, or don't meet your quality standards, there is a very simple solution: don't buy one.


nocontrols said:
That they need that extra fixing is the disappointing part. ARE we expecting too much? Relative to the price point, it's possible to find more reliable options.
Click to expand...

And these more reliable options to the new $109 bass with a return policy are...?


nocontrols said:
I know it's been repeated over and over and over but every time these stories come up, I can't help but think that if someone had spent just a bit extra, they could have had a Squier Classic Vibe and not been able to find a single real problem.
Click to expand...

Before I respond to this, a disclosure: I am a fan of the VM and CV series, which IMO are very likely the best Squiers we've seen since the original MIJ days. I think they are worth every cent of their purchase price. That being said...

First, what qualifies as "just a bit extra"? A new SX bass shipped to my house is about $150. I can go to the local GC and pluck a CV off the wall and pay $350. To me, that's not just a bit extra, that's $200 extra. With that money, you could buy a second SX, or a practice amp, or a private bass lesson or three. For some folks, $200 is a huge difference, especially if money is a contributing factor in their decision to buy the SX in the first place. This is not the $50 gap between a VM and a CV; it's the cost of a whole SX bass and then some.

Second, it's absurd to assume that the CVs don't have a "single real problem". You could very easily get a CV shipped from GC that has a scratched pickguard, or touchy pots, or stripped screws, or a wacked neck, or whatever. I've seen at least two CV 50's Ps that needed a major setup and neck tweaking. They're damn good basses, but they're not trouble free.

Do I think a CV and an SX are in the same league, quality-wise? No. But to say the purchase of a CV guarantees you a bass without problems is just silly.
 
#12
ghostdog93 said:
If you think SX products aren't worth the price, are flawed, or don't meet your quality standards, there is a very simple solution: don't buy one.
Click to expand...

Well said! Don't like 'em? Just leave 'em alone... and leave more for me!! :hyper:

IMGP2272.jpg
 
#15
On the topic of price: You're right... Classic Vibe do cost about $350 so the Vintage Modified would be a better comparison at $280 brand new and sometimes as low as $200 used. Not THAT much more expensive than an SX and although not guaranteed to be perfect, I've not experienced a problem myself or heard a litany of minor gripes as I have with SX.

Anyway, if the OP is happy, then he's happy and that's great. :) I encourage everyone to love their bass and play the bass they love, SX owners included. But a lot of SX owners do have problems, some worse than others and I feel bad for them because it'd seriously rankle me if I were in that position. I just think it's a shame.

Oh, well. /my two cents
 
#16
I guess my take on the whole thing is that I really can't justify spending $350+ for a bass to hack around on if I can get a ~$200 bass to do the same job.

I'm not particularly tooting SX's horn, but it's just fairly incredible that you can get a decent instrument for ~$110-$190 bucks with a good neck, decent hardware, and very good materials. The guy at Buzzard's Bass shop swears that SX has their pickups built to Fender specs, as well. I haven't verified that, but wouldn't be surprised.

As many (and I) have noted, I think SX lags in the fit and finish and quality control dept. The first arrival with a DOA pickup caused me to almost nix the whole idea of purchasing from them, but they made it right, and I purposely stopped into Guitar Center yesterday to play a Squier Jazz to compare. The Squier was nice, no doubt, but was it $200 nicer? IMO, no way. That said, I agree with "love what you play, and play what you love." :)
 
#17
Well, and many SX basses are not ~$200, but precisely $109.95, $119.95, $129.95, $139,95 and $149.95 (plus S&H, of course, which IME is under $15).

I bought my fretless SPB (P-style) for $89.95 - new (not a b stock) - must've been a clearance, but that happens at rondo. I tend to keep that in mind.

I also haven't had to return anything - if the issue is cosmetic (or a pickup is dead and you plan to replace them anyway), you can write Kurt an email with pics explaining the issues and he might be willing to give you a discount (a b-stock on arrival).

At this point I think that VM and CV basses are 100% worth their price, but if I could get SX with the old headstocks for modding, I'd still be interested. I really liked the maple necks I've seen on SX, the ones with the vintage tint. LOVE IT.

I'd say that it's a modder's thing, obviously nobody who pays for their setups should really bother with SX, but for us it's ideal. I'll take the post-sale customer service along with the funny low price (the hard shell case that is "included" with a MIA bass is probably costing the buyer more than these basses).
 
#18
I agree with the op. I just purchased an sx pro model and I must say it is quite nice. Neck is smooth and no harsh frets. I like the sound of the up graded pups. They have a really nice growly bite. Theres a little noise but nothing some shielding won't help. Honestly I'm very impressed with this bass. It's easily the best bang for the buck out there imo. I got the nat finish and the wood grain looks really nice:hyper:. I'll post pics soon, not near my computer atm.
 
#20
I have a SPJ-62 and I love it! I think its well worth the money.

Recently, I've been thinking about getting a Jazz again and the 3TS Pro is really calling my name.
Now if I can just get my Warmoth 5 string neck sold, I'd be in business!!
 

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