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New Offerings from Rondo

#64
bootsox said:
Most people think of it as a best of both worlds type thing but I think it's more like worst of both worlds. I only have one passive p/j bass but I was smart enough to just completely remove the J pup
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I'm with you on this.

The only PJ that ever sounded good to me is the MIM P Bass Special Deluxe, which is active. It's loud as hell and pretty versatile, but not in a traditional Fender way.

Passive PJ's do nothing for me. They never sound like a P or a J, and I don't dig the hybrid passive tone.
 
#67
So, do you think this bass

eb6105trwr25.jpg


has the same kind of MM pups as this bass?

ursa2hummn3ts5.jpg


The MM in the MM/J is a 4-wire epoxy sealed beaut. Do you think they used the same pups in the Hadean? I'm not getting a response about it from Kurt (who is understandably busy with Christmas orders.
 
#68
Was really thinking of the white one but wifey's van got brakes, new front rotors, water pump, hoses, and new serpentine belt....which put a major dent in my "rainy day fund" from which the white one was to be paid from. :crying:

Subscribed so ya'll can PLEASE report on the white one when you get one.
 
#71
electracoyote said:
Okay, this is the snob in me talking, but the double P in the picture has nothing inscribed on the headstock, and the headstock has a nice shape. If it ships blank like that, bonus for us snobs.

The double P idea gets kicked around with regularity here on TB, this could be a golden opportunity for a modder's dream on the way cheap.
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I e-mailed Kurt about this bass. Accoriding to him the bass does not have a pickguard & the headstock has no decal or other type of markings.
 
#72
bootsox said:
the J still has magnetic pull on the strings and contributes to the overall impedance of the circuit. so no, it wouldn't be the same.
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The magnetic pull of the extra pickup doesn't do anything noticeable. But the impedance of two pickups does. That's why my PJ has had the wiring "adjusted" so that when the J is off it duplicates a P.

A more serious factor is that a P pickup is louder than a J. So makers underwind the P pickup so the levels match when both volumes are maxed. But then that really changes the tone of the P soloed. On mine I have a standard Fender P pickup. So when J is off it still sounds like a P. The downside is that to use both pickups on I find best is P at 80% with J on full.

I really don't know why P/J makers don't fix this stuff.
 
#73
At those proices and by looking at the pics. Id assume that the solid wood body was the main good thing about them. Wetehr or not is better grade version of the woods used I dunno. The hardware for bridges looks like cheap grade stuff, Id also assume the frets are probably cheap soft metal ones.
 
#74
MeLikeDaLowNote said:
They look amazing for the money, but does anyone know how they compare with the Indonesian Sterling by MM S.U.B. line in terms of overall quality?
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No way.

I hear that occasionally you can get a "good" one. But I've had two rondo basses. The first had gouges on the sides of the fretboard. The strings were a joke. I think I threw the thing in the dumpster after about two days.

The second had fretboard rash (looked like the wood was too dry). the bass was otherwise playable, though the fretwork was the worst I've come across (still usable, though). The pickups were low output and harsh, even with good strings on it.
 
#75
bassbenj said:
The magnetic pull of the extra pickup doesn't do anything noticeable. But the impedance of two pickups does. That's why my PJ has had the wiring "adjusted" so that when the J is off it duplicates a P.

A more serious factor is that a P pickup is louder than a J. So makers underwind the P pickup so the levels match when both volumes are maxed. But then that really changes the tone of the P soloed. On mine I have a standard Fender P pickup. So when J is off it still sounds like a P. The downside is that to use both pickups on I find best is P at 80% with J on full.

I really don't know why P/J makers don't fix this stuff.
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks for that. This may be the first time I have had an explanation as to the unique nature of pairing a split P and J rail, and why I don't care for the stock configuration. Good to know, and good to know there is a work-around for improving the tone.
 
#77
bassbenj said:
The magnetic pull of the extra pickup doesn't do anything noticeable. But the impedance of two pickups does. That's why my PJ has had the wiring "adjusted" so that when the J is off it duplicates a P.

A more serious factor is that a P pickup is louder than a J. So makers underwind the P pickup so the levels match when both volumes are maxed. But then that really changes the tone of the P soloed. On mine I have a standard Fender P pickup. So when J is off it still sounds like a P. The downside is that to use both pickups on I find best is P at 80% with J on full.

I really don't know why P/J makers don't fix this stuff.
Click to expand...

magnetic pull is definitely noticeable when you have a quarter pound in the bridge and solo the neck, or any pickup in the neck and solo the bridge. I almost always change the pickups in my basses right out the box so I never noticed the underwound thing.
 

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