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SX Basses.... Really?

bareass

bareass

Apr 30, 2007
379
36
Windsor Ontario, Canada
#1
are these basses really as good as i hear?
i've hear they sound the same and thier fender lookalikes. is that really true?
i mean i can buy an ash J bass for less then 200 bucks, but will it sound and play like 200 bucks or will it sounds fine next to my other higher end (non boutique) basses?
would love to hear from people who play these and have high end gear to use next to it
 
#3
bareass said:
are these basses really as good as i hear?
i've hear they sound the same and thier fender lookalikes. is that really true?
i mean i can buy an ash J bass for less then 200 bucks, but will it sound and play like 200 bucks or will it sounds fine next to my other higher end (non boutique) basses?
would love to hear from people who play these and have high end gear to use next to it
Click to expand...
If you get a lemon, it's gonna be hard to make it playable.


If you get a decent one, with a quick setup and maybe some filing of the frets, you can have a bass that plays and sounds far better than it probably should.

The hardware (tuners, bridge) are too flimsy for some, but I've had no issues with mine.
 
#5
CapnSev said:
Sound like a good Fender? Pretty darn close.

Play like a good Fender? Short answer: No.

Here's a link to a review I just barely did yesterday:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=536526
Click to expand...

Well, you can get them to play like a Fender with a little TLC, but they don't come that way. They're cheap production basses so keep expectations reasonable and you won't be disappointed. You'll have a playable, good sounding bass.
 
#6
CapnSev said:
Sound like a good Fender? Pretty darn close.

Play like a good Fender? Short answer: No.
Click to expand...

Exactly. And, as previously stated, you might get one that you will play "OK" after a setup, but maybe you won't. Fortunately Rondo has good customer service. I have never heard of anyone who had any trouble exchanging one.

They are definitely worth the price. They are probably worth more than their price, in fact. But they are not in the same category as MIA Fenders.

Now just wait...someone will probably post that their $129 SX plays better than their brand new MIA Fender! :hiding:
 
#7
Mastermold said:
Well, you can get them to play like a Fender with a little TLC, but they don't come that way. They're cheap production basses so keep expectations reasonable and you won't be disappointed. You'll have a playable, good sounding bass.
Click to expand...

Right. That's kind of what I was saying. It's $200, and yeah, it's going to play like $200 when you get it. You can go ahead and put the labor of fret and nut filing, refinishing, and slapping some new hardware on there, but then your $200 bass isn't $200 anymore.
 
#9
oh yea there good just got mine today,super fast delivery too.
I have 2008 fender highwayone Jazz and a fender mim FSR jazz so i can compare them plus I had a squier affinity jazz (no comparson here sx way better product) I bought the cheapie sx sjb62 Bk jazz $89 it is good as a mim or a squier 60's classic vibe. played great right out of the box action was up to fender specs and intonation after I tuned it was on the money too.
 
#10
+ 1 to everything already said. They're worth the money but they are NOT perfect basses by any stretch, and leave a lot to be desired once they hit the stage if you plan on using them stock. I owned a few, and one of them I liked lots in the house. It had a nice neck, good action, everything was pretty solid. I took it to 1 gig and then sold it. Sounded real boxy, couldn't get much sustain at all, and couldn't dial in a sound that was acceptable to me. I also had to file the frets a bit in order to not cut myself up (not a big deal to do, just got a file and did it :) ). Had I invested a few hundred bucks in pickups and a preamp the bass may have killed, but as already mentioned then it wouldn't have been a $150 bass anymore.

Some people here however love and swear by them. If you get one and love it then yay for you for not having to spend thousands to make you happy. For a little over a hundred bucks it's worth checking out to form your own opinion. You could always resell it and you're experience will have a cost a whopping $20 you'd lose in the depreciation.
 
#11
I have an SX P, and it is a good instrument. I've upgraded all the electronics, the bridge, and done a fret level and setup. It plays as well as any of the MIM Deluxe Fenders I've had. The tuners are fine by me and the weight and balance are just right. It is a solid, useable instrument, but it does not compare to the playability of my '99 Fender Hot Rod P/J bass in any way. (feel, sound, action, playability) But don't think that is too harsh. Neither do any of the dozen other basses that have come and gone since I bought it. Sometimes you get one that is just right.
 
#13
for me i'm thinking Ash is Ash, if i were to buy one i would want to change the frets out for banjo frets and change the pickups. but then i'll have a $700 SX. sure it might sound good and play good, but so would any other bass i buy for that price right.
maybe i'll just mod my carvin
 
#15
If you want a little higher quality, go for the Brice. Their quality in the last few years has come up significantly. The new Brice I have sounds very nice with its stock pre and pickups.

The first Brice I got was a V2 fretless. I had to move the bridge back 1/4 of an inch to get the intonation dead on, and replaced the electronics with a 3 band Bartolini. It's awesome.

As for brands, I've NEVER liked Fender - but LOVED the original MusicMan. That's why there are different brands and makers out there. Gotta try it.

As for functionality though, I'd rather take a modded SX to bar gig where I won't get all bent out of shape if an air conditioner above my head decides to drip water on it while we're on a break, or if someone starts pushing someone around and they fall into the instruments (both true stories). I'll save my high-end stuff for the recording studio, church, and indoor stage concerts.

Z
 
#17
my gear isn' high enough end where i'm worried about a bit of beer spills, and humidity
as for the drunks, we are usually on a bit of a lifted stage, so it would be some effort (in thier condition) to surprise me while playing. and from the sounds of what i've been reading i gotta start going to church! where i'm from we don't have no bands in church, not unless you consider an acoustic guitar and maybe an organ both played by retirees!
 
#18
Joey3313 said:
If you get a lemon, it's gonna be hard to make it playable.


If you get a decent one, with a quick setup and maybe some filing of the frets, you can have a bass that plays and sounds far better than it probably should.

The hardware (tuners, bridge) are too flimsy for some, but I've had no issues with mine.
Click to expand...

what makes SX a no-brainer for me is that if you get a lemon their return policy is awesome and they're the most willing to work with you out of any instrument maker i've ever encountered. the owner frequents TB and is ultra-responsive to TBers' suggestions and opinions. for that incredible reason alone, i'm happy to support him (it also helps that it's easy on the wallet).

i've got a fretless J, fretted P, and a strat from rondomusic...and that's probably just the beginning.
 

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