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SX - from decent to killer
- Thread starter Bardolph
- Start date
rickm said:
no offense, but it sounds like your instructor is speaking out of ignorance (NOT stupidity, but ignorance). He is probably worried you will get a cheap crap bass and that it will frustrate you and make you not want to play. I applaud him for looking out for looking out for his students, but there is a BIG difference between a CHEAP bass (the crap they sell in walmart) and an INEXPENSIVE bass (SX)
I understand. I sent him the link for the one I was considering, SX SJB-75, and he liked it. Thats all he said though. The one thing that has me worried is the number of mods that need to be done to an SX. I've never filed a fret or nut in my life. (Guitar) Then new pots and pickups, strings, etc.
rickm said:
I have never had to file a fret on either SX I have owned. All upgrades I have done were not out of necessity. They were optional. I wanted a better bridge (Gotoh) even though the stock bridge is the same style bent metal bridge as on Fenders. I didn't have to swap out pots, but I would like to learn to rewire the bass and wanted a blend knob. I didn't have to swap out pickups (the P thumped, the J growled, sound had plenty of bottom end..what more could I want), but I got a great deal on a set of used Lindy Fralins.
SX's aren't about requiring upgrades and swaps. They are about a good bass straight out the box that can be made even better with a few inexpensive upgrades. An upgraded SX (bridge, strings, nut, setup) would still be no more than 1/2 the cost of a MIM, but would exceed it in sound (where it matters).
Plus, Kurt is awesome to deal with. He makes sure his customers stay happy and that means a lot to me when I buy something.
+1 on the SX bass. Just picked up a Scorpion Jazz after reading so many positive posts about bang for the buck. It did take a good setup but I have to say it's now my second favorite bass right behind my StingRay 5. How do they do it for $119? If I didn't own one I would have never thought you could get a good bass for so little. 
sheepdog said:awesome!
That is the bass I currently play. I installed a Gotoh bridge first thing (good use of $30). I have Fralins that I got on ebay for $130, but I am waiting to be able to sit back and rewire the whole thing. My tone pot is noisy and I am installing a balance vs. 2 volumes. Stock pickups on an SX rival (or exceed) the quality of the pickups in MIM Fenders that I have owned/played. If you are modding a bass, great platform to start with. No resale value, but who cares.
Which gotoh did you put on, and how much of a difference would you say it made?
is it a Pbass neck or a Jbass one? Although I have gotten use to a Pbass neck, I sometimes still wish I had a jazz bass neck. Thats the problem, I want the pbass sound but the jazz bass neck.
- Feb 24, 2004
- 4,103
- 642
- 68
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Phantom Guitars, Eastwood Guitars
E.Gonzalez said:
I have 2 SX Jazzes and the necks are wider than a J neck, and I just got an SX PJ bass last week and the neck is wider than a P bass neck.
rickm said:
yes, he is the main point of contact with Rondo music.
ask your instructor if he will chip in to help upgrade you from an SX to a Fodera. You can tell him you are willing to throw in $150.
