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SX Quality Concerns

#21
I have lots of experience with the SX basses.

Here's my two cents:

- Whenever there is a model that is remotely close to what you wanted - in an LTD version - get the LTD version.

- When there's no LTD, still buy - the regular SX's are great bargains, too.

- I wouldn't recommend asking Kurt to swap out a pickguard before shipping. That's not how they work. Just order the stock bass and do the required mods yourself.

Did I mention that the LTD's are maybe the best bass bargains currently on the planet?
 
#23
Scott in Dallas said:
My advice is buy the SX, send me the neck and I'll make it as close to perfect as I can. Then when I send it back, reinstall it with decent screws, replace the bridge and you'll have an instrument that will hang with just about anything and will last a long time.
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I'll keep that in mind when I get an SX. :bassist:

I'm leaning towards the full scale Jaguar (SJMB) right now. The color is growing on me, and it seems as though it is essentially a Jazz with the styling of a Jag. That vintage-esque wood tint of the neck is nice, too.
 
#24
theory028 said:
I'll keep that in mind when I get an SX. :bassist:

I'm leaning towards the full scale Jaguar (SJMB) right now. The color is growing on me, and it seems as though it is essentially a Jazz with the styling of a Jag. That vintage-esque wood tint of the neck is nice, too.
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It is indeed a jazz with jag styling. Someone has a review here somewhere, and it also mentions that it suffers from neck dive due to the shorter upper horn when compared to a Fender. I'm happy to do the work on whatever you get, so keep me in mind.
 
#26
CrimsonGhost said:
how can anyone complain about the quality of a $150 bass!?

If you want quality just pickup a classic 50s precision.
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+1

You takes your chance, you double your money!

Still I reckon that spending $400 bucks on said $150 bass sort of defeats the purpose, but each to there own. I think I'd be looking for a bass with better resale if I was in the OP's position.
 
#27
Thunderitter said:
+1

You takes your chance, you double your money!

Still I reckon that spending $400 bucks on said $150 bass sort of defeats the purpose, but each to there own. I think I'd be looking for a bass with better resale if I was in the OP's position.
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I don't know about you, but I don't buy stuff looking to sell it. I buy it because I want it. Besides, spending $400 on a $150 bass is great, if it gets you exactly what you want. Odds are, you're not spending $400 to sound exactly like a Fender or whatever, so you'd be spending the same money if you had the fender in the first place...you just got there for less total money.
 
#28
Scott in Dallas said:
My advice is buy the SX, send me the neck and I'll make it as close to perfect as I can. Then when I send it back, reinstall it with decent screws, replace the bridge and you'll have an instrument that will hang with just about anything and will last a long time.
Click to expand...

I second this comment. Scott does great work and is a great guy...he has done both of my necks (well I swapped my LTD Neck with him). I have a standard P/J and a LTD Jazz...they are both great.

Enjoy
 
#29
I've had 3 basses from Rondo - a basic SX Jazz, a Douglas 6-string and (most recently) a SX LTD short scale Jazz. Oddly enough, the basic Jazz is better in quality (in my opinion) than the LTD. To be honest, the cheap Douglas 6'er is better than nearly any other bass I've owned...

Here are my specific issues that I've experienced with the LTD:
  1. Bridge - the bridge looks great, but the position is a bit off (scale length). With 2 different sets of short-scale strings, I've *really* had to crank the saddles back on the E and A string to get the intonation close.
  2. A-string rattle - the 3rd string (A) rattles a bit - even with the strings wound tightly at the bottom of the tuning peg (to maximize the A string angle). I've checked the truss rod, nut, saddles, etc., with no luck.
  3. Pickups - the plastic cover on the bridge pickup keeps separating from the pickup itself. The pole pieces suddenly vanish as the pickup and cover fall away from one another.
  4. Pickguard - the pickguard was cut *rough* - there are a few uneven spots that look like they were cut with a dull blade, leaving some ragged bits.

Keep in mind that I've had great luck with Rondo and the SX/Douglas basses as a whole. This is certainly not intended to tell you not to buy SX, just to point out that (even with the LTD), you'll probably need to fix a few things, fine tune it, etc. The tweaking that you'll do is the same that you would do with any other inexpensive bass (Squire, Dean, etc.)
 
#30
Warpticon said:
I don't know about you, but I don't buy stuff looking to sell it. I buy it because I want it. Besides, spending $400 on a $150 bass is great, if it gets you exactly what you want. Odds are, you're not spending $400 to sound exactly like a Fender or whatever, so you'd be spending the same money if you had the fender in the first place...you just got there for less total money.
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..as I always say it's good we have different opinions; the world would be a dull place if we all thought the same way! I generally don't 'buy to sell' with basses, but I also can't resist bargains either at the store or on the 'bay. A bargain to me is a bass that I can re-sell for close to what I have to pay for it.

I did ask the OP what his experience was, but that was lost in all the posts. I did get the feeling he was newer to the bass than some of us and if I remember my early days with the bass I no longer have my first 5 basses! They were all sold and traded as I moved up to better gear. That was really my point regarding resale. $450 into an SX is great if it's a keeper, but if it's not then better putting that into, dare I say the 'F' word or some others out there.

Don't get me wrong I think SXs are fabulous for the money, it's just that I've never played one that makes me want to give up any of my other basses and use that as my main tool. However, maybe I just haven't found that bass!

I should add that one of my main gigging basses is a $850 project bass so I do understand where you SX guys are coming from! It's just while that bass plays like a $2k bass, way better than the latest 08 Fender's, I'm not kidding myself as I'd be lucky to get back what I've invested into the bass. I buy and 08 Fender for $945 incl tax (offered that deal yesterday at GC) and if I decided to trade or sell, I'd be getting somewhere around 70-75% back in good condition.

Personally if I had $600 and only that right now for a bass, I'd either go used or if I had to have new it would be a Schecter.
 
#33
RED5 said:
Good analogy, and there's alot of truth to that, But here at the BMW dealer where I work? I have 64 cars on lifts testing the concept of german engineering infallibility. carry on...
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hahah i should NOT have used BMW, or VW either, hahah..
Just watching my co-worker try and get his BRAND NEW $40k
135 twin turbo started,... dididididididididididid,, bleh.... dididididididid bleh, POP POP, Big puff of black smoke and shes runnin....

Vw is another one, go to dealer or vw mechanic and ask them why youre check engine light is on and you will get, "they all do that" or "i dont know" or "its a VW its SUPPOSED to be on" HAHAHAH!!
 
#34
Resale value has to be a consideration when buying a bass. You're going to have an easier time getting back your investment on an Affinity than on an SX, and if you mod it you're probably going to take a loss on it. It's a danger with SX basses, and people should be made aware of that before they take the plunge. I like my SX basses about as well as I've ever liked a bass, so I don't care what they are "worth". I also do all my own work so there's very little invested. That may not be the case for everyone. If you're going to spend 400 dollars you'd be better off finding a used MIM with the features you want because you'll always be able to sell it for about the same amount you paid, even if it isn't a better bass than the SX.
 
#35
Scott in Dallas said:
If you're going to spend 400 dollars you'd be better off finding a used MIM with the features you want because you'll always be able to sell it for about the same amount you paid, even if it isn't a better bass than the SX.
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Not many basses come by with a whammy bar installed, and I haven't heard of anyone making their money back on one.

Edit: I just mean to point out that he's gonna kill re-sale value the minute a router is taken to the bridge area, so it might as well be a SX, a good one that is. I can see a point where the bridge costs more than the bass, but why spend more when he's gonna be doing some big mod's anyway.
 
#36
CrimsonGhost said:
hahah i should NOT have used BMW, or VW either, hahah..
Just watching my co-worker try and get his BRAND NEW $40k
135 twin turbo started,... dididididididididididid,, bleh.... dididididididid bleh, POP POP, Big puff of black smoke and shes runnin....

Vw is another one, go to dealer or vw mechanic and ask them why youre check engine light is on and you will get, "they all do that" or "i dont know" or "its a VW its SUPPOSED to be on" HAHAHAH!!
Click to expand...

Heh! There's a VW dealer down the street from us and you can hear the weeping and wailing of the unfortunates..And I just love the part about the hard starting 135! BMW's answer to a question no one asked!
 
#38
This is the same bass i bought. Its really a nice bass. The tuners work, but i am gonna change them because i want black ones. but i did upgrade the bridge, painted the control plate, replaced the screws with black ones and will be changin the p'ups soon. I think the only problem with the bass is the lack of grounding/shielding, it can get kinda noisy, but that can be fixed. Its really a good bass overall. I have had no problems with the frets at all.



Here's the link to the pics of mine....

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=452017
 
#39
RSJ4STRING said:
I've owned two SX jazz basses. I currently have a 4 string fretless jazz and love it! Imho the quality, and playablility for the price paid rivals my Fender P, and my Deluxe jazz.:)
Click to expand...

Now consider a blind test, so forgetting price (I know it's not a real world test, but humor me!) honestly what's the better bass?

As I said before, I haven't found a SX that is the better bass, but, I know there are a lot of folk out there who, having had the personal satisfaction of having customized a SX to make it their own, would prefer that over a stock MIM Fender or even a stock MIA in some cases.

Now bring the money side in the equations and yes an SX is an amazing bass and it makes financial sense for most folks to mod to achieve your 'own' bass.

Good point about the whammy by DARKSTRIKE. Although, why you would put a whammy on a SX, or a Fender to that matter, unless you're planning to be a soloist is beyond me! No answer needed to what is my rhetorical question!:D
 
#40
Thunderitter said:
Now consider a blind test, so forgetting price (I know it's not a real world test, but humor me!) honestly what's the better bass?

As I said before, I haven't found a SX that is the better bass, but, I know there are a lot of folk out there who, having had the personal satisfaction of having customized a SX to make it their own, would prefer that over a stock MIM Fender or even a stock MIA in some cases.
Click to expand...
I love my SX P, and everyone who hears it does too, and I'm asked often to bring it to jam's, over far more expensive basses(even ones I like more), not saying its the best P in the world, but I haven't found one I like as much yet.;)

Thunderitter said:
Now bring the money side in the equations and yes an SX is an amazing bass and it makes financial sense for most folks to mod to achieve your 'own' bass.
Click to expand...
Very true, that is all.:)

Thunderitter said:
Good point about the whammy by DARKSTRIKE. Although, why you would put a whammy on a SX, or a Fender to that matter, unless you're planning to be a soloist is beyond me! No answer needed to what is my rhetorical question!:D
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And, sorry, I do need to answer this bit!
From my profile.
SX P Bass - With Kahler Trem Bridge,
FrankenFender Jazz - With Kahler Trem, OBL Bill Lawrence Pickups,
Click to expand...
I'm not a soloist!:) Well not often anyway!:D
I like them, they're fun, I also do find them to be quiet handy, not the most useful thing on a bass, but you don't loose anything by adding one, and gain another option while playing.

Also, that SX is stock, besides the pickguard(I like tort!) and the bridge.
 

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