SX SJMB Review (with pics!)

[troyus]

I have that EXACT bass as I love it. Neck dive does suck, but you cannot expect a Modulus for $149? I replaced my pickups and this bass sounds great. My only problem with it is C on the G string does not sustain for very long for some reason.

Nice looking upgrades!

 

[rmiracle]

I finally got around to finishing this

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All of the chrome hardware went black for mechanical and cosmetic purposes. The cavities were shielded and a series/parallel pushpot was installed to jag it up a bit. Flatwound strings, along with the bridge, should give it a hearty thump and sustain.

 

[jmain]

I finally got around to finishing this

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All of the chrome hardware went black for mechanical and cosmetic purposes. The cavities were shielded and a series/parallel pushpot was installed to jag it up a bit. Flatwound strings, along with the bridge, should give it a hearty thump and sustain.

Cool!! Please post more pics and thoughts on that one. I've been looking at one of these for a while and I'm about ready to get one.

 

[J. Crawford]

and as any piece of worthy internet spam will tell you, two inches makes a big difference.

I was laughing pretty hard at that.

But I was looking to this bass. Seems like the pros outweigh the cons, seeing that bass is 1/3 the price of a MiM jazz, or 1/5 the price of a std Jag.

 

[bassrique]

I was going to order that pretty blue one, but I noticed something several weeks ago when I was checking them out...

There's a few 'fatal' flaws (upper bout 2 inches too short...

Deal breaker.

If SX ever makes a P, J or P/J in this color I'll buy it

Oh yeah, provided the headstock doesn't get uglied up.

 

[troyus]

I was going to order that pretty blue one, but I noticed something several weeks ago when I was checking them out...



Deal breaker.

If SX ever makes a P, J or P/J in this color I'll buy it

Oh yeah, provided the headstock doesn't get uglied up.

For that reason I purchased a J spec SX, and you can read about that experience here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509558

 

[troyus]

UPDATED: Sx appears to have redesigned the jaguar body and addressed the neck dive problem!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/sx-ursa-4-jaguar-cheap-body-redesign-1013055/

 

[rodl2005]

Something tells me you like blocks on yr fret board. :thumbup: Great review. Nice that it has the old & imo cooler headstock design.
Edit :-
Perhaps. ... back then they were more common

 

[nicopiano]

Good review! Well done!

 

[doctorwholittle]

I've had a few of the SX SJMBs (two short scales I wound up reselling, which were uncomfortable for me to play, personally, but sounded great), and two regular scales, both of which I still own, and they all have/had certain characteristics that I love.

Yeah, the neck dive is a big drag (the second one I have is a spankin' new one, and really isn't any better than my '08), but I have to agree: at this price point, you're not going to do any better. Even the Squier Jags won't serve you too much better. The pickguard issues must've skipped all of the ones I've owned, or it just doesn't bother me.

I'm going to be swapping out the pups and the bridges, which, as someone did point out, will essentially cost more than the basses themselves, but these things are hellacious canvases on which to work. Not wanting to sound snotty, but I'd have reservations about hot-rodding a $1,000.00 Jag bass. Not so with my SXes.

I've also got an old SX Jazz fretless 5er that I'd stack up against pretty much any Fender I've ever owned or played. These guys make really decent lines of affordable basses that you can leave be or soup up as you like.

Great review, Troy. Thanks for sharing this!

- DWL