SX vs. Fender

[Selta]

06' MIM Fenders are shielded look at the catalog or check online..they also have CTS pots which are bi-pole hum canceling when wide open.My fiver even has a Pau Ferro fretboard and gotoh tuners...they are getting very nice.

Fender MIM Jazz = $450
SX Jazz = $125

Let's break down some more. My SXes are all relativly new.

new pots ~ $8
new tuners ~$22
sand paper for your "required" sanding** ~$5
pickguard * ~$30
pickups * ~$100

SX total: $290
MIM total: $450

* = parts I don't think are needed after direct A/B'ing with an in-store MIM fender, dated to be a 2006 model.
** = this is feel. Generally, if you don't like how something feels, you don't buy it. I actually like how these necks feel - they remind me of my Spector since it has the exact same finish as these.

With that extra $160, though, I could buy:
1) Preamp
2) New neck
3) New bridge
4) bank it

 

[savit260]

06' MIM Fenders are shielded look at the catalog or check online..

they also have CTS pots which are bi-pole hum canceling when wide open.

No mention of shielding on Fenders website, or anywhere else that I can find on line for '06. I'll have to take a closer look next time I see one in person.

O.K.(chuckling) Bi pole CTS pots??? that are hum canceling???? They make hum canceling bi pole pots now??

I think you may be a little confused here.

 

[bassbully43]

No mention of shielding on Fenders website, or anywhere else that I can find on line for '06. I'll have to take a closer look next time I see one in person.

O.K.(chuckling) Bi pole CTS pots??? that are hum canceling???? They make hum canceling bi pole pots now??

I think you may be a little confused here.

Well its in my 06 catalog in my 06 jazz and on the stickers on the plastic shield on the pickguards in the stores...dont know what to tell ya. I didnt type in they are bi -pole pups with CTS pots...sorry i type to fast somethimes.

 

[Selta]

No mention of shielding on Fenders website, or anywhere else that I can find on line for '06. I'll have to take a closer look next time I see one in person.

O.K.(chuckling) Bi pole CTS pots??? that are hum canceling???? They make hum canceling bi pole pots now??

I think you may be a little confused here.

Edit for above post.

 

[bassbully43]

Fender MIM Jazz = $450
SX Jazz = $125

Let's break down some more. My SXes are all relativly new.

new pots ~ $8
new tuners ~$22
sand paper for your "required" sanding** ~$5
pickguard * ~$30
pickups * ~$100

SX total: $290
MIM total: $450

* = parts I don't think are needed after direct A/B'ing with an in-store MIM fender, dated to be a 2006 model.
** = this is feel. Generally, if you don't like how something feels, you don't buy it. I actually like how these necks feel - they remind me of my Spector since it has the exact same finish as these.

With that extra $160, though, I could buy:
1) Preamp
2) New neck
3) New bridge
4) bank it

Well
here is where i would go

Tuners (good ones) $60-90.00 those are decent
Pups Fender J replacements $140.00
Pickguard- $40.00
pots, cap , wiring, sheilding- $20.00
SX- 125.00..(if i wanted that model) really i would move to a better model more $$
$385.00....now ya have a decent bass!!!!!!!!!!
Funny thing is i paid 3 months ago $375.00 for a 4 string jazz MIM new at GC and i had the sunburst upgrade which is an 35.00 extra. I paid $425 2 years ago for my 5 new so i did well on both...no need to compare here...with the mods on a SX i want for the money the Fender win hands down in looks tone, playability and re-sale...plus they say ...Fender.

 

[Eric Perry]

I just got my SX Jazz 5-string on Monday. In my personal experience, it's better than every MIM Fender I've ever played in all categories thus far.

Sure, if you want to nitpick, the Fender tuners are better. I'll see your tuners and raise you a price tag.

 

[Selta]

I just got my SX Jazz 5-string on Monday. In my personal experience, it's better than every MIM Fender I've ever played in all categories thus far.

Sure, if you want to nitpick, the Fender tuners are better. I'll see your tuners and raise you a price tag.

The voice of reason.
Yes, at one point SX had worse runs. Anymore though, only Highway 1s and up would touch them, IMO, and in many other users opinions as well. There's a reason there's already two megathreads on 'em!

 

[Selta]

Well
here is where i would go

Tuners (good ones) $60-90.00 those are decent
Pups Fender J replacements $140.00
Pickguard- $40.00
pots, cap , wiring, sheilding- $20.00
SX- 125.00..(if i wanted that model) really i would move to a better model more $$
$385.00....now ya have a decent bass!!!!!!!!!!
Funny thing is i paid 3 months ago $375.00 for a 4 string jazz MIM new at GC and i had the sunburst upgrade which is an 35.00 extra. I paid $425 2 years ago for my 5 new so i did well on both...no need to compare here...with the mods on a SX i want for the money the Fender win hands down in looks tone, playability and re-sale...plus they say ...Fender.

I quoted the same pieces that are "standard" on Fender MIM basses. Everything you quoted on would also be an upgrade for an MIM. You're paying for a name on a headstock, that's it .
But, hey, whatever floats your boat. I'll save myself some cash and be happier than I would be with any MIM Fender.

 

[savit260]

Well its in my 06 catalog in my 06 jazz and on the stickers on the plastic shield on the pickguards in the stores...dont know what to tell ya. I didnt type in they are bi -pole pups with CTS pots...sorry i type to fast somethimes.

I think you meant to say that the new MIM's have a new Bi Pole pickup based on the American J bass pickups,that are hum cancleing when run wide open, and CTS pots. That statement would make sence.

Jazz basses have had bi pole pickups since day one. The new MIM's appear to have an "improved" updated version of the old Bi pole p/u's, to be more like their MIA counterparts. Kind of like saying Ford has a new updated aluminum wheel on it's cars. Niether aluminum nor the wheel are new.

If they are RW/RP the pickups would be hum canceling when both are wide open. This also is hardly a new concept, and I just assumed that the MIM's aleady had this feature. I guess they didn't. The Split coil P pickups, ofcourse, were always hum canceling. I'm more of a P bass guy, so excuse me on this for a second. Aren't the SX J p/u's reverse wound/ reverse polarity already?

The new MIM's may very well have CTS pots now. Are they the nice American made ones, or are they some off shore licence built jobs? I don't know, I'll have to pop one open when I get a chance and take a peek. Regardless, it's about a $10 upgrade on any passive bass.

As to your comment about the tuners. From a purley functional standpoint, the SX tuners are exelent. I gig the snot out of mine, and they never come out of tune during the course of a show, and I play pretty darned hard.

Required sanding of the neck (chuckling agian)
I've played vintage Fenders, and a number of other basses with gloss finished necks for over 25 years now, and have not needed, or even considered sanding the fininsh off the neck. To me this is just laughable. I don't here many complaints in the orgasmic reviews of the Getty Lee bass( it is pretty nice as far as J basses go), that has a gloss finished neck. What I do have to do is spend many hours massaging a satin finished neck to get it smoothed out where it acually feels good in my hand. Those seem to take quite a while before they're broken in enogh to actually feel good to me.

Don't get me wrong. I like the direction Fender is going with the MIM line, but the price keeps getting jacked up every year too. I would say that the hardware is marginaly better than the SX basses. On a purley functional level, the hardware is dead equal. Both brands hardware perform exactly as they should. Ie. stay in tune, and hold intonation. I might give a slight advantage to the SX bridge. I've heard about more problems with the MIM bridges than SX, although niether has ever given me any issues personaly. The MIM's are quite a bit better than they were a few years ago, with a price hike to go along with it.

 

[Selta]

I think you meant to say that the new MIM's have a new Bi Pole pickup based on the American J bass pickups,that are hum cancleing when run wide open, and CTS pots. That statement would make sence.

Jazz basses have had bi pole pickups since day one. The new MIM's appear to have an "improved" updated version of the old Bi pole p/u's, to be more like their MIA counterparts. Kind of like saying Ford has a new updated aluminum wheel on it's cars. Niether aluminum nor the wheel are new.

If they are RW/RP the pickups would be hum canceling when both are wide open. This also is hardly a new concept, and I just assumed that the MIM's aleady had this feature. I guess they didn't. The Split coil P pickups, ofcourse, were always hum canceling. I'm more of a P bass guy, so excuse me on this for a second. Aren't the SX J p/u's reverse wound/ reverse polarity already?

The new MIM's may very well have CTS pots now. Are they the nice American made ones, or are they some off shore licence built jobs? I don't know, I'll have to pop one open when I get a chance and take a peek. Regardless, it's about a $10 upgrade on any passive bass.

As to your comment about the tuners. From a purley functional standpoint, the SX tuners are exelent. I gig the snot out of mine, and they never come out of tune during the course of a show, and I play pretty darned hard.

Required sanding of the neck (chuckling agian)
I've played vintage Fenders, and a number of other basses with gloss finished necks for over 25 years now, and have not needed, or even considered sanding the fininsh off the neck. To me this is just laughable. I don't here many complaints in the orgasmic reviews of the Getty Lee bass( it is pretty nice as far as J basses go), that has a gloss finished neck. What I do have to do is spend many hours massaging a satin finished neck to get it smoothed out where it acually feels good in my hand. Those seem to take quite a while before they're broken in enogh to actually feel good to me.

Don't get me wrong. I like the direction Fender is going with the MIM line, but the price keeps getting jacked up every year too. I would say that the hardware is marginaly better than the SX basses. On a purley functional level, the hardware is dead equal. Both brands hardware perform exactly as they should. Ie. stay in tune, and hold intonation. I might give a slight advantage to the SX bridge. I've heard about more problems with the MIM bridges than SX, although niether has ever given me any issues personaly. The MIM's are quite a bit better than they were a few years ago, with a price hike to go along with it.

All of mine are NOT RW or RP. They buzz a little bit . The four bangers may be different, I'm unsure.
Either way, *golf claps* good post.

 

[georgestrings]

I've played a few examples of all of them, and own an SX, 2 MIMs, and a MIJ Fender - and here's my rating of them:


SX = Squier < MIM < MIJ = MIA


- georgestrings

 

[bassbully43]

Yes you are right on about the bi- poles they are brought back as an upgrade for MiMs. Why are one of you a Spector user and the other a MIA on your sigs if you preach SXs? I asked a while back if they are that good why buy any other bass ....we would all be fools and Fender will be run out of biz. Funny on other bass boards i have chatted on there is little talk of SX and a few talk about SX love on TB like its a cult. The shop i sold both of my SXs thru has one of our areas top bassists working there when i took in the first SX to sell i thought he would be impressed and get me close to what i paid roughly 125.00 so i wanted 100.00 they get 15.00...he said oh no not another one of those Sx's as i took it out of the soft case...i said you seen these before? He said yea a few cant't get crap for em i sell em to kids as beginners basses and i got 75.00 and he took 15.00...the thing was brand new and buzzed like a nest a hornets even after i took it to a shop. I am still a budget guy but i still dont belive SX is all that megathread or not...do you really think there ever will be a megathread for Fedora or Zon buyers and modders...please.

 

[Selta]

Yes you are right on about the bi- poles they are brought back as an upgrade for MiMs. Why are one of you a Spector user and the other a MIA on your sigs if you preach SXs? I asked a while back if they are that good why buy any other bass ....we would all be fools and Fender will be run out of biz. Funny on other bass boards i have chatted on there is little talk of SX and a few talk about SX love on TB like its a cult. The shop i sold both of my SXs thru has one of our areas top bassists working there when i took in the first SX to sell i thought he would be impressed and get me close to what i paid roughly 125.00 so i wanted 100.00 they get 15.00...he said oh no not another one of those Sx's as i took it out of the soft case...i said you seen these before? He said yea a few cant't get crap for em i sell em to kids as beginners basses and i got 75.00 and he took 15.00...the thing was brand new and buzzed like a nest a hornets even after i took it to a shop. I am still a budget guy but i still dont belive SX is all that megathread or not...do you really think there ever will be a megathread for Fedora or Zon buyers and modders...please.

I bought my Spector way before I owned any SX, and in fact, before they became a hit here. And, if you'll notice, it is now for sale. Does THAT tell you anything?
Also, you can't expect to sell a cheap bass for anything other than cheaper. You buy a $125 bass and expected to sell it for near that? I'm sorry, but that's just ignorance. Even selling to private parties you can't expect to sell for much more than 25% off - especially so on cheap gear.
If your "shop" can't fix buzzing, I'm sorry, but they shouldn't be working on guitars in general.
You don't see Megathreads for the other ones, since they're not affordable to so many other users like SX is. That, and pretty much everyone makes a new thread for the ones they buy.

 

[savit260]

Yes you are right on about the bi- poles they are brought back as an upgrade for MiMs. Why are one of you a Spector user and the other a MIA on your sigs if you preach SXs? I asked a while back if they are that good why buy any other bass ....we would all be fools and Fender will be run out of biz. Funny on other bass boards i have chatted on there is little talk of SX and a few talk about SX love on TB like its a cult. The shop i sold both of my SXs thru has one of our areas top bassists working there when i took in the first SX to sell i thought he would be impressed and get me close to what i paid roughly 125.00 so i wanted 100.00 they get 15.00...he said oh no not another one of those Sx's as i took it out of the soft case...i said you seen these before? He said yea a few cant't get crap for em i sell em to kids as beginners basses and i got 75.00 and he took 15.00...the thing was brand new and buzzed like a nest a hornets even after i took it to a shop. I am still a budget guy but i still dont belive SX is all that megathread or not...do you really think there ever will be a megathread for Fedora or Zon buyers and modders...please.

Well, if there was an SX club, I'd have that in my sig too.

I've owned a number of Fenders and still do. Only one Fender bass at the moment, and few Fender guitars. The newest one being bought brand new in 1989, and it was exeptionaly good compaired to the other new ones at the time. Way better than any current production. My one MIA Fender bass that I currently own, is an original 1964 Precision that I've owned for years, and gigged quite a bit. (I think that gets me into the MIA club ) I was actually ready to pull the trigger on a brand new MIA Fender 62 RI when I got turned on to SX by my guitar player. He bought one for his son, after much praise on another private forum. I was blown away by the thing, and quickly (inside of 5 minutes with the thing) recognized that with a couple of minor tweaks, I'd have a workhorse bass that was in the same ball park as the MIA RI in playability and sound
for about a grand less. I was absoluty right. My SX is lightly modded, and SMOKES. I originaly used the SX as a backup to my Fender, and now the SX is my main gigging bass. Why? Because it's a killer player, and I can get 10 more if anything ever was to happen to it. Can't say that abuot a Pre CBS Fender.

You can't be serious expecting to walk into a retail shop with a used bass that cost $125 new and expect to get $100 out of it. Sorry, that's just absurd. Particularly with an instrument that doesn't have a well recognised name. Try the same thing with some low production, super high end custom bass and see what they offer you. I bet it's no where near what you paid to have it built.
SX doesn't
have the name recognition of Fender or many other brands, so yeah, the dealer ends up selling them to beginners for short cash. Harldly supprising. " Hey kid, here's a decent bass for short money". Your bass that buzzed like a hornets nest should have been sent back to Rondo for a full refund. Remember that killer return policy? Better yet, go buy a brand new MIA Fender and try and trade it in a couple of months later in unplayed condition. No dealer in his right mind is going to give you more for your bass than his dealer cost on the same instrument new from Fender. I'd say you'd do well to get $700 out of it. NEWS FLASH. A dealer tried to lowball you on a trade? Say it aint so? Sounds like he actually treated you pretty fair considering he has to make a buck too.

 

[savit260]

These people don't seem to mind that I'm playing an inexpensive bass that doesn't say Fender on the headstock.

Link Removed

Photos: www.returntothepit.com

 

[bassbully43]

Its a consignment shop where i do real well buying and selling gear. I sell alot of odd ball low end gear offen for way more then i pay for it Ex. I bought a beat up POS kent hollowbody a year ago for $15.00 cleaned it put worn out flats on it and sold it in his shop for $150.00. I have sold squiers for more than i paid for them as well...cheap i may only make 15-30.00 bucks but i make money...but not on an SX,,,why as you said ...no name..no kid ever heard of it and he couldnt and wouldnt put 100.00 on it But if it was a squier i would of got 125.00 no problem.
Being you sound like you know your stuff i still shake my head at how you or anyone can even start to compare a SX with a MIA Fender i guess thats why they used to sell Yugo's...it had 4 wheels and a motor so it must be as good as a BMW? I'm not trying to be a jerk but ...come on its a piece of crap next to a MIM let alone a MIA but hey its what you think man...whatever I'm done here.... SXs are cool but they aint no Fender....I fell for it on here TB not again..a decent bass for a great price with mods a great bass at a MIM price. most people see that Fender on that headstock and know it. I was talking to a cat a while back who is a great guitar player he said hey man see your a Fender man ...cool...i said "ya you too"..he had a 60's strat a real babe. I said ya i dont have any fancy american 60's jazzes or even an american re-issue just a couple of trusty Mexi's...he laughed and said thats cool man at least ya have a Fender and its all good.

 

[bassbully43]

Cool pics. I again am a fan of the budget and am not a headstock label guy (really) why do you think i tryed an SX in the first place...i dont care that i play Mexis Fenders some guys wouldnt be caught dead playing them and dont feel they are true Fenders...i dont care i think they are as good as a Highway one or MIA anyday i have played a hundred i swear by now. I still think SXs sound great but need to much work to compare them with a MIM right out of the box to get them to compare costs time and money...i will start right out of the box with something that works right and looks good and sounds great...good luck.

 

[king_biscuit]

These people don't seem to mind that I'm playing an inexpensive bass that doesn't say Fender on the headstock.

Hahaha. That's cool. But to be fair, those people wouldn't care if you were playing the bottom four strings of Gibson Hummingbird

 

[savit260]

Its a consignment shop where i do real well buying and selling gear. I sell alot of odd ball low end gear offen for way more then i pay for it Ex. I bought a beat up POS kent hollowbody a year ago for $15.00 cleaned it put worn out flats on it and sold it in his shop for $150.00. I have sold squiers for more than i paid for them as well...cheap i may only make 15-30.00 bucks but i make money...but not on an SX,,,why as you said ...no name..no kid ever heard of it and he couldnt and wouldnt put 100.00 on it But if it was a squier i would of got 125.00 no problem.
Being you sound like you know your stuff i still shake my head at how you or anyone can even start to compare a SX with a MIA Fender i guess thats why they used to sell Yugo's...it had 4 wheels and a motor so it must be as good as a BMW? I'm not trying to be a jerk but ...come on its a piece of crap next to a MIM let alone a MIA but hey its what you think man...whatever I'm done here.... SXs are cool but they aint no Fender....I fell for it on here TB not again..a decent bass for a great price with mods a great bass at a MIM price. most people see that Fender on that headstock and know it. I was talking to a cat a while back who is a great guitar player he said hey man see your a Fender man ...cool...i said "ya you too"..he had a 60's strat a real babe. I said ya i dont have any fancy american 60's jazzes or even an american re-issue just a couple of trusty Mexi's...he laughed and said thats cool man at least ya have a Fender and its all good.

Well, I'll tell you what. I've put my SX into the hands of guys that are pro and semi pro players, and asked them what they thought. Also in the hands of a couple acompliched musicians that own recording studios. No preconcieved ideas of quality based on price, as they had no idea if it cost $100 or $2000. Funny how those guys all loved the thing, and wanted to know how much it cost, and where I got it. Jaws hitting the floor is the usual. I get questioned regulary about my SX from guys that know their stuff, because they love the sound I get out of it. If that's a tough concept for you to grasp, I'll understand.

Your comparison with your consignment shop also is not apples vs apples. You're talking about flipping something you bought used for a profit. Buying new and trying to sell for a profit, or even minimal loss in the short term is at best not likely.

I'll add this pic just so you don't think I'm B.S. ing you. Here's the Fender that's semi-retired now. (Al Barr.. of the Dropkick Murphy's on vocals, Go see the Martin Scorsese film ,"The Departed" to hear some of their work)

Link Removed

 

[bassbully43]

I bought my Spector way before I owned any SX, and in fact, before they became a hit here. And, if you'll notice, it is now for sale. Does THAT tell you anything?
Also, you can't expect to sell a cheap bass for anything other than cheaper. You buy a $125 bass and expected to sell it for near that? I'm sorry, but that's just ignorance. Even selling to private parties you can't expect to sell for much more than 25% off - especially so on cheap gear.
If your "shop" can't fix buzzing, I'm sorry, but they shouldn't be working on guitars in general.
You don't see Megathreads for the other ones, since they're not affordable to so many other users like SX is. That, and pretty much everyone makes a new thread for the ones they buy.

Gee bud lay off dont like the smack....ignorance? maybe you should learn how to buy cheap and resale to a beginners market i have made good money for years doing so. As long as its in good shape normally i make a profit but a kid needs a name...SX he's clueless...i have bought alot of my gear on my profits and get my deals for biz i bring shops so i'm ignorant?
Oh the shop could fix it...for why more that i paid for the POS it needed fretpressing, leveling and dressing....the shop owner a master luthier said what do you expect for a cheap bass...he did say it was on of the better ones has had seen in his years but i didnt want to spend more so i sold it. Thats my point on the mega thread...you catch on quick...they are cheap so everyone sings praise to a cheap bass cuz they are that cheap so they want to make them out to be something more than they are. Selling your Spector...how would i know or care its not in your sig..i'm out enjoy the SX but i would keep the spector.