SX bass, Should I?

[M29]

Hello All,

I am interested in getting a bass and was wondering if this bass is any good. http://www.rondomusic.net/bg180tm.html I want to work toward using it for recording with my guitar playing on the computer and maybe elswhere if I ever get good enough at it. I see Robert got a Jazz Bass which I like as well but I kind of like this other one as well espeicially in sunburst. Is this bass not as good as the Jazz bass style? Would I be better off getting the SX SJB-57 like Robert's. I like either one so it does not matter, it is just for general playing. I know nothing about basses but these prices are unbelievable.

Thank you for your time and help.

M29

[t_ross33]

Just my .02, but I would consider THIS one, or something similar. I haven't played bass in a while, and not much 5-string at that, but for recording flexibility, creativity and just plain (playin') fun, that low B bottom end rawks

*burp*...sorry, now I have a little GAS

[M29]

Thanks t_ross33,

Man that opens up a whole new world to me. Do you think it would be challenging to learn on a 5 string instead of a 4? I am competely new to the bass.

Thank you for the tip I am definately interested in that if It would not hinder my learning. I assume the rest of the bass is the same other then the extra lower string.

M29

[Robert****]

M29, that bass you found looks pretty nice. I'd go for the 4 string, personally.

I dig my jazz bass for sure!

[t_ross33]

M29, that bass you found looks pretty nice. I'd go for the 4 string, personally.

I dig my jazz bass for sure!

Aww, c'mon Robert! Why settle for 4 when you can have 5 (or more ).

Standard tuning for 5-string is (low to high) B-E-A-D-G. If you're learning anyway, one more string isn't going to muddy the waters too much, and it does offer alot of flexibility sound-wise. And who can argue at these prices!

When I play 5-string (which is very seldom these days) I tend to concentrate on the higher 4 (regular) strings and drop onto the first (lowest/B) string for that extra bottom end punch when needed. Depends what you want to do with it. Jaco did just fine with 4.



But he went fretless for the most part. Fretless......hmmmmm

[r_a_smith3530]

M29, I can't speak for the bass that you linked to, but I am quite happy with the jazz-style fretless SX that I got from Rondo. It needed a little work, but then I knew that going in. The pots were a hip-hop DJ's dream, and the bridge wasn't what I would call top shelf, but CTS, SwitchCraft, and Leo Quan fixed that up really quick. A pearl white pickguard and matching knobs to spruce up the looks, and I have a bass that I am not ashamed to play anywhere.

As for the 4 vs. 5 string debate, I personally believe that 4's are better to learn on. There is a much greater variety of instructional material, and a newcomer to the bass has enough to do in trying to stretch out their fingers to span four frets at the top of the neck on the "E" string, let alone making them deal with the added width of a 5 string neck.

Once someone has been playing bass for six months or more, it may be time to move up to the five.

[t_ross33]

As for the 4 vs. 5 string debate, I personally believe that 4's are better to learn on. There is a much greater variety of instructional material, and a newcomer to the bass has enough to do in trying to stretch out their fingers to span four frets at the top of the neck on the "E" string, let alone making them deal with the added width of a 5 string neck.

Once someone has been playing bass for six months or more, it may be time to move up to the five.

Good point, Rob. It's been so long since I was a newbie bassist (it was my first "real" instrument when I was 11 or 12) that I've forgotten what it's like to have to s-t-r-e-c-h and r-e-a-c-h my little pre-teen fingers

BTW, this thread got me thinkin' deep (get it? Deep. Low. Bass. aww nevermind...) and I've pulled out my ol' faithfull, restrung 'er, set the intonation, and polished 'er all up. Ready to go! We use 'er as a back up when we play out so I want to keep 'er in good shape, even if I don't get a chance to play 'er much anymore.

M29, start with 4 and GAS for 5

[r_a_smith3530]

Good point, Rob. It's been so long since I was a newbie bassist (it was my first "real" instrument when I was 11 or 12) that I've forgotten what it's like to have to s-t-r-e-c-h and r-e-a-c-h my little pre-teen fingers

M29, start with 4 and GAS for 5

Yeah, I've been playing bass for a little over a year now (played guitar on and off for a number of years before that), and I remember when I first started how difficult it was to make that reach down to the fourth fret. I play fretless more often than not these days, so it's still a stretch!

Right now, I have five bass guitars, and they are all 4 string. So far, I haven't had a need for any more (strings that is, basses too if you ask my SO). Hey, but what can I say. I keep eyeing this sweet little Transparent Black Peavey active 5 string Millenium that's hanging up at one shop by my house. Oh, my wife would absolutely slay me!!!

[M29]

Well...I ended up getting the SX jass bass. I am totally floored by the quality of this guitar and at this price. I got the sunburst color which is just about flawless and the wood looks very good with very little seams showing. There is a bit of buzz here and there but I will have to spend some time adjusting things and I am new to a bass so this will be interesting.
One thing I did notice is that I have a seperate maple fretboard where most guitars have the frets on maple necks right into the neck wood. Hey Robert is yours like this too? I have no complaints about it, it may even help the stability of the neck some but it does not look bad or anything, you can just see a hint of a glue line where the board meets the neck like a rosewood or other type wood would be like.
I ended up packing it away for Christmas but I did try it out and one of the pots was somewhat scratchy but that can be fixed with better quality pots.

I had a question on recording with your basses. Do you guys that use a bass for mainly recording use a base amp or do you just plug into the sound card. I ended up getting a Shure SM57 which I can't wait to use but I do not have a base amp to record it with. The reason I am asking is that I had my Jay Turser LP copy up on ebay and a kid backed out of the deal so I still have it to sell and I thought I might trade it in on a bass amp. Do you guys think an inexpensive Berringer amp with one 15 is good enough to jam with a band?
I am sorry about spanning a few different subjects on this one board.
Thank you for your time and help.

M29

[t_ross33]

Congrats on the new addition! I've always liked the jazz style.

Not sure about the recording thing, as I haven't tried it yet myself.

I''ve heard here and elsewhere that your bass amp should have twice the wattage of your guitar player's amp. So if he has a Marshall stack...

Trev

[r_a_smith3530]

Well...I ended up getting the SX jass bass. I am totally floored by the quality of this guitar and at this price. I got the sunburst color which is just about flawless and the wood looks very good with very little seams showing. There is a bit of buzz here and there but I will have to spend some time adjusting things and I am new to a bass so this will be interesting.
One thing I did notice is that I have a seperate maple fretboard where most guitars have the frets on maple necks right into the neck wood. Hey Robert is yours like this too? I have no complaints about it, it may even help the stability of the neck some but it does not look bad or anything, you can just see a hint of a glue line where the board meets the neck like a rosewood or other type wood would be like.
I ended up packing it away for Christmas but I did try it out and one of the pots was somewhat scratchy but that can be fixed with better quality pots.

I had a question on recording with your basses. Do you guys that use a bass for mainly recording use a base amp or do you just plug into the sound card. I ended up getting a Shure SM57 which I can't wait to use but I do not have a base amp to record it with. The reason I am asking is that I had my Jay Turser LP copy up on ebay and a kid backed out of the deal so I still have it to sell and I thought I might trade it in on a bass amp. Do you guys think an inexpensive Berringer amp with one 15 is good enough to jam with a band?
I am sorry about spanning a few different subjects on this one board.
Thank you for your time and help.

M29

Glad to hear about the new bass. Your separate maple fretboard is not that uncommon. That is how many manufacturers install the truss rod. Old Fender's had a contrasting "skunk stripe" down the backside of the neck on Maple board necks because that is where the truss rod was installed. Doing it the way yours was done allows the manufacturer to have one common neck blank.

I haven't done any type of recording, so I will have to leave it to others to answer those questions. As to the Behringer amp and jamming with a band, I guess it would depend on how powerful the amp is, and what your bandmates are using. The rule of thumb that I've always heard is double the wattage of the lead guitarist's amp (and then some if he's using a valve amp). How large an amp you need also depends on your drummer and how loud he/she plays. If your drummer is trying to destroy the drums with every hit, you may need several hundred watts or more!

One of my current amps is an Ampeg BA115. It is 100 watts with a single 15 incher. I could not see using this amp in much more than the setting I planned for it, backing up my folk/pop singer/songwriter friend. I think a full blues combo would overpower it, and I wouldn't get out through the mix.

I hope this helps.

[M29]

I guess I am trying to get a grip on how far I want to go with this bass. If I need that much amp I better just use it to record with. I suppose I can always get an amp down the road after seeing if I really catch on to the thing. It is fun to play with so far.

If I recall correctly this bass has a skunk stripe for the truss rod plus an added fret board, I will have to unpack her and take a look again.

Thanks guys

M29

[Robert****]

Yes, mine is the same. It's a great bass for the money! I use mine for recording, straight into the sound card.

I also use it for teaching, and then I use my Vox AD50VT on really low volume. I don't care if I hurt the speaker in it, since I use my 2x12 cab when I play guitar through it anyway.

[r_a_smith3530]

My SX bass, a fretless jazz-style with a Rosewood board, also has the skunk stripe. On our basses, I believe the stripe is purely for decoration and nostalgia. In the old days, Rosewood board necks would have their truss rods installed from the fretboard side, and Maple necks from the backside. The channel which was routed on a Maple board neck to install the rod would then be closed off with a Rosewood "skunk stripe" cap. It seems that all SX bass necks start out the same, and then the fretboard is added later, be it Maple or Rosewood.