SX SST Floyd

[Guitar Gal]

I have been looking at this for awhile now after reading some good reviews. I also noticed that the fret net's own tremoloman had done a nice review a couple of years ago on a Vintage White SX SST Floyd. I sent him PM to see if he still had the SX and what he thought about it now. He said he still had it and told me to "go for it"!

I got this a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.rondomusic.com/sstftowl.html

Right out of the box, I noticed that the overall fit and finish were excellent. There were no finish runs and the neck had a nice vintage tint to it with no sharp fret ends. It had a nice 3-ply pick guard and the switch and knobs felt sturdy. However, it did need some TLC as the rosewood fretboard was DRY, DRY, DRY, and the frets and strings were tarnished. After some care, adjusting the truss rod, changing the strings, and setting up the floyd....this thing is awesome

It sounds great unplugged as the whole body resonates when I play it......I can feel it like an acoustic. Plugged in, the pickups are great. The bridge pup is louder than the singles as expected and it sort of sounds like the bridge pup on the Squire '51 but not quite as bright. I'm sure other pickups would sound better, but the stock ones are fine. You can hear a difference in the sound in each of the 5 positions.

This is my first Floyd, so I have nothing to compare it to. The Floyd that came with it is a "speedloader" type so the ball end of the strings are not cut off, but threaded through a tube at the bridge up to the locking nut and through the tuning pegs. Once I had the right tension between the strings and springs it worked fine. I did have to put some clear finger nail polish on the threads of the trem arm because it kept coming unscrewed. It has been fine since then. Also, the trem arm does have some play in it. It probably would not stand too much abuse. Once the strings stretched out, it stays in tune and the intonation is fine.

The frets are a nice size...not "huge" speed bumps and I was able to get the action to 2/32 on the bass with no fret buzz. It has a flat radius which I like. The neck itself is "chunky", which I knew that about SX necks. It did feel a little different at first, but nothing that I noticed after a few minutes of playing.

Overall, it is definitely worth the $$ :



Now it's time for what you are all really waiting for:

[Kodiak3D]

That's a really nice guitar! I'm probably going to get an SX before long as well.

BTW - You need to add it to the list in your sig

[Spudman***]

That's the Owl. I've been wondering about those myself. Every time Rondo has had them in the past they have sold rather quickly and I never see any used ones so they must be a keeper.

[marnold***]

This is my first Floyd, so I have nothing to compare it to. The Floyd that came with it is a "speedloader" type so the ball end of the strings are not cut off, but threaded through a tube at the bridge up to the locking nut and through the tuning pegs. Once I had the right tension between the strings and springs it worked fine. I did have to put some clear finger nail polish on the threads of the trem arm because it kept coming unscrewed. It has been fine since then. Also, the trem arm does have some play in it. It probably would not stand too much abuse. Once the strings stretched out, it stays in tune and the intonation is fine.

Thanks for the review! Looks like a lot of axe for the price. One quibble: that isn't a Speedloader. There are no licensed Speedloaders (and that's a licensed Floyd on that guitar). Plus, a Speedloader needs special strings and has no need for machine heads. Looks like this:



Mine looks just like that, except that the single coils are now black Dimarzio Area 61s.

[Guitar Gal]

Thanks for the review! Looks like a lot of axe for the price. One quibble: that isn't a Speedloader. There are no licensed Speedloaders (and that's a licensed Floyd on that guitar). Plus, a Speedloader needs special strings and has no need for machine heads. Looks like this:



Mine looks just like that, except that the single coils are now black Dimarzio Area 61s.

Thanks for the clarification Marnold. I guess I should have referred to it as a "fastloader" and not a "speedloader". This is what mine looks like:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/flroflotrsy.html

[marnold***]

Thanks for the clarification Marnold. I guess I should have referred to it as a "fastloader" and not a "speedloader". This is what mine looks like:
http://store.guitarfetish.com/flroflotrsy.html

No problem. That's some confusing terminology that they are using. It'll be interesting to see how that bridge holds up over the long haul.

[street music]

Oh No not again, BAD GAS.

[M29]

That looks like a real fun git there GG: Have fun putting her I mean him through it's paces. Shoot what does a girl call her guitar? A guy might call it her

M29

[Adrian30]

Congrats! That's a beautiful guitar, GG. I sooooo like the stained necks and headstocks on SX guitars! It's such a beautiful warm amber stain they use on maple parts. one of these days, I might go for a tele SX.

[Guitar Gal]

That looks like a real fun git there GG: Have fun putting her I mean him through it's paces. Shoot what does a girl call her guitar? A guy might call it her

M29

I'm not sure what the "PC" term is to use either M29....but I call all my guits "her"

GG

[luvmyshiner]

WOW! Sweet guit GG!

[SuperSwede]

Nice catch GG!

You really need to invest in a pair of tight spandex pants and a large can of hairspray!

[Guitar Gal]

Nice catch GG!

You really need to invest in a pair of tight spandex pants and a large can of hairspray!

I've already got the outfit SS....that's why I bought the guitar to complete the look



GG

[warren0728]

I've already got the outfit SS....that's why I bought the guitar to complete the look

ok...it has to be said....this post is meaningless without pictures!!

ww

[gtrwrks]

ok...it has to be said....this post is meaningless without pictures!!

ww

Amen.

[SuperSwede]

I've already got the outfit SS....that's why I bought the guitar to complete the look



GG

Rock´N´Roll!

The 80´s will be back anytime now..

[t_ross33]

Nice git GG! I like the color. Let us know how she plays once you've had some time with her.

Trev

[oldguy]

I love that color!
Keep us posted as you get to know her/him better.

[Duff]

I have been thinking of getting one of those tinted white Floyd Rose SX SST's. They look really great. Do you hammer the tremolo?

I was thinking that you could lower the bridge hum bucker if you wanted it to blend in more. I have been lowering the pickups on some of my hot guitars. I lowered the bridge Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge of my Epi Ltd Standard birdseye maple top and it sounds more woody but almost just as strong. Both pickups are about flush with the mounting rings.

I also put new strings on my new '07 Squire standard tele, walnut satin finish and it sings compared to the cheap chineese strings that came on it. I'm also considering an SX tele copy and then put in a set of those GFS tele rail humbuckers for imports in it and see what it results in.

The Fender Super Champ SD is really, really sweet by the way, and every guitar sounds different thru it, quite noticeably different. I put in the highly sensitive ragin cajun speaker and think that the extra sensitivity has a lot to do with it sorting things out and differentiating guitars and note clarity in chords, etc. The amp is really able to reproduce a lot of different amps and their characteristic as well. The combination works really well and SX guitars sound even better thru it, not worse. I think this is a sign of the quality inherent in the SX guitars, at least the ones I have. The GG1 Jr all mahogany one with the two P90's really, really sings.

Keep me posted on how you are liking that Floyd Rose SX. My email is mjbolduc@dejazzd.com if you want to email me there, no problem.

Duffy
Winfield, Pa.

"Time goes by like hurricanes and much faster things" (+/_) Allman Bro's

Happy groovin on the new SX!