SX Jazz style basses

[DrBike]

I've been contemplating getting another "value for money" bass to go with my Harley Benton MJ4-EB, but since many of heir basses (certainly the on I had my eye on)  are either out of stock for some time or completely disappeared from their website, plus we now have Brexit and potential delivery delays from the continent, I've been looking at other budget models and know that SX have had good feedback in the past.

Has anyone had any experience with either their SBJ75 or SJB62C models ?

 

 

[horrorshowbass]

Mr Dr.,

I dont have experience with these models.

However, I have an SX P-bass in lake placid blue, fantastic bass for the money. Finish and fit is great as is stock pickup. On a par and better with Squiers I've played easily.

[paul_5]

I had an SX about ten years ago and it was brilliant - they punch way above their price point!

[TheGreek]

4 hours ago, DrBike said:

've been contemplating getting another "value for money" bass to go with my Harley Benton MJ4-EB, but since many of heir basses (certainly the on I had my eye on)  are either out of stock for some time or completely disappeared from their website, plus we now have Brexit and potential delivery delays from the continent, I've been looking at other budget models and know that SX have had good feedback in the past.

Has anyone had any experience with either their SBJ75 or SJB62C models ?

Good question - I see a lot of these for sale and often ask myself if they're any good - they certainly look well made, but you never can tell.

TBH though, there aren't many badly made basses any more. Certainly a lot fewer than when I started playing...

[machinehead]

I had an SX jazz a few years back.  Ash body and maple neck.  It was an excellent bass in every way.  It was a bit heavy though.  I would say, go for it.

Frank.

[DrBike]

Yeah, but which one? 

I think that the "62" is basswood and the "75" is swamp ash. Not had a basswood bodied bass before, but the it's £70 cheaper 

[Grahambythesea]

Am I right in thinking SX is an Aria brand?

[Bassassin]

1 hour ago, Grahambythesea said:

Am I right in thinking SX is an Aria brand?

Pretty sure it's not. I think it's a US importer brand that has a bit of distribution.

They do have a reputation for being excellent for the money - it's likely they come from the same manufacturers as other budget-but-good brands like Harley Benton and J&D.

[TheLowDown]

I may be looking at a lightweight 4 string SX bass in the near future. I've heard that they're decent, but their price may be slightly at the top end of what I'm looking for. Can't find anything about their weight of the different models though which is one of the main factors for me. Anything above 8lb and it's a "next?".

Edited January 9, 2021 by TheLowDown

[machinehead]

7 hours ago, DrBike said:

Yeah, but which one? 

I think that the "62" is basswood and the "75" is swamp ash. Not had a basswood bodied bass before, but the it's £70 cheaper 

Mine was the SJB75. It was a bit older though, before they ruined the headstock shape.

Frank.

[stewblack]

11 hours ago, machinehead said:

Mine was the SJB75. It was a bit older though, before they ruined the headstock shape.

Frank.

Funnily enough, the headstock puts me  off too. Not saying never of course - but it's not right is it? 

[madshadows]

Never had one of their basses but I have an SX Tele style six string electric guitar and it's terrific, well built, great finish and plays and sounds great

John 😎 

[Skybone]

Revelation would be another brand to have a look at.

[mcnach]

On 07/01/2021 at 16:08, DrBike said:

I've been contemplating getting another "value for money" bass to go with my Harley Benton MJ4-EB, but since many of heir basses (certainly the on I had my eye on)  are either out of stock for some time or completely disappeared from their website, plus we now have Brexit and potential delivery delays from the continent, I've been looking at other budget models and know that SX have had good feedback in the past.

Has anyone had any experience with either their SBJ75 or SJB62C models ?

 

 

 

I haven't tried those, but my experience with SX instruments has always been very good. Like most cheaper instruments, they often benefit from some attention, perhaps some mild fret levelling, or the nut slots, just things like that which would be covered in any decent setup. They punch way above their price suggest.

[mcnach]

On 09/01/2021 at 13:41, Grahambythesea said:

Am I right in thinking SX is an Aria brand?

 

No, SX is an independent established brand with their own factories in China, as far as I was told back in 2005 when I came across my first SX guitar. I got in touch with them because they seemed to make a wide range of instruments which we couldn't really see over here and I was after a cheap but nice Stratocaster. I think they have had deals with a couple of retailers, like Rondo in the US and... I forgot the name of another shop in Germany (where I got my first one). There was another shop in Ireland that seemed to sell a great selection of what SX made, around 10 years ago, but I can't find them anymore.

 

edit: some about the SX history, it looks like they used to make instruments for others for many years, and then they set up their own brand SX. It sounds a bit like Cort in that respect.

http://www.sx-guitar.com/index.php/About/history

Edited January 10, 2021 by mcnach

[mcnach]

On 09/01/2021 at 14:52, Bassassin said:

Pretty sure it's not. I think it's a US importer brand that has a bit of distribution.

They do have a reputation for being excellent for the money - it's likely they come from the same manufacturers as other budget-but-good brands like Harley Benton and J&D.

 

It's true that some of their instruments look a lot like some J&D and Harley Benton, and even some Jim Deacon a decade ago or so... but SX say they make their own instruments and since the early 2000s don't make instruments for others. Shrug.

 

[meterman]

Laura Lee of Khruangbin uses a SX Jazz as her #1 recording and touring bass. As far as I know the pickups in it are the stock ones it comes with. Sounds fine to me 😎

[paul_5]

12 hours ago, stewblack said:

Funnily enough, the headstock puts me  off too. Not saying never of course - but it's not right is it? 

I’m not a fan. The SX I had years ago had the older headstock. I have a maple jazz neck on one of my bitsa basses at the moment, and I’ve toyed with making up some veneers to cover it up!

[Cuzzie]

1 hour ago, meterman said:

Laura Lee of Khruangbin uses a SX Jazz as her #1 recording and touring bass. As far as I know the pickups in it are the stock ones it comes with. Sounds fine to me 😎

It may well be the only bass she actually has I think - cracking player and band

[meterman]

41 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

It may well be the only bass she actually has I think - cracking player and band

I just checked the Khruangbin Rig Rundown on Premier Guitar ans Laura says that the SX is her only bass, although Mark Speer did swap out the pickups for Dimarzios. So it’s not stock like I thought.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/27261-rig-rundown-khruangbin 
 

At 16:40 in the video you see her live rig which is just SX bass through a compression pedal into a Fender amp. There’s a copy of a Hofner violin bass that she has as a backup which she’s used on recordings and says it’s easier to play, but she might only have used it at one show.

I read she played a Fender VI on the Leon Bridges sessions, I need to check that out with headphones I think. The production on it is so straight yet beautiful.

Got me looking at green SX’s now 😆

[stewblack]

Not come across Khruangbin before. Really interesting band. 

I just hope no one else is planning on using any reverb if Khruangbin is gigging, because I think they use it all! 

[DrBike]

9 hours ago, meterman said:

I just checked the Khruangbin Rig Rundown on Premier Guitar ans Laura says that the SX is her only bass, although Mark Speer did swap out the pickups for Dimarzios. So it’s not stock like I thought.

She's got an odd knob too (no sniggering at the back).

My dilemma about choosing between the 2 is that I love bound necks with inlays, but I'm not so keen on maple fretboards.  I really dig the retro look of the green one (similar model to Laura Lee), although I'd probably ditch the chrome bits.  I actually prefer this headstock to their older design.

Although having just seen the post Christmas credit card bill, any purchases might have to wait, unless i decide to move the HB on.  Anyone interested in a Harley Benton MJ4-EB ?

 

[mcnach]

59 minutes ago, DrBike said:

She's got an odd knob too (no sniggering at the back).

My dilemma about choosing between the 2 is that I love bound necks with inlays, but I'm not so keen on maple fretboards.  I really dig the retro look of the green one (similar model to Laura Lee), although I'd probably ditch the chrome bits.  I actually prefer this headstock to their older design.

Although having just seen the post Christmas credit card bill, any purchases might have to wait, unless i decide to move the HB on.  Anyone interested in a Harley Benton MJ4-EB ?

 

 

😍 now that's a cool bass

[stewblack]

5 hours ago, DrBike said:

Anyone interested in a Harley Benton MJ4-EB ?

Well duh! Of course I am.

🤦‍♂️

(not that sure I can afford any basses though)

Edited January 11, 2021 by stewblack

[yorks5stringer]

16 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

It may well be the only bass she actually has I think - cracking player and band

For some reason YT bombarded me with Khruangbin  content in late Autumn last year but now its Ashley Neal Driving Tips and ' Officer Gets Mad After Issuing Questionable Commands' etc.

BTW it's a wig.....

Edited January 11, 2021 by yorks5stringer