SX SPJ-62 BK bass review (and pics)

[Gear_Junky]

a bunch of us are pooling together to make this gift to a beginner bassist.

one of these:



ordered Tuesday, recieved Friday (all last week).

WOW. I read like a ton of reviews and had pretty good expectations - only a slight worry about a possible defect (and having to ship back for exchange, etc.), but I did expect a solid instrument overall.

Nonetheless I am surprised. Pleasantly. Perfect setup out of the box - not a single buzz, low action (light gauge strings). No protruding frets - the whole neck/fretboard feels like a MIA Fender instrument. The only thing that gives it away (other than the SX logo/headstock) is, I'd say, the lighter weight of the body. But not overly light - just fine.

Who cares about the weight - it sounds great! My new strings aren't even here yet, so I'm just testing with stock strings now, but it's very nice. The P- growl is unmistakeable. My favorite is P/J blended together with tone knob rolled back 80% (the strings are bright enough). The J- by itself sounds just like any bridge single-coil pickup - a bit too wimpy for my taste, but we'll see. It may all depend on the mix. The recipient of this gift can pay for upgrades later as his skills/taste develop. It's a fine instrument as is.

I ordered this case:



and it's VERY nice (and I'm glad the bass shipped in it). The only worry would be about the zipper - how long's a zipper gonna last? but we'll see.

I personally don't like the look of fender basses (for me, just always want something more exotic) but I have to say: this bass makes me want to have one. At least I'll be able to borrow it anytime!

Again, it exceeded all my optimistic expectations. A similar Squier P-Bass Special WITHOUT case would exceed the total of the SX+case+S&H and be an inferior instrument (at least inferior to this one). The SX is made of solid alder. Squier is made of "wood: other"

For a minute I thought: if I'm gonna spend almost $200, why don't I see what i could get locally without a case - maybe it could be better than a $119 bass? NOPE. (I only got the case for safe shipping, otherwise, I'd let the guy buy his own).

I've had a couple of MIM Fenders (jazz and jazz fretless) - I like this one better. I had a Yamaha RBX (4-string P) - nice bass, but I like this one better. I've played a band member's MIA P Bass special (or deluxe? it had a P-pickup and a humbucker in the bridge and active preamp on board). I still think I like this bass better (don't care for actives).

So there, pics will be forthcoming.

[Gear_Junky]

and here's some pics (sorry, the camera is a turn of the century 2.1mp antique):

[wbcsound]

Yes, the overall quality of SX guitars is shocking for the price. Glad to hear their basses are just as good.

[WhiteStrat]

Sweet guitar. And a cool thing you're doing with the gift!

[ermghoti]

Sounds like my experience with the cheap SX basses. Neither of mine hold up to particularly heavy strings, but the cream PJ is about the best intonated bass I've ever played, once I set it up.

[toobalicious]

Originally Posted by ermghoti

Sounds like my experience with the cheap SX basses. Neither of mine hold up to particularly heavy strings, but the cream PJ is about the best intonated bass I've ever played, once I set it up.

hmm... well, i dont have the heaviest strings ever, but i have daddario 45-105 on my two SX basses, and they set up just peachy--- in fact, the truss rod on the fretted one is only about 1/2 turn from loose and free-wheeling. you like a lot of relief?

to the OP: the pickups are probably the worst parts on the bass. another set, even with the stock pots and wiring, will make a marked difference---not only in tone, but handling noise and emi/rfi. and while the hardware is also light and cheap, if it stays in tune and intonates (watch those saddles--- they strip easily), i wouldnt worry a lot about it yet. light hardware sounds punchy anyway, and punchy just flat works for a p/j IMO.
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[Gear_Junky]

Originally Posted by toobalicious

to the OP: the pickups are probably the worst parts on the bass. another set, even with the stock pots and wiring, will make a marked difference---not only in tone, but handling noise and emi/rfi. and while the hardware is also light and cheap, if it stays in tune and intonates (watch those saddles--- they strip easily), i wouldnt worry a lot about it yet. light hardware sounds punchy anyway, and punchy just flat works for a p/j IMO.
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oh, i'm sure of it, i'd mod it if it was for me. this is a gift, so maybe after a year of playing, if he wants to buy new pickups, i'll mod it for him. he'll appreciate it more that way.

"light hardware sounds punchy" - I never heard of this concept, it's certainly interesting if that's so. I suppose (if bridge/tuners upgrades are in order) I could always just stick with "vintage fender" type hardware, which is as light as stock - to get better quality while keeping the light weight?

[toobalicious]

well, FWIW, i *did* change tuners and bridge on the fretted j copy, but the fretless i left alone until recently, when i swapped the bridge to a standard brass one. i have yet to find fault in the tuners other than the aesthetics and cheap feel. they hold tune very well. of course, yours might stink pretty good.

and the punchy part.... it stands to reason and physics that heavy hardware should increase sustain. in and if/then sort of comparison, light hdwe "should" have attack and punch with less sustain, and that seems to have proven itself true in the examples i have. whether it is a blanket statement or not, i dunno. kinda like in the 70's where heavy=sustain..... we now know that isnt necessarily the case.
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