Cool New SX Offering From Rondo

[Bloozcat]

I got this in an e-mail overnight from Rondo. Gives me gas for that bass I wanted to add to the collection:
http://www.rondomusic.com/sjmbtvgn.html

 

[duhvoodooman]

O-o-o-o-h! I like the looks of that! If I was more into thump than twang, I might go for one of those.... :AOK:

Here's a linked image,for a quick look-see here in the thread:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Yep, that looks like a nice offering if I were going to get into bass. What do you bass players say?

 

[Brian Krashpad]

O-o-o-o-h! I like the looks of that! If I was more into thump than twang, I might go for one of those.... :AOK:

Actually Jazzes are pretty twangy for basses. For thump you'd want a Precision.

But I know what you mean.

If I didn't already have a MIM Fender Jazz, that'd be very attractive.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I bet if I got a bass, I would like it thumpy. I do like that '62 coloring, from the year of my birth no less.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Yep, that looks like a nice offering if I were going to get into bass. What do you bass players say?

As good as Kurt is about returns, it's pretty much a no-lose sitch. Have you experience with the basic dichotomy between Jazzes and Precisions?

If not you may wanna try out some Fenders or other similar types locally to see which camp you fall in, if any. I like both but some bassists have a marked preference for one or the other. Jazz necks are a bit thinner and arguably easier to play, and there's more midrange to a Jazz's sound. P-basses usually have chunkier necks and a whump-ier sound.

If that helps any-- I always struggle trying to describe tones, etc.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Generally helps. I can accept that description. The guy that plays in our student band uses a P-Bass. I can check that out. Not that I am getting one anytime soon, but you never know.

 

[marnold]

That's why I want a bass with the P&J combo. I live for the P-bass thump, but prefer the J bridge for soloing and stuff. I know that a lot of people don't like the sound of the P&J played together but to my ears it sounds like the best of both worlds: thump and snarl all in one.

 

[Bloozcat]

Whump-ier...plus more traditional P-Bass style...and cheaper too:

I really like the styling, color, and pickguard combination on the first one. Instead of just another Fender P-Bass or Jazz Bass, it has some cool retro styling of it's own. Love the amp knobs for V&T...

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Yah, that one looks nice too. I sure do like the '62 vibe the first one has though. It is just different.

 

[robert43]

O-o-o-o-h! I like the looks of that! If I was more into thump than twang, I might go for one of those.... :AOK:

Here's a linked image,for a quick look-see here in the thread:

Hi that bass looks like the love child of a Jazz bass & a Jag bass.
If you want to get in bass either a jor a p bass . I my self like the Jazz its more universall , but then I hope soon to have a P bass along with my MM knock off.

 

[Ch0jin]

and to add to the confusion and speak out for the non Fender designs...

If a P Bass is thumpy and a J Bass is twangy, then I submit that a Gibson Thunderbird is "Snarly" and (my personal fave) Rickenbackers are to bass what the Les Paul is to guitar if we're talking hard rock. (/me points to Lemmy Kilmister who not only used Rick's pretty much exclusively, I'm pretty sure he sometimes used Gibson T-Bird PU's for extra "Snarliness" (tm)

Also imo the Rick 4000 series are some of the coolest looking basses on the planet.

...and, I have a cool story about a Stereo Rick 4001. Pre internet a mate bought one (painted white with what looked like house paint) from a pawn shop for like $400 thinking he'd overpaid. Then 2nd gig with it, it refused to stay in tune so he smashed it into the stage severely damaging the neck, at which point he took it to a repair gyu who told him he'd just smashed a bass worth upwards of $2000....

It's ok though, it was not only repaired, but completely rebuilt to original and I hear it's still going strong.

 

[robert43]

and to add to the confusion and speak out for the non Fender designs...

If a P Bass is thumpy and a J Bass is twangy, then I submit that a Gibson Thunderbird is "Snarly" and (my personal fave) Rickenbackers are to bass what the Les Paul is to guitar if we're talking hard rock. (/me points to Lemmy Kilmister who not only used Rick's pretty much exclusively, I'm pretty sure he sometimes used Gibson T-Bird PU's for extra "Snarliness" (tm)

Also imo the Rick 4000 series are some of the coolest looking basses on the planet.

...and, I have a cool story about a Stereo Rick 4001. Pre internet a mate bought one (painted white with what looked like house paint) from a pawn shop for like $400 thinking he'd overpaid. Then 2nd gig with it, it refused to stay in tune so he smashed it into the stage severely damaging the neck, at which point he took it to a repair gyu who told him he'd just smashed a bass worth upwards of $2000....

It's ok though, it was not only repaired, but completely rebuilt to original and I hear it's still going strong.

How true my next bass I hope is a T bird

 

[pie_man_25]

and to add to the confusion and speak out for the non Fender designs...

If a P Bass is thumpy and a J Bass is twangy, then I submit that a Gibson Thunderbird is "Snarly" and (my personal fave) Rickenbackers are to bass what the Les Paul is to guitar if we're talking hard rock. (/me points to Lemmy Kilmister who not only used Rick's pretty much exclusively, I'm pretty sure he sometimes used Gibson T-Bird PU's for extra "Snarliness" (tm)

Also imo the Rick 4000 series are some of the coolest looking basses on the planet.

...and, I have a cool story about a Stereo Rick 4001. Pre internet a mate bought one (painted white with what looked like house paint) from a pawn shop for like $400 thinking he'd overpaid. Then 2nd gig with it, it refused to stay in tune so he smashed it into the stage severely damaging the neck, at which point he took it to a repair gyu who told him he'd just smashed a bass worth upwards of $2000....

It's ok though, it was not only repaired, but completely rebuilt to original and I hear it's still going strong.

rick 4001, my fav. bass ever, astounding he'd smash it.

 

[eichaan]

I just got my first bass, an SX SPJ-62. I am really into it! I haven't stopped playing it in 2 days. It is short scale, and the body is not much bigger than my Strat. The neck is easy to play on.

Fit and finish wise it leaves a LOT to be desired. Something rattles inside the body, the grain is not nice, and the neck has a lot of tooling marks on it. But it is fun to play and a good starter bass. I would get an SX again.

 

[indianjjy]

OLP MM2 Ernie Ball stingray

Just picked up a absolutely spotless teal metalflake bass. It is light but the sound is great playing thru a Fender BXR300C. It has good sustain and if I am not mistaken the body is made of basswood, thus the lightness. I know it is China made but the Finish is great and the appointments are all well put together. I figure a good deal for a 'C' note.

 

[Duff]

Nice style SX bass

I looked at that bass and might get one to play around with, possibly switch out the pups for some better GFS ones or something.

Also, Eichaan, I noticed you also have a Behringer GM110. I think it is a well kept secret for guitar amps. It sounds really good don't you think, for thirty watts and all the analog modeling and the extensive connectivity; including a built in DI out?

I like that GM110 and often recommend it to people looking for small amp upgrades from the "pack" ten watt amps. No affilliation, but audioallies.com sells the GM110 for 99 US and it is under musical instruments on their web page. These are getting hard to find and are purportedly way better than the amp that replaced it. Harmonycentral.com gives it great ratings.

It is nothing like a GM108. No comparison.

My GM110 has been a versitile and inexpensive amp that I can take with me places and it has enough volume to overcome even a mildly loud acoustic drummer. It's a loud thirty watts.

I also have some way more expensive, nice sounding amps too: like a Fender tweed HRD w Jensen speaker, a new tweed Peavey Delta Blues one by fifteen with JJ tubes, and a Fender Super Champ XD tube amp with digital modeling and this is an especially great amp at fifteen tube watts, really high quality build and sound and I put a Eminence Ragin Cajun speaker in it with much more volume due to its greater sensitivity compared to the stock speaker.

The GM110, nevertheless, is a great little amp at a very, very low price for thirty good sounding watts and a nice sounding speaker.

I do like this jag'ish type bass though and might get one to have something light and quick. My main bass is a new Schecter stiletto five elite, neck thru that is awesome. The best sounding bass I have ever played; being an amateur that might not carry much weight, but we have an 85 ish Fender MIJ Jazz bass and it doesn't come close in tone. Schecter gets under rated I think, probably because they cost as much or more than some serious competition. I got mine on the gc fourth of July sale for half price, new.

Now I want to get a Toneworks AX5B bass multi pedal but this bass looks pretty cool and I might just pick one up instead of the pedal.

Duffy

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Just picked up a absolutely spotless teal metalflake bass. It is light but the sound is great playing thru a Fender BXR300C. It has good sustain and if I am not mistaken the body is made of basswood, thus the lightness. I know it is China made but the Finish is great and the appointments are all well put together. I figure a good deal for a 'C' note.

Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[ZMAN]

What is up with Rondo? Every time I look at their online catalogue they have different guitars. They used to have a fairly high priced LP copy with everything you would want and Seymour duncan pickups, triple binding, gotoh
bridges and tuners and now I can't find it.
Also it sounds like they don't have a showroom anymore.
What is the deal with them?

 

[Brian Krashpad]

What is up with Rondo? Every time I look at their online catalogue they have different guitars. They used to have a fairly high priced LP copy with everything you would want and Seymour duncan pickups, triple binding, gotoh bridges and tuners and now I can't find it.
Also it sounds like they don't have a showroom anymore.
What is the deal with them?

They closed their New Jersey store several years ago and only do mailorder now. As far as their import lines, both as to Agile and SX, they have always been fairly fluid in their model offerings. They get several shipments in a year, and for popular models Kurt often sells them out. Sometimes the model comes back with the next shipment, sometimes it doesn't.

They recently introduced a model sort of like a cross between the current Melody Maker (2 pickups with a scratchplate/controlplate, with the input jack mounted on top, as part of the controlplate) and LP Special (pickups were P-90's rather than the MM's singles), and it sold out in a day or so.

 

[marnold]

Yeah, they didn't have p-basses for a good long time. Then when the first couple of shipments came in, I think everybody on TalkBass snapped them up as soon as they hit the site.