I was looking for a cheap way to get into fretless, and was considering the Squier vintage fretless until Fender hiked their prices. The good reviews I had heard about these were enough to convince me to drop $140 on the SX and give it a shot. I'm considering the 5 string fretless jazz version in the future. Stock bridge is a little iffy. I will probably drop a Gotoh 201 on it in the future. All the other hardware seems solid. Be sure and check the screws on the instrument when it arrives; a few can slip past QC when they leave. The pickups are nice. Not much improvement to be had. I love the sound and playability of this instrument, and the price can't be beat. These instruments are outstanding for the money, and a great way to try out fretless or five string basses without a huge commitment. They would also make an amazing starter instrument, as long as you have access to someone who can do a good setup and slap on a new set of strings (the stock strings are junk, but that is true for most basses.) These basses are all about bang for the buck, and they can't be beat in that aspect.
Model Year: 2009
Price: $139.95 (new)
Where Obtained: rondomusic.com
Chinese made. Alder body, maple neck with skunk stripe, and rosewood fingerboard. 4 string fretless, 20 frets. Vol/vol/tone configuration. 2 passive jazz-style single coils. Sunburst finish jazz style body with tortoise shell pickguard. Top load bridge and cloverleaf tuners. Chrome pickup and bridge covers.
Plays great. I have very low action on it right now, and the neck seems plenty stable with flats. Fret markers are well finished; no high spots. The neck is a little chunkier than Fender's necks, which I prefer. Action and intonation will have to be set if you order a new one, but a good setup can be had in without much effort.
I play through a Genz-Benz Neo-400x, with an Aphex Punch Factory 1404, Marshall Guv'nor GV-2, and Dunlop 105q bass wah. Strung with D'addario Chromes. This bass has a wide variety of sounds at hand. It's bright enough to hang with most types of rock, and has a tight sound. Neck pickup can give a good pseudo-upright tone, and the bridge will give you all the mwah you could want with a bright-ish set of strings, even flats. The stock electronics are quieter than my other basses (Peavey and Yamaha) with a bit of the typical hum when you start to solo a pickup. They have plenty of output and good sound, I plan on keeping them stock. Pots are quiet and smooth.
I wouldn't be afraid to gig with this bass, long as you take care of your equipment. Seems to be a solid instrument.
Very good bang for the buck! With a fretless you don't have to be worrying about fret jobs or high frets and such. Thats the beauty of buying a fretless.
You don't have to get a $1000 bass to get a good one.
Price: $139.00 (new)
Where Obtained: Rondo Music
Made in China. Alder Body, maple neck, fret markers, side dots, Vol,Vol,Tone, two single coil jazz pups, standaard tuners and bridge. Four String. Bass comes with a pickup cover and a bridge cover.
I can't believe how this bass sings for the money I paid! The electronics are quiet! I couldn't believe it!
It gets that Jaco sound with the neck pup rolled off some. I put D'Addario Chromes 40-95's on to ensure they would gop through the bridge holes. I don't know why Rondo doesn't upgrade to a slightly better bridge like a Mex Fender or even a Squire bridge, or just have them produced with larger holes. The Bridge pup cover left two dimples in my bass. Not chips, just dimples. I removed the bridge cover so to access more playing room options. All in all however, it's still a great bass!
Growl, Boom, and MMWAHH! With good headroom.
Sounds like a Fender!
This is not junk! Any other company offering a bass for $139.00 would be giving you a bass made from chipboard and pencil cedar! This is well built and has ample heft with a quality feel.
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