The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: Psycho Bass Guy on December 14, 2010, 08:24:26 PM
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(http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu183/PsychoBassGuy/5ff11e61.jpg)
(http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu183/PsychoBassGuy/bed86093.jpg)
(http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu183/PsychoBassGuy/714b02de.jpg)
(http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu183/PsychoBassGuy/c333a086.jpg)
It's a 3/4 scale, but the little bugger plays and sounds great. It's clearly been a player, but it cleaned up nice. I'm thinking future gift for one of my nieces or nephews, though. The small scale really cramps my fretting hand.
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I'm a fan, $65 you did well 8)
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BTW, I really like the stock pickups. It may just be the short scale and dead strings, but they don't have the 'cheap-pickup-ringing-upper-midrange-sound' of most low-end instruments. Even with everything dimed, they just sound like good Jazz pickups.
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You rascal! Nice score, nice price!
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Nice score!
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Nice deal! ;D
Rick
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BTW, I really like the stock pickups. It may just be the short scale and dead strings, but they don't have the 'cheap-pickup-ringing-upper-midrange-sound' of most low-end instruments. Even with everything dimed, they just sound like good Jazz pickups.
Yeah, the SX pickups (both J and P) are surprisingly good. I've read numerous tales of people swapping them out for whatever, only to revert to the stock pickups. I have a few of the long scale SXs and they're great bang for the buck. Unfortunately, they were forced to change the headstock style recently, with the new one being less than stellar in terms of aesthetics. Damn lawyers!
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Unfortunately, they were forced to change the headstock style recently, with the new one being less than stellar in terms of aesthetics. Damn lawyers!
The new headstocks are ugly, and it's ironic that they were changed because Gibson finally lost their decade old suit against PRS for body and neck-shape trademarks, which is why you're now seeing lots of Fender and Gibson-style instruments that are as close as any 70's Japanese Ibanez from other manufacturers.
I had another post that got eaten by the internet about how the stock strings also appear to have a single copper underwinding. That's strange considering the high cost of copper.
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Congrats! I like the MusicMan-esque headstock on that one.
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The new headstocks are ugly, and it's ironic that they were changed because Gibson finally lost their decade old suit against PRS for body and neck-shape trademarks, which is why you're now seeing lots of Fender and Gibson-style instruments that are as close as any 70's Japanese Ibanez from other manufacturers..
Ironic is putting it mildly. I can't begin to figure how that even remotely makes sense...
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Any time you can get a bass you're happy with for less than $100 that's a score.
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Any time you can get a bass you're happy with for less than $100 that's a score.
+1
The new headstocks are ugly, and it's ironic that they were changed because Gibson finally lost their decade old suit against PRS for body and neck-shape trademarks, which is why you're now seeing lots of Fender and Gibson-style instruments that are as close as any 70's Japanese Ibanez from other manufacturers.
The court ruled that PRS' design didn't infringe on Gibson's trademarks, but unfortunately the court didn't invalidate those trademarks. Look closely at LP guitar copies like the ones from Rondo and you'll see that they aren't clones, there are always small differences. It's a lot easier to make small changes than to spend a few hundred thou defending a lawsuit.
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I'd say at $65, you did just fine indeed!
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Nice deal!
What is the scale of a 3/4 size electric? 25.5"-ish? Bet that would be fun and kinda strange to play at the same time.
I had picked up one of those Stratocaster-minis for my son, and I'm always using it to test gear because its so small and easy to plop down on the work bench. Its almost like playing a scalloped guitar, since even slight pressure on a fretted string will bend the note! Really accentuates my sloppy left hand technique :), so I find myself practicing scales and such on it just to see if I can pull them off and stay in tune. Heavier gauge strings I'm sure would help - feels like it has 9s on it...
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Great score! I'd love to get one of those for my kids.
Count me in on not being a fan of the new headstock shape on the SX stuff. The word fugly comes to mind...
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The pic's gone PB... any chance of a posting...?
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I saved all the Craigslist pics and I'll take some more since I cleaned it up and put them up shortly. According to Rondo's website, it's supposed to be a 32" scale, but it measures out 30". The prices on new ones also have dropped considerably recently. New, the current version of mine goes for $105 plus shipping.
Look closely at LP guitar copies like the ones from Rondo and you'll see that they aren't clones, there are always small differences. It's a lot easier to make small changes than to spend a few hundred thou defending a lawsuit.
Agreed, but all one need do is check out the new Ken Smith and G&L Jazz copies to see how close you can get. With G&L, they even have another model, the JB-2, that was formerly supposed to be their "Jazz-like" instrument. The new JB basses don't even try to hide it. That said, I'm sure that FMIC either sent a cease and desist letter, or more likely, pressured the factory directly, where I have no doubt the SX instruments are made right alongside Squiers. There's no way Rondo swings a bigger financial stick than FMIC.
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Rondo sells medium (32") scale and short(30") scale J and P types as well as long scale. I bought 4 LH P/J purple sparkle basses from Rondo a while back for $250 delivered, strictly for the necks, tuners and misc hardware. StratoBaster has one of the necks (reshaped to an early G&L type headstock, which had to be changed due to Ernie Ball lawsuit) and I sent another to a friend in trade for a Mexi Jazz neck. He's a guitar player with small hands, likes that 32" scale.
As far as I can tell Fender bodies are not trademark protected. Nash guitars are pretty close to EXACT Fender copies right down to the head stocks (no decal). With this as precedent I'll be shipping JAEbirds sans decal.
(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/STRATOBASTER/DSC02011-1.jpg)
(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/STRATOBASTER/DSC02169-1-1.jpg)
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Didn't realize it was Sterling Ball shaking down Rondo. FMIC has a much better case! The irony practically drips there. Nothing against EB, but that's a set of brass balls to call someone out for copying YOUR copy of someone else's design. I figured with Nash, he didn't sell enough to be worth the effort to chase and the same with all the other high-end/small scale luthiers out there. BTW, Nash would make nice instruments if he just didn't insist on making them all look beat up!
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Didn't realize it was Sterling Ball shaking down Rondo. FMIC has a much better case! The irony practically drips there. Nothing against EB, but that's a set of brass balls to call someone out for copying YOUR copy of someone else's design. I figured with Nash, he didn't sell enough to be worth the effort to chase and the same with all the other high-end/small scale luthiers out there. BTW, Nash would make nice instruments if he just didn't insist on making them all look beat up!
Sorry for being unclear, it was EB who sued G&L or threatened to, that's why they changed THEIR headstock design in the early 80s. I don't know who is shaking down Rondo but it COULD be EB, wouldn't put it past them. I DO NOT want to start any rumors...I'm sure Dave will sort it all out for us. ;D
Check Nash's site, he's got quite a business going and a good sense of humor!
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I have no idea, it's usually done quietly by sending a cease and desist letter. Then you notice a change is made in a headstock and body shape.
The Gibson/PRS suit was unusual b/c it actually went to trial and then to an appellate court.
FWIW, Fender did file for body shape trademarks on the Strat, Tele and Jazz Bass about 5 years ago but the USPTO denied it after a bunch of interested parties who had been using the shapes (many for years) mounted an opposition. FMIC appealed the denial and lost that too.
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Sorry for being unclear, it was EB who sued G&L or threatened to, that's why they changed THEIR headstock design in the early 80s.
OK. I misunderstood. I knew about the EB/G&L conflict. George Fullerton was a VERY popular guy in the early 80's!
Check Nash's site, he's got quite a business going and a good sense of humor!
I've read his stuff, and I agree. He's got a great sense of humor. I like Pre-CBS Fenders for their dimensional differences more than anything. I once played a '62 Jazz that someone had coated completely in a deep red polyester finish and had installed a set of the active Seymour Duncans or EMG's (whichever had the white switches on top- I can't remember) and it was still a monster. I really enjoyed the threads by Gil Yaron on TDPRI that Dave linked to. That guy is insane! I wonder how much he charges for a build, but I'm afraid to ask.
BTW, here's the only decent pic I got tonight:
(http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu183/PsychoBassGuy/5656f74a.jpg)
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Mine and others all seem to have a really crap nut but great basses for the bucks. And I agree that the pups are certainly of servicable quality even if not pro standard. Whats not to like about a sunburst Jazz? Good score. I should take a few pics of mine. Only recent ones I have are of it in bits.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/Freuds_cat/SX%20Sunburst/SX-Sun320.jpg)
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The new headstocks remind me of Ibanez, not the most beautiful of the fender 4-in-a-row world, but ok. IMHO I kinda prefer them than strat type headstocks, and if you are handy with tools, you can transform them to a tele headstock, who is the best looking headstock of the fender world. Did I say IMHO? :D
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Quote from: dadagoboi on December 15, 2010, 05:23:17 PM
Sorry for being unclear, it was EB who sued G&L or threatened to, that's why they changed THEIR headstock design in the early 80s.
OK. I misunderstood. I knew about the EB/G&L conflict. George Fullerton was a VERY popular guy in the early 80's!
I thought it was Fender itself which sued G&L over its early headstocks, which resulted in them putting an extra point on it, like my LB-100.
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l111/bigtreebluesea/DSC05656a.jpg)