Rondo music is selling bass bodies with electronics by the "box"....
http://www.rondomusic.com/product6556.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/product6552.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/product6553.html
Anyone want to get some bodies to play with?
Clever idea, I think. Don't need any right now, but the price is pretty good.
IMHO you get what you pay for.
Thanks for the post.
At $30 per loaded body, it's a great foundation for kids to learn how these basses generally work and build out their own bass.
I have enough spare parts lying around that the kids can get their feet wet at neck pocket fitment, shielding, electrical work, etc...
Even if they're horrendous, it wouldn't be the worst $189 bucks I ever spent.
You could part out the two you like the least and be home free.
Quote from: Dave W on January 21, 2014, 12:55:15 PM
IMHO you get what you pay for.
Is that what it's all about? Return on the dollar?
Horseshit.
Granted, none of these bodies may ever see the stage, but they are tools that guys like me can afford.
Quote from: ack1961 on January 21, 2014, 09:45:54 PM
Is that what it's all about? Return on the dollar?
Horseshit.
Granted, none of these bodies may ever see the stage, but they are tools that guys like me can afford.
Not sure what you're saying, but I'm certainly not talking about return on the dollar. Nothing to do with that.
I'm unimpressed by anything I've seen from Rondo Music. Yes, I know there are guys who swear by them as a platform for modding, but the ones I've seen (guitars and basses) aren't very good. I sure wouldn't call a box of leftover bodies a bargain no matter how inexpensive it is.
Maybe you'll be lucky if you buy a box. Maybe they won't have dodgy electronics, bridges wrongly located, neck pockets improperly cut, etc.
I'll pass. YMMV.
My little 3/4 size SX Jazz is downright NICE! The pickups sound good, better than standard Mexi-Fender's stuff, and the hardware and finish are all the same as you'd find on a real Jazz bass. The pots are clearly cheap, but smooth with no noise, and the guy I bought it from looked like he smoked a LOT of pot. It did take a few hours to clean it. I got it off Craigslist for $50 a few years ago, so maybe I just lucked out and got a good one.
Quote from: Psycho Bass Guy on January 22, 2014, 06:03:00 AM
My little 3/4 size SX Jazz is downright NICE! The pickups sound good, better than standard Mexi-Fender's stuff, and the hardware and finish are all the same as you'd find on a real Jazz bass. The pots are clearly cheap, but smooth with no noise, and the guy I bought it from looked like he smoked a LOT of pot. It did take a few hours to clean it. I got it off Craigslist for $50 a few years ago, so maybe I just lucked out and got a good one.
I've bought about two dozen SX basses over the years. Most to relic and resell at a buddy's music store (before the Fender 'Road Worn' stuff came out). They all played, sounded and looked great before I did any work on them...at an average cost of less than $125 delivered.
I also have one of those 3/4 scale Jazzes. Mine's the same as yours. Cosmetically flawless, great neck and decent sound.
I had one of their 30" basses and the only disappointment for the price was the crappy pick guard. I bought it to mod and experiment with, well worth the pittance I paid. When I was finished, I sold it in parts and got most of my investment back and had some fun in the process.
Truth be told, I'm dying for one of the Squire 30" Jag basses. Just might try one some day.
I had a '75 SX Jazz bass I bought it for grins. I was more than impressed by the bass, the wood selection and finish in particular. It played great nice low action, no buzz. I only sold it because frankly I didn't need it but I sure did like it.
Quote from: drbassman on January 22, 2014, 07:20:30 AM
I had one of their 30" basses and the only disappointment for the price was the crappy pick guard. I bought it to mod and experiment with, well worth the pittance I paid. When I was finished, I sold it in parts and got most of my investment back and had some fun in the process.
Truth be told, I'm dying for one of the Squire 30" Jag basses. Just might try one some day.
I had a 30" silver Squier Jag (not SX) that played very nicely with Labella Deep Talkin' flats - I decided that it duplicated other basses I already had and sold it to our drummer, who often plays bass at his church. He LOVES that bass.
Bill...your inner voice is talking...get the Squier, Bill........ ;D ;)
Quote from: dadagoboi on January 22, 2014, 06:15:07 AM
I've bought about two dozen SX basses over the years. Most to relic and resell at a buddy's music store (before the Fender 'Road Worn' stuff came out). They all played, sounded and looked great before I did any work on them...at an average cost of less than $125 delivered.
I also have one of those 3/4 scale Jazzes. Mine's the same as yours. Cosmetically flawless, great neck and decent sound.
But Carlo, the basses that bear your name on the headstock have a much more expensive neck. Compare what you pay wholesale for one neck to the price of the whole SX bass.
Some years ago a store owner pointed out to me that most parts of a guitar are made from materials that are commodities on the world market. A factory in China or Indonesia will have much lower labor costs but they can't buy, say, copper wire or swamp ash for less than a US manufacturer. In talking about a Chinese Strat copy (can't remember the brand), he said that when the importer's landed cost for the whole guitar is about the same as the raw cost of the magnet wire and 18 alnico magnets in a real Strat pickup set, you know what you aren't getting.
I'm happy for all of you who have had good experiences with Rondo. But I've seen what I've seen, and I'm not changing my opinion.
There are bargains to be had out there. I've been lucky enough to find a number of them. But still, you get what you pay for.
Quote from: Dave W on January 22, 2014, 12:29:10 PM
But Carlo, the basses that bear your name on the headstock have a much more expensive neck. Compare what you pay wholesale for one neck to the price of the whole SX bass.
Some years ago a store owner pointed out to me that most parts of a guitar are made from materials that are commodities on the world market. A factory in China or Indonesia will have much lower labor costs but they can't buy, say, copper wire or swamp ash for less than a US manufacturer. In talking about a Chinese Strat copy (can't remember the brand), he said that when the importer's landed cost for the whole guitar is about the same as the raw cost of the magnet wire and 18 alnico magnets in a real Strat pickup set, you know what you aren't getting.
I'm happy for all of you who have had good experiences with Rondo. But I've seen what I've seen, and I'm not changing my opinion.
There are bargains to be had out there. I've been lucky enough to find a number of them. But still, you get what you pay for.
The UNFINISHED necks I buy have a "retail" price twice what a Rondo Precision costs. Most of that is middleman profit. Rondo's buying from the factory and selling direct. I'm guessing Kurt is making a decent profit, even with having to eat some of the price increases due to rising Chinese labor costs- 500% in the last 10 years. Unlike here, management is making less and the workers more resulting in better product.
I don't know when you last saw Rondo product but from the time I started buying them until I stopped the improvement was impressive. Mainly in setup, indicative of people paying attention. The value for price was always there. You can now buy Rondo guitars with Grovers, Duncan pickups, licensed Floyds, Bigsbys, etc.
Yeah, you get what you pay for but a lot of it depends where you shop. Those Jags are made in Indonesia, much cheaper labor and far more favorable exchange rate than China. When I first to China it was 8.4 Yuan to the dollar, now it's 6.1 whereas the Indo Rupiah is way down.
My "wholesale" necks are costing me at least twice what they would if I were buying them from the factory. They used to be stickered "Made in Japan". They don't have that sticker now, must have moved production to Korea. No drop off in quality though.
Carlo, no doubt he's making a profit. I'd be surprised if his landed cost is more than 1/3 of his retail price. My somewhat murky point was that your neck alone costs much more to manufacture than the whole guitar from Rondo. And that's because it's a better quality neck.
Quote from: Dave W on January 22, 2014, 09:33:16 PM
Carlo, no doubt he's making a profit. I'd be surprised if his landed cost is more than 1/3 of his retail price. My somewhat murky point was that your neck alone costs much more to manufacture than the whole guitar from Rondo. And that's because it's a better quality neck.
I was talking to my former partner the other day and we were trying to figure out how Rondo is holding their prices, for the reasons I mentioned. He knows first hand exactly how much costs have increased in China, he owns a factory. Somebody is taking less money for prices to remain steady and it's not the factory workers. I KNOW what Curt's landed cost theoretically is based on his retail prices. It's not rocket science. I even know exactly how many will fit in a container. It's what I did for a living: designing, developing and exporting product made in China and other Asian countries to the US, Australia, Japan, and Europe in a highly competitive market. That meant getting the most for the least.
I understood your point. Believe me or don't but the AP necks are not really any better than Rondo's based on my small scale sample of around 70 AP and 30 Rondos. There's no reason for the APs to cost any more except for the middlemen involved. If I could buy the Rondos unfinished I would. Truss rods work great and frets are top notch. I considered buying full basses for the necks and tuners but the adjustment is in the wrong place for me. Most of my customers wouldn't care.
Fender's Indonesian long scale Jag necks are also great, I've put ThunderBuckers in three of the models that retail for $200. Also considered buying them just for necks, tuners and miscellaneous parts.
Parts are almost always more expensive than completed products.
MIA, MIM, MIJ, MIK, MIC, MII, etc... they can be manufactured in any of these countries, or a bunch of others, and be effectively the same product... the key thing for all sellers is what they can make to survive as a business...
As a deal, a group of bodies is just that...
Now, where is that guy who is selling the box of necks...
The MII 20th Anni Jazz I picked up for £68 (poorly advertised) and had a wonderful sound, from the get-go; easily as good as any Fender I've ever played... the only issue was a sun-bleached scratchplate that I junked... I wanted a fretless Jazz and picked up a MM licenced one with an "ebanol" type top for £100... It's spot-on... Scott supplied me a pair of cast-off Fender pups from his MIA Jazz from '08 (? iirc) and the sound is no better, but for me the esthetics of the neck pup being slightly smaller and poles lining up with the strings was a psych thing...
I am holding the neck for the (hopeful at present) day when I have enough readies to approach Carlo for a T'bird or Explorer unfin body to go with it, but that's wish-list stuff at the mo...
A box of bodies would be a good deal for a builder to play with... someone with a good box of complementary parts to go with... or if you sold parts for a living and had the time to sell them as individual items... there is a market...
As an aside, one of the bodies had a pair of doubled-up Jazz style pups, which is what I've considered for one of mine with a pair of (single) Jazz pups in a TBII position...
Say what you will about SX basses, but there's no denying that Kurt runs a pretty good ship up there at Rondo.
I ordered a "box 'o basses" sometime on Tuesday, and FedEx just rang my doorbell - 6 well packed bass bodies are here.
I paid $20 for shipping and it arrived in less than 2 days. By contrast, I shipped a Peavey neck (in a neck profile box) to AL this morning via UPS and it cost me $20.53 to send it.
Amongst the bass bodies are:
2 shortscale Jazz bodies (1 loaded J & 1 unloaded MM/J)
2 34" Jazz bodies
1 P/J (P-bass body)
1 6-string Jazz