Box O'Bodies

[Pilgrim]

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?

[drbassman]

Clever idea, I think.  Don't need any right now, but the price is pretty good.

[Dave W]

IMHO you get what you pay for.

[ack1961]

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.

[Rob]

You could part out the two you like the least and be home free.

[ack1961]

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.

[Dave W]

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.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

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.

[dadagoboi]

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.

[drbassman]

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.

[godofthunder]

 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.

[Pilgrim]

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........    

[Dave W]

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.

[dadagoboi]

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.

[Dave W]

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.