[jeepnstein]

This review is going to be a work in progress. Please bear with me as I slowly build up my final impression....



The SX is a Telecaster copy sold by Rondo Music. Made in China, it costs around $110.00 and shipping. My copy is an antique white with a maple fretboard and black pick guard. It came shipped in a single box and in good condition via UPS. So far so good...

Finish: The finish is a really pleasing off-white. Some of the SX's got a paint job that was more Key Lime than antique white but apparently that's been taken care of. I see no obvious defects in the paint job. The neck is finished with a slight coloring intended to ape the look of an older guitar. The neck also has an extremely glossy finish that is a bit thick. All the chrome bits look good at first glance. The pick guard is a bit out-of-whack since it fits poorly at the neck. I'm quite pleased for the price.

Neck and Tuning: Tuning was a bit problematic. The string guides are a bit off and the nut was a bit tight. A bit of lube and a quick touch up with a welder's tip cleaner and the nut is serviceable. The tuners are just OK and seem to hold well once the strings are properly stretched. The string guides are going to be history as soon as a set of rollers come in from GFS. I'm going to hold my tongue about the tuning until I change out for a fresh set of strings from Webstrings. A bit of hard playing would knock it out of tune at first. That seems to be improving so the tuners will be staying for a while.

The setup was pretty good. No buzzing and only a minor intonation adjustment was needed. The jumbo frets are a lot of fun. All the frets were slightly polished and properly dressed on the ends. No sharp edges or high spots on this one. The neck is chunky, it reminds me of an older Tele. It's certainly not a shredder. There's a skunk stripe up the back of the neck which is a nice touch. Oh, the headstock, yeah, it's ugly.

The bridge is a string-through the body type with individual saddles. It's cheap but serviceable and I have no plan to change it any time soon.

Pickups: The sound was horrendous at first. I'm using Roland Cube amps, mostly a 15. The upper E string was totally silent when the neck pickup was selected. Upon inspection, I found that the neck pickup was way too low. One of the adjusting screws was stripped as well. A new set of screws and a minor adjustment later and it roars. The bridge position was a wee bit low as well. I just can't get past the lack or responsiveness so the pickups are history, replaced with GFS "Cool Vintage" rails.

Overall Impression: I've got to say that on first blush, the SX is a good guitar and I plan on keeping it for a long time. It has tons of sustain and that Telecaster sound and look. As soon as I switch out the string guides and the pick guard I'll get pictures posted. It's a bottom feeders guitar for sure. It'll also be a good platform for a few modifications. My goal is to keep total expenditures for the thing under $200 and that's going to be easy enough.



The GFS pickups, the pick guard, and the rollers are installed. All I can say about the pickups is, WOW! They are a bit on the "harsh" side and quite sensitive. The harshness is really noticeable on the highs. I can tame that by rolling off the tone knob a bit more than usual. There is certainly no lack of responsiveness now. It still has that Telecaster sound but has more authority in it's voice.

The original SX bridge pickup fell apart when I removed the bridge. The backing plate just fell off the rest of the assembly as the glue had failed. The neck pickup was in good shape and I'm certainly keeping it for future use.

Installation was simple enough. Since the neck position mounts to the body and not the pick guard I did some careful measuring and a bit of meditation before drilling the pilot holes. I thought GFS was kidding when they said to keep them just a wee bit above the level of the pick guard. Nope, that's the sweet spot. Once I get it sounding just right I'll post my measurements. I'm getting just the slightest bit of noise which I believe is a result of the pickup cavities not being shielded in any way shape or form.

The roller guides did help the tuning. There was so much friction with the old guides that you had to sometimes tweak the strings as you tuned up. I really think that was the source of most of my trouble with the head stock. The original nut will remain for a while longer now. I'll switch it out after I decide on strings. The tuners were loose and are quite serviceable after a bit of tightening and a shot of lube.

I've pulled the trigger on a new pre-cut Tusq nut from Stew Mac. I'm getting bad intonation along the G string and it's really bothering me. The slots are too tight anyway.

Overall, I'll have to say that I'd buy another guitar from Rondo without hesitation. You will have to tinker with it a bit to get it ready to roll so if you're not comfortable with this sort of thing you must either pay someone to do it for you or look elsewhere for a guitar.

[bravesfan007]

Quick question. Is that the old headstock or the new headstock?

[jeepnstein]

Old headstock. The new one is an abomination, at least it is until I get used to it. I don't do change well, one of my many faults.

I'm preparing a rant about the pickups. I can't say I care for them as much as I want to. I need a bit more clarity and response. They do really have a great tone, just not the responsiveness I hoped for.

[bravesfan007]

Well at least you're keeping in mind how much the things costs. I mean, some people get them and expect them to sound like a $2,000 guitar. I for one though, have been impressed at what the little amount of money can buy you.

[jeepnstein]

Ok, the saga of the Little SX That Could continues...

After a couple of nights of play, I can declare the pickups non-keepers. Even with the cover off the neck pickup it just doesn't have much of a voice. Being mindful that this is, after all, a hundred dollar guitar I can't say this is a surprise. A set of GFS "Cool Vintage" rails are on the way. This seems to be the most economical approach to teasing a bit more sound out of the little Telecaster.

I could play it anywhere right now and get a respectable sound out of the little guy. The lack of string response is my only complaint at this time.

So now we are at around $180-190 for the guitar if you count the pickups, string guides, and the pick guard. The pick guard is strictly a vanity item, though.

After about a week of steady use I'm starting to notice a bit of wear on the neck finish already. The gloss is starting to give way. This is a very good thing and it just seems more comfortable.

[jeepnstein]

Updates...

Almost all the parts are in for my modifications. As soon as Webstrings delivers a package I'll be in business. The pickups look nice.

I have a friend with a digital recorder and I'm hoping to have some sound clips up before long...