Regardless of the price, SX are the best guitars I've played. After buying the first one 15 years ago, I could not make myself buy anything else. I have 5 of them now.
@@joedocmusic I've had my SX 50 vintage series lake placid blue with me know for 15 years. Never selling it. Only had to do a setup and some fret leveling during the years. Cost me $100 at the time plus $25 shipping.
I've had a lot of questions as to where the SX can be ordered in the USA - here is a link: amzn.to/1MNTl6d This is a similar, not the exact same model, but the price performance is still amazing. SX has had to change the headstock shape in the US for obvious reasons...
Yes, there are a few places that offer SX guitars - a quick google search should get you there. It depends on which country. I know there is a source in Spain, as well as Muziker.de in Germany... hope that helps! best , joe
I picked up an SX Standard (cheaper than the one in the video) for 120 AUD (about 95 USD) here in Australia. It's a fantastic guitar; plays well and has better sustain than any other Fender original or clone I've ever tried. The guitar was just a temporary solution I bought while my 'real' guitar was being fixed, but it's so fundamentally good I'm going to keep it.
@@thierry1103 there have been many Squier models over the years, at different price points and made in different places. Japanese Squiers from the 80s are great. Korean made are good too. But the recent cheap ones from China less so. When I got the SX I tried a couple of cheap Squiers as well. The SX was more solid.
i just got an SX tele. man, i was surprised how good the neck felt. got it set up professionally, and WOW. i love it. going to get an SX strat next. very informative video man. thanks! thumbs up!
I appreciate your honest opinions about guitars and giving them a fair shake in the comparisons, my collection includes all makers and they all need minor tweaks. My American models are awesome but the other manufacturers are closing the gap!
A cool thing to do is to put in a push-pull pot in the bottom tone control spot. The switch part has two sides and three terminals on each side, middle is common, one is NC and the other is NO.You wire one side to turn on the bridge pickup and turn off the tone control to the bridge pickup when the knob is pulled out. By doing this the bottom tone control works for both the middle and bridge pickup with the knob pushed in, but the middle tone control takes over if the neck and bridge pickup is being used (knob pulled out,pickup selector in the neck position.). Also, if the five way switch is in the bridge position and the knob is pulled out you have the bridge pickup with no load from the tone control again.
I have owned A SX strat before...and loved it. I am a guitar nut and love to experience how they feel and sound. I sold it to a friend of mine. but you are correct....the tone is sweet and powerful. For the money....you can't beat it. BTW....your Jimi riffs are amazing.
I have the SX Leo 3TS. The frets were VERY jagged and I literally cut myself on them but after about 20 minutes outside with a couple files I got that fixed and spent a little time setting it up and I'm VERY happy with it. I paid $99 plus shipping for it a few months ago. I originally planned on replacing a bunch of junk on it to improve it but have nixed that idea. I love the guitar as is.
I owned a 60's Fender Tele in the 70's and sold it in early 80's ... just recently I found out it was from the Custom Shop ... Olympic White Double Black Bound Body and White Pick Guard and Maple Neck .... I quit playing for over 25 years I bought a used Agile AL 2000 in Root Beer Finish from my son inlaw used for $200 Canadian in a Gibson style case .... and love it but its a little heavy ... because of videos like this one I just last week ordered from Rondo Music n SX Gypsy Rose Strat copy in yellow and orange for $100 US plus $13.00 shipping ...Its on its way ... I miss my Fender Telecaster after playing the Agile.... I will not spend the $$$$ on a Fender to be able to get what I had ... BUT for $100 or so how can you lose. SX makes a Telecaster in Natural Swamp ASH with a bound neck for $149 US ... you can get it is Burst as well. That is next.., I will then have a Les Paul Copy, A Strat Copy and a Tele Copy for hardly any money at all... around $500 US .... I thank you and a few others who review guitars like this to reinforce and spread the work about getting quality stuff on a budget. Do not be fooled by the price ... I am all about how it feels, and how it plays not how much it costs ... there are a lot of kids and adults like myself with limited funds .... out there who need quality guitars to play who do not have a lot of $$$ because of the economic times .... because of videos like this I saved enough money to go now and buy a Boss ME 80 Effects Pedal Board to have even more fun ... You do good work ... keep spreading the word ... thanks for your efforts and keep the videos coming !!!!
Hey Joedocmusic ... Thanks for the review. I'd never heard of SX. But I went and bought one from Rondo. Had it set up, and I really like it. Played it at a gig last Saturday, and it sounded great. Even my guitar-wonk lead player liked it, though he bitched that the frets were too tall. I dig it. Thanks for the turn-on.
What I love about this is I discovered an SX SST57 in a pawn shop for $90 and was scratching my head over how impressed I was... Went back a couple more times to play some more and Really fell in love with the neck - This whole time I had not researched the guitar online... Anyway, went back a fourth time to buy it and it had been sold. I ended up just buying a used neck off one of these and building a parts-caster which I wouldn't trade for anything.
I love my sst 57. Upgraded all the hardware and electronics but really if you just upgrade the tuners and pickups to say the gfs vintage alnico staggers and you've got a very nice quality guitar for not a lot of money.
I was on my way home and stopped by Guitar Center in Flint and found a SX Strat for $79 used. I had never heard of SX Guitars before so I wasn't sure about the thing until I plugged it in to a Twin Reverb amp. Wow, nice sound, great feeling neck, playability and sound on par with my American Standard Strat, but this was not my regular environment for playing. I bought it and took it to practice. The guys rolled their eyes and had nothing good to say about the guitar until I started to play. Then some opinions changed. "You changed the pick ups." "You changed the electronics." Nope, bone stock. They all thought I'd made modifications, but from the time I bought it to practice, I had slept, gone to work, and finally practice. No time to do any mods, AND no money for parts, which always sucks. The guys were split evenly between "all copies are junk" and "that sounds really good". Since I shelled out the my last few dollars for the guitar, my opinion is already known and bias toward the SX. Yes I really like the SX, and as I have already stated, it has a sound very close to my American Standard Stratocaster which cost me an arm and a leg(and a few internal organs). The SX is slightly brighter than the Fender, but just a little bit. Maybe, it's all in my head. Maybe, my hearing isn't what it once was when I was younger. Maybe, I just stumbled on to a quality guitar that plays well and sounds great, and there is no reason not to like it. Unless of course, you are a gear snob. Ride Safe
I got that model of SX on Reverb a couple years ago, a music shop had it out there for about 6 months. Nobody wanted it. I got it for $40. New strings and very minor adjustments and it plays really good. I’m not a professional musician, no gigs. Just me and the dog. I’ve got a few pretty good guitars. This one has been the best $40 I’ve spent. It’s a keeper. Sounds good thru my Fender Blues Jr amp.
SX guitars are surprisingly awesome. I bought one of their tele clones since I'm left handed and have fuck all for options, and every other guitar nut I play it around always compliments the tone I get out of it.
Set a guitar to your liking and it won't disappoint....you can always adjust sound quality with pedals and etc....even if pickups are cheap, I had this SX VTG series guitar with a really weird shape but it played and sounded like a high quality Tele or Strat and I regret selling it, the girl that bought it, was in love with it, so I sold it to her.....very cool demo!.....was digging the demo #2 with the Allman brothers " Sweet Melissa"....
You said it - as long as certain aspects of the build quality (good neck #1!) are on, then the rest you can mess with to your liking. Brand name means nothing any more! cheers, joe
The SX I got is fantastic. A custom designer bought it from the fabric and set it up in his own special way, custom made and it is a truely wonderful guitar.
David Hostetler Thanks David. It's funny, the SX actually sounds more "Fender-y" to me that the Fender, strange as that sounds. It must be in the pickups - the Texas specials in the Fender have more mids, less of that high sparkle that the SX pickups have... and of course many other Fender Strats do, too. best, joe
The buzzing is likely due to some uneven frets. My SX (Rock n Rose) had about 6 of them. After I got that sorted out and did a proper set-up, it's a pretty good little guitar. For $100, it's hard to beat, but I'd say that one should expect to have to do some work to it.
Not counting the person playing it, the main tonal difference in all electric guitars is the pick ups and to a lesser extent the strings. Don't be fooled by 'tonewood' BS. Fender have even taken the BS a step further recently, claiming that the coating on their new guitars is a special 'tone' coat, which is one of the biggest bit of marketing Bull Shit I've ever heard. I have two Mexican strats that I love. The standard pick ups you get with the MIM strats are quite good very similar to the 'SX' guitar in this video, slightly hot. The Texas Specials pick ups are not as hot and some people like them. I prefer the Fender Tex Mex pick ups that I have in one of my strats as they're not as hot as standard ones and seem to have nicer fuller and at the same time, sparkling tone. It's really down to what you prefer and the style of music you like playing. A good tip, is to always check what pick ups a guitar has in it. The more types of pick ups you try, the more you will know what suits your taste better.
I know this is a lot later, but if you have two Strats, and you don't need the tremolo active in both, try this very inexpensive upgrade. Just get a brass pipe connector ring of dimensions 3 inches by 5/16th inches, and saw it in half across the radius. Polish off the sharp edges and tap it gently into the space between the tremolo block and the body. This eliminates the 'tonky' midrange caused by the body cavity, which Leo Fender never designed to be an acoustic enhancement. You will now hear a full clear midrange, and a greatly increased sustain. I did this on a 1974 Mann strat copy (close to your MIM's) and actually took the brass connector out, played the guitar, then put it back in, because I thought it was my imagination. Cheaper than a new pair of strings, and if you're good with a hacksaw, you get two 'hardtail' upgrade.
Since you came back to write that bit of advice I'd like to ask, the sx guitar here sounds as good as the fender but would it keep that sound as the years go by? I'm thinking of buying one but my concern is that most often, chinese stuff is cheap due to their low build quality which makes them not durable. Could that be the case here as well?
Here in Chicago there are guys buying these and putting a fake strat neck on them and passing them off as real strats. Frankly, AXL has a strat "badwater" knock off with really great bridge tone, it may be the best pickup in the world. Build quality is about average with Cort or SX offerings. Thanks for the thoughtful comparison. Your A vs B clips are great, we can tell you are being unbiased in evaluating the playability and sound.
Me again. Been playing my SX for 10 months now, and I'm still digging it. I go direct through a Joyo American Sound into the PA most of the time, and I get a great Fendery tone. Mostly I play rhythm. In my two bands I have two of the best lead players in Los Angeles, and they play Surhs and other boutique brands. Yeah, they have great guitars and amps. But I am happy, and they don't make fun of my hundred-dollar guitar and $40 pedal. Saving money is a good thing. BTW ... I got the Vintage Green, and I get tons of compliments on the look of it.
I was going to buy a Precision bass a few years ago. I compared a SX one (same range as yours) to the Fender Mexican Standard. The finish and fretwork on the SX was much better than the Fender. The Fender had a bit more output, but that's really not something I'm looking for in a bass guitar. I ended up buying the SX and have played it ever since un-modded. It was half the price including a pro hardcase!
I've got two SX guitars: a Telecaster Thinline and a Strat. Both of them are absolutely amazing. The only low point they have is the hardware (pickups and tuning pegs). I've changed those in my two guitars and life is amazing. They sound incredible! Much love and respect for SX, they deserve it ♥
Interesting. SX's are the only new/unused electric guitars our local music store offers, because it is too small for the bigger brands. I have often wondered if they are any good.
Make a video about that one too. I was really surprised how good the ceramic pups sounded - very authentic. On the Mexican Fender Strats they always seem a little bit overwound and muddy.
www.joedocmusic.com I have both the Furrian Ash 3TS and the HH 3TS. Although I replaced just about everything I could, the Ash model is an awesome player, especially if you like the thick necks. The stock pups ans electronics were alright, it has the same parts as the standard Furrians. The bridge was a bit hot and slightly bright, but not bad. The neck is a bit muddy, and barely usable. These just need a good setup, including the nut, then they are good for beginners or tinkerers.
I have 1 SX Jazzmaster type guitar with P 90's that i bought back in 2007 for $119 that is simply a stunningly great guitar after proper setup and some minor soldering of loose wire connections. The Agile Les Pauls will blow your mind.
I have an SX EG5. 335 copy. Much better than an Epi Dot or even maybe the Sheraton. I took the stopbar off and added a tailpiece, non trem, it added to the depth of that woody tone. Small mods do wonders on a great platform. Just got into your channel, keep up the great reviews!
Great comparison! I have a sunburst custom handmade SX. I made a few changes, including the connection that allows to change the tone of the middle and bridge pickups with the bridge tone pot. Also I added a mini toggle for connect the neck pickup with middle and bridge pickups (like Gilmour Black Strat mod). It´s an excellent guitar with a very good body and you can get excellent sound by changing the pickups.
Super demo, thanks. I am a telecaster addict. I have a Srtat and a good amp, I still lean towards the Telecaster. Your Strat demo was great, nice touch.
Fender actually stopped SX from producing the "Vintage Series"! They were that good! I have one of their Vintage Series basses and it's amazing. I have no idea if the current SX's guitar are the same quality!
Um I just bought one last week. (I live in Sydney Australia). Lovely Lake Pacific Blue which is obviously a knock off of the Lake Placid Blue Fender I would own if I was a rich guitar collector. I paid AUD152 (and an extra AUD12.50 for shipping insurance - transit damage not covered for Ebay purchases in Australia). Yet to set it up but my other SX which I got second hand is quite good so I am hoping for now major issues.
Just bought a new Vintage Series this week for US$ 150 in Argentina: it sounds amazing. An American Fender Strat here would cost more than US$ 2,200, so at least a 15x factor for the price!
i have been looking for a good (strat) with out spending too much money as i know there has to be more on offer these days then the obvious and i think i have found what im looking for now. thanks for doing this video bro.
Great review, both guitars are great, but I have to say admit that the Fender Guitar the notes sound brighter and clearer. No disrespect to the SX. I am sure it is a great guitar!
I have an sx ,changed the bridge pick up with a humbucker ,also changed the knobs,the selector,I ve screened it ,and now I have the most versatile guitar ever ..sounds sweet and warm , and goes up to powerful stuff on bridge...wouldn t change it for a fender in a 1ooo years
I believe in you get what you pay for.and even if the copy strat does get close to the tones, I still can hear the heavenly tones of the original strat that makes a big,big,big,big difference.
While I'm far from an expert, I've two SX Telecaster models, a vintage green one with standard pick-ups, & a vintage white one with P-90 pick-ups. I'm quite pleased with them & can find nothing to complain about.
I know you're running them through the same amp with the same settings but they do sound very similar the SX might be just a tiny bit brighter I think for most people they would never know the difference great comparison
I have 2 SX strats. My recent was a $180 Aus Quilted maple burst 2004 model, gold hardware, only 140 made. It’s gold. If you can get your hands on one (the vintage series), get one 👍
i didn't want the fender to sound better but it does. it sounds bigger, cleaner, and more sparkly but I think its just because of the pickups. I think the sx just needs new pickups
I may be wrong, but wasn't Fender's original purpose to make guitars as cost-effective as possible while still making them play/sound good? Solid bodies, bolt-on necks, pickguard covers the routing, etc. That all started with Fender (commercially speaking, I know there were a few solid bodies before Fender.) That's essentially what Rondo does. Probably why the SX sounds so official.
Fender was actually always a pricey instrument. If you compare their prices from the late 50's (adjusted for inflation) you'll find the prices for the US made instruments comparable. Modern machining methods have naturally changed the game entirely. SX is (in my experience with their Strat, Tele, and P-bass style instruments a tremendous bang for the buck. Thanks for writing in, best, joe
I think that in a mix you could double track these two guitars, pan them left and right and their verbs opposite and you would have a fantastic separated and spacious guitar mix, even when using the same/equivalent settings. there seems enough tonal difference to blend them really well, yet keep the pick up selection audible. My tuppence worth x
Wow, this is actually very surprising, they sounded very close. But one thing you can't tell from just looking at videos are the play-ability. But I think it won't be too bad on the SX.
I have my old black SX vintage with maple neck for a while now and I just love it! Changed everything from the tuners to the pickups and electronics and bridge I could fool the most experienced players...always finds a way to get into my live rig even though I have fenders strats and teles. Great guitar for the price
Got SX strata plus SX Tele and both are brilliant guitars, spent a bit of time setting then both up, but was well pleased with the result. Would also recommend Tokai Chinese guitars they build a ferrous Les Paul of which I have one People rave about old Fenders and Gibson's, but come on, guitar building, plus the electronics have come a long way in quality and functionality . Just imagine if you went back in time to 1955 with a 2017 built SX or Tokai and plugged it in it would blow off what was then around guitar wise . So check out the Chinese you could find a perfect winning guitar .
Just ordered this one, my 4th from Rondo. Loved all of them except a Douglas Ceti (meh..). Also own many Fender Teles and Strats, these SXs are just fun to experiment with and hot rod, on the cheap. They DO require some extra setup, but good learning tools. Great video on it, I think you did a good job comparing them realistically and objectively.
Great video with one suggestion. You are using an excellent amp. It might be more useful if making a comparison to also demonstrate the cleanest 'true' sound of the guitar which would be straight from the axe direct line into pro tools (I use Reaper btw, but I like pro tools too). In other words, the less coloring by effects, amps electronics/tubes, speakers (god knows even a crappy guitar through a nice speaker will sound better), etc. These SX's sound awesome and of course most of us play with amps (although I have done some work with totally clean guitar - no effects, no amp etc. and recording that), so it's certainly important to see how it interacts (so to speak) with amps, outboard equipment etc. but being able to compare JUST the signal (granted, youtube is going to affect tone with compression etc. when you upload of course) with nothing else would be a useful addition.
Great video dude! Here in Argentina is getting very dificult to buy a Fender or a Squier, they are too expensive for the people! With this video I can know if the SX are a good choice, Thanks!
The SX doesn't actually sound like it has more output, it definitely has more upper mids, and dare I say resonate better? The MIA definitely has better note separations with strong and even note separation. The SX sounds a bit "behind the dry wall" when played. Great vids, big thumbs up.
I think the two guitars are as they came from the factory. Even so, SX is an excellent guitar. The Fender has more brightness and a little more definition in the sound. What if the same set of pickups were placed in the SX?For the price the SX is really fantastic Nice video.
sx sst 57 is an interesting guitar ; it' so light, very comfortable, sounds soo good in clean and handles drive very well that i can't understand. As you see sx sounds way better than USA made Fender Stratocaster :) I really don't understand. They say it can create some buzz in some frets but mine doesn't do it either??
Well krikeys, Joe, having watched both the vids now, I definitely see what ya mean! Fender will probably have me assassinated for saying this, but I actually liked the sound of the SX a little better -- and I grew up in the 60's with Fenders! Thanks for this one, it goes in my "favorites" file. (Of COURSE I gave it a "like!")
I bought a Chinese Aiersi Strat £65 in England ,it isn't by any stretch of the imagination a custom shop job but it plays sounds looks very nice requiring no work to it out of the box.Lovely guitar listen with your ears not your eyes.
Had a SX LP goldtop, 200 dolla. Different guitar I know,,,Worth every penny. Played it for 6 years and sold it for 160. Buyer loves it. Lesson here is I have better, but the buyer just coudnt afford anything higher. Someone's going to make a decent guitar for guys like him......Find a USA made Peavey Falcon and try it out. When you find one you normally get them fer cheep. Dont need a Fender when I have my old Falcon. Great playing, both sounded terrific.
The reason the sx has more bite on the bridge pup is because of no tone suckage from a tone pot. The USA strat was moddied to have tone on the bridge pup, which gives more variety, and a little less bite.
I am, and always have been, a "Fender Man", with the Stratocaster being the highest standard for me. Any and all other guitars, no matter by whom nor no matter the price, would always find themselves discerned by their measure against the Stratocaster. So saying then... The man who, after his shootout between an American strat and a Chinese strat told Fender to look out for the quality, etc., of the Chinese strat. This he did advisedly and with good reason. The days of Chinese manufactured goods as being junk are long over. Not only can they do so if not better, cheaper, they can and do use manufacturing parts and materials that are essentially everything their American counterparts do and do it well. When he said that you could buy 10 Chinese strats ("strat-style") guitars for the price of one American strat, and this is no exaggeration. Bear in mind that American workers build American guitars which, by the laws of supply and demand, retain American jobs which stimulates (ultimately) the American GDP by which we all (ultimately) win. The other side of this same coin is that there are other countries producing goods for the American market, which saves money for the consumer. The measure of this is that Fender (for the sake of example) maintains product facilities in Mexico, Japan, China and Korea. And if you think it's only Fender with overseas capabilities, think again. What I am driving at here is simply enjoy the best you can afford and do so without guilt, or a sense of feeling you have to justify yourself to any one. And remember the next time your favorite club is hosting a jam night and you're feeling untouchable only until some new guy shows up and blows your doors off, that he might just have done so with his Chinese strat.
I bought an SX Tele candy apple red and it did not require any setup and turned out to be my favorite of all the tele's I own. I bought a wine color LP SX and it was perfect. Had all gold hardware. My other favorites are original Squier 51's.
Seazer009, it’s not only “SOUND” that matters. Workmanship and quality parts are as equally important. Great guitar should sound great but also should last for many years of vigorous use with minimal maintenance! That’s how “GREATNESS” of any musical instrument is determined!
Had the SX 57/62 series strat its a very good guitar had some issues with neck adjustment later sold it to a friend and got a SX American alder strat with the one piece maple neck, big difference! never needed to ajust the neck, build quality same level as a Mexican Fender strat. this is the one to get imho.
I got a Tokia made in Japan n it sounds awesom, Didnt change anything but im rapt with the sound, Im in Australia n there 600 here, Brand new, Wish i lived in America as everything is a lot cheaper!! Thanks, Was good to watch.
well Tokais are not if that makes you feel any better. In fact, they are difficult to find here. I want one too but it would cost me around $800 for a new one.
I prefer the neck and bridge pickups on the SX over the Fender American. The SX needs a much fatter middle pickup, but taking it off the tone pot may help it some.
I firmly believe its in what you like at a price you can afford. I have an Epiphone Les Paul that I "Gibsonized". Its a 1992 Japan made guitar that I gutted and replaced everything with Gibson pick ups, shielded 500k pots and the real knife switch. Put it all together and the thing sounds like a 57 Les Paul.
SX are great. I bought SX P bass and made those upgrades: - pickups: 50 USD - bridge: 30 USD - pots, wires: 15 USD Finaly - bass and upgrades = 260 USD. Bass plays better than MIM Fender now. Thats all :-)
I have 2 of the SX strats, and the pickups aren't that great. But for $11 the SX will leapfrog over the Fender when you fit a Hot Rails clone pickup from China...just $11. I fitted 2 of these into my tobacco-burst SX....bridge and neck. I also custom-wire the switch so that position 1 is Bridge...2 is Bridge + Neck...3 is Neck alone...4 is Neck and Middle...5 is Middle alone. This is easily done by removing the pickguard, and resoldering the switch by switching the neck and middle wires around. The result...amazing tones, and a sound that's much more PRESENT, which is where the Fender is scoring at the moment. These Hot Rail pickups are 4-wire so you can tap them if you want to, but I like them big and beefy, so I use them the way they come wired. It's a great mod. I lent the guitar to a friend who plays a Fender USA strat, and he didn't want to hand it back....
Great video, but I have to disagree about the main reason for the difference in sound. I have a collection of SX guitars. Bought the first one in 98 because it was cheap. Best guitar I had ever had my hands on, so SX is pretty much all I play. I have the Strat, Tele, and LP copies in different variations. All of them are sweet. But most SX guitars have a bright characteristic sound because of the wood. Basswood is an excellent tonewood, but doesn't have the same depth as Ash, Alder, and Mahogany. I would guess the Fender in your video probably has an ash body. One of my SX strat copies has a mahogany body, and it has that depth like the Fender. It's not in the pickups. My experience has been that the SX pickups are actually better than stock Fender pickups. The difference is the wood. I happen to prefer the tone you get from basswood over other tonewoods, so I love SX guitars. One of my SX Callistos, the LP copy, has a basswood body with carved maple cap and a set maple neck. Sounds a little different than a typical Les Paul, but beautiful nonetheless.
Thank you for a really interesting comparrison , your playing is really a pleasure .Of course there is an obvious question - are you on the payroll of SX ? . Obviously "beauty is in the .... " applies , but to my ear it goes without saying that the SX left the idol in the mud .
I have a Telecaster put in Mick Brierly pick ups made in Adelaide and a Stratocaster put in Custom Texas specials both are beautiful sounding guitar best value thats all i play have owned over 60 guitars they the sx grouse models
I appreciate your objectivity and you know more than I about the topic. I listened and I believe the Fender sounded better for me.Almost the same,BUT, it is all about the money.
SX are one of the most under-rated guitars around.
I also recommend samick guitars. I own a samick strat copy and the stock pickups sound amazing
They're not underated by us who own and play them every day
Every day they are more taken into account for their quality price... but they are underestimated by Fender fans... there they are...
No Doubt!
Regardless of the price, SX are the best guitars I've played. After buying the first one 15 years ago, I could not make myself buy anything else. I have 5 of them now.
wow... gotta say.. the SX sounded just as good or better for 1/10th the price... very nice review. tx
I gotta say that SX sounds damned fine...
Yep - that's a "cheap" guitar that's worth having, beginner or not! :)
@@joedocmusic I've had my SX 50 vintage series lake placid blue with me know for 15 years. Never selling it. Only had to do a setup and some fret leveling during the years. Cost me $100 at the time plus $25 shipping.
I've had a lot of questions as to where the SX can be ordered in the USA - here is a link: amzn.to/1MNTl6d This is a similar, not the exact same model, but the price performance is still amazing. SX has had to change the headstock shape in the US for obvious reasons...
Can u also buy it in europe?
Yes, there are a few places that offer SX guitars - a quick google search should get you there. It depends on which country. I know there is a source in Spain, as well as Muziker.de in Germany... hope that helps! best , joe
JoeDocMusic you should see Selder guitars, amazing quality! only sell them on amazon japan.
In Asia like Malaysian we get it this guitar very cheap..
H Jk How much do they cost, my friend?
I like SX sound much more.
I picked up an SX Standard (cheaper than the one in the video) for 120 AUD (about 95 USD) here in Australia. It's a fantastic guitar; plays well and has better sustain than any other Fender original or clone I've ever tried. The guitar was just a temporary solution I bought while my 'real' guitar was being fixed, but it's so fundamentally good I'm going to keep it.
Are these guitars well built compared to the Squier ?
@@thierry1103 there have been many Squier models over the years, at different price points and made in different places. Japanese Squiers from the 80s are great. Korean made are good too. But the recent cheap ones from China less so. When I got the SX I tried a couple of cheap Squiers as well. The SX was more solid.
The fake one is better than the authentic one.
+Scarpa Henrique The SX is not fake is just a copy, fake is when placed them made in fender, without being these originals.
Yes, but the SX are the same guitars as the fake Fender Stratocasters from China!
Scarpa Henrique sx not fake.its copy. design guitar only. sx also same like others guitar. mind got brand
Fake? Made different company. It doesn't have Fender name on it.
PR ... you are like the old farmer who said " don't confuse me with facts... I already made up my mind "
i just got an SX tele. man, i was surprised how good the neck felt. got it set up professionally, and WOW. i love it. going to get an SX strat next. very informative video man. thanks! thumbs up!
I appreciate your honest opinions about guitars and giving them a fair shake in the comparisons, my collection includes all makers and they all need minor tweaks.
My American models are awesome but the other manufacturers are closing the gap!
Fender is Fender, but the SX sounds very good, I have two SX telecasters and I'll buy a SSt57.
SX = 200 Euro, Fender = cca 1000 Euro :D:D....
A cool thing to do is to put in a push-pull pot in the bottom tone control spot. The switch part has two sides and three terminals on each side, middle is common, one is NC and the other is NO.You wire one side to turn on the bridge pickup and turn off the tone control to the bridge pickup when the knob is pulled out. By doing this the bottom tone control works for both the middle and bridge pickup with the knob pushed in, but the middle tone control takes over if the neck and bridge pickup is being used (knob pulled out,pickup selector in the neck position.). Also, if the five way switch is in the bridge position and the knob is pulled out you have the bridge pickup with no load from the tone control again.
Very cool idea!
I have owned A SX strat before...and loved it. I am a guitar nut and love to experience how they feel and sound. I sold it to a friend of mine. but you are correct....the tone is sweet and powerful. For the money....you can't beat it. BTW....your Jimi riffs are amazing.
I'm REALLY impressed with the sound of the SX. I will look into getting one.
I love 'em - I just ordered their "P-bass" model the other day. Can't wait for it to arrive :)
I have the SX Leo 3TS. The frets were VERY jagged and I literally cut myself on them but after about 20 minutes outside with a couple files I got that fixed and spent a little time setting it up and I'm VERY happy with it. I paid $99 plus shipping for it a few months ago. I originally planned on replacing a bunch of junk on it to improve it but have nixed that idea. I love the guitar as is.
www.joedocmusic.com they're awesome, i have one, sounds as good as a squier or even a fender
@@joedocmusic How was it?
I owned a 60's Fender Tele in the 70's and sold it in early 80's ... just recently I found out it was from the Custom Shop ... Olympic White Double Black Bound Body and White Pick Guard and Maple Neck .... I quit playing for over 25 years I bought a used Agile AL 2000 in Root Beer Finish from my son inlaw used for $200 Canadian in a Gibson style case .... and love it but its a little heavy ... because of videos like this one I just last week ordered from Rondo Music n SX Gypsy Rose Strat copy in yellow and orange for $100 US plus $13.00 shipping ...Its on its way ... I miss my Fender Telecaster after playing the Agile.... I will not spend the $$$$ on a Fender to be able to get what I had ... BUT for $100 or so how can you lose. SX makes a Telecaster in Natural Swamp ASH with a bound neck for $149 US ... you can get it is Burst as well. That is next.., I will then have a Les Paul Copy, A Strat Copy and a Tele Copy for hardly any money at all... around $500 US .... I thank you and a few others who review guitars like this to reinforce and spread the work about getting quality stuff on a budget. Do not be fooled by the price ... I am all about how it feels, and how it plays not how much it costs ... there are a lot of kids and adults like myself with limited funds .... out there who need quality guitars to play who do not have a lot of $$$ because of the economic times .... because of videos like this I saved enough money to go now and buy a Boss ME 80 Effects Pedal Board to have even more fun ... You do good work ... keep spreading the word ... thanks for your efforts and keep the videos coming !!!!
Hey Joedocmusic ... Thanks for the review. I'd never heard of SX. But I went and bought one from Rondo. Had it set up, and I really like it. Played it at a gig last Saturday, and it sounded great. Even my guitar-wonk lead player liked it, though he bitched that the frets were too tall. I dig it. Thanks for the turn-on.
What I love about this is I discovered an SX SST57 in a pawn shop for $90 and was scratching my head over how impressed I was... Went back a couple more times to play some more and Really fell in love with the neck - This whole time I had not researched the guitar online... Anyway, went back a fourth time to buy it and it had been sold. I ended up just buying a used neck off one of these and building a parts-caster which I wouldn't trade for anything.
I had a SX SRV strat copy , that was such a sweet guitar I really regret selling it, I have been looking for another one ever since
Kevin Jones look up rondo music they sell em
I love my sst 57. Upgraded all the hardware and electronics but really if you just upgrade the tuners and pickups to say the gfs vintage alnico staggers and you've got a very nice quality guitar for not a lot of money.
Thanks for the vid, I think this looks like a better decision than a $100 used guitar from Guitar Center!
I was on my way home and stopped by Guitar Center in Flint and found a SX Strat for $79 used. I had never heard of SX Guitars before so I wasn't sure about the thing until I plugged it in to a Twin Reverb amp. Wow, nice sound, great feeling neck, playability and sound on par with my American Standard Strat, but this was not my regular environment for playing.
I bought it and took it to practice. The guys rolled their eyes and had nothing good to say about the guitar until I started to play. Then some opinions changed.
"You changed the pick ups." "You changed the electronics." Nope, bone stock. They all thought I'd made modifications, but from the time I bought it to practice, I had slept, gone to work, and finally practice. No time to do any mods, AND no money for parts, which always sucks.
The guys were split evenly between "all copies are junk" and "that sounds really good". Since I shelled out the my last few dollars for the guitar, my opinion is already known and bias toward the SX.
Yes I really like the SX, and as I have already stated, it has a sound very close to my American Standard Stratocaster which cost me an arm and a leg(and a few internal organs). The SX is slightly brighter than the Fender, but just a little bit.
Maybe, it's all in my head. Maybe, my hearing isn't what it once was when I was younger. Maybe, I just stumbled on to a quality guitar that plays well and sounds great, and there is no reason not to like it. Unless of course, you are a gear snob.
Ride Safe
hey man, great honest review. For an inexpensive guitar they sound great, and love the honey aged maple neck. keep up the good stuff.
I got that model of SX on Reverb a couple years ago, a music shop had it out there for about 6 months. Nobody wanted it. I got it for $40. New strings and very minor adjustments and it plays really good. I’m not a professional musician, no gigs. Just me and the dog. I’ve got a few pretty good guitars. This one has been the best $40 I’ve spent. It’s a keeper. Sounds good thru my Fender Blues Jr amp.
Man, thank you! I gonna try one SX!. Great sound video, super interesting comments!.
SX guitars are surprisingly awesome. I bought one of their tele clones since I'm left handed and have fuck all for options, and every other guitar nut I play it around always compliments the tone I get out of it.
Set a guitar to your liking and it won't disappoint....you can always adjust sound quality with pedals and etc....even if pickups are cheap, I had this SX VTG series guitar with a really weird shape but it played and sounded like a high quality Tele or Strat and I regret selling it, the girl that bought it, was in love with it, so I sold it to her.....very cool demo!.....was digging the demo #2 with the Allman brothers " Sweet Melissa"....
You said it - as long as certain aspects of the build quality (good neck #1!) are on, then the rest you can mess with to your liking. Brand name means nothing any more! cheers, joe
The SX I got is fantastic. A custom designer bought it from the fabric and set it up in his own special way, custom made and it is a truely wonderful guitar.
No disrespect to the Fender... But you sound better playing the SX Hawk.
David Hostetler Thanks David. It's funny, the SX actually sounds more "Fender-y" to me that the Fender, strange as that sounds. It must be in the pickups - the Texas specials in the Fender have more mids, less of that high sparkle that the SX pickups have... and of course many other Fender Strats do, too. best, joe
The buzzing is likely due to some uneven frets. My SX (Rock n Rose) had about 6 of them. After I got that sorted out and did a proper set-up, it's a pretty good little guitar. For $100, it's hard to beat, but I'd say that one should expect to have to do some work to it.
Not counting the person playing it, the main tonal difference in all electric guitars is the pick ups and to a lesser extent the strings. Don't be fooled by 'tonewood' BS. Fender have even taken the BS a step further recently, claiming that the coating on their new guitars is a special 'tone' coat, which is one of the biggest bit of marketing Bull Shit I've ever heard.
I have two Mexican strats that I love. The standard pick ups you get with the MIM strats are quite good very similar to the 'SX' guitar in this video, slightly hot. The Texas Specials pick ups are not as hot and some people like them. I prefer the Fender Tex Mex pick ups that I have in one of my strats as they're not as hot as standard ones and seem to have nicer fuller and at the same time, sparkling tone. It's really down to what you prefer and the style of music you like playing. A good tip, is to always check what pick ups a guitar has in it. The more types of pick ups you try, the more you will know what suits your taste better.
+fishy paw I can't believe that Fender really said that hahahahaha. Do they really think we are so stupid?
I know this is a lot later, but if you have two Strats, and you don't need the tremolo active in both, try this very inexpensive upgrade. Just get a brass pipe connector ring of dimensions 3 inches by 5/16th inches, and saw it in half across the radius. Polish off the sharp edges and tap it gently into the space between the tremolo block and the body. This eliminates the 'tonky' midrange caused by the body cavity, which Leo Fender never designed to be an acoustic enhancement. You will now hear a full clear midrange, and a greatly increased sustain. I did this on a 1974 Mann strat copy (close to your MIM's) and actually took the brass connector out, played the guitar, then put it back in, because I thought it was my imagination. Cheaper than a new pair of strings, and if you're good with a hacksaw, you get two 'hardtail' upgrade.
Id put some texmex pups in that sx....maybe a tremking.....definately smoke a strat.
Since you came back to write that bit of advice I'd like to ask, the sx guitar here sounds as good as the fender but would it keep that sound as the years go by?
I'm thinking of buying one but my concern is that most often, chinese stuff is cheap due to their low build quality which makes them not durable. Could that be the case here as well?
Here in Chicago there are guys buying these and putting a fake strat neck on them and passing them off as real strats. Frankly, AXL has a strat "badwater" knock off with really great bridge tone, it may be the best pickup in the world. Build quality is about average with Cort or SX offerings.
Thanks for the thoughtful comparison. Your A vs B clips are great, we can tell you are being unbiased in evaluating the playability and sound.
Me again. Been playing my SX for 10 months now, and I'm still digging it. I go direct through a Joyo American Sound into the PA most of the time, and I get a great Fendery tone. Mostly I play rhythm. In my two bands I have two of the best lead players in Los Angeles, and they play Surhs and other boutique brands. Yeah, they have great guitars and amps. But I am happy, and they don't make fun of my hundred-dollar guitar and $40 pedal. Saving money is a good thing. BTW ... I got the Vintage Green, and I get tons of compliments on the look of it.
I was going to buy a Precision bass a few years ago. I compared a SX one (same range as yours) to the Fender Mexican Standard. The finish and fretwork on the SX was much better than the Fender. The Fender had a bit more output, but that's really not something I'm looking for in a bass guitar. I ended up buying the SX and have played it ever since un-modded. It was half the price including a pro hardcase!
I've got two SX guitars: a Telecaster Thinline and a Strat. Both of them are absolutely amazing.
The only low point they have is the hardware (pickups and tuning pegs). I've changed those in my two guitars and life is amazing. They sound incredible!
Much love and respect for SX, they deserve it ♥
Interesting. SX's are the only new/unused electric guitars our local music store offers, because it is too small for the bigger brands. I have often wondered if they are any good.
After this one I'm dyin to try their Tele!
Make a video about that one too. I was really surprised how good the ceramic pups sounded - very authentic. On the Mexican Fender Strats they always seem a little bit overwound and muddy.
They seem to be very similar to the Squier Classic Vibe series. Maybe they are even from the same factory?
www.joedocmusic.com I have both the Furrian Ash 3TS and the HH 3TS. Although I replaced just about everything I could, the Ash model is an awesome player, especially if you like the thick necks. The stock pups ans electronics were alright, it has the same parts as the standard Furrians. The bridge was a bit hot and slightly bright, but not bad. The neck is a bit muddy, and barely usable. These just need a good setup, including the nut, then they are good for beginners or tinkerers.
the sx is chunky like the fender
I have 1 SX Jazzmaster type guitar with P 90's that i bought back in 2007 for $119 that is simply a stunningly great guitar after proper setup and some minor soldering of loose wire connections. The Agile Les Pauls will blow your mind.
I'm a beginner looking for a good, budget, guitar that will last me. Based on your review I've just ordered one of these.
Thanks.
I have an SX EG5. 335 copy. Much better than an Epi Dot or even maybe the Sheraton. I took the stopbar off and added a tailpiece, non trem, it added to the depth of that woody tone. Small mods do wonders on a great platform. Just got into your channel, keep up the great reviews!
Great comparison! I have a sunburst custom handmade SX. I made a few changes, including the connection that allows to change the tone of the middle and bridge pickups with the bridge tone pot. Also I added a mini toggle for connect the neck pickup with middle and bridge pickups (like Gilmour Black Strat mod).
It´s an excellent guitar with a very good body and you can get excellent sound by changing the pickups.
Why change the pickups, it will make very little difference and the guitarist will not be better.
hey i agree 100 % Sx makes a great guitar and the necks are sweet i also like the j turser's as well for a cheep guitar you can't go wrong.
Super demo, thanks. I am a telecaster addict. I have a Srtat and a good amp, I still lean towards the Telecaster. Your Strat demo was great, nice touch.
Very nice playing and it doesn't hurt the comparison that you have an excellent tone from the Fender Deluxe to start with.
US fender sounds thicker imho , fits better with funk -style or blues
meowtrox1234 it's cus it sounds meatier
More like a Gibson type thing
Although trebly guitars like that SX are great for cutting through with funk too
The SX is just as good as the Fender your better off buying a good copy so much cheaper to
Fender actually stopped SX from producing the "Vintage Series"! They were that good! I have one of their Vintage Series basses and it's amazing. I have no idea if the current SX's guitar are the same quality!
Um I just bought one last week. (I live in Sydney Australia). Lovely Lake Pacific Blue which is obviously a knock off of the Lake Placid Blue Fender I would own if I was a rich guitar collector. I paid AUD152 (and an extra AUD12.50 for shipping insurance - transit damage not covered for Ebay purchases in Australia). Yet to set it up but my other SX which I got second hand is quite good so I am hoping for now major issues.
Just bought a new Vintage Series this week for US$ 150 in Argentina: it sounds amazing. An American Fender Strat here would cost more than US$ 2,200, so at least a 15x factor for the price!
Claudio Brandy donde la compraste?
Carlos José Barroso. I bought it on MercadoLibre. Regards, Claudio
i have been looking for a good (strat) with out spending too much money as i know there has to be more on offer these days then the obvious and i think i have found what im looking for now. thanks for doing this video bro.
When you played castles made of sand on the American strat I almost cried it sounded so good
My SX 62 with Fender pure vintage' 65 pups and Wilkinson tremolo is perfect!
Great review, both guitars are great, but I have to say admit that the Fender Guitar the notes sound brighter and clearer. No disrespect to the SX. I am sure it is a great guitar!
I have an sx ,changed the bridge pick up with a humbucker ,also changed the knobs,the selector,I ve screened it ,and now I have the most versatile guitar ever ..sounds sweet and warm , and goes up to powerful stuff on bridge...wouldn t change it for a fender in a 1ooo years
I've been researching the SX for a while. I'm interested in buying one and it's good to see the up front comparison.
I believe in you get what you pay for.and even if the copy strat does get close to the tones, I still can hear the heavenly tones of the original strat that makes a big,big,big,big difference.
While I'm far from an expert, I've two SX Telecaster models, a vintage green one with standard pick-ups, & a vintage white one with P-90 pick-ups. I'm quite pleased with them & can find nothing to complain about.
Nice review. I reckon the Fender sounds better but for the price of the SX you can't go wrong.
I know you're running them through the same amp with the same settings but they do sound very similar the SX might be just a tiny bit brighter I think for most people they would never know the difference great comparison
Hmmm, I wonder if this guy listens to Hendrix. Lovely playing, and great job on the reviews.
I have 2 SX strats. My recent was a $180 Aus Quilted maple burst 2004 model, gold hardware, only 140 made. It’s gold. If you can get your hands on one (the vintage series), get one 👍
i didn't want the fender to sound better but it does. it sounds bigger, cleaner, and more sparkly but I think its just because of the pickups. I think the sx just needs new pickups
I may be wrong, but wasn't Fender's original purpose to make guitars as cost-effective as possible while still making them play/sound good? Solid bodies, bolt-on necks, pickguard covers the routing, etc. That all started with Fender (commercially speaking, I know there were a few solid bodies before Fender.) That's essentially what Rondo does. Probably why the SX sounds so official.
Fender was actually always a pricey instrument. If you compare their prices from the late 50's (adjusted for inflation) you'll find the prices for the US made instruments comparable. Modern machining methods have naturally changed the game entirely. SX is (in my experience with their Strat, Tele, and P-bass style instruments a tremendous bang for the buck. Thanks for writing in, best, joe
I think that in a mix you could double track these two guitars, pan them left and right and their verbs opposite and you would have a fantastic separated and spacious guitar mix, even when using the same/equivalent settings. there seems enough tonal difference to blend them really well, yet keep the pick up selection audible. My tuppence worth x
Dem Hendrix licks :p Great review !
Wow, this is actually very surprising, they sounded very close. But one thing you can't tell from just looking at videos are the play-ability. But I think it won't be too bad on the SX.
The SX is a smooth player. I was quite pleased with the guitar overall.
I have my old black SX vintage with maple neck for a while now and I just love it! Changed everything from the tuners to the pickups and electronics and bridge I could fool the most experienced players...always finds a way to get into my live rig even though I have fenders strats and teles. Great guitar for the price
Excellent review, very knowledgable.
You are the man! I'm a big rondo fan! It's a way I believe to parents to get their kids back into music again.....cost effectively...!
My brother-in-law has one of these SX strat style guitars and is a great guitar. I really like it.
Got SX strata plus SX Tele and both are brilliant guitars, spent a bit of time setting then both up, but was well pleased with the result. Would also recommend Tokai Chinese guitars they build a ferrous Les Paul of which I have one
People rave about old Fenders and Gibson's, but come on, guitar building, plus the electronics have come a long way in quality and functionality .
Just imagine if you went back in time to 1955 with a 2017 built SX or Tokai and plugged it in it would blow off what was then around guitar wise .
So check out the Chinese you could find a perfect winning guitar .
Just ordered this one, my 4th from Rondo. Loved all of them except a Douglas Ceti (meh..). Also own many Fender Teles and Strats, these SXs are just fun to experiment with and hot rod, on the cheap. They DO require some extra setup, but good learning tools. Great video on it, I think you did a good job comparing them realistically and objectively.
SX are great guitars, I have an SX Sunburst acoustic made in Spain.
Its one of the best acoustics I've ever had.
Great video with one suggestion. You are using an excellent amp. It might be more useful if making a comparison to also demonstrate the cleanest 'true' sound of the guitar which would be straight from the axe direct line into pro tools (I use Reaper btw, but I like pro tools too). In other words, the less coloring by effects, amps electronics/tubes, speakers (god knows even a crappy guitar through a nice speaker will sound better), etc. These SX's sound awesome and of course most of us play with amps (although I have done some work with totally clean guitar - no effects, no amp etc. and recording that), so it's certainly important to see how it interacts (so to speak) with amps, outboard equipment etc. but being able to compare JUST the signal (granted, youtube is going to affect tone with compression etc. when you upload of course) with nothing else would be a useful addition.
Great video dude! Here in Argentina is getting very dificult to buy a Fender or a Squier, they are too expensive for the people! With this video I can know if the SX are a good choice, Thanks!
The SX doesn't actually sound like it has more output, it definitely has more upper mids, and dare I say resonate better? The MIA definitely has better note separations with strong and even note separation. The SX sounds a bit "behind the dry wall" when played. Great vids, big thumbs up.
I think the two guitars are as they came from the factory. Even so, SX is an excellent guitar. The Fender has more brightness and a little more definition in the sound. What if the same set of pickups were placed in the SX?For the price the SX is really fantastic Nice video.
sx sst 57 is an interesting guitar ; it' so light, very comfortable, sounds soo good in clean and handles drive very well that i can't understand. As you see sx sounds way better than USA made Fender Stratocaster :) I really don't understand. They say it can create some buzz in some frets but mine doesn't do it either??
Well krikeys, Joe, having watched both the vids now, I definitely see what ya mean! Fender will probably have me assassinated for saying this, but I actually liked the sound of the SX a little better -- and I grew up in the 60's with Fenders! Thanks for this one, it goes in my "favorites" file. (Of COURSE I gave it a "like!")
I bought a Chinese Aiersi Strat £65 in England ,it isn't by any stretch of the imagination a custom shop job but it plays sounds looks very nice requiring no work to it out of the box.Lovely guitar listen with your ears not your eyes.
Had a SX LP goldtop, 200 dolla. Different guitar I know,,,Worth every penny. Played it for 6 years and sold it for 160. Buyer loves it. Lesson here is I have better, but the buyer just coudnt afford anything higher. Someone's going to make a decent guitar for guys like him......Find a USA made Peavey Falcon and try it out. When you find one you normally get them fer cheep. Dont need a Fender when I have my old Falcon. Great playing, both sounded terrific.
The reason the sx has more bite on the bridge pup is because of no tone suckage from a tone pot. The USA strat was moddied to have tone on the bridge pup, which gives more variety, and a little less bite.
I bought an sx for 90$. I did a rainbow burst on it and it rocks! Sounds fine like it is.
I am, and always have been, a "Fender Man", with the Stratocaster being the highest standard for me. Any and all other guitars, no matter by whom nor no matter the price, would always find themselves discerned by their measure against the Stratocaster. So saying then...
The man who, after his shootout between an American strat and a Chinese strat told Fender to look out for the quality, etc., of the Chinese strat. This he did advisedly and with good reason.
The days of Chinese manufactured goods as being junk are long over. Not only can they do so if not better, cheaper, they can and do use manufacturing parts and materials that are essentially everything their American counterparts do and do it well. When he said that you could buy 10 Chinese strats ("strat-style") guitars for the price of one American strat, and this is no exaggeration.
Bear in mind that American workers build American guitars which, by the laws of supply and demand, retain American jobs which stimulates (ultimately) the American GDP by which we all (ultimately) win.
The other side of this same coin is that there are other countries producing goods for the American market, which saves money for the consumer. The measure of this is that Fender (for the sake of example) maintains product facilities in Mexico, Japan, China and Korea. And if you think it's only Fender with overseas capabilities, think again.
What I am driving at here is simply enjoy the best you can afford and do so without guilt, or a sense of feeling you have to justify yourself to any one. And remember the next time your favorite club is hosting a jam night and you're feeling untouchable only until some new guy shows up and blows your doors off, that he might just have done so with his Chinese strat.
I bought an SX Tele candy apple red and it did not require any setup and turned out to be my favorite of all the tele's I own. I bought a wine color LP SX and it was perfect. Had all gold hardware. My other favorites are original Squier 51's.
I like your reviews, dude. I'm gonna check out more of them.
Seazer009, it’s not only “SOUND” that matters. Workmanship and quality parts are as equally important. Great guitar should sound great but also should last for many years of vigorous use with minimal maintenance! That’s how “GREATNESS” of any musical instrument is determined!
I have an SX and I'm pretty satisfied with it. Good job on the video and on rating the SX.
Had the SX 57/62 series strat its a very good guitar had some issues with neck adjustment later sold it to a friend and got a SX American alder strat with the one piece maple neck, big difference! never needed to ajust the neck, build quality same level as a Mexican Fender strat. this is the one to get imho.
I got a Tokia made in Japan n it sounds awesom, Didnt change anything but im rapt with the sound, Im in Australia n there 600 here, Brand new, Wish i lived in America as everything is a lot cheaper!! Thanks, Was good to watch.
well Tokais are not if that makes you feel any better. In fact, they are difficult to find here. I want one too but it would cost me around $800 for a new one.
I prefer the neck and bridge pickups on the SX over the Fender American. The SX needs a much fatter middle pickup, but taking it off the tone pot may help it some.
I firmly believe its in what you like at a price you can afford. I have an Epiphone Les Paul that I "Gibsonized". Its a 1992 Japan made guitar that I gutted and replaced everything with Gibson pick ups, shielded 500k pots and the real knife switch. Put it all together and the thing sounds like a 57 Les Paul.
SX are great. I bought SX P bass and made those upgrades:
- pickups: 50 USD
- bridge: 30 USD
- pots, wires: 15 USD
Finaly - bass and upgrades = 260 USD. Bass plays better than MIM Fender now. Thats all :-)
I have 2 of the SX strats, and the pickups aren't that great. But for $11 the SX will leapfrog over the Fender when you fit a Hot Rails clone pickup from China...just $11. I fitted 2 of these into my tobacco-burst SX....bridge and neck. I also custom-wire the switch so that position 1 is Bridge...2 is Bridge + Neck...3 is Neck alone...4 is Neck and Middle...5 is Middle alone. This is easily done by removing the pickguard, and resoldering the switch by switching the neck and middle wires around. The result...amazing tones, and a sound that's much more PRESENT, which is where the Fender is scoring at the moment. These Hot Rail pickups are 4-wire so you can tap them if you want to, but I like them big and beefy, so I use them the way they come wired. It's a great mod. I lent the guitar to a friend who plays a Fender USA strat, and he didn't want to hand it back....
both are quite good . only difference is sx has a oldschool tone
Great video, but I have to disagree about the main reason for the difference in sound. I have a collection of SX guitars. Bought the first one in 98 because it was cheap. Best guitar I had ever had my hands on, so SX is pretty much all I play. I have the Strat, Tele, and LP copies in different variations. All of them are sweet. But most SX guitars have a bright characteristic sound because of the wood. Basswood is an excellent tonewood, but doesn't have the same depth as Ash, Alder, and Mahogany. I would guess the Fender in your video probably has an ash body. One of my SX strat copies has a mahogany body, and it has that depth like the Fender. It's not in the pickups. My experience has been that the SX pickups are actually better than stock Fender pickups. The difference is the wood. I happen to prefer the tone you get from basswood over other tonewoods, so I love SX guitars. One of my SX Callistos, the LP copy, has a basswood body with carved maple cap and a set maple neck. Sounds a little different than a typical Les Paul, but beautiful nonetheless.
Hey, by chance do you have any idea what numbers on the serial number represent the year on sx guitars?
Good comparisons, some of the cheap Fender Squiers(180$ range) have impressed me also.
Thank you for a really interesting comparrison , your playing is really a pleasure .Of course there is an obvious question - are you on the payroll of SX ? . Obviously "beauty is in the .... " applies , but to my ear it goes without saying that the SX left the idol in the mud .
all i use are SX guitars. with quality amp/pedals they sound just as good as any name brand.
I have a Telecaster put in Mick Brierly pick ups made in Adelaide and a Stratocaster put in Custom Texas specials both are beautiful sounding guitar best value thats all i play have owned over 60 guitars they the sx grouse models
Nice playing! Love the comparison. Agree 100 percent.
I appreciate your objectivity and you know more than I about the topic. I listened and I believe the Fender sounded better for me.Almost the same,BUT, it is all about the money.