SX STL50/62 Owners Club

[superhand]

Originally Posted by hazelcon01

Looking for a Thinline. Can't seem to find one anywhere. Any Ideas?

I heard that Rondo is not getting new stock till after the holidays.

[UnsignedRecords]

anyone here have an sx strat in ash? i can't tell if the finish is matte or gloss, because on the site it looks shiny but everywhere online it looks like it's oil finished.

[pulaifaz]

I just put a Keystone set in my STL62 and they are really great, specially the neck. I also put a Bill Lawrence BL-280 strat pup in the middle - works fine for me.

[superhand]

Originally Posted by UnsignedRecords

anyone here have an sx strat in ash? i can't tell if the finish is matte or gloss, because on the site it looks shiny but everywhere online it looks like it's oil finished.

Send Kurt an email and ask him. They have pretty good customer service from what I have heard.

[SimpleOne]

Originally Posted by UnsignedRecords

anyone here have an sx strat in ash? i can't tell if the finish is matte or gloss, because on the site it looks shiny but everywhere online it looks like it's oil finished.

Do you have a link?

I have a Strat type SX, Ash body, with a very thin finish. So much so that the thing feels almost unfinished and the grain can be felt, is felt, readily.

Kinda funky but I have grown to like it.

My SX has P-90 pups. Definitely not gloss, like this:

http://www.rondomusic.com/product2811.html

[travisham]

Originally Posted by superhand

Send Kurt an email and ask him. They have pretty good customer service from what I have heard.

Any emails that I've sent him have been promptly returned. He seems like a pretty standup guy.

Originally Posted by superhand

I heard that Rondo is not getting new stock till after the holidays.

I think you may be onto something. While I noticed that he's got some new stuff up recently (the STL62 P90 3TS is really tempting), I had asked him a few weeks ago specifically about a SST62 and he said that he be getting more in closer to Christmas. We'll see! Incidentally, in addition to his email list, Kurt twitters now too.

[travisham]

As I left GC tonight in search of a Pathfinder 15r, I couldn't help but feel proud of my STL50. I played a lot of other guitars like the CV, a couple of Gretsches, a really nice Epi with P90s, etc - but as I left, I got excited about playing (and hearing!) my STL50 again. While CV was really nice and the two Gretsches made me feel a little let down (I expected to like both of them a lot more than I did). All in all, the experience reconfirmed to me what great guitars the STLs can be if given a little love.

[Patrick M]

Originally Posted by superhand

I just ordered a set of Keystones and now I'm thinking I should get some new pots and a 4 way switch as well, so I can get the best tone out of them. Any suggestions?

I've got keystones on order, and I am thinking about doing the 4 way switch mod as well. Where did you get the parts (I read your post in the pickup forum)?

[superhand]

Originally Posted by Patrick M

I've got keystones on order, and I am thinking about doing the 4 way switch mod as well. Where did you get the parts (I read your post in the pickup forum)?

Sorry I'm a little late responding here, I have not looked at this thread in a while.

I ordered a wiring kit and 2 knobs from guitarpartsresource.com

the one in the middle on this page: http://guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_kitstele.htm

Everything looks like real nice good quality stuff, but I can't vouch for the sound because I am still waiting for the pickups and I don't want to resolder everything again.

[jrcash910]

Before:


After:







Here's the list of changes:

• Graph Tech Tusq Nut ( PQ-5010-00 pre slotted flat bottom for Strat style) from Anthillmusic.com
  
• Roller string trees from Guitar Fetish
  
• Stainless steel saddles from GFS
  
• Wilkinson EZ-LOK locking Tuners from GFS
  
• Mother of Pearl Pickguard
  
• Copper Shielding Kit
  
• Pearl Shell Top Knobs from GFS
  
• Sprague Orange Drop Tone Caps
  
• 3 Way switch
  
• 1/4" Mono Jack
  
• "Modern Vintage" Lil Punchers

i just finished withit today and Im feeling pretty good ... on to the next one!!

Or i could paint over those green walls in my basement...

[musicalmartin]

Originally Posted by ficklepie

Keystones, Keystones, Keystones. There's no comparison between GFS and Keystones, especially since they are priced the same. The difference between the two is night and day. Can't speak for the Tele set of Keystones (they're arriving soon), but my friend and I pulled the GFS pickups out of his parts Strat and now it sounds like a professional instrument. In my opinion, there's little difference between the import pups in the SX and the GFS import pups. Since the Keystones cost the same as the GFS stuff, it's no contest to me -- I just ordered two sets of Keystone Tele sets for an Agile and a Douglas Tele.

I have Keystones in my SX 62 Strat and they are fantastic .Its the only alteration to the stock item apart from a nut slot rework .I tried today to get the guitar to go out of tune and it wouldnt .I dipped and dived the whammy to near destruction ,or so it felt, but it stayed in tune .Amazing
I also put a set of Keystones in my SX Thinline and of course they really sound brilliant .I took them out of my Thinline and put them in my Fender tele.BUT..... My SX thinline now has a Tonerider Classic P90 in the neck and a Tonerider Hot Classic in the bridge and that sounds fantastic ,really rocks but as its not high output the P90 gives a smooth soft warm jazz tone as well ..I carved out the SX pickguard to take the P90 .I;ll take a shot of my Thinline next week
I notice that the Belgium Ebay seller has sold out of Teles at present .,probably just as well for me .

[superhand]

Just droppin by to plug my thread I need all the help I can get:

Pimp my guitar

[fourmations]

Originally Posted by jrcash910

• Graph Tech Tusq Nut ( PQ-5010-00 pre slotted flat bottom for Strat style) from Anthillmusic.com
  
• Roller string trees from Guitar Fetish
  
• Stainless steel saddles from GFS
• Wilkinson EZ-LOK locking Tuners from GFS
• Mother of Pearl Pickguard
• Copper Shielding Kit
• Pearl Shell Top Knobs from GFS
• Sprague Orange Drop Tone Caps
• 3 Way switch
• 1/4" Mono Jack
• "Modern Vintage" Lil Punchers

i just finished withit today and Im feeling pretty good ... on to the next one!!

Or i could paint over those green walls in my basement...

hi there, nice job, lovely guitar
a lot of those mods are on my list

quick questions:

the radius on the sx fretboard is huge (13.7")
did you just buy a regular tele nut?
did it work as it was or did you have to mod the nut?

are you happy with the ezlok tuners?
im trying to decide,i kinda the kluson style if they fit?

many thanks

4

[jrcash910]

Originally Posted by fourmations

hi there, nice job, lovely guitar
a lot of those mods are on my list

quick questions:

the radius on the sx fretboard is huge (13.7")
did you just buy a regular tele nut?
did it work as it was or did you have to mod the nut?

are you happy with the ezlok tuners?
im trying to decide,i kinda the kluson style if they fit?

many thanks

4

Thanks

That was the exact model # of the Graph Tech Tusq nut I used. I'm sure the nut has a tighter radius than the SX necks, but not so much that i notice. I did have to sand the bottom down to get the right height, and the string heights across all 6 are working fine for me. If it came right down to it, i could cut the slots a little deeper - but I didn't see the need.

Similarly - I also used the black Tusq equivalent for my SX SST Ash (PT-5010-00) - same positive results.

The Tuners are good - they work. the hole size in the headstock is 10mm so most any 6 on a side machine that fits 10mm should be ok.
I don't know that the locking style tuners is really necessary, but I don't have any complaint about these.


good luck with your project!

[Patrick M]

Put my keystones in yesterday. OMG

What a difference. The SG stocks pickups gave a pretty good sound in the mioddle position, but IMHO the neck PU was a little muddy, and the bridge PU needed more 'bite'.

With the keystones, the bridge definitely has all the 'bite' it needs, and the neck has great, strong, clear tones. Wow. The middle, now has a slighly quieter tone, more like what I remember from the Tele I played when I was a teenager (I know, I know. I should have kept it, it would be worth a fortune now...)

I guess when I get my 4 way switch, I'll have it all

[superhand]

Originally Posted by Patrick M

Put my keystones in yesterday. OMG

What a difference. The SG stocks pickups gave a pretty good sound in the mioddle position, but IMHO the neck PU was a little muddy, and the bridge PU needed more 'bite'.

With the keystones, the bridge definitely has all the 'bite' it needs, and the neck has great, strong, clear tones. Wow. The middle, now has a slighly quieter tone, more like what I remember from the Tele I played when I was a teenager (I know, I know. I should have kept it, it would be worth a fortune now...)

I guess when I get my 4 way switch, I'll have it all

Did you have any problems with the screws on the bridge not lining up on the bridge pickup?

Mines just a little bit off.

[Patrick M]

No problems. I also shielded the pickup cavities as I was at it...

I was playing yesterday night - the first time was after doing all the work.... this time I could really appreciate the 'richer' tones

Next for the guitar will a good professional setup - and the 4-way switch (still waiting for it)

[c_stuart75035]

Hey guys, i have the SX STL 62 CAR, and I was thinking of putting an All Parts tele neck on it. How do the neck pockets compare on those guitars to the block on the neck? Any shimming or routing needed??

[musicalmartin]

Originally Posted by c_stuart75035

Hey guys, i have the SX STL 62 CAR, and I was thinking of putting an All Parts tele neck on it. How do the neck pockets compare on those guitars to the block on the neck? Any shimming or routing needed??

Sorry only just seen this post .
I would approach with care as it may not fit .I fitted a Fender neck to my thinline and it needed shimming ,it was also a bit loose and the Thinline pocket holes didnt line up until I opened them out .The SX neck needed some wood removed to get it to fit a Fender body and sat a bit higher .I then swapped them back It seems to me a bit hit and miss, asort of rough fit .I always approach cheap guitars with some sangfroid.I like fooling around but if your taking it seriously you may hit problems .Still ... they are only bits of wood

[kerc]

New owner here...

• Vintage White finish.
• Mint pickguard.
• Adapted brass saddles onto original bridge plate.
• Reverend Buckshot bridge pickup.
• Rounded, normal-sized metal knobs.
• Strat white switch tip.
• Reversed control plate.

She plays like buttah! I love it...The Reverend pickup screams in this baby. My son christened her "Vanilla".

[superhand]

Originally Posted by kerc

New owner here...

• Vintage White finish.
• Mint pickguard.
• Adapted brass saddles onto original bridge plate.
• Reverend Buckshot bridge pickup.
• Rounded, normal-sized metal knobs.
• Strat white switch tip.
• Reversed control plate.

She plays like buttah! I love it...The Reverend pickup screams in this baby. My son christened her "Vanilla".

Very nice, what did you to the bridge? What do you mean by "adapted brass saddles?"

I'm curious because I was thinking about doing something different with my bridge, but I'm not sure what yet.

I've got some stainless steel GFS saddles on there now, but I didn't know at the time that stainless steel can be brighter than brass. Mine is plenty bright as is it so, I was thinking maybe brass saddles might actually help mellow it out a little.

[kerc]

Originally Posted by superhand

Very nice, what did you to the bridge? What do you mean by "adapted brass saddles?"

Since the dimensions of the original SX plate don't match any Fender bridge, I drilled three 1/8" evenly-spaced holes between the original saddle holes. Then it's just a matter of threading-in the brass saddle units (in this case, they came off an original Fender bridge assembly).

I love the tone they gave my guitar, it's definitely warmer and deeper.

[teleman55]

Is there a preslotted nut that is symetrical that I can put in one of these that fits the SX flat bottom, width and radius? Stock nut busted the other night. I got an Allparts one but it slopes back to the tuning pegs and mine is lefty so I had to cut/file it rather than flip it around.

Also, I put a set of alnico V standard Fender pickups that came out of a 5 year old MIM I upgraded into this SX. It sounds great with these.

[StraightNeck]

teleman55,i bought a nut from Axetec in UK that is symetrical and has a flat bottom.
They have both 42 and 43 mm nuts.

[teleman55]

Thanks StraightNeck. Anyone know of something like this in US or Canada?

[City Sirens]

Originally Posted by AtlantaSpike

My SX. Waylon-style leather cover, Lollar Charlie Christian and Special T pickups, Warmoth neck cut down to match the one on my '53. I am quite pleased with the results aesthetically, tonally and financially.

We have exactly the same taste in pickups:

[Rocco]

Are keystones a direct bolt on or do I need to modify the bridge?

[superhand]

Originally Posted by Rocco

Are keystones a direct bolt on or do I need to modify the bridge?

I had to make the screw holes bigger for it to work for mine (the holes for the 3 screws that screw into the base plate on the pickup) but someone else here said he put them in with no modification. I could not get the screws to line up right. It was not hard to do though, I just used a step drill bit to make them a little bigger and then I was good to go.

It would not surprise me if they used different parts on different guitars. Maybe they found a cheaper distributor or something.

Keystones sound great though, so whatever you have to do to get them in there just do it. They sound way better than the stock pickups and I actually thought the stock pickups sounded pretty good.

[theraygun]

What pots are you using on these? I got some CTS pots, but they are too big. Do I just need some minis?

[pulaifaz]

"Are keystones a direct bolt on or do I need to modify the bridge? "

the bridge was fine for me, the neck opening in the pickguard had to be expanded

[superhand]

Originally Posted by theraygun

What pots are you using on these? I got some CTS pots, but they are too big. Do I just need some minis?

I put CTS pots in mine and they fit just fine.

More specifically, I bought this (the one in the middle)

[tacodog]

Originally Posted by pulaifaz

"Are keystones a direct bolt on or do I need to modify the bridge? "

the bridge was fine for me, the neck opening in the pickguard had to be expanded

I had to file out a bit of the wood on the upper side of the bridge route to make my Keystone fit. There's enough metal bridgeplate to hide the fraction of an inch I took off and no one's the wiser. Darn thing really sings now.

[aceleroy]

Sorry, noob here. Just ordered my first electric (STL50 3TS), should be here today. I want the look of the TSB with white pickguard. Will this fit directly, or will it require any hole changes on the body?

Thanks.

All Parts white tele pickguard

[Georelle]

My vintage white STL50 will be here Tuesday Dec. 29th. I am just learning to play guitar and have been using my sons guitar. I have been playing for all of a month now, and I have played enough to know I need my own guitar. I was planning to build one after I got better but I don't like playing an instrument that belongs to someone else even if it is my son. The price and the reviews on these guitars pretty much convinced me. I will eventually mod it and then maybe eventually build one. I am now thinking maybe building an Esquire.
Thanks for all the reviews and great pictures.

Georelle

[Mockingbird]

Count me in. I just got a vintage white STL50. It looks, plays, and feels AMAZING!!! I think I'm going to turn it into an esquire.

[Muddslide]

Originally Posted by Mockingbird

Count me in. I just got a vintage white STL50. It looks, plays, and feels AMAZING!!! I think I'm going to turn it into an esquire.

I have this same guitar. So far I swapped the strings and put a w/b/w pickguard on it. I intended to replace the pups, but I like the stock ones fine for now.

LOOOOVE the neck on the thing. I think I got the last one Rondo sold with the old-style headstock. I ordered it, then went online to save a pic of it and it was gone from the site. When they next appeared, they had the new headstock.

Anyway, I love the thing. I will probably slap in a bone nut at some point, and I think it could benefit from an upgrade in the wiring and pots, but I like this SX more than some Fender, Squier and other Teles I've owned and played.

I may even stick a Bigsby on it someday.

I also have an SX P-bass copy. Still blown away by the quality-for-price ratio of both of them, and I've played guitar for over 30 years, having owned some very nice Big Name and vintage gear.

[infinitetele]

Originally Posted by olaftheholy

I can't help but wonder, did the headstock of the SX's in America change recently?

Yes it did, and it's hideous. I definitely won't be buying one until they change it.

[Mockingbird]

Does anybody know if any of the Guitar Fetish tuners will just drop into the holes, without any extra drilling?

[Fajah]

Originally Posted by Mockingbird

Does anybody know if any of the Guitar Fetish tuners will just drop into the holes, without any extra drilling?

I've installed the GFS EZ-Loc in three STL's so far and they drop right in.

[Mockingbird]

Originally Posted by Fajah

I've installed the GFS EZ-Loc in three STL's so far and they drop right in.

Thank you!!!