JukeJointJunkie
Tele-Meister
Don't forget about Douglas (Rondo). On the right-
It has a Warmoth neck on it currently.
It has a Warmoth neck on it currently.
IN THE LIGHT OF HARLEY BENTON, FIREFLY, COZART AND ARTIST...DO NOT FORGET SX AND HADEAN.
- Thread starter goodcheaptele
- Start date
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DFB1
Tele-Afflicted
I have an SX Tele,and it is a good little guitar.
I am getting rid of it only because I don't like maple fingerboards.
I am getting rid of it only because I don't like maple fingerboards.
mlbchitown
TDPRI Member
I have a few older Samick's - the Korean models are way different than the Indonesian.
zipseattle
Tele-Meister
Some bridges have staggered through holes to match the saddles' intonation positions - keeps the break angle over the saddles constistent from string to string. The ferrules "may" be drilled to match such a bridge.
goodcheaptele
Tele-Meister
True. I believe that Rondo does not own the brand but they are a major distributor of that nameplate.
goodcheaptele
Tele-Meister
As zipseattle said the staggered string holes in the rear of the guitar are supposed to allow for better intonation. At least, that is the claim.
Not a Tele, but I just received my "Happy Birthday to me" Grote "335"-copy. I've been looking it over since last night, and I can't find a single flaw in the finish, anywhere. Strings are terrible, frets need leveling, (although fret ends are very smooth) and truss rod, action, and pickup heights need adjusting.....but for $160 it's simply amazing. Feels VERY solid and substantial. It's been many years since I've played a 335 or even a 330, but, set-up notwithstanding, this one is just super. If I wanted a new Tele-clone, (don't....I have two) I'd definitely check the Grotes on Amazon.
I'll be posting a more in depth review after I get a full set-up done, and can judge everything better.
I'll be posting a more in depth review after I get a full set-up done, and can judge everything better.
Zepfan
Doctor of Teleocity
Buying cheap guitars can be a crap shoot sometimes with QC and is a lot better today than back in the old days
In the old days you either learned how to tweak and set them up properly or got rid of them. That can still happen these days, but I think the starting point is better than then.
A full setup can be night and day for any guitar and should be done to every guitar whether you think it needs it or not.
In the old days you either learned how to tweak and set them up properly or got rid of them. That can still happen these days, but I think the starting point is better than then.
A full setup can be night and day for any guitar and should be done to every guitar whether you think it needs it or not.
goodcheaptele
Tele-Meister
Hi Ted...SX/Rondo came up with the staggered string ferules a few years back. The claim is that the intonation is better achieved with staggered string holes that match the bridge pieces' natural placement for string length.
goodcheaptele
Tele-Meister
goodcheaptele
Tele-Meister
Yes, Douglas was also part of the SX, Hadean line too. It is good to know that Warmoth necks were a direct retrofit to these guitar bodies. Did you have problems attaching it? Has anyone ever replaced one of the SX bridges? I would like to get rid of the potmetal bridge but I do not know of any company that makes a direct replacement bridge.Don't forget about Douglas (Rondo). On the right-
It has a Warmoth neck on it currently.
JukeJointJunkie
Tele-Meister
No problems with the new neck. I do have a Stew-Mac shim on it for slightly more neck angle (personal preference).
goodcheaptele
Tele-Meister
Thanks for the quick reply.
I installed vintage Fender style bridge plates on a couple older SX STL "Esquire project" guitars but it was a lot of work. Because the vintage bridge plate is shorter than the stock SX one, original SX mounting screw holes in the top of the body were visible and had to be filled and finished to match body color. Also had to redrill and angle new string thru holes to match the new bridge plate string holes and meet the stock ferules on back of the body. Would be even harder with the new SX staggered ferules. I wonder if a Fender MIM or American Standard bridge plate could be fitted? They are longer than vintage style. Probably would need to drill new mounting screw holes. Staggered ferules would need to be dealt with somehow. Are you sure the SX bridge plate is pot metal? I thought the SX ones I had were decent chromed steel.
Another option I did on a third SX STL project: I used the stock SX bridge plate but replaced the 6 stock saddles with 3 vintage style brass saddles. To do that, I drilled 3 holes in the back "flip" of the stock bridge plate to accept saddle intonation adjustment screws. I had to get some longer adjustment screws at the hardware store. This was pretty easy and I liked that setup. Even easier and pretty inexpensive to simply replace the crappy stock saddles with better ones.
BTW, really like the look of your new guitar. Wish they were still 1.75' body and not crazy about the staggered ferules, but your pix are giving me the itch to get one for another project!
Well…...after seeing goodcheaptele's new HADEAN guitar from Rondo Music, I succumbed and ordered one too.
The one I got is the "antiquity" version of that guitar in vintage white. Basically, it is lightly reliced with the body finish sanded a bit in four places. I generally don't care for "relics" but ordered this one because it has a toploading 3 saddle vintage style bridge and a rosewood fretboard. I will be refinishing it in a slightly darker shade of vintage white, add vintage style tuners, reshape the headstock to the "proper T shape", and will likely do another Esquire project like I've done on 3 SX teles previously.
With the toploader bridge and rosewood board, this will be an excellent and inexpensive ($110) start to mimic a '59 Esquire. Always wanted to do one of those - this will be fun!
The one I got is the "antiquity" version of that guitar in vintage white. Basically, it is lightly reliced with the body finish sanded a bit in four places. I generally don't care for "relics" but ordered this one because it has a toploading 3 saddle vintage style bridge and a rosewood fretboard. I will be refinishing it in a slightly darker shade of vintage white, add vintage style tuners, reshape the headstock to the "proper T shape", and will likely do another Esquire project like I've done on 3 SX teles previously.
With the toploader bridge and rosewood board, this will be an excellent and inexpensive ($110) start to mimic a '59 Esquire. Always wanted to do one of those - this will be fun!
goodcheaptele
Tele-Meister
Hi JDRNoPro--I hope you like your Hadean as much as I do mine. I am using that guitar over and above m LP and SG. Happy modding.
Thanks goodcheaptele !
I haven't had a chance to really do anything with it yet, but have played it a fair amount. At first I was concerned about intonation, but it was just issues with (probably cheap) light strings stretching and sticky nut slots. Has stabilized now though and seems fine, although I haven't even fine - tuned saddle adjustment. Stock tuners are holding pretty good too and are better than I expected. On previous SX models I found the stock tuners to become a lot smother and stable after winding them a lot unstrung to "break them in". Need to do that on this one.
Some other thoughts/observations:
Neck: I really like the size and shape of this neck. Very smooth satin finish and good looking dark rosewood board. Some nice flame on the sides of the maple. Frets are not as big as on my older SX models. Frets seem well seated and level but ends are sharp and will get polished etc. After a little detail work, this is going to be a very nice neck.
Bridge and other hardware: Nothing wrong with this top loading bridge at all. Saddles are chrome and seem OK but I will install compensated brass ones. Guitar rings good and seems lively. Switch plate, neck plate, and other bits seem decent and chrome plating looks good.
Electrics: Pickups are cheap but don't sound bad. Neck PU is a little dull but I quite like the bridge PU - bright but not harsh. Haven't played with pickup heights yet tho. Switch and pots work fine and the guitar isn't noisy at all.
Body: Flat finish that seems quite thin - almost like a quick spray of white primer. Cheesy "relic" edge sanding in a few places. I will sand the edges and body lightly. I had planned on refinishing anyway, so I think the light stock finish will be good to paint over. Overall weight of the guitar is probably 7.5 to 8 lbs. Will weigh it and report later.
Edit: it weighs 7.4 pounds.
Overall, I think this was well worth the $$ - looking forward to getting into it!
I haven't had a chance to really do anything with it yet, but have played it a fair amount. At first I was concerned about intonation, but it was just issues with (probably cheap) light strings stretching and sticky nut slots. Has stabilized now though and seems fine, although I haven't even fine - tuned saddle adjustment. Stock tuners are holding pretty good too and are better than I expected. On previous SX models I found the stock tuners to become a lot smother and stable after winding them a lot unstrung to "break them in". Need to do that on this one.
Some other thoughts/observations:
Neck: I really like the size and shape of this neck. Very smooth satin finish and good looking dark rosewood board. Some nice flame on the sides of the maple. Frets are not as big as on my older SX models. Frets seem well seated and level but ends are sharp and will get polished etc. After a little detail work, this is going to be a very nice neck.
Bridge and other hardware: Nothing wrong with this top loading bridge at all. Saddles are chrome and seem OK but I will install compensated brass ones. Guitar rings good and seems lively. Switch plate, neck plate, and other bits seem decent and chrome plating looks good.
Electrics: Pickups are cheap but don't sound bad. Neck PU is a little dull but I quite like the bridge PU - bright but not harsh. Haven't played with pickup heights yet tho. Switch and pots work fine and the guitar isn't noisy at all.
Body: Flat finish that seems quite thin - almost like a quick spray of white primer. Cheesy "relic" edge sanding in a few places. I will sand the edges and body lightly. I had planned on refinishing anyway, so I think the light stock finish will be good to paint over. Overall weight of the guitar is probably 7.5 to 8 lbs. Will weigh it and report later.
Edit: it weighs 7.4 pounds.
Overall, I think this was well worth the $$ - looking forward to getting into it!
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My observations about SX guitars compared to other cheapies (and I've had several):
The SX Strat and Tele I had were really much higher quality, fit and finish than I expected at their price point. They were affirmatively nice guitars, with the caveat that the hardware and electronics were not so great, although everything worked as expected---I never had tuning problems, for instance. But, unlike, say Xaviere instruments, a lot of the readily-available Fender-configuration replacement parts out there will not just drop onto an SX. People above have alluded to the staggered string holes through the Tele bodies. So, if you want to upgrade your hardware, you may not be able to find a convenient replacement part, or you may have to do some surgery to the guitar to make it work. Drill, fill and refinish is a hell of a lot of work just to put a new bridge on a $125 guitar. It looks like some of you are into refinishing anyway, in which case I suppose it wouldn't be as big a deal. I didn't swap any hardware on mine but I did swap out a pickup, and had to enlarge the pickup opening in the bridge plate with a Dremel to get a regular-proportioned Tele pickup (a Seymour Duncan Lil' 59) to fit.
Standard replacement hardware will drop right onto a Xaviere, but the Fender-style Xavieres I've had have all had some issue or other with how they were made---stuff being drilled off-center or things like that. (I've also had a Gibson-style Xaviere and never had any problems like that with it.) I have a Xaviere Strat which ended up being pretty nice (after I filed down the sprouting fret ends and replaced the pickup switch which quickly died) but the screw holes for mounting the neck were drilled in some strange way such that the neck that came on the guitar is fine but I could not use a Warmoth neck on that body (or the Xaviere neck on another body) because the holes didn't line up. One can't complain too much at the prices of these instruments, but these are things to keep in mind.
My perception was that the necks on the SX instruments were pretty beefy. So, depending on personal preference, that could be a good or a bad thing.
The SX Strat and Tele I had were really much higher quality, fit and finish than I expected at their price point. They were affirmatively nice guitars, with the caveat that the hardware and electronics were not so great, although everything worked as expected---I never had tuning problems, for instance. But, unlike, say Xaviere instruments, a lot of the readily-available Fender-configuration replacement parts out there will not just drop onto an SX. People above have alluded to the staggered string holes through the Tele bodies. So, if you want to upgrade your hardware, you may not be able to find a convenient replacement part, or you may have to do some surgery to the guitar to make it work. Drill, fill and refinish is a hell of a lot of work just to put a new bridge on a $125 guitar. It looks like some of you are into refinishing anyway, in which case I suppose it wouldn't be as big a deal. I didn't swap any hardware on mine but I did swap out a pickup, and had to enlarge the pickup opening in the bridge plate with a Dremel to get a regular-proportioned Tele pickup (a Seymour Duncan Lil' 59) to fit.
Standard replacement hardware will drop right onto a Xaviere, but the Fender-style Xavieres I've had have all had some issue or other with how they were made---stuff being drilled off-center or things like that. (I've also had a Gibson-style Xaviere and never had any problems like that with it.) I have a Xaviere Strat which ended up being pretty nice (after I filed down the sprouting fret ends and replaced the pickup switch which quickly died) but the screw holes for mounting the neck were drilled in some strange way such that the neck that came on the guitar is fine but I could not use a Warmoth neck on that body (or the Xaviere neck on another body) because the holes didn't line up. One can't complain too much at the prices of these instruments, but these are things to keep in mind.
My perception was that the necks on the SX instruments were pretty beefy. So, depending on personal preference, that could be a good or a bad thing.
