Help! Looking for a budget bass

Gear
21

Reusing this old thread for this as it is relevant.

This article is super interesting and applies to basses and effects as much as it does for guitars:

I really liked the feel of the SX Spector clone I tried and at $300 it’s a steal. I am sure the same goes for the Harley Benton line.

Based on the SX I tried I would agree with this article:

https://spinditty.com/instruments-gear/SX-Bass-Guitar-Review-SX-vs-Squier

FTA:

The question we set out to answer was whether or not SX basses stood up to Squier. On all fronts, the answer appears to be a resounding yes .

(They go on to also talk up the Squier because they are also, of course, fine basses.)

Anyway, tl;dr, it’s a great time in history for buying music gear.

1 Like
22

Are there now two lines of SX. I know there is one SX website where the basses are priced higher then Squire, up there towards MIM Fender and other brands that are considered HIGHER QUALITY.
then there are SX that, are not poor quality, but seem less expensive, and I think they are the basses in this article.
Or did SX evolve along the way.

Are Samik and SX, and George something all related as well.
I do know that most of these basses are pieced together from the same parts, made in the same factories as the Fender and Squire they are referring to, along with other brand names, Ibanez, Sterling, etc…

I have even heard that Glarry is not a bad bass for the prices and can certainly pass the bill for anybody starting out, along with Ammoon (Scott Devine did a sound off between the cheapest bass he could buy on Amazon,a nd a fender P bass, it was Ammoon) and many other cheap brands.
The key to the really cheap ones (pieced together with the same parts as the not so really cheap ones) seemed to be that they absolutely, 100% need a set up out of the box, but once you do the basic truss rod / action, they are fine

23

SX has various product lines, but the Spector clone I looked at was inexpensive (~$300 new, half the price of a similar Spector-influenced Warwick Rockbass Streamer LX) and quality was just fine, great fit and finish, very playable.

I don’t know too much more about them.

As for those other brands, Samick is a Korean company that also manufactures in Indonesia and is produced alongside Ibanez and Cort models, IIRC. They also make some Squiers and Epiphones.

I have heard nothing but excellent things about Korean guitars. The Korean Warwicks are sought after.

I’ve owned two basses manufactured in Indonesia and they have both been outstanding.

1 Like
24

guess your SX price there is different then the price here, cuz we can get the Spector and Wick for about this same price here.
Of course you get the Spector and Wick for probably cheaper then us too. You guys get all sorts of cool domestic only product from Ibanez and ESP as well.
I am thinking about that Ibanez amp where yours, the amp pops off of the cabined, and Edward basses, and other cool stuff you have shown in the past.

And here, if they are made in the USA, they don’t go for less, they go for more. Go figure. LOL