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Body Finish: Black; sealed with Dr. Duck's Axwax and buffed.
Pickguard: White/Black/White
Custom pickguards can be made for Material Cost plus $50.00 Labor
• Andy chose not to go custom.
5-7-09: Shielded Pickguard, included in the cost of the cavities.
Note: There is no difference in size between a 4-string and a 5-string Jazz pickguard. The differences are in the size of the pocket and one screw to the right of the pocket: View overlapped pickguard.
Finger/Thumb Rests: $10.00 each Parts and Labor
• Andy chose not to use these.
Bridge: Stock SX bridges I do not like. Not for their size or thinness or sustainability, but for the fact the plate has no slides for the saddles to stay within. The tendency is the saddles will walk from side to side and, if you dig in while playing, the spread can suck. You have to see the ugliness to appreciate what I'm saying.
There's an OEM Deluxe Bridge that is my usual recommendation for an upgrade but they come from an Asian country and are not dependable. As of 5-4-09, I was informed they couldn't fulfill my order as so many are out of stock. It's a damn good bridge so I can see why they're so popular. But my order was for 4-string OEM Deluxes so the 5-string bridges may be available. Chrome is $45.00 shipped.
The next most requested is the Leo Quan Badass II Bridges but they are rather pricey, and this is a 5-string and requires the Badass V, hence the OEM Deluxe, my first choice. Badass V Bridges in chrome are about $100.00 shipped.
While most installations of the Badass V are made on Fender basses, the Badass V is almost a direct replacement and a $30 Labor charge is added. And if you choose to use the through-body string installation, this drives up the labor further.
Note: String-thru-body bridges require drilling and string ferrules installed on the rear of the body. Typical Labor charge: $35.00 (more labor with bridge relocation).
The cost for the ferrules is $10.00 for chrome.
• Andy chose the Leo Quan Badass V and the saddles will be slotted by me . . .
The bridge arrived Tuesday the 12th but couldn't immediately install it. The screw hole locations on the body don't match up with the bridge, as suspected. The 4-string Badasses line up but I've had trouble with these 5 bangers in the past.
Here's a photo showing the misalignment. I have to attach the neck and run lines from each side of the fingerboard to center the bridge.
Bridge/Pickup Covers: $35.00 Parts and $10.00 Labor
• Andy chose not to use covers.
Strap Buttons/Locks: I recommend chrome Schaller Strap Locks: $20.00 shipped
• Andy chose strap locks.
5-8-09: Installed strap locks with black rubber washers, Felts are inadequate. Felts also do not protect the finish and actually are the cause behind damaged paint. The rubber acts as a lock washer and protects crushing the paint.
Neck: Photos - Before: Front - Rear -|- After: Front -|- Rear
The rear of the neck is a high gloss. Most agree that this causes drag on your hand so I normally degloss with a Scotchbrite pad and then final polish with 2000 grit sandpaper, which leaves the backside like silk. Also note the finish is not removed; just reduced. There is no added cost when combined with neck work.
Fingerboard Work & Setup: $125.00 Labor
On the maple/rosewood fingerboard I generally roll (3/32" radius) the fboard edge and reduce the gloss on the rear of the neck after I check the length for level.
No matter how level you think it is to the eye, it always pays to run the radius board along the length, starting with 220 grit and graduating up through the ranks to about 2000 grit. I like my boards to feel like silk~! I seal with Dr. Duck's Axwax.
Note on Fretless: Some ask, "Why do you charge for fretless?" Time is Time.
If you need more explanation than that you're not ready for fretless. But I'll say this; in order for the strings to get as close as possible to the fingerboard, starting with the nut slots being only a few thousands of an inch higher, the fingerboard must be dead-level to begin with. For this to happen the neck goes into the same jig used for fretboards. I do not just run a block and sandpaper down its length~!
Completed Neck Closeup Photos: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 -|- Fingerboard Radius
I started this bass neck work at about 2:30AM and worked through the night until I got to this point at 8AM. Actual time spent on neck work: leveling, radiusing, polishing, and sealing was about 5 hours straight, not including any disassembly.
Headstock with SX Logo. Photos - Assembled: Front - Rear
Painting a headstock to match body color: $50.00 Labor
• Andy chose not to paint the headstock.
Photos - Disassembled: Front - Rear
Truss Rod Cover: $15.00 Parts and labor
• Andy chose not to use a cover.
Strings: Brand: Rotosound RS665LD RW: .045, .065, .085, .105, .130
SX sent this 5-string fretless with Light Flatwounds strung E A D G C.
My recommendation for a flatwound is Rotosound 77s and for roundwounds I advocate Rotosound 66s. Extra long scale if using a string-thru-body bridge.
The estimated average cost of new strings is $30.00 and I do not advocate Thomastik Infeld flatwounds on a 34" scale bass because they are too floppy.
• Andy chose Rotosound RS665LD roundwounds
String Nut: $35.00 Labor plus $5.00 if Bone and $10.00 Graph Tech
• Andy chose to remove the SX plastic and replace with Bone.
Removed the plastic nut from the slot on the fingerboard,
matched up a slab of bone, sanded bone for thickness with 220 grit until it fit snuggly into the slot, and marked where string slots will be filed onto nut. . . more coming . . .
String Guide: SX chrome 3-string flat bar style.
While it's better than any round string retainer by a long shot, it doesn't have the style and class as the Hipshot 3-String Retainer: $15.00 shipped.
• Andy chose to go with the Hipshot 3-String Retainer but I think a round bar type retainer would look better and work best for this bass, at least a 4-string retainer.
Tuners: SX LTD Chrome tuning machines were removed from the headstock in order to attach the neck blank into the Jig. While removed the spring clips are adjusted if necessary, all parts lubed, sealed, reassembled, and buffed. I don't charge an extra labor charge when this is performed with the work mentioned above. It's a $50.00 labor charge if done alone.
For many years, through the late 70s and 80s mostly, the trend was it needed to have active onboard electronics. While I didn't agree I performed this unnecessary operation for many customers. Basically, there's not much sense to adding an onboard preamp when outboard preamps can be swapped for function more easily, and the EQ on a good amp is more than enough to dial in any tone. And guess what~? The trend nowadays is to run passive and concentrate on technique~!
Cavities: Copper Foil Shielding: $50.00 Parts and Labor
5-7-09: Shielded Cavities . . . approximately 2 hours time after cleaning cavities with alcohol to remove resins or whatever else that white residue is that's found in these new SX basses. After cleaning, the roughness gets a bit of sanding and then cleaned again before applying the copper foil. Any open seams in the foil get soldered. Note: no soldering was necessary for Andy's bass . . . *snicker*
The trick to not requiring solder: overlap the seams by an eighth of an inch and take your time while rubbing down the copper foil to the cavity walls.
Pickups: SX 5-String Jazz - Lengths
I don't advocate changing out pickups. SX is a copy of Fender, including the way the pickups are made. If you like the sound of the Fender Jazz, here it is.
5-7-09: Attached Foam Rubber Pads to the bottom of each pickup. The pads help in stabilizing the pickups and stops downward movement and clicking noises.
Control Harness: SX Harness with black Volume-Volume-Tone knobbage.
5-7-09: Desoldered the SX wiring harness.
Upgrade: $30.00 Parts & $30.00 Labor. An upgraded Jazz Harness consists of:
Control Plate: Drill to 3/8" diameter for CTS Pot bushing. $10.00 Labor
Drilled control plate with a step drill. Assembled upgraded Jazz Harness onto control plate.
Soldered wire extensions so the control plate is moved far enough away from the body for ease of maintenance as well as protection from damage to the body.
Attached the control knobs and installed the control plate assembly onto the body.
Control Knobs: $15.00 for Chrome or $10.00 for Black Bakelite Jazz Knobs.
With the upgraded control plate assembly, the CTS solid shafts are 1/4" diameter. The knobs above attach to the pot shaft with one set screw on each knob.
• Andy chose the Black Bakelite Jazz Knobs
>> Workshop >> Project: Andy's SX SJB-62 Black 5-String Fretless Jazz Bass
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 Project Parts and Labor Checklist
 SX SJB Body
Front -|- Rear
 • Finish: Black
• Bridge: Badass V
• Bridge Cover: No
• Pickup Cover: No
• Pickguard: SX WBW
• PG Screws: Chrome
• Finger Rest: No
• Thumb Rest: No
• Strap Buttons: No
• Strap Locks: Schaller
SX SJB FL Neck
• Fingerboard R&R
• Tuning Machines: SX LTD
• Tuner Screws: Chrome
• String Guide: Hipshot
• Strings: RS665LD RW
• Nut R&R: Bone
• Truss Rod Cover: No
Electronics
• Copper Foil Shielding
• Pickups: SX J5
• Pup Screws: Chrome
• Pup Springs: 4
• Pup Pads: 2 Rubber
• Control Plate: SX R&R
• Control Pots: CTS
• Control Knobs: Jazz
• Capacitor: OD .047µF
• Output Jack: Switchcraft
• Standard Jazz Wiring
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