who do I take new Bass to get a proper setup?

[Vintage_Groove]

I may be getting a new Bass soon (I hope) and it most likely will be an SX model from the Rondo site.

I've read that these models do not come setup (thus saving on expense to the consumer). Now do I bother taking the Bass to my local Long & McQuade store, or do I look for a luthier locally (north Toronto) to do it right? What would be a realistic cost to get this done? What exactly should I have done?

I may be new at Bass but I appreciate a well setup instrument that will allow me to focus on learning and playing vs muddling around with it and not knowing what I'm doing.

[RIFF WRATH]

I take my instruments to L&M and they sub it out to their luthier / tech.
satisfied with the work, but holy mackinaw it takes forever. obviously it depends on what you require. some of my stuff costs, depending on the condition, but for a basic setup might only be $60 or less. if you can, bring it somewhere where they recognize you as a regular (an have a good tech)
your Rondo purchase might not need much if your are bit handy. have read good reviews on their stuff. good company to deal with.
hope it arrives soon, the waiting is a killer eh?
good luck
Gerry

[Vintage_Groove]

I take my instruments to L&M and they sub it out to their luthier / tech.
satisfied with the work, but holy mackinaw it takes forever. obviously it depends on what you require. some of my stuff costs, depending on the condition, but for a basic setup might only be $60 or less. if you can, bring it somewhere where they recognize you as a regular (an have a good tech)
your Rondo purchase might not need much if your are bit handy. have read good reviews on their stuff. good company to deal with.
hope it arrives soon, the waiting is a killer eh?
good luck
Gerry

Thanks Gerry. I haven't ordered one yet, I had a few bids on eBay on some nice stuff but as per usual in the last few minutes the prices jumped past what I was willing to pay. I like some of the SX models and have my eye on one currently. I need to wait for a few things to be cleared up in the next few weeks before I can order one.

[suttree]

just as a question... after shipping and setup and etc, are you actually saving any money vs. walking in to your local music store and buying something off the wall?

[RIFF WRATH]

sutree
have you checked their site? prices are reasonable even with shipping, and their product gets good reviews. made at the same factories in asia as the "big names'
all Ive bought so far is a banjo case that I couldn't find locally, and was very good quality and overall comparable cost if I could have found locally. that was with the high $. had issues re FedX trying to double charge but the owner Kirk was very quick to e-mail advice.
cheers
Gerry

[Vintage_Groove]

I've been grappling with the same issue; do I buy a $300 ESP Viper Ltd guitar (looks nice, good reviews, get a warranty, etc.) or do I go with an SX model, get it shipped, tuned, update some electronics, and it may also end up costing me $300?

I like the different Fender-like models SX sells, and the reviews are all quite positive. I haven't checked into shipping costs yet. I know a few people here have ordered SX Basses that live close to me, maybe they can provide that information. And maybe they can better tell us if it really was worth getting an SX model vs what's available at L&M or LAMusic, etc.

[Greenman]

Setups on bass are not that hard to do. Learn and save a little money. :smile:
http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/

[Vintage_Groove]

Setups on bass are not that hard to do. Learn and save a little money. :smile:
http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/

Excellent, thanks.

[Fajah]

I know a few people here have ordered SX Basses that live close to me, maybe they can provide that information. And maybe they can better tell us if it really was worth getting an SX model vs what's available at L&M or LAMusic, etc.

Based on my experience, there's no question that the SX is great value.The additional costs for shipping my SJB in 2006 was;

Canadian Surcharge: $40.00
UPS (Standard) shipping charge: $35.64

For the Douglas I purchased this past Feb:

Canadian Surcharge: $45.00
UPS (Standard) shipping charge: $28.43

If you know some people who live close to you that own an SX, make arrangements to try them out. Pending that, you're more than welcome to come and see mine. Just send me a PM whenever you think you're ready.

Lawrie