For sure I was stoked in later video to find trem was floating and correctly set up. I don't think I have changed anything on this one either - slight setup. I think I will transfer the EMG DG20S to it from the HB ST20. My only observation is the single coils need shielding to reduce noise- same for most. The DG20s are awesome and the neck on this thing is so much nicer than HB20. It might be 2x price but worth every pebbly more.
Just bought this exact same model. The body colour is actually an aged Ivory or deep Cream if you prefer the latter term, and I'm not colour blind. It's not Buttercream or "Yellow". I kind of new beforehand how good these were, but having received inspected and played mine, my opinion is that they are nothing short of an astonishing instrument for the money. The neck looks and feels drop dead gorgeous. Frets on mine, medium jumbo, felt like they'd been hand finished to a very high standard the entire length of the fretboard. The poly paint finish is of a high standard as is the clear gloss of the fretboard. The balance, weight, length and body English fit of the guitar is as good as anything I own and play. I like the tone of the default pickups. It comes fitted with D'Addario strings allegedly according to the specs on SX website. NO label attached, but whatever they are, they feel and sound fine OOTB. Singular minuscule flaw with mine was that the intonation of the G string was flat OOTB. Action was fine. I've had no issues with the tuning stability of the Vintage tuners. My expectations of tuning stability if floating the vibrato bridge isn't high if used for other than very light trem work, but that can be said of any entry or near entry level Yamaha, Ibanez, Squier etc. I've made a .20c mod to mine, replacing the original's bentwing string trees with a pair of chrome generic cast low friction genuine roller string trees sourced from AliExpress. Bottom line This Vintage SX is easily the equivalent of a Squier Classic Vibe, but at a tad over just ¼ the price of a Squier CV Strat in my country. Comparing it with a Yamaha 112V which costs double the price of this SX SST57, different body wood notwithstanding, the build quality and finish on this is as good, and although it feels different because of its neck, radius, finish and fret size, is every bit as much of a joy to play. The Yamaha's alnico PUPs, bridge hardware are probably higher quality technically, but pragmatically it's moot the single vs humbucker bridge personal pref notwithstanding. The two sound very different, but both are pleasing. Although my stable includes Gretsch, Ibanez, Cort, and Yamaha among others, I'm Yamaha set the standard in the reknown for quality and value for money stakes at most price points, yet I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this SX with confidence to beginner or home hobbyist players alike wanting a stable reliable pleasant to play instrument.
Thanks for the independent colour check - never ever believe me when I talk about colors! (Check out one of my later YT on B1XFour hack - 10 wire colours of mystery) I agree with your comments - especially the neck. But Ivan found it too chunky. For me it is superb. Once I added some lower friction nut and string trees the floating trem seems to keep tune. Minimal cost "fix". I am toying with putting the EMG20s on this guitar - the Harley Benton ST20 has them right now but I don't like the neck on that one. I do plan next year to make a profile copier - so I can try to transfer Fender profile to HB neck. If it breaks - the whole guitar was £79 so I don't really lost anything. Thanks for your honest and balanced reply. Appreciate it.
Can you tell I am excited by the colour of this Stratocaster - not sure YT does it justice. LOVELY!!! Can't wait to get back from my mini break to test it. Hopefully my finger is more healed by then.
Not only colour blind but comment blind. I have to say I didn't understand the comment - then realised it was one my autistic throw away comments that often offends people. I don't even know I said it
I got one of these the 62 version pretty impressed really plays great, sounds good. Have a real American Fender too and the SX has nothing to be ashamed of excellent finishing and fret job - neck is perfect nothing needed doing and the finish is near flawless. That's quite shocking for the price I love playing it, as I'm learning I use it mostly v the Fender. Apart from changing the strings to pure nickels and some graphite on the nut it's spot on really I doubt I'll do anything to it not really into the mod scene, and BTW the screw holes won't line up with Fender parts it's quite a bit lighter, and a little thinner. Really don't think it needs any work I've not bothered with shielding but I did drop a trem spring in there. Sound wise the PUP's sound good even v the American so I would stick with those they're not like the old MIM Fenders which are a bit to my ears on the muddy side, nice spank off these. I was tempted with a Harley Benton but put off with the chunky neck feedback on some models, this feels pretty close to the Fender apart from the gloss v satin. I did film an unbox not got around to doing a vide on it yet. Way nicer IMO than the Bullet and Affinity a real sleeper for budget guitars
Agreed - thanks for tip regarding pickguard. For me I need to shield - you heard how noisy my environment is. If I went for EMG DG20 it would likely not need shielding - but if I did that I would likely get 57 in CAR and it would look more like Gilmour's red strat. Was playing this strat on valve amp - sounds pretty good on stock pickups and with a Zoom G1 Four X can alter the tone considerably. If you get around to posting your unboxing let me know please.
@@stephenhookings1985 I'll try to get it done I have a ton of items to get through but will do it eventually. Lot of people go for the budget Fender's this is somewhat lesser known, way way nicer than a bullet IMO. Oh I've also got to be able to play something a bit so I'm working on that too I get less noise than the American Strat on the PUP's for some reason, output is slightly higher and the ohms is almost exactly to vintage spec. It sounds pretty good to me, that spikey bridge pick up works a treat for high gain/Gary Moore type stuff
SX are GREAT guitars! I have 6; 2 LP, 2 Strat, 2 Tele. Only issue I had was shitty fret ends on the Strat and Tele models that need to be filed. PUPS are "serviceable" out of the box. Also, the Strats and Tele models had BOUND necks! One Strat and one Tele are actually 3 Single Coils and P90s both of which came with a LP style Tuneomatic Bridge and Stop Tailpiece!
I am wondering if the fret ends is related to difference in climate between where made and where unboxed? Dave's World of Fun Stuff seems to have the issue in North Americas. Maybe UK is closer to climate in China. Do you have any videos of the LP I can look at? I was a Strat man - then I got an SX Tele. Wow. Then I got a Burny LP Studio sustainer - lovely guitar and the slightly smaller scale length was easier to adapt to than I thought. So if I could transfer the Burny electrics to a Gold Top LP copy I would be getting closer to Steve Hackett's guitar :-)
I started off life as a lefty but got converted to a righty :-) another great aspect of SX is they do cater for southpaws. The pickups are decent for sure - especially for ceramic. But I do prefer the Alnico's especially in my Squier Standard. As I commented I really want a CAR with maple fingerboard and stick EMG DG20s in to get similar basis that Dave Gilmour had in 1990s. It isn't that expensive - about same cost as a Squier Classic Vibe or a 2nd hand Mexican Fender. Right now I am playing with Zoom pedals because these thing can probably simulate a whole host of pickups. The other benefit of the EMGs is likely they will be noiseless. I haven't shielded the SX yet. My garage has fluorescent lights and is quite noisy. If you see on my videos I put EMG J pickups into a cheap J & D bass - bloody awesome result. Glad you like your SX.
Hi Ivan, so I put a profile gauge on it, Near the neck it is about 42-44mm wide, Fretboard sides are about 4mm deep. Total depth about 20mm. so about 2x wider than it is deep with a curve 4mm from the front. Dont really know if that is a D or a C sorry. What I can say is the profile is nearly identical to the Burny LS55s I have on the bench. For me the neck is very comfortable (I will compare with the HB ST20 - I dont really like that neck).
Thanks. It sounds decent thru the solid state amp but killer thru the Laney Cub 12r. Reasonable amp and cheap guitars works for me. I may stick the EMG DG20S in it. They sound great in the HB ST20 but I love the feel of the SX much more.
Nah I didn't like the previous headstock. Ibanez have one very similar now on their AZES & short scale Talman bass. They aren't my cup of tea aesthetically either. The current design like Yamaha's looks great on the Strat clones and imitation traditional Fender basses, but I wish SX would just use the Fender/Squier Tele style headstock cloned on their Teles like everyone else. Sure, it makes no difference to how they play, but a Strat shaped headstock on a Tele it just looks off and puts me off buying SX Teles.
Nice! This guitar will just get better looking with age! One thing I would probably do on a new bolt-on guitar like this (and you may already know this one), since you are changing strings: Using correct size screwdriver, remove the neck, carefully noting placement of any neck shim. Then make sure neck bolts move freely through body holes. If not, drill them out (3/16" bit I think is usually standard) so that threads do not bind when pushing bolts through. (From factory, bolts usually tight in body holes...and that's not correct for me.) Then re-attach neck (along with shim if there is one...and I also like to put beeswax in neck holes to lubricate threads...but I just use beeswax compulsively on everything, haha), install strings/tune to pitch. Then loosen neck bolts slightly...like way less than one turn of screwdriver. Strings will pull neck heel tightly against body...you may even hear it squeak/pop into place. Tune to pitch. Tighten bolts...while making sure strings are aligned properly on fretboard. (Not too much...neck wood will strip easily...super tight is not at all necessary!) Tune to pitch again. In my humble opinion, this REALLY helps sustain, more than anything. Tight neck pocket sides is not important, for me, I don't think it helps sustain significantly...but more experienced person may argue this to death. (Tight neck pocket may make finish crack when wood expands.) Best for sustain, to my ears, is when tension of strings pulls that neck heel tight against end of pocket. Is simple, free, and best upgrade, haha. I think I learned that trick from internet forum many years ago. Maybe common knowledge to everyone, and I am only late to party, but for me was like discovering plutonium. 😂 Congrats on awesome new guitar!
I didn't know this - thanks for tip. Will probably trial with a Partscaster I have to be sure I got it. I do have on particular Frankenstein guitar. It started as a Squier - neck was twisted (it was cheap and 2nd guitar I bought) and came with the solid state amp I was using here - just needed to change blown speaker with Celestion {{side note: my little daughter helped me fix it - you can't get that experience with new kit}}. Eventually I got a cheap neck that cured it. Recently you may have seen it featuring on fretless guitar - this left Squier body decapitated. It got sprayed orange ((more chance for assistance)) and the iAXE Berhinger maple fingerboard neck got fitted BUT was impossible to intonate. Too short. Either I had to move bridge or neck. So I put some silicon packing in between body and heal (I know ... Hearing the screaming ...) And attached neck maybe 5mm away thus lengthening the nut/saddle to past 648mm. I was a bit scared at first BUT it seems to work. I don't notice lack of sustain - large gap between heal and body. When I am back from mini break I will check it again - you got me intrigued.
Hello, i wanted to ask you if the tremolo was easy to use, because i have a squire bullet and its really hard to play with the tremolo arm, thanks. Contrats on your new guitar.
I think it is. Have you followed Darrel Braun on YT or Dave's World of Fun Stuff? Darrel showed technique to make cheap strat trem floating. Dave also has great video. I dont use the tremolo much - I tend to use fingertips BUT that was because most of my 2nd hand guitars never had one :-) I got one for my Squier Standard and set it up a la Darrel. Half a tone up and a lot down. I also then setup a cheap after market on a Squier Affinity body - both work well BUT u need a good nut else the strings snag. The SX was just setup fine out if the box. Bit of graphite in the nut slots and seems to be OK. I like that it has a non threaded key. Hope the answer is useful and understandable. If u need more I can make a specific video. Just let me know the content.
Wow. Yes that was Duch a helpful answer to my question, thanks a lot. I've just seen that video and im setting up my guitar little by little. And for the content i would love a lot more videos of the sx im in love with It but cant afford one right now but yeah, thanks alot for the help :)
@@septimocielocaminante1833 I hope you get your Squier setup. Guns and Guitars is another good resource. He showed how to make DIY tools or repurpose tools to approximate setup. I have plenty of long detailed (dull :-( ) videos of mods i made to some of my guitars. I dont think I have dont anything (other than tune) the SX. I shielded the SX tele (love the Lake Placid Blue) and added new pickup (only because of broke the rear pickup). Anyhow likely with a feeler gauge, capo, small precision ruler, wood block, and a dime you can setup your Squier. Oh I saw another dude put a small spring under the whammy bar (in the cavity). Make sure the channel.dont go all the way thru else the spring drops out. Why put a spring in? It tightens the bar at a better angle so it stays in place - else it's in the wrong place. Gear acquisition is a state of mind - mine is too weak ... hence I acquired more. Squier is a decent brand and should last you a lifetime. Best of luck.
Awesome! I'm travelling to Spain in December, so instead of bringing my guitar, I bought this SX model and delivered it to the place I'm going to stay at. May I ask...How's your experience been with it until now? I heard people say these are comparable with Squier Classic Vibes, is that true?
I would say it is better than CV but if you like fatter necks. Not sure if you have seen my SX Tele short review but that is price of Bullet and quality of a Player. I didn't have good chance to play the SX Strat - cut my finger then went on holiday. I picked it up to strum today - was still in tune (except low e because peg moved whilst putting it in fig bag). The finish is stunning. I have not yet checked relief or string height - will post on that Friday likely. I kind of wish I got a CAR one too - so I can consider adding DG20 EMG. This one will need shielding - true of most Strats even the high end ones. I really like that the trem is setup outbid the box. Enjoy your guitar - let me know how you get on with it.
WOW I HAVE THE SAME EXACT GUITAR ON MINE IS LEFT HANDED IT HAS SOME POWER PICKUPS ARE VERY STRONG CANT BELIEVE IT I LIKE IT BETTER THAN MY FENDER SQUIRE IT JAS A MUCH BETTER SOUND SX THERE GREAT VERY VINTAGE LOOKING TO GOOD LUCK YOU WILL ENJOY IT ALOT OF FUN I HAVE NINE GUITARS ALL MADE LEFT HANDED
I want to explain my experience with this guitar as an advice for the fellows in search for new cheap guitar. First I have a Telecaster- Squier & I wanted to buy new stratocaster so I found Squier Affinity Stratocaster but it was expensive for me. After that I have desided to buy cheaper brand. So i've watched all the videos in youtube for SX Guitar 59 VTG series with good comments & reviews like yours man. So I've ordered the guitar from a website called (Muziker). Man, I have to say that this guitar was not good all. The fredboard is not comphortable at all (the neck shape was probably D and its too roanded) and the gloss on the fretboard makes the hand sweat if you play too much. Also the wood of the bodys wood was pretty cheap almost looks like plastics from inside. When I've opened the back of the guitar (the tremolo springs inside) a powder and a bad smell(probably when they have painted the guitar in the factory)droped from the inside of the guitar. The good thing in this cheap guitar was the pickups - they sound good for this price. In the end I have sold the guitar and spend a little bit more for Squier Stratocaster and I have to say its much better instument tahn SX 59 VTG. This guitar was not comphortable at all.Everytime after I stopped playing the guitar I felt like I was holding a toy-guitar in my hand not a comphortable one. That's just my opinion but you have made great review.
My experience was clearly different BUT as I said to others the hardest thing to review is feel. I like fatter gloss necks - mostly I play bass so guitars always feel smaller :-) Not sure about the wood here - for me I wanted the colour and the finish was great. The frets were fine for me BUT I do see people complaining of Fret Sprout on Daves World of Fun Stuff - I am in UK so maybe the humidity makes this less likely? I guess you didn't make a review of your experience? Would have loved to add it to a sticky or playlist here. So far I found the Squier's far less then SX - you have opposite experience. We must just have different tastes. I tend to play slow blues - I know many folks like satin finish - are you playing fast / shredding? The Harley Benton ST20 has a matt neck - but I find that neck nasty ... I am likely going to sand jt to try to alter profile. I do have a Standard Telecaster from Fender - that has thinner neck that I am not so keen on. Thanks for sharing your experience and I am sure it will help people to make their own balanced decision.
Are aware that the neck is a Stratocaster 57 type? Sst57 is named after strat 57. Everything you listed as negative are features of the model released by Fender in 1957.
Last night I took it into garage having left it in its bag in house - was definitely in relative tune (pegs had not been knocked). I find all guitars drift a little if left a rest for a while. If I use the whammy then sometimes the B string goes out of tune - but I haven't put any graphite (pencil will do) on the nut. I normally play bass nowadays so of course if feels light :-) more importantly it feels balanced. It seems to be no heavier than a Squier Standard - if I get a chance to weight it I will. In US Rondo sell these and they likely publish the weight?
@@declanl2167 - well I am just a basic guitarist and if you see some of my other videos I like tinkering with setups - so I dont justify an expensive guitar. To me, with a basic setup this feel like an expensive guitar - and expensive guitars also need setup! Check out ua-cam.com/video/iQ1sMyCqSe8/v-deo.html starting around 9:10. Dave explains why he also likes this Strat v the 62 Rosewood version. For £93 it's unbelievable. For £117 it is unbelievable. Personally speaking I would love to get the CAR with maple fingerboard, then fit a DG20 into it to emulate Dave Gilmour's Red Strat.
@@stephenhookings1985 I'm also not a fan of super expensive guitars because I believe a good set up can change everything. I love Dave's video because I agree with everything that he is saying and I can't wait for my sx start and then mabey I'll upgrade some stuff on it... But I'll see😎😁🎸
I think this is another great point you make - SX do think of lefties. If you check out Shane InTheBlues channel he really likes this brand. How are you finding yours? I am really loving mine. Muziker have a black Friday sale right now - 20% off this model. If they had the CAR I would buy it now. Less than £100 for this quality of guitar is simply mindblowing.
Not tried it. I agree that non Fender guitars can be PITA. For example the Surf Green J & D bass - I wanted white guard. So I got a Fender one and had to shape it. It's OK. Probably better to get a blank and make your own. If u see on one of other videos I got a HB ST20 and fitted EMG DG20 to it. I am really thinking about moving them to this SX cos I much prefer the feel of the SX over the HB. If I do it I will try the DG20 pickguard- actually I can try it cos I forgot I took it off. Will post later when I check.
No - not exactly. At least the EMG DG20 pickguard, that is supposed to fit an American Standard, doesn't. More precisely the pickups needs to move a little - sorry I didn't take the guard off to know if there was space in the route for the wiggle room. Both have 11 screws. About 6 will likely be aligned. You would need to drill some more for remaining and/or fill the old - good news is they seem to be hidden by the Fender guard. The real trick is if the pots line up and for sure the neck pocket would need some adjustment. The SX neck appears longer.than the Fender. But the stock guard is fine. I like that it is white - seems to suit the buttercream and maple fingerboard - but I am colour blind so don't take my advice on colours/match. Not sure how I could post a picture. Make your own - then you have a unique 🪓 of your own :-)
So I dont have a 13" gauge but it seems to be somewhere between 12 and 14". Closer to 14 rather than 12. Comfy for my old fingers. I just got an Harley Benton ST20 in CAR - I much prefer the neck on the SX. But the HB, given it is £79, is quite a decent machine. New nut and string trees will be a big improvement.
The SX guitars great I love the color and the shiny neck my squire strat doesn't have that it has that plain wood feel I can't like it I played a fender mexican strat at music store were I go I cost 600 dollars it was awful wood type neck not like my SX strat I was surprised a fender that price
I think the general consensus is matt finish = fast neck, gloss = slow and sticky. Thing is I like British blues, so slow is ok. I never find the neck sticky. I love the gloss - and if someone don't like it they can sand it off - much harder for me to apply a gloss to the SX quality. Ultimately any guitar you are comfortable with is great regardless of cost. I am lucky I am comfortably numb with the cheaper guitar and have fun setting them up :-)
Currently gone down to £93 ... what a bargain especially if they all turn up like mine - so far quality control on SX has been good in my limited experience. www.muziker.co.uk/sx-vintage-st-57-vwh
The best price I can see is £141 for a L/H version. Absolutely none at £117 let alone £93. Price on request for R/H version, They then want all your details & say it is not available to buy on line/internet. Must say seems a bit off putting !
So I got mine from Muziker in Bratislava- then Brexit happened and they stopped advertising these. I work for a German company so with their VPN I could buy the gear!! Clearly prices have moved - so I see Waltons in Ireland sell them - price in EUs. www.waltons.ie/home/products/view/03asxa-sst57-vwh-sx-vintage-series-sst57-electric-guitar-pack-vintage-white/ I probably would have bought the Candy Apple Red to make my Dave Gilmour guitar. Please check some comments from Ivan (Иван). He got one and didn't like it at all. So I want to make it clear that all guitars are personal taste. My aim is to buy cheap gear and make it into more luxurious feeling / sounding gear - there again maybe you recall Trigger from Fools and Horses - same broom for 14 years with 10 handles and 5 brushes! So cheap with replacement parts is more expensive than one quality instrument (except even they need setup!!) I am a tad colour blind but for some reason I prefer to have a range of different guitars rather than one outright expensive one. Also see if you can find Dave Simpson's review of an SX. I recall he had the 62 and thought it was lifeless. But then he got another and it sang. I will look for this and post it in a mo.
Found Dave Simpson's review both of similar guitar as mine and another budget brand. In the right hands a piece of taut string can sound great :-). Depends what your motivation for guitars are. For sure I got GAS - but I am curing myself recently :-). Hell even my wife bought me the last bass - Daphne Blue Squier Classic Vibe - I added the fretless maple fingerboard - awesome fun for not too bad a price. Alas I only play the basses live - not quite got the balls to unleash the axes. They are just for private fun and relaxation. ua-cam.com/video/iQ1sMyCqSe8/v-deo.html But he also reviewed another cheap guitar and that sounded great. ua-cam.com/video/WJHbpLgVAs8/v-deo.html I find decent FX (like a cheap Zoom) or a valve amp makes all the difference. Enjoy Dave's playing. If possible try a guitar before getting it. If you were near East Berkshire UK then come and test some of mine!
Thanks for the Walton's link, 199 Euro and yes saw Dave Simpson play it & it sounded so good . Yes if you get your Candy apple red, maple neck , to go with the vintage white, you will have a couple of good DG look a likes, just add the classic black/ maple neck & you'll have a hatrick ! Cheers Kim.
I agree - I can't fault the 4 I have for the price. If the candy apple red with maple neck was in stock I would probably get one and put an EMG DG24 in as per Dave Gilmour's red strat. That would be suoer quiet at rest and not a lot of cash (£150 for SX and £250 for a DG24).
Sx guitars are in my experience really great !
Yes guys, I have the same, and is amazing. If you could be one ups, wow, fantastic
I have one and it is fantastic (swamp ash body natural)
On the same Level as a good squier or mexiko
And it sounds great....
I love mine right out of the box. I have a few and don’t mod them. Just a new set of strings and a few adjustments and I’m good.
For sure I was stoked in later video to find trem was floating and correctly set up. I don't think I have changed anything on this one either - slight setup. I think I will transfer the EMG DG20S to it from the HB ST20. My only observation is the single coils need shielding to reduce noise- same for most.
The DG20s are awesome and the neck on this thing is so much nicer than HB20. It might be 2x price but worth every pebbly more.
Just bought this exact same model. The body colour is actually an aged Ivory or deep Cream if you prefer the latter term, and I'm not colour blind. It's not Buttercream or "Yellow". I kind of new beforehand how good these were, but having received inspected and played mine, my opinion is that they are nothing short of an astonishing instrument for the money.
The neck looks and feels drop dead gorgeous. Frets on mine, medium jumbo, felt like they'd been hand finished to a very high standard the entire length of the fretboard. The poly paint finish is of a high standard as is the clear gloss of the fretboard. The balance, weight, length and body English fit of the guitar is as good as anything I own and play. I like the tone of the default pickups. It comes fitted with D'Addario strings allegedly according to the specs on SX website. NO label attached, but whatever they are, they feel and sound fine OOTB. Singular minuscule flaw with mine was that the intonation of the G string was flat OOTB. Action was fine. I've had no issues with the tuning stability of the Vintage tuners. My expectations of tuning stability if floating the vibrato bridge isn't high if used for other than very light trem work, but that can be said of any entry or near entry level Yamaha, Ibanez, Squier etc. I've made a .20c mod to mine, replacing the original's bentwing string trees with a pair of chrome generic cast low friction genuine roller string trees sourced from AliExpress.
Bottom line This Vintage SX is easily the equivalent of a Squier Classic Vibe, but at a tad over just ¼ the price of a Squier CV Strat in my country. Comparing it with a Yamaha 112V which costs double the price of this SX SST57, different body wood notwithstanding, the build quality and finish on this is as good, and although it feels different because of its neck, radius, finish and fret size, is every bit as much of a joy to play. The Yamaha's alnico PUPs, bridge hardware are probably higher quality technically, but pragmatically it's moot the single vs humbucker bridge personal pref notwithstanding. The two sound very different, but both are pleasing. Although my stable includes Gretsch, Ibanez, Cort, and Yamaha among others, I'm Yamaha set the standard in the reknown for quality and value for money stakes at most price points, yet I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this SX with confidence to beginner or home hobbyist players alike wanting a stable reliable pleasant to play instrument.
Thanks for the independent colour check - never ever believe me when I talk about colors! (Check out one of my later YT on B1XFour hack - 10 wire colours of mystery)
I agree with your comments - especially the neck. But Ivan found it too chunky. For me it is superb.
Once I added some lower friction nut and string trees the floating trem seems to keep tune. Minimal cost "fix".
I am toying with putting the EMG20s on this guitar - the Harley Benton ST20 has them right now but I don't like the neck on that one. I do plan next year to make a profile copier - so I can try to transfer Fender profile to HB neck. If it breaks - the whole guitar was £79 so I don't really lost anything.
Thanks for your honest and balanced reply. Appreciate it.
Can you tell I am excited by the colour of this Stratocaster - not sure YT does it justice. LOVELY!!! Can't wait to get back from my mini break to test it. Hopefully my finger is more healed by then.
"If you find out it's purple or something..." made me giggle. Great unboxing vid mate
Not only colour blind but comment blind. I have to say I didn't understand the comment - then realised it was one my autistic throw away comments that often offends people. I don't even know I said it
I got one of these the 62 version pretty impressed really plays great, sounds good. Have a real American Fender too and the SX has nothing to be ashamed of excellent finishing and fret job - neck is perfect nothing needed doing and the finish is near flawless. That's quite shocking for the price
I love playing it, as I'm learning I use it mostly v the Fender. Apart from changing the strings to pure nickels and some graphite on the nut it's spot on really
I doubt I'll do anything to it not really into the mod scene, and BTW the screw holes won't line up with Fender parts it's quite a bit lighter, and a little thinner. Really don't think it needs any work I've not bothered with shielding but I did drop a trem spring in there.
Sound wise the PUP's sound good even v the American so I would stick with those they're not like the old MIM Fenders which are a bit to my ears on the muddy side, nice spank off these.
I was tempted with a Harley Benton but put off with the chunky neck feedback on some models, this feels pretty close to the Fender apart from the gloss v satin. I did film an unbox not got around to doing a vide on it yet. Way nicer IMO than the Bullet and Affinity a real sleeper for budget guitars
Agreed - thanks for tip regarding pickguard. For me I need to shield - you heard how noisy my environment is. If I went for EMG DG20 it would likely not need shielding - but if I did that I would likely get 57 in CAR and it would look more like Gilmour's red strat.
Was playing this strat on valve amp - sounds pretty good on stock pickups and with a Zoom G1 Four X can alter the tone considerably.
If you get around to posting your unboxing let me know please.
@@stephenhookings1985 I'll try to get it done I have a ton of items to get through but will do it eventually. Lot of people go for the budget Fender's this is somewhat lesser known, way way nicer than a bullet IMO. Oh I've also got to be able to play something a bit so I'm working on that too
I get less noise than the American Strat on the PUP's for some reason, output is slightly higher and the ohms is almost exactly to vintage spec. It sounds pretty good to me, that spikey bridge pick up works a treat for high gain/Gary Moore type stuff
SX are GREAT guitars! I have 6; 2 LP, 2 Strat, 2 Tele. Only issue I had was shitty fret ends on the Strat and Tele models that need to be filed. PUPS are "serviceable" out of the box. Also, the Strats and Tele models had BOUND necks! One Strat and one Tele are actually 3 Single Coils and P90s both of which came with a LP style Tuneomatic Bridge and Stop Tailpiece!
I am wondering if the fret ends is related to difference in climate between where made and where unboxed? Dave's World of Fun Stuff seems to have the issue in North Americas. Maybe UK is closer to climate in China.
Do you have any videos of the LP I can look at? I was a Strat man - then I got an SX Tele. Wow. Then I got a Burny LP Studio sustainer - lovely guitar and the slightly smaller scale length was easier to adapt to than I thought.
So if I could transfer the Burny electrics to a Gold Top LP copy I would be getting closer to Steve Hackett's guitar :-)
@@stephenhookings1985 Just but a Sustainer Kit. :)
I have an SX LP copy. Not bad at all for $170.
SX excellent guitars made in the Starsun factory. Been playing them for about ten years... The stock strings are D'addario
Good to know. I have some GHS Gilmour strings to later. The stock ones are fine. All in all decent guitars.
I have the exact guitar except my SX is left handed and I want to you the pick ups are very very strong you don't need to change them out
I started off life as a lefty but got converted to a righty :-) another great aspect of SX is they do cater for southpaws. The pickups are decent for sure - especially for ceramic. But I do prefer the Alnico's especially in my Squier Standard. As I commented I really want a CAR with maple fingerboard and stick EMG DG20s in to get similar basis that Dave Gilmour had in 1990s. It isn't that expensive - about same cost as a Squier Classic Vibe or a 2nd hand Mexican Fender.
Right now I am playing with Zoom pedals because these thing can probably simulate a whole host of pickups. The other benefit of the EMGs is likely they will be noiseless. I haven't shielded the SX yet. My garage has fluorescent lights and is quite noisy.
If you see on my videos I put EMG J pickups into a cheap J & D bass - bloody awesome result.
Glad you like your SX.
Is this guitar neck D shape? Great video
Hi Ivan, so I put a profile gauge on it, Near the neck it is about 42-44mm wide, Fretboard sides are about 4mm deep. Total depth about 20mm. so about 2x wider than it is deep with a curve 4mm from the front. Dont really know if that is a D or a C sorry. What I can say is the profile is nearly identical to the Burny LS55s I have on the bench. For me the neck is very comfortable (I will compare with the HB ST20 - I dont really like that neck).
So this website says it is a fat C.
www.vintageguitar.com/3715/sx-sst-57-guitar-and-sjb-57-bass/
Nice sound 😲
Thanks. It sounds decent thru the solid state amp but killer thru the Laney Cub 12r. Reasonable amp and cheap guitars works for me. I may stick the EMG DG20S in it. They sound great in the HB ST20 but I love the feel of the SX much more.
What the thickness of the body?36mm/40mm?
40mm same as Squire junk.
I am measuring 44.31mm with vernier at bridge and and neck end. 45mm at the control cavity side.
I like how teh older SX headstock looked better like teh arrowhead shape very aggressive looking.
Never saw it. Perhaps SX were asked to change it? As you can tell I am no so worried about image - how does it play.
Nah I didn't like the previous headstock. Ibanez have one very similar now on their AZES & short scale Talman bass. They aren't my cup of tea aesthetically either. The current design like Yamaha's looks great on the Strat clones and imitation traditional Fender basses, but I wish SX would just use the Fender/Squier Tele style headstock cloned on their Teles like everyone else. Sure, it makes no difference to how they play, but a Strat shaped headstock on a Tele it just looks off and puts me off buying SX Teles.
@@theblytonian3906strat headstock on Teles have very room to reshape them.
Nice! This guitar will just get better looking with age! One thing I would probably do on a new bolt-on guitar like this (and you may already know this one), since you are changing strings: Using correct size screwdriver, remove the neck, carefully noting placement of any neck shim. Then make sure neck bolts move freely through body holes. If not, drill them out (3/16" bit I think is usually standard) so that threads do not bind when pushing bolts through. (From factory, bolts usually tight in body holes...and that's not correct for me.) Then re-attach neck (along with shim if there is one...and I also like to put beeswax in neck holes to lubricate threads...but I just use beeswax compulsively on everything, haha), install strings/tune to pitch. Then loosen neck bolts slightly...like way less than one turn of screwdriver. Strings will pull neck heel tightly against body...you may even hear it squeak/pop into place. Tune to pitch. Tighten bolts...while making sure strings are aligned properly on fretboard. (Not too much...neck wood will strip easily...super tight is not at all necessary!) Tune to pitch again. In my humble opinion, this REALLY helps sustain, more than anything. Tight neck pocket sides is not important, for me, I don't think it helps sustain significantly...but more experienced person may argue this to death. (Tight neck pocket may make finish crack when wood expands.) Best for sustain, to my ears, is when tension of strings pulls that neck heel tight against end of pocket. Is simple, free, and best upgrade, haha. I think I learned that trick from internet forum many years ago. Maybe common knowledge to everyone, and I am only late to party, but for me was like discovering plutonium. 😂 Congrats on awesome new guitar!
I didn't know this - thanks for tip. Will probably trial with a Partscaster I have to be sure I got it.
I do have on particular Frankenstein guitar. It started as a Squier - neck was twisted (it was cheap and 2nd guitar I bought) and came with the solid state amp I was using here - just needed to change blown speaker with Celestion {{side note: my little daughter helped me fix it - you can't get that experience with new kit}}.
Eventually I got a cheap neck that cured it. Recently you may have seen it featuring on fretless guitar - this left Squier body decapitated.
It got sprayed orange ((more chance for assistance)) and the iAXE Berhinger maple fingerboard neck got fitted BUT was impossible to intonate. Too short. Either I had to move bridge or neck. So I put some silicon packing in between body and heal (I know ... Hearing the screaming ...) And attached neck maybe 5mm away thus lengthening the nut/saddle to past 648mm. I was a bit scared at first BUT it seems to work.
I don't notice lack of sustain - large gap between heal and body. When I am back from mini break I will check it again - you got me intrigued.
RE: Better looking with age. It has a Poly finish but if it was Nitro then yes.
Hello, i wanted to ask you if the tremolo was easy to use, because i have a squire bullet and its really hard to play with the tremolo arm, thanks. Contrats on your new guitar.
I think it is.
Have you followed Darrel Braun on YT or Dave's World of Fun Stuff? Darrel showed technique to make cheap strat trem floating. Dave also has great video. I dont use the tremolo much - I tend to use fingertips BUT that was because most of my 2nd hand guitars never had one :-)
I got one for my Squier Standard and set it up a la Darrel. Half a tone up and a lot down.
I also then setup a cheap after market on a Squier Affinity body - both work well BUT u need a good nut else the strings snag.
The SX was just setup fine out if the box. Bit of graphite in the nut slots and seems to be OK. I like that it has a non threaded key.
Hope the answer is useful and understandable. If u need more I can make a specific video. Just let me know the content.
Wow. Yes that was Duch a helpful answer to my question, thanks a lot. I've just seen that video and im setting up my guitar little by little. And for the content i would love a lot more videos of the sx im in love with It but cant afford one right now but yeah, thanks alot for the help :)
@@septimocielocaminante1833 I hope you get your Squier setup. Guns and Guitars is another good resource. He showed how to make DIY tools or repurpose tools to approximate setup.
I have plenty of long detailed (dull :-( ) videos of mods i made to some of my guitars. I dont think I have dont anything (other than tune) the SX. I shielded the SX tele (love the Lake Placid Blue) and added new pickup (only because of broke the rear pickup).
Anyhow likely with a feeler gauge, capo, small precision ruler, wood block, and a dime you can setup your Squier. Oh I saw another dude put a small spring under the whammy bar (in the cavity). Make sure the channel.dont go all the way thru else the spring drops out. Why put a spring in? It tightens the bar at a better angle so it stays in place - else it's in the wrong place.
Gear acquisition is a state of mind - mine is too weak ... hence I acquired more. Squier is a decent brand and should last you a lifetime. Best of luck.
Neat headstock
pro trick: watch series on flixzone. Been using it for watching a lot of movies lately.
@Korbyn Brysen Yup, been using Flixzone} for years myself :D
Awesome! I'm travelling to Spain in December, so instead of bringing my guitar, I bought this SX model and delivered it to the place I'm going to stay at. May I ask...How's your experience been with it until now? I heard people say these are comparable with Squier Classic Vibes, is that true?
I would say it is better than CV but if you like fatter necks. Not sure if you have seen my SX Tele short review but that is price of Bullet and quality of a Player.
I didn't have good chance to play the SX Strat - cut my finger then went on holiday. I picked it up to strum today - was still in tune (except low e because peg moved whilst putting it in fig bag). The finish is stunning. I have not yet checked relief or string height - will post on that Friday likely.
I kind of wish I got a CAR one too - so I can consider adding DG20 EMG.
This one will need shielding - true of most Strats even the high end ones. I really like that the trem is setup outbid the box.
Enjoy your guitar - let me know how you get on with it.
@@stephenhookings1985 thanks a lot for your reply, i really appreciate it. I will check out that SX Tele review :D have a great rest of the week, sir!
@@fellazuab I have an SX tele thinline that is a keeper. And I have many older Japanese Greco and Tokai guitars so i know what makes a great guitar !
WOW I HAVE THE SAME EXACT GUITAR ON MINE IS LEFT HANDED IT HAS SOME POWER PICKUPS ARE VERY STRONG CANT BELIEVE IT I LIKE IT BETTER THAN MY FENDER SQUIRE IT JAS A MUCH BETTER SOUND SX THERE GREAT VERY VINTAGE LOOKING TO GOOD LUCK YOU WILL ENJOY IT ALOT OF FUN I HAVE NINE GUITARS ALL MADE LEFT HANDED
I want to explain my experience with this guitar as an advice for the fellows in search for new cheap guitar. First I have a Telecaster- Squier & I wanted to buy new stratocaster so I found Squier Affinity Stratocaster but it was expensive for me. After that I have desided to buy cheaper brand. So i've watched all the videos in youtube for SX Guitar 59 VTG series with good comments & reviews like yours man. So I've ordered the guitar from a website called (Muziker). Man, I have to say that this guitar was not good all. The fredboard is not comphortable at all (the neck shape was probably D and its too roanded) and the gloss on the fretboard makes the hand sweat if you play too much. Also the wood of the bodys wood was pretty cheap almost looks like plastics from inside. When I've opened the back of the guitar (the tremolo springs inside) a powder and a bad smell(probably when they have painted the guitar in the factory)droped from the inside of the guitar. The good thing in this cheap guitar was the pickups - they sound good for this price. In the end I have sold the guitar and spend a little bit more for Squier Stratocaster and I have to say its much better instument tahn SX 59 VTG. This guitar was not comphortable at all.Everytime after I stopped playing the guitar I felt like I was holding a toy-guitar in my hand not a comphortable one. That's just my opinion but you have made great review.
My experience was clearly different BUT as I said to others the hardest thing to review is feel.
I like fatter gloss necks - mostly I play bass so guitars always feel smaller :-)
Not sure about the wood here - for me I wanted the colour and the finish was great.
The frets were fine for me BUT I do see people complaining of Fret Sprout on Daves World of Fun Stuff - I am in UK so maybe the humidity makes this less likely?
I guess you didn't make a review of your experience? Would have loved to add it to a sticky or playlist here.
So far I found the Squier's far less then SX - you have opposite experience. We must just have different tastes.
I tend to play slow blues - I know many folks like satin finish - are you playing fast / shredding? The Harley Benton ST20 has a matt neck - but I find that neck nasty ... I am likely going to sand jt to try to alter profile.
I do have a Standard Telecaster from Fender - that has thinner neck that I am not so keen on.
Thanks for sharing your experience and I am sure it will help people to make their own balanced decision.
Strange how you spell everything perfect, except the word [ Comfortable ]
Are aware that the neck is a Stratocaster 57 type? Sst57 is named after strat 57. Everything you listed as negative are features of the model released by Fender in 1957.
Great video dude. I just have some questions..
Does it stay in tune well and is it heavy or light.
Thanks 🎶🎸👍
Last night I took it into garage having left it in its bag in house - was definitely in relative tune (pegs had not been knocked). I find all guitars drift a little if left a rest for a while.
If I use the whammy then sometimes the B string goes out of tune - but I haven't put any graphite (pencil will do) on the nut.
I normally play bass nowadays so of course if feels light :-) more importantly it feels balanced. It seems to be no heavier than a Squier Standard - if I get a chance to weight it I will.
In US Rondo sell these and they likely publish the weight?
@@stephenhookings1985 thank you very much. I'm considering buying one and I'm very excited. Thank you 😎😎😎😎😎
@@declanl2167 - well I am just a basic guitarist and if you see some of my other videos I like tinkering with setups - so I dont justify an expensive guitar.
To me, with a basic setup this feel like an expensive guitar - and expensive guitars also need setup!
Check out ua-cam.com/video/iQ1sMyCqSe8/v-deo.html starting around 9:10.
Dave explains why he also likes this Strat v the 62 Rosewood version.
For £93 it's unbelievable. For £117 it is unbelievable. Personally speaking I would love to get the CAR with maple fingerboard, then fit a DG20 into it to emulate Dave Gilmour's Red Strat.
@@stephenhookings1985 I'm also not a fan of super expensive guitars because I believe a good set up can change everything.
I love Dave's video because I agree with everything that he is saying and I can't wait for my sx start and then mabey I'll upgrade some stuff on it... But I'll see😎😁🎸
I have the same guitar except my SX is left handed
I think this is another great point you make - SX do think of lefties. If you check out Shane InTheBlues channel he really likes this brand.
How are you finding yours? I am really loving mine. Muziker have a black Friday sale right now - 20% off this model. If they had the CAR I would buy it now. Less than £100 for this quality of guitar is simply mindblowing.
Did a Fender Pickguard fit?
Not tried it. I agree that non Fender guitars can be PITA. For example the Surf Green J & D bass - I wanted white guard. So I got a Fender one and had to shape it. It's OK. Probably better to get a blank and make your own.
If u see on one of other videos I got a HB ST20 and fitted EMG DG20 to it. I am really thinking about moving them to this SX cos I much prefer the feel of the SX over the HB. If I do it I will try the DG20 pickguard- actually I can try it cos I forgot I took it off. Will post later when I check.
No - not exactly. At least the EMG DG20 pickguard, that is supposed to fit an American Standard, doesn't.
More precisely the pickups needs to move a little - sorry I didn't take the guard off to know if there was space in the route for the wiggle room. Both have 11 screws. About 6 will likely be aligned. You would need to drill some more for remaining and/or fill the old - good news is they seem to be hidden by the Fender guard.
The real trick is if the pots line up and for sure the neck pocket would need some adjustment. The SX neck appears longer.than the Fender.
But the stock guard is fine. I like that it is white - seems to suit the buttercream and maple fingerboard - but I am colour blind so don't take my advice on colours/match.
Not sure how I could post a picture. Make your own - then you have a unique 🪓 of your own :-)
Fingerboard radius?
So I dont have a 13" gauge but it seems to be somewhere between 12 and 14". Closer to 14 rather than 12. Comfy for my old fingers.
I just got an Harley Benton ST20 in CAR - I much prefer the neck on the SX. But the HB, given it is £79, is quite a decent machine. New nut and string trees will be a big improvement.
The SX guitars great I love the color and the shiny neck my squire strat doesn't have that it has that plain wood feel I can't like it I played a fender mexican strat at music store were I go I cost 600 dollars it was awful wood type neck not like my SX strat I was surprised a fender that price
I think the general consensus is matt finish = fast neck, gloss = slow and sticky.
Thing is I like British blues, so slow is ok. I never find the neck sticky. I love the gloss - and if someone don't like it they can sand it off - much harder for me to apply a gloss to the SX quality.
Ultimately any guitar you are comfortable with is great regardless of cost. I am lucky I am comfortably numb with the cheaper guitar and have fun setting them up :-)
Currently gone down to £93 ... what a bargain especially if they all turn up like mine - so far quality control on SX has been good in my limited experience.
www.muziker.co.uk/sx-vintage-st-57-vwh
The best price I can see is £141 for a L/H version. Absolutely none at £117 let alone £93. Price on request for R/H version, They then want all your details & say it is not available to buy on line/internet. Must say seems a bit off putting !
So I got mine from Muziker in Bratislava- then Brexit happened and they stopped advertising these. I work for a German company so with their VPN I could buy the gear!! Clearly prices have moved - so I see Waltons in Ireland sell them - price in EUs.
www.waltons.ie/home/products/view/03asxa-sst57-vwh-sx-vintage-series-sst57-electric-guitar-pack-vintage-white/
I probably would have bought the Candy Apple Red to make my Dave Gilmour guitar.
Please check some comments from Ivan (Иван). He got one and didn't like it at all. So I want to make it clear that all guitars are personal taste. My aim is to buy cheap gear and make it into more luxurious feeling / sounding gear - there again maybe you recall Trigger from Fools and Horses - same broom for 14 years with 10 handles and 5 brushes! So cheap with replacement parts is more expensive than one quality instrument (except even they need setup!!)
I am a tad colour blind but for some reason I prefer to have a range of different guitars rather than one outright expensive one.
Also see if you can find Dave Simpson's review of an SX. I recall he had the 62 and thought it was lifeless. But then he got another and it sang. I will look for this and post it in a mo.
Found Dave Simpson's review both of similar guitar as mine and another budget brand. In the right hands a piece of taut string can sound great :-).
Depends what your motivation for guitars are. For sure I got GAS - but I am curing myself recently :-). Hell even my wife bought me the last bass - Daphne Blue Squier Classic Vibe - I added the fretless maple fingerboard - awesome fun for not too bad a price. Alas I only play the basses live - not quite got the balls to unleash the axes. They are just for private fun and relaxation.
ua-cam.com/video/iQ1sMyCqSe8/v-deo.html
But he also reviewed another cheap guitar and that sounded great.
ua-cam.com/video/WJHbpLgVAs8/v-deo.html
I find decent FX (like a cheap Zoom) or a valve amp makes all the difference.
Enjoy Dave's playing. If possible try a guitar before getting it. If you were near East Berkshire UK then come and test some of mine!
Thanks for the Walton's link, 199 Euro and yes saw Dave Simpson play it & it sounded so good . Yes if you get your Candy apple red, maple neck , to go with the vintage white, you will have a couple of good DG look a likes, just add the classic black/ maple neck & you'll have a hatrick ! Cheers Kim.
Also my SX has a stronger tone than the squire wasn't that strong sounding
I agree - I can't fault the 4 I have for the price. If the candy apple red with maple neck was in stock I would probably get one and put an EMG DG24 in as per Dave Gilmour's red strat. That would be suoer quiet at rest and not a lot of cash (£150 for SX and £250 for a DG24).
ye..its def purple LOL
Good to know :-) Deep Purple?