Rondo SX DJG1 Review

chrisdUK

Hi! (first post )

A few months ago I bought a stagg jz120 (a rebranded version of the rondo sx djg1) from gak.co.uk for the grand sum of £169.00. Although before purchasing I scoured the entire internet for reviews and infomation about it, I couldn't find much of use, so I'd like to share my experiences.

It's the only GJ guitar I've owned, but IMO it sounds quite good. It's noticeably louder than my 'normal' acoustic, and sounds a bit brighter.

Problems:
* The truss rod was adjusted too loosely, so when I tapped the back of the neck there was an audible 'clunk' from it rattling around. This created a 'mystery buzz' which was particularly obvious when playing the harmonic at the 12th. To solve this I tightened the truss rod (while checking the relief so I didn't overtighten it) until I could no longer hear the clunk. This removed the buzz. One thing I noticed was that the neck relief was the same with the loose truss rod as with it tightened, which tells me that the neck is stiff enough anyway so didn't really need reinforcement (That's not really relevant, but I thought it was interesting )

* The action was too low. I couldn't shim the bridge as it is a one peice (the moustaches are the same bit of wood as the rest of it), so I made a new one out of maple which has raised the action to about 5mm. As well as stopping the fretbuzz, the different type of wood changed the tone a bit. However, I've forgotten the difference and can't be bothered to put the old one back on to find out.

* The frets are not crowned properly - they have flat tops. They appear to have been leveled then polished, without being crowned. I suspect that is part of the reason that I have to keep the action so high. (aka it causes buzzing).

Apart from those, however, it's actually a good guitar - I've listened to some much more expensive guitars on youtube and it sounds similar (to my untrained ears ) to them.

I've attached some recordings of it, and one of my 'normal' guitar (an aria something dreadnought, spruce top, and I think mahogany back, sides, and neck) for comparison. I had to record them on my sandisk mp3 player though, so the quality isn't great. Please bear in mind that they both sound a lot better in real life.

(Constructive ) comments on my playing and questions are also welcome.

Hopefully all of that is useful to someone;

Cheers.

chrisdUK

Here are some photos - sorry the quality is so bad (my phone camera's not very good).

crookedpinky

Hi there, thanks for posting the review.

I to have one of these - imported from Rondo at a cost of £169.00 including taxes. This was a bargain as a) the supplied case is excellent and b) my local music shop was selling the same thing for £250.00

Please note that there is a big name shop in Lodon currently selling the same guitar for £440.

I would say if you can get for £169 or thereabouts it's not a bad buy. It's not the best gypsy guitar but it's not the worst - Ozark and Richwood are worse in my opinion.

The only thing to note about the SX/Stagg or whatever it's badged is that

1) the supplied bridge is a one piece affair, I cut mine into three and glued on the moustahce ends
2) I had to shim the bridge to raise the action
3) the neck is more like a classical guitar - fine for me but not everyone'c cup of tea.

However, as I think you've proved, it's not a bad sound - not perfect but for the money not bad.
The probelm comes when you play it alongside other guitars it's then that the failings become apparent, although in isolation it works well. I am considering using to record some rhythm tracks as it suits that purpose well.

Alan

frater

I've seen one of these in a shop here in Italy. It had a nice cedar top. I tried to play it. It had a nice cedar top.

chrisdUK

Thanks for the replies.

I'm interested in your bridge 'repair'; what did you shim it with, how did you glue the moustaches on and is there any chance you could post a picture of it?

And what's the problem when playing alongside other guitars? (I haven't played it in a group yet). Is it still not loud enough?

Thanks.

redblues

Chris,

Here's a couple of moustache pieces available from ebay, cheap enough

http://cgi.ebay.ie/EBONY-MUSTACHES-for- ... 2a04e078f4

I'm not too sure what glue would be used though, maybe one of the other members has experience with this

crookedpinky

Hi Chris

from what I remember I used a UHU contact adhesive, simply sawed off the moustahce tips - about 1" long, masked off the area around where the tips were to be glued, lightly sanded the finish and stuck them on. They dont need to be clamped as they're not an essential part of the bridge, just a guide.

I use hardwood veneers for all my shims - mahogany or oak or maple - these are glued ( with Titebond ) and clamped until dry then dressed away to remove as much unecessary wood as possible.

I'm just about to go on holiday but when I egt back I'll post some pics of the bridge.

The problem with the guitar is that it's just not loud enough in a group setting. I'll be selling mine but only because I've got too many and I've been told by my other half that I have to....

chrisdUK

OK thanks. I think I'll try that when I get around to it.

BlueMountain

I’d like to comment on the Sx Gypsy Jazz petite bouche guitar. Some people seem to like them, while others say they are badly made junk. I bought one on e-Bay last week primarily because I needed a decent case, and I figured I could resell the guitar for what I paid and keep the case. Now I think I may keep the guitar, too. The top of this discussion has a recording of one that sounds very nice. I wish mine sounded that good.

The label in mine says Sx Custom Guitars. The model says JAN-1, and the serial number is 8502269. I don’t know if we are talking about the same instrument, but I assume so. The thing is, this is definitely NOT junk. The top is old growth cedar, much of it with 48 years per inch. The sides and back are SOLID Indian rosewood, not a veneer. The finish is excellent, and the binding is a nice hardwood. The bridge is highest quality ebony, weighing 52 grams (compared to 10 grams plus the moustache end pieces on my Dell Arte). It came used with the grimiest, most corroded strings I’ve ever seen. Yech!

Here’s what I’ve done. I installed side position markers, as I prefer them. I polished the rather rough rosewood fretboard and the nice frets with MicroMesh, leaving them smooth and lovely. I dyed the fretboard black with Friebing’s leather dye after warming the board with a blow dryer. (I prefer the look of ebony.) it came out perfectly. I hollowed out the bridge quite a bit and got the weight down from 52 grams to 32. (It’s abnormally heavy ebony.) The Bridge was not properly fitted. I sanded it down to be a perfect fit. The tailpiece was a bit corroded, gold painted steel, but it cleaned up okay. It’s not much different from a Busato tailpiece. It was screwed in over dense felt. When I strung it up, the action was 1.5 mm., there was no relief at all, and while the frets were level, of course every fret buzzed. I loosened the truss rod, which solved the buzzing completely and raised the action at the twelfth fret to 2.25 mm. I realize that’s low for a GJ guitar, but that’s what my Dell Arte is, too. That’s 6/64” for those who go that way. That’s great for most steel string guitars. It’s now a beautiful guitar, nicely made, and very playable all the way up.

Does it sound like the above MP3 file? No. Does it sound like Django’s guitar? No. Perhaps I have the wrong strings on it. However, it has a very nice tone. It’s distinctly quieter than my Dell Arte, and the neck is 1 7/8” at the nut, a quarter inch wider than the Dell Arte. I can play bass notes with my thumb, but barely. (I can’t with a classical neck which is a little wider.) However, I think I’m going to keep it at my fiancee’s house for practicing, rather than reselling it. If I did resell it, I’m sure it would sell for double what I paid.