I didn’t know of the switch to China (maybe that explains their dropping the Douglas 5-string). I used to look long and hard at the Rondo website a few years back and the guitars were made to their spec in Korea. I do wish I’d gone for the bass at the time (and a big thumbs up to them for offering lefties across the range). The biggest shame is that USPS has made international posting quite expensive for big, heavy items. Living in the States, I’d put them on my starter list. I particularly like the 50s style instruments with the maple fingerboards; practically impossible to get elsewhere at the price level.

More of a late reply to 1 Bass here. Two years ago I bought a SX 5 string Jazz . It was made in Korea in 1998 and it is fabulous !!!! The build quality is simply amazing !!!!!!!!!! I don’t know much about the newer SX’s built in China , but if they are evn close to the bass I own you can’t go wrong.

Quite a good bass for a small amount of money.

Staggs are well made, good value beginner instruments, IMO. I also like very much (partic for the trad looks) the SX, Agile and Brice ranges from Rondo Music in the States. I have a friend who lives nearby and the dirt-cheap (really unbelievable) SX he does a simple pup-swap on and uses them as gigging instruments. They used to make the “Brice Douglas”, a fab-looking 5-string 70s Jazz bass with black block markers and an ash body. Shipping wasn’t bad either. I vacillated and they now no longer make them. Also, shipping from the US has got expensive.

If you can search for availability of SX basses in Aus (like here, I bet they are annoyingly more expensive to buy than in the US), consider the sweet-looking ’57 and ’62 variants of classic Precision and Jazz copies. Probably sound OK as-is, but worth thinking about a pupgrade if something comes up cheap on the Fleeb.

Im thinking Gibson Thunderbird IV in vintage sunburst, i just happen to have one..