SX SJM
The SX SJM 62 or 57 is Jazzmaster-style surf tailed bridge guitar made by SX guitars.
The shape of the upper half of the body is Fender design, the bottom half is something unique. It resembles a standard Jazzmaster body with part of the bottom bout cut away and 'smooshed' over to form the fin. This and other SX guitars are popular for beginning or intermediate players because of their low price and quality construction. The guitar is also available in left handed model. The guitar features a rosewood fretboard with 22 jumbo frets, vintage fulcrum tailpiece, six adjustable saddle bridge and 2 or 3 Artec ceramic P90 pickups. Alternately, the guitar is available with a Gibson-style bridge for those desiring the shape without the danger of going out of tune with the Fender Jaguar style bridge. The guitar comes STOCK with medium D'Addario strings installed. The weight of the guitar is 8.5 lbs. Overall length is 39" including the strap button Width at the widest point is 13" The neck is 1 5/8" wide at the nut and 2 1/8" at the 22nd fret. There are tremolo-equipped models with both 25.5" or 24" scale lengths, with the hardtails specced at 24.75" although that figure May Be inaccurate. The fretboard radius is 9.5", with varying rear profiles from a "C" shape to a thick "U" shape. The body is made of alder and the neck is maple. Contrary to appearance, and unlike the Jazzmaster upon which it is based, the SX SJM cannot be fitted with a neck from a Fender Stratocaster as the Strat's fingerboard hangs over the body at the 22nd fret, where the SJM's neck continues for the full length, resulting in a too-short scale and poor intonation when the SJM is fitted with the Stratocaster neck. Although the body shape seems radical on first appearance the top-fin shape resembles other guitars noted for their ergonomics such as the Ovation Breadwinner and is possible to play quite comfortably in the classical style with the left leg raised. Colors available include Black, sunburst, powder blue (similar to Fender's sonic blue), Candy Apple Red, and Ivory (Vintage White). The current powder blue models are fitted with a rosewood fretboard (earlier blue ones had a maple board and were designated the SJM-57). In the same way it is usual for people to customize their Jazzmasters, it is popular for the SJM owner to replace the bridge with a Fender Mustang bridge and change out the tuners and possibly the volume and tone knobs because of their low quality plastic. A buzzstop can be installed to stop unwanted buzz and keep some tension on the strings, though some users claim this dramatically alters the tonal properties of the guitar. If not fitted with a buzzstop, Third bridge guitar techniques are possible. It is also possible to insert a thin cardboard or wooden shim into the base of the neck pocket to increase the neck angle, resulting in a lower action. The guitar does not fit in a standard Strat case because of its awkward shape.
In Mid-2007 Rondo introduced a couple variations on the standard SJM, one with 3 P-90 pickups, a 5 way switch and 2 tone controls. The input on this model is on the side of the guitar. Also introduced is a 24" scale model, the same scale as the Fender Jaguar
Notes and References
http://www.amazon.com/SX-SJM-3TS-Left-Handed/dp/B000I82LXI
http://www.cortguitarsusa.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=6153&sid=9fad3d5f31ce0367121c6900eba8da4e
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/SX/SX+SJM-62/10/1
http://www.sxguitarspain.com/sxvjm62jaguar.htm (the picture on this site shows an earlier, 'curlier' headstock shape, now discontinued.)