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Acinonyx V2 - its for real!

#42
mambo4 said:
Interesting, I have been pondering ways to maximize "tone is in the fingers".
Bass weight was not something I had considered. Now I may need to think of a hollow body.
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RE the tone is in the fingers thing, I believe the wood/weight might very well have something to do with it, but my other Cat doesn't respond like this one does. I think it has to do with the weight, PLUS pickup choice, creating possibly the perfect storm? I admittedly though know nothing about electronics, nor the Science of sound.

I own and have owned many, many, too many basses :) . My first active bass, the one I bought when I finally decided I was no longer going to be a guitarist was an Alvarez Dana. I loved that bass, but it was kinda thin sounding. The stock pickups it came with hummed, and I had a local music store swap them out for another set. Don't know what they were (are), but they had 3 little EQ switched on them. THAT bass responded much like this bass, and its the reason I've never been able to sell it. The fact that I'd only be able to get around $200 is another reason. But anyhow, it too was a very lightweight bass. I always missed the growl that thing produced when I started playing agressively and I think this bass might be giving me the same.

Another thing worth mentioning is that that the V2 doesn't respond quite the same with the pickups in parallel mode. Its too early in the morning for me to dig in to check the accuracy of what I just said, but that first day I only noticed that awesome growl digging in when I put it into series mode - something I will now never forget, cuz I'm going to refer to is as SERIOUS mode, lol.

I'm really looking forward to bringing this to its first gig this weekend.
 
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#43
Joe Nerve said:
the V2 doesn't respond quite the same with the pickups in parallel mode.
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I had to google to refresh my understanding:
PARALELL is standard Jazz bass wiring, but SERIES is higher output with more midrange. Parallel is thinner, brighter, and about half the output as series.
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so it *might* be that it responds worse in Parallel simply because parallels is more quiet? You have less dynamic range available...
 
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#46
Johnny Alien said:
That is what I am being told about the V2 but not the case for the V1.
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I'm not sure that Nordstrand would change up the production process for the V2. The necks and bodies for both the V1 and V2 are the same - the only differences are the pickups, pickguards, and controls - they don't send the pickups overseas and then get them shipped back here. The bodies and necks come from the Indonesian factory and everything else is done at their Redlands workshop to my understanding. I'm pretty sure all their pickups are manufactured out of Redlands...
 
#47
Poobini said:
I'm not sure that Nordstrand would change up the production process for the V2. The necks and bodies for both the V1 and V2 are the same - the only differences are the pickups, pickguards, and controls - they don't send the pickups overseas and then get them shipped back here. The bodies and necks come from the Indonesian factory and everything else is done at their Redlands workshop to my understanding. I'm pretty sure all their pickups are manufactured out of Redlands...
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I assumed the pickups were made in the USA as well but I thought they were shipped over to be assembled in Indonesia. A few other companies do the same thing. Its pretty obvious on the V1 that the electronics work is done overseas because of how the work looks and the Korean alpha pot for the volume. Anyway here is the exchange I had in this thread with Sonia from Nordstrand. She states that only the V2 has electronics work done in the USA. Now I am just curious where those V1 pickups are made.

SoniaMara said:
So Carey Nordstrand began his career as a luthier. Building basses turned into designing pickups. That took over the business almost exclusively. In came the Goya Panther, courtesy of Juan Alderete (Racer X, Mars Volta) and it inspired the Ah SIN Ah Nix. They are manufactured in Indonesia and the V2 basses are assembled here in Redlands, CA.
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Johnny Alien said:
What exactly is "assembled here" covering? What is the difference between the V1 and V2 that would make the V2 assembled here and the V1 not?
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SoniaMara said:
currently the electronics and pickguard are manufactured in-house with body and neck coming from indonesia. That may change in the future.
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#48
It looks like there will be no official response but I did a little research and it looks like the v1 pickups are made overseas as well. On the product page on the Nordstrand website (where they sell them separately) the sticker on the back of the pickups has product codes that look similar to how PRS SE pickups are marked. Since the PRS SE line and these bases are both made by Cort in Indonesia it's more than likely that the pickups come from the same source as well. So the V1 is entirely made overseas (including pickups and assembly) and for now the V2 are assembled in the USA with USA made pickups and pickguard. That is a pretty decent upgrade for the same price. (Which is not to say anything bad about the V1 pickups as they sound really really good).

I do wish that companies would be more upfront and honest about manufacturing. The price is very good regardless so it doesn't make sense to mislead buyers into where things comes from. Its very hard to tell from Facebook/Instagram but they make it look like the fretless necks are made in the USA when I think they are just defretted in the USA.
 
#49
Johnny Alien said:
It looks like there will be no official response but I did a little research and it looks like the v1 pickups are made overseas as well. On the product page on the Nordstrand website (where they sell them separately) the sticker on the back of the pickups has product codes that look similar to how PRS SE pickups are marked. Since the PRS SE line and these bases are both made by Cort in Indonesia it's more than likely that the pickups come from the same source as well. So the V1 is entirely made overseas (including pickups and assembly) and for now the V2 are assembled in the USA with USA made pickups and pickguard. That is a pretty decent upgrade for the same price. (Which is not to say anything bad about the V1 pickups as they sound really really good).

I do wish that companies would be more upfront and honest about manufacturing. The price is very good regardless so it doesn't make sense to mislead buyers into where things comes from. Its very hard to tell from Facebook/Instagram but they make it look like the fretless necks are made in the USA when I think they are just defretted in the USA.
Click to expand...

Do you feel misled? The V1 is wholly manufactured in indonesia to our specs and design. The V2 is assembled here, as I stated previously. At some point we will be getting fretless necks (from the manufacturer.) Currently we are having to defret here. If you can, please point out in social media where it is said we make the necks here. I want to make sure that is not the case and correct if necessary. Also note that there are wholly US made Acinonyx V1 floating around out there. Necks and all.
 
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#50
Johnny Alien said:
It looks like there will be no official response but I did a little research and it looks like the v1 pickups are made overseas as well. On the product page on the Nordstrand website (where they sell them separately) the sticker on the back of the pickups has product codes that look similar to how PRS SE pickups are marked. Since the PRS SE line and these bases are both made by Cort in Indonesia it's more than likely that the pickups come from the same source as well. So the V1 is entirely made overseas (including pickups and assembly) and for now the V2 are assembled in the USA with USA made pickups and pickguard. That is a pretty decent upgrade for the same price. (Which is not to say anything bad about the V1 pickups as they sound really really good).

I do wish that companies would be more upfront and honest about manufacturing. The price is very good regardless so it doesn't make sense to mislead buyers into where things comes from. Its very hard to tell from Facebook/Instagram but they make it look like the fretless necks are made in the USA when I think they are just defretted in the USA.
Click to expand...

Are these concerns deal makers/breakers for you on purchasing a Cat or are you simply curious?

I don't feel mislead about the Cat v1 or v2 in any way. I haven't seen anything making me think they are 100% USA made. They certainly aren't adding "Made in USA" stickers like Ric does. If I'd complain about anything in Nordstrand's promotion it is the description of the Tone Drop, which is really more confusing than misleading.
 
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#51
monsterthompson said:
Are these concerns deal makers/breakers for you on purchasing a Cat or are you simply curious?

I don't feel mislead about the Cat v1 or v2 in any way. I haven't seen anything making me think they are 100% USA made. They certainly aren't adding "Made in USA" stickers like Ric does. If I'd complain about anything in Nordstrand's promotion it is the description of the Tone Drop, which is really more confusing than misleading.
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Nothing I brought up is a concern and none of them would have prevented me from buying one. (I did buy one and I love it and none of this diminishes what it is). All I am asking for is transparency. I am not the only one in this thread that assumed that the pickups were made by Nordstrand in CA. That information is not disclosed anywhere on the website and its not far-fetched for people to assume that a pickup manufacturer made the pickups in that bass.
 
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#52
SoniaMara said:
Do you feel misled? The V1 is wholly manufactured in indonesia to our specs and design. The V2 is assembled here, as I stated previously. At some point we will be getting fretless necks (from the manufacturer.) Currently we are having to defret here. If you can, please point out in social media where it is said we make the necks here. I want to make sure that is not the case and correct if necessary. Also note that there are wholly US made Acinonyx V1 floating around out there. Necks and all.
Click to expand...

I won't say "misled" because I don't want to act like the company made any false declarations BUT I do think its unclear what is made where and it comes off as if some of that is intentional. As stated above I assumed that the pickups were made where all Nordstrand pickups were made and then shipped over to be assenbled. Lots of USA companies do that with their imports and the copy seems to indicate that they are made the way all Nordstrand pickups are. It just seems to be the new way companies want to do business. Be vague and let the consumers assume. I think the price is very fair for something that is 100% made overseas and I love my v1 bass so I am not implying that its somehow worse or worth less I just like more honest transparency than companies want to give these days.
 
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#53
Johnny Alien said:
I won't say "misled" because I don't want to act like the company made any false declarations BUT I do think its unclear what is made where and it comes off as if some of that is intentional. As stated above I assumed that the pickups were made where all Nordstrand pickups were made and then shipped over to be assenbled. Lots of USA companies do that with their imports and the copy seems to indicate that they are made the way all Nordstrand pickups are. It just seems to be the new way companies want to do business. Be vague and let the consumers assume. I think the price is very fair for something that is 100% made overseas and I love my v1 bass so I am not implying that its somehow worse or worth less I just like more honest transparency than companies want to give these days.
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I agree - if the "mother company" is responsible and fair as far at treatment/paying non-US sources, why not make that clear. I happen to like products made in Korea, as the quality is good and the price fair. Indonesian is getting to that point, but China is still hit or miss. Make it clear who's making what so consumers know where their products are being sourced.
 
#57
SoniaMara said:
So Carey Nordstrand began his career as a luthier. Building basses turned into designing pickups. That took over the business almost exclusively. In came the Goya Panther, courtesy of Juan Alderete (Racer X, Mars Volta) and it inspired the Ah SIN Ah Nix. They are manufactured in Indonesia and the V2 basses are assembled here in Redlands, CA.
Click to expand...
I just bought a V2 ! This video helped push me into the shopping cart.
 

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