Official Nordstrand Acinonyx Cat bass club

Gnarly! Are those...switches on the left side of the body? I thought they were thumb-bars at first glance.

 

A bit of a coincidence, mine showed up yesterday too, and I’m also in Portland. I was pleasantly surprised by the tone, I was expecting it to sound good, but it actually sounds great! Here are Syd and Rosie hanging with the new cat on the block.

 

I’m in. Yeah mines light and small too. Easy to play and just sounds killer on all settings

 

How does it sound after the string change?

 

Does anyone know the bridge string spacing? I know these are more on the narrow side.

Edit: I should read things first. Nordstrand website says its 17mm.

 

Blend-o-matic switching!

Riis

 

Thoughts on the nut width? I love a lot of the features this bass has but I'm used to wider nuts, 1.4 inch seems real small

 

Plays great, I'm 6'4" with basketball palming hands. If you play shortscales it's a breeze. If you don't just take a couple of minutes and it just falls into place

 

These are gorgeous basses - love the vibe, just not sure I can justify a third new shortie in 6 months! Very tempted, though.

Are these slab bodies?

 

I got two shortys in two weeks, YOU CAN DO IT!

Yes they are but with rolled edges, super comfortable body

 

Thanks for the info!

Haha, if we were gigging at the rate we hoped to this year, I could maybe justify it. With none on the horizon, it's a bit tougher (at least until I sell off some gear). Might have to wait until the second batch hit the UK.

 

I was lucky and had the funds before all this hit. It's wife approved as well, again I'm lucky

 

Not sure if it’s ok to post this here, but I just received my Acinonyx and took the D’Addario round wound strings off of it. They have absolutely no play time as I took them off as soon as I received it. If anyone is interested in an extra set of strings, PM me.

 

I've 'unboxed' a few basses in my time but I have to say there was a fair bit of anticipation when my box arrived complete with an 'Unleash The Cat' sticker. Inside was a Sea-Foam Green, Acinonyx (ah-SIN-uh-nix)Bass, nicely packed and enclosed in a Gator gig-bag - custom Acinonyx gig bags should be available later this year.

First impressions of the bass are very good: this is an extremely well made and well set-up bass. The sort of issues you might expect on a US designed, Indonesian-made bass; rough fret edges, untidy wiring, poor set-up, are not found on this bass! The bass feels great and of course the 30.8" scale immediately has you flying all over the neck with ease!

The tuning machine/ headstock layout of 1:3 might give some folks some pause thought (it did for me!), but it addresses issues that the 60s bass this is based on, the Goya Panther, had. IMHO it add to the 'vibe' of the bass and looks cool (I've always been a fan of reverse headstocks!). Tuning on the Cat/Acinonyx is precise and easy.

Sound-wise there's something for everyone here. Circuit is very quiet and hum-free. With button selectors for p-ups and tone selection is precise and easy to get on top of. It may also be a little 'quirky' for some, but is completely appropriate for this bass's personality! There a some good clips available if you search on YouTube. Here's one for starters:



Weight-wise the bass feels light (but solid). The advertised weight is 6lbs, so ideal for a smaller bassist or anyone with back-issues and the like. (This one was purchased with my 13 y.o. son in mind but I think I'll be keeping it!)

The only two constructive comments I have for the bass are cosmetic: the custom-made Hipshot bridge has a brushed/cast type finish. IMHO this would be nicer in polished chrome - of course that would increase the price point. Also the 'chicken knob' for the volume pot is quite 'plasticky'; again a price point issue, but it doesn't match the solid, quality feel of the rest of the switching. I'll be 'upgrading' the knob in the not too distant.

In summary, a really great bass at a great price - first batch pricing was $799.

If you've been thinking about buying this bass but haven't yet 'pushed the button' (pun-intended) I'd recommend you get an order in for the next production run. (I say that, as at this time I think there are only a very few of the current run available - and limited colors.)




Underneath the pickguard: tidy wiring, chambering and closer look at the custom Hipshot bridge. The wood piece in the 1 o'clock position is the 'NordyMute' which comes with the bass. Switching and P-ups mount to the pickguard.



My cat checking out my Cat!

 

I concur with all of this, it's an incredible bass

 

I need to look for my mute...good thing the box is still sitting there