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PROJECT BUILD: Musicman Cutlass Tribute

rojo412

rojo412

Sit down, Danny...
Supporting Member
Feb 26, 2000
10,914
15,078
46
Cleveland, OH.
#1
For many a year, I've lusted after a Musicman Cutlass I. They are pretty much the marriage of 2 things I adore: Musicman and Graphite.
The prices and rarity, however, have made that less than favorable for me to acquire. So I kinda toyed with the idea of essentially building one. There are a number of necks available and I can find a Stingray with relative ease, so I figured that was my best bet... Find a neck, find a bass, make it happen.

Well, while chatting with my homeboy, handofseven, he mentioned that his Status neck was going to be available soon. That was my cue to start the ball rolling...

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I put a WANT ad on the TB classifieds and it didn't take long for a reply. REV contacted me about his MM SUB4 that wasn't getting much action. We worked out a deal and I bought that from him...

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The ball is now rolling! The bass is on the way and I have to get paid in about a week to make the neck appear. But I am absolutely stoked to get this project going!

The finished product will basically best be described as a CUTLASS I TRIBUTE.
While it won't share a few things that the originals did (mute bridge, Modulus neck, body wood), it will certainly give it a run for its money (Status neck with relief rod, 6-bolt attachment).
I have a pre-eb clone preamp waiting to be installed, I love the tone of the stock SUB pickups (alnico), it has a non-contour body like the original, and let's face it... an all black bass will be pretty bad ass.

So... I'm posting this to keep me sane while I patiently await things to materialize. I'll post progress pics, too. And if you have any suggestions, feel free to share.
 
#4
rojo412 said:
For many a year, I've lusted after a Musicman Cutlass I. They are pretty much the marriage of 2 things I adore: Musicman and Graphite.
The prices and rarity, however, have made that less than favorable for me to acquire. So I kinda toyed with the idea of essentially building one. There are a number of necks available and I can find a Stingray with relative ease, so I figured that was my best bet... Find a neck, find a bass, make it happen.

Well, while chatting with my homeboy, handofseven, he mentioned that his Status neck was going to be available soon. That was my cue to start the ball rolling...

View attachment 455170

I put a WANT ad on the TB classifieds and it didn't take long for a reply. REV contacted me about his MM SUB4 that wasn't getting much action. We worked out a deal and I bought that from him...

View attachment 455171

I have a pre-eb clone preamp waiting to be installed, I love the tone of the stock SUB pickups (alnico), it has a non-contour body like the original, and let's face it... an all black bass will be pretty bad ass.
Click to expand...

This sounds cool, but you may be able to save yourself some money. Unless that Sub has passive electronics the EQ will be the same essentially as a post 1979 pre EB (so the same as a Cutlass 1). The body wood is poplar so essentially a slightly smoother delivery than ash but still with all the classic sounds and the benefit of a better neck joint.

Best of luck - sounds like you'll have a killer bass there.
 
#5
Well, here's the thing... I'm definitely trying to keep the out of pocket cost down on this.
I already have the clone preamp and have been itching to use it... and the OEM SUB preamp is worth more on the open market. So essentially, I'm just making it harder for myself by removing the original pre and selling it to improve the bottom line... but what is a project without some challenges?!?!

I have a SUB5 that's all stock, as well as a 93 2 band SR4, so I know the preamps are on equal playing fields. I bought the clone cheap and would like to hear it in action, so what better way than to utilize it here?
 
#6
Your bass - your choice. However if you keep the stock equipment those original US Subs are going for nearly the price they were new in the UK so keeping the option to sell it as original later may be a good move. What is the pre amp you've bought, out of interest? Both the Nordstrand and also the East version have good reviews,
 
#7
The one I got was one of the "Build your own clone" ones, designed on TB by Uncle Fluffy (I believe). Someone else built it. I bought it here on the cheap. They have been getting great reviews, no one has had any issues and they apparently sound identical. I couldn't resist it for the price.
The only way I could make this bass happen was to get rid of everything I don't need to keep. In other words, it'll never be stock again. The pre, the neck, both going as soon as the project gets finished. I had to do that to convince the wife that we can afford it.
If all works out, this will fit right into my budget!
 
#8
I got some teaser pics from handofseven. They are too nice to keep to myself...

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As we can see, the neck is currently set up for 3 bolt. I've gotta make it a 6 bolt, so that's 4 new holes. I doubt it will line up with the "rear" doweled holes, but that's okay... I get to drill into some virgin territory. And I'll get this looking great before I mount it, which is silly for an area that never gets seen. But I always like to make things more complicated when I can :smug:
 
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#9
So the neck arrived today, packed like a fine piece of crystal. I opened it at work and just stared deep into that sweet carbon weave. Pictures can't even do the 3D justice, it is prismatic.
But I'll gladly try my best...

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Now if you're like me, you like a phenolic fingerboard because it's durable, elegant, and it defines just how dark a board can get. And you'd also like when they are polished to a near-mirror finish. BONUS: if you decide later that you aren't like me, you can easily make it matte again.
But I digress, I absolutely LOVE a shiny board. In my experience, MOTHER'S BILLET POLISH makes a pheno board shine with minimal effort. It polishes the frets, as well as the board surface. And the more you do it, the more it shines.

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Tuesday can't come fast enough... I'm so ready to make this a whole bass.
 
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Reactions: GMC, Nobody and handofseven
#11
Looking great! Sounds like you're onto a winner there. I've played a couple of Rays with Status necks (Status basses have been my main players professionally for 25 years) and they really do sound great. There's an extra dimension to the instrument with the graphite "shimmer" within the sound. It'll be hard to put down when it's finished.
 
#18
Graphite tends to DRASTICALLY change the sound. For example, the Status I currently have was quite similar to one I had just before it, but that one was wood necked. The graphite one has a lot more clarity and "ping", for lack of a better word.
EQ can make all kinds of difference in either, but I'll have a better shot to compare more details when I get the bass done. I have another SUB that is rosewood/maple necked and 2 band as well. I'll definitely be able to elaborate in about 30+ hours, though!

And in non-tone related news, I know I'm not going to be happy with this:

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Some people like the diamond plate, but I'm not one of them. To keep costs down, as well as for experimentation, I'm going to spray it an almost flat black (satin). I figure it would keep the budget in line, look better, and if it doesn't work, I can just buy another PG.
I will be countersinking the screw holes and replacing them with black screws, to keep it looking dark.
If I could find a sheet of carbon fiber plate at a decent price, though, I'd love to make a PG to match the neck.
 
#20
I missed out on one that someone here made and it was $10... but that was years ago.

I was going to make one myself, if needed, because I didn't need to spend $100+ for a custom made pickguard. Of course, plain CF sheets 12x12 are almost $50 alone, so that's not terribly promising. If I got a thiner sheet and a clear guard, that may actually work okay as well and for less money.
On the plus side, I just test painted an old, broken Jazz PG with the Fusion paint. It looks AWESOME. The texture of the diamond plate, mixed with the satin black, may actually look pretty good with the carbon neck. I'll know that tomorrow or Wednesday.
 

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