Kiwi

It's like a public admission that Spector doesn't have enough faith in its own products. I'm sure Spector already know there are lots of jazz basses out there but, apart from taking advantage of any brand loyalty in current spector owners, I'm at a loss to understand where the added value is. Maybe the profit margins on these instruments are so good (with the uncomplicated hardware, popularity and relatively low construction costs) that manufacturers can't resist the temptation.

Good slogan! "Basschat - the kiss of life for old bastards."

Oh really?! No 1 after 'cutlass' on the headstock? Yours is one of the earliest by the sound of it. Out of interest do you know what the date on the neck is? The neck will have a series of three numbers handwritten in black marker under the finish. (Although supposedly made from 1980, I've yet to find a Cutlass that wasn't made in '83 or '84.)

[quote name='demanufacture' post='694628' date='Dec 28 2009, 01:56 AM']its cutlass 1 serial: B023151 action 3mm on E string on 12th fret. If I get it lower then i have terrible fretbuzz[/quote] All three of mine had the same issue. If you'd had an instrument that was capable of low action I would have been booking air tickets to Poland. Does the headstock say Cutlass or Cutlass 1?

Well, to compensate for my families lack of imagination, I went out yesterday and bought myself a Marantz Dolby 5.1 home theatre sound system (new for a ridiculous $1500) and a secondhand Mitsubishi LCD projector I spotted in a local pawn shop (a steal at NZ$800 when the new price was US$6500). All I need are a load of bean bags and Mission Set-Up-The-AV-Room will be complete! Whoop! I can't understand why a locally made leather lounge suite costs $5000 though, considering the price of the sound system. There's no logic in that from what I can see. The price of raw materials in NZ is pretty expensive, all things considered.

welcome to BC matey. I've owned three Cutlass basses, a couple of ones and a two. Whats the serial on yours and can you get low action on it? Any shots of it?

its hard to be certain because the book photo doesn't show the wood grain on the body very well. The wear pattern of that thumb anchoring point is a little different too. If its not the same bass, the similarities are still remarkable.

I have a headless Shuker 6 string bass and a headless Shuker guitar with Steinberger parts. I've never owned a headless Status bass, but I can assure you the balance thing is a bonus for 5+ string basses.

I was listening to some Police in the car the other day and, compared to Fields of Gold, his voice has deepened since those days. Hopefully as the result of some singing lessons. It sounds to me that his untrained voice sounds like the air escaping from a hot air balloon because thats where it was strongest. I can sing in the original key sometimes, I've got a fairly high singing voice but the range is pretty limited.

Used to be, and with good reason. Basses don't depreciate as much as cars. Now I'm not sure, because I've upgraded the car and the basses value on paper is a lot more too but whether someone out there would be prepared to pay the theoretical value is another matter.

I'd have a 5'er if thats what they're going for, but not as a main bass. Steal of a price though.

Ha ha, Marks voice sounds really good! He did well to hit those high notes. The Heathrow inspired fills and groove are nostalgic too. The video is obviously lip syncing but hell, who cares. Its the thought that counts. Merry Christmas Mark and Heather.

[quote name='René_Julien' post='683180' date='Dec 13 2009, 06:07 PM']How about the MB2-500?[/quote] Wossat?!

+1 my band were part of the Bedford's promo reel on Youtube for a while.

depends on what sound you want. If you are looking for a mellow and warm sound with growl, all mahogany is hard to beat. If you're looking for a singing tone with lots of sustain then I'd suggest hard maple. Fingerboard material is very important as well, maple stains, rosewood can be eaten by roundwounds so I guess that leaves ebony, pau ferro or phenolic if you want to use rounds. If you prefer flats then rosewood should be fine.

My Wizards for the Shuker are on their way over as I type. Looking forward so much to trying them out. Have a set of Delano SBCs if anyone is interested?

I gigged for a long time with a GK RB700 1x15 wedge combo. My ears loved it but my back didn't. I would go back to one in a heartbeat if they made lightweight versions.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='682001' date='Dec 12 2009, 11:23 AM']That's a fascinating instrument CK. Have you played it? That high-arched fingerboard looks like a bit of a monster to get used to ...[/quote] I played it acoustically as he was packing up after a gig at the time. The fingerboard was definitely different and the radius meant that someone who looked at their neck all night might find seeing the G string a bit of a challenge. It was a very versatile instrument though.