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Comparing the Cutlass HT to Stratocaster

JD003 said:
lol Point taken. I'll post some pics this evening.

Sorry, sounds like describing my line of sight was confusing.. Looking at the back of the bridge, the left side (bass strings) is raised up. The right side (treble strings) is touching the body. Thank you for commenting on this. I just learned how to set the tremolo on my JP thanks to a great video interview that Johns tech, Maddie did.

My first thought was "I know what to do." Then I thought better.
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OK, that's what I thought you meant. That definitely doesn't sound right - the trem should be flush to the body across its width. Are the posts level with each other and the same height above the guitar top? Or is the bass side post up too high? If they're level, then it sounds like the trem is hung up on something on the bass side. Otherwise, maybe screw the bass side post down until it's level with the treble side post, and that should bring the trem flush.
 
jayjayjay said:
Are the posts level with each other and the same height above the guitar top? Or is the bass side post up too high? If they're level, then it sounds like the trem is hung up on something on the bass side. Otherwise, maybe screw the bass side post down until it's level with the treble side post, and that should bring the trem flush.
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Not sure if you can tell by this picture. If I level the guitar out and look from the heel using the pick guard as a plane the bass post is definitely higher.

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I have a Cutlass HT in the SSS configuration. They are literally the best single coil pickups I've ever heard. I've been blown away by it for a couple months now. Just phenomenal in every possibly way. The only other single coil pickups that I think sound as good are the EMG single coils in the Luke II guitars. Very different tones than the EMG's. The Cutlass is really getting played a lot.
 
Had a to chance to really play this morning. Put some time into it. Pretty much blown away. I've been worrying to much about this. Probably because I dropped some cash on a hunch. :oops: Last couple of days I thought maybe I'd even take it to the local guitar store and actually compare it to a Strat. side by side.

No Need! Not even going to waste my time. I couldn't be happier with what I'm hearing. Love my JP but I wanted the option of the sparkle and spank of a single coil. I can't speak to the difference between the Cutlass and the Cutlass HT. But this guitar sounds amazing. All the spank you'd ever want and more. A very wide frequency spectrum. Clarity! Very responsive to minor EQ tweaks. The boost is nuts!! I'm sure I'm overusing it but it's hard not to. It sounds to me like it's doing more than just a db boost. It's boosting all the right stuff and none of the wrong. lol What do I know, it sounds amazing that's all I care about.

The big surprise to me is how well it performs on high gain stuff. A little noisier than the JP on high gain but it has a character all its own. It stands out!!!

Love this guitar. So cool! Plays like a dream.

I questioned the finish of the Showtime earlier in this thread. Wasn't sure if I really liked it or not. It's so different from anything I've ever seen. I'm over that. I've been leaving it out in places when I'm not playing so I can keep an eye on it. On a stand in the living room. Beside the TV while I was watching. Laid out on the bed spread while I was getting ready for work one morning. I even moved it into the dining room for a while. Just kept looking at it everywhere I'd go in the house. Enjoying it more and more. This morning when I pulled it out of the case, I thought "OK, you win, you're beautiful, my hearts is yours." I know I know, a little dramatic.

I've heard several times recently as I've chased tone. Don't concern yourself with what somebody else plays or plays through. Find what you sound good on. What you like. The Cutlass HT is a huge piece of that puzzle. Props Music Man!!
 
DrKev said:
The bridge mounting posts can be adjusted to level the bridge. Not a problem
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Glad to hear DrKev, thanks. I ordered the official EBMM Tool kit yesterday in case I took a run at correcting this. I needed it anyway. I checked the intonation this morning closely. It's nearly spot on. The G string needs a tweak. String heights seem to be right on for my tastes and the neck radius. I "think" that tells me somebody set this guitar up. I can't help but wonder how this got missed. Also wondering if when I level it up if "everything" will need re set. Saddle and string heights, intonation.... A little nervous about trying all that myself. Guess it's time to get in the game eh.
 
JD003 said:
. Also wondering if when I level it up if "everything" will need re set. Saddle and string heights, intonation.... A little nervous about trying all that myself. Guess it's time to get in the game eh
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It’s not a big deal. This is a guitar, it’s not rocket science. You got this! And we’re all here if you need any help. (y)
 
JD003 said:
Not sure if you can tell by this picture. If I level the guitar out and look from the heel using the pick guard as a plane the bass post is definitely higher.

View attachment 40793
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Music Man has very detailed and easy to follow instructions on their FAQ page on how to set the bridge up. They go into how to tweak the bridge for this issue (this bridge is not set up to those instructions). I used them to set up the used Cutlass RS HSS that I traded into a couple of years ago with great results.
 
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