Description
PRELOVED MUSIC MAN Jason Richardson Cutlass – Serial S09874
Excellent preloved condition. Modified with an ENGL Hardtailer tremolo blocking system.
This Ernie Ball Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass is a serious high-performance instrument built around the exact sort of playability, upper-fret access and electronics you'd expect from Jason Richardson's signature model.
Designed for modern technical playing, the Richardson Cutlass combines a 25.5-inch scale, 15-inch fingerboard radius, 24 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets, roasted figured maple neck and a deeply contoured lower horn that makes the very top of the fingerboard genuinely accessible.
This particular guitar is in excellent preloved condition and carries serial number S09874. It has also been fitted with an ENGL Hardtailer in the rear tremolo cavity, giving the floating Music Man tremolo an additional dive-only option when the Hardtailer is engaged.
The Jason Richardson Signature Cutlass
The Jason Richardson Cutlass takes the familiar Music Man double-cutaway idea and pushes it firmly into modern high-performance territory.
The body shape is heavily refined around access and balance, with a specially contoured lower horn designed to make all 24 stainless steel frets easy to reach. The roasted figured maple neck uses a shallow, fast-playing carve and a flatter 15-inch radius, so the guitar feels purpose-built for quick position changes, wide bends and technical lead work.
It's a premium Ernie Ball Music Man artist model rather than the Sterling by Music Man version, with the USA-made construction, hardware and electronics associated with the full Music Man line.
Custom Music Man Humbuckers
The Richardson Cutlass uses a pair of custom Music Man humbuckers designed to cover the aggressive rhythm sound and clear top-end response required for Jason Richardson's playing style.
The basic layout stays refreshingly simple:
- Bridge humbucker
- Bridge and neck humbuckers together
- Neck humbucker
A three-way selector handles the pickup selection, but the push/push controls add considerably more range than the simple layout initially suggests.
Push/Push Boost and Coil Split
The guitar features Music Man's active preamp, with a push/push Volume control that engages a gain boost for instantly pushing the front end of an amp harder.
The push/push Tone control provides pickup coil splitting, opening up brighter, leaner sounds when you want more definition or less output than the full humbuckers provide.
That combination makes the Richardson Cutlass much more versatile than a guitar built purely around high-gain playing. It can move from tight rhythm tones and saturated lead sounds into cleaner, more articulate textures without needing a complicated control layout.
ENGL Hardtailer Modification
This guitar has been fitted with an ENGL Hardtailer tremolo blocking system in the rear tremolo cavity.
The Hardtailer gives the floating tremolo an extra operating option. When engaged, it prevents the bridge from pulling sharp and effectively converts the tremolo to dive-only operation. The tremolo can still move downward normally, but upward travel is blocked.
This can be particularly useful for:
- Drop tuning without the rest of the strings immediately shifting out of tune
- Keeping the guitar more stable if a string breaks
- Making string changes easier on a floating tremolo
- Players who want dive-bomb capability without needing the bridge to pull sharp
The Hardtailer can also be released, allowing the Music Man tremolo to return to its normal floating operation.
Please note: the ENGL Hardtailer is an aftermarket addition and is not part of the original factory specification of the Jason Richardson Cutlass.
Roasted Maple Neck and Stainless Steel Frets
The figured roasted maple neck is a major part of what makes these guitars feel so good.
Music Man combines the roasted neck with a hand-rubbed gunstock oil and wax finish rather than a thick gloss coating, giving the back of the neck a smooth, natural feel under the hand.
You also get 24 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets. Stainless frets are extremely resistant to wear and provide a smooth surface for bending, while the 15-inch radius keeps the fingerboard feeling modern and relatively flat.
The sculpted five-bolt neck joint and extended lower cutaway help make the highest frets much easier to reach than on a more traditional double-cutaway design.
Floating Music Man Tremolo and Locking Tuners
The original Music Man floating tremolo remains fitted to the guitar, now working in conjunction with the added ENGL Hardtailer.
At the headstock you'll find Schaller M6-IND locking tuners, helping make restringing quicker and keeping the tuning setup tidy and dependable.
The result is a guitar that still offers the expressive range of a floating tremolo when required, but with the added option of quickly changing the bridge behaviour using the Hardtailer.
Condition
This example is in excellent preloved condition.
- Serial number: S09874
- Excellent overall cosmetic condition
- ENGL Hardtailer installed in the rear tremolo cavity
- Original Music Man floating tremolo retained
- Only minor signs of normal previous use expected on a preloved instrument
Please refer closely to our photos, which form part of the condition description for this actual guitar.
Key Features & Specifications
- Ernie Ball Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass
- Jason Richardson signature model
- Serial number S09874
- 25.5-inch scale length
- 15-inch fingerboard radius
- Figured roasted maple neck
- Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed wax neck finish
- 24 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets
- Custom contoured lower horn for high-fret access
- 5-bolt sculpted neck joint
- Dual custom Music Man humbuckers
- 3-way pickup selector
- Custom Music Man active preamp
- Push/push Volume control with gain boost
- Push/push Tone control with coil split
- Music Man floating tremolo
- Schaller M6-IND locking tuners
- Aftermarket ENGL Hardtailer tremolo blocking system
- Hardtailer allows switchable dive-only tremolo operation
- Excellent preloved condition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the Ernie Ball Music Man or Sterling version?
This is the Ernie Ball Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass, not the lower-priced Sterling by Music Man version.
What is the serial number?
The serial number of this actual guitar is S09874.
What does the ENGL Hardtailer do?
When engaged, the ENGL Hardtailer prevents the floating tremolo from pulling upward, effectively converting it to dive-only operation. This can make drop tuning, string changes and dealing with a broken string much easier on a floating bridge.
Is the tremolo permanently converted to a hardtail?
No. The original Music Man floating tremolo is still fitted. The Hardtailer can be engaged for dive-only operation or released so the tremolo can function as a normal floating system.
Does the Jason Richardson Cutlass have stainless steel frets?
Yes. The model uses 24 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets, paired with a relatively flat 15-inch fingerboard radius for modern playability.
Does it have a coil split?
Yes. The push/push Tone control provides coil splitting, while the push/push Volume control activates the onboard gain boost.
What condition is this guitar in?
We'd describe it as being in excellent preloved condition. The main non-original feature is the ENGL Hardtailer installed in the rear tremolo cavity. Please check the photos for the cosmetic condition of the actual guitar.
This PRELOVED Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass is a serious option for players looking for a premium modern guitar with fast playability, versatile active electronics and the added practicality of the ENGL Hardtailer tremolo system.
Visit us at Colemans Music in South Melbourne to check it out, or shop online with Fast Shipping Aus Wide. A place for players — new, used, traded, upgraded.
