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Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
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Playability
70
Sound
76
Build
83
Value
61
Score
76
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Playability
65
Sound
74
Build
80
Value
63
Score
73
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Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass vs Sabre Guitar HH Trem Specs Comparison
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass Sabre Guitar HH Trem
General
Brand: Music Man Music Man
Year: 2020 2020
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 7 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Jason Richardson Sabre
Colors: Red, Natural Burst Brown Burst, Blue Burst, Orange, Red Burst, Green Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Okoume
Bridge: Custom Music Man floating tremolo Music Man Modern Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Schaller M6-IND locking Schaller M6-IND locking
Fretboard: Ebony Figured Roasted Maple
Neck Material: Figured Roasted Maple Figured roasted maple neck
Decoration: Dot Inlay 1/4 Black Dot Inlay
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Jason Richardson Sabre
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 15" 10"
Nut: Compensated Compensated
Nut Width: 47.6mm (1.875'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Gold Black
Show Diagrams Comparison
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass's switch options
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's switch options

Reasons to Get
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass over Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Neck Profile
Jason Richardson vs Sabre
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Strings
7 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.875'' (47.6mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem over Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass

Number of Frets
22 vs 24
Warmer neck pickup
Neck Profile
Sabre vs Jason Richardson
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Strings
6 vs 7
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.875'' (47.6mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
63 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass vs Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Body Wood
Alder vs Okoume
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Figured Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
5-2 vs 4-2
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass vs Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Bridge Pickup
Music Man Custom Humbucker
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Music Man Custom Humbucker
Same Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Figured Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Compensated
Same Nut Material
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Decorative Top
Buckeye Burl vs Flame Maple
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass Prices

    SET PRICE ALERT

    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Prices

    SET PRICE ALERT

    These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Hand Size Comfortability

    After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands

    Beginner Friendliness

    Both meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

    New Player Friendliness

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Locking tuners
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale

    New Player Friendliness

    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Locking tuners
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale

    Sound Quality Comparison

    The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

    Woods Used in Both

    Figured Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
    Figured Maple

    This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

    Woods Used in the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass

    Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
    Ebony
    Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
    Alder

    Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

    Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

    Woods Used in the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem

    Okoume wood pattern used for guitar building
    Okoume

    Okoume is an affordable wood and one of the first to replace Mahogany when the prohibitions started. It's generally softer than Mahogany and the tone has warmer lows.

    Winner: Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass.

    Pickup Configuration

    Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

    Pickups Quality

    Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

    However, the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

    Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

    Winner: Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem.

    Versatility Comparison

    Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

    Switch Options

    The Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem gives you 5 switch options while the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass gives you 3. This means that the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

    Only the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

    Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

    When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

    Winner: Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
    Pickups 85
    Sustain 65
    Versatility 79
    Tuning Stability 75
    Sound 76
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
    Pickups 90
    Sustain 65
    Versatility 67
    Tuning Stability 75
    Sound 74

    Build Quality Comparison

    When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass compares to the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem.

    Country of Origin

    The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

    The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

    Winner: Tie

    Nut Material

    If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

    In this case, both have Compensated nuts. Each hole where the string sits at the nut is cut at a different distance from the bridge, which compensates for the different amount of tension that each string is subject to. This fixes most intonation issues across the fretboard, so it gives great tuning stability.

    Fret Material

    Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

    Both in this comparison come with stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

    Winner: Tie.

    Bridge

    The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

    Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

    Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

    Winner: Tie.

    Tuners

    They both have locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

    Winner: Tie.

    Neck Joint

    Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

    Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

    Winner: Tie.

    Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
    • Stainless Steel Frets
    • Locking Tuners
    • Made in United States
    • Expensive Wood
    • Compensated Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Coil Split Pickups
    • Tremolo
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Weight Relief
    • No Luminescent Inlay
    • No Compound Radius Fretboard
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Strap Lock
    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
    • Stainless Steel Frets
    • Locking Tuners
    • Made in United States
    • Expensive Wood
    • Compensated Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Tremolo
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
    • No Weight Relief
    • No Luminescent Inlay
    • No Compound Radius Fretboard
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Strap Lock

    Final Build Quality Scores

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
    Quality of materials 80
    Features 70
    Quality Control 100
    Build Quality 83
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
    Quality of materials 80
    Features 65
    Quality Control 95
    Build Quality 80

    Playability Comparison

    Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

    Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

    Nut Width

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass Nut Width
    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass Nut Width
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Nut Width
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass has the wider nut with 47.6mm (1.875'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 4.6mm (0.182'') difference

    This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

    Scale Length

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass and Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's Scale Length
    Both have the same scale length

    The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

    In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

    This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

    However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

    Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

    Neck Profile

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass Neck Profile
    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass's neck profile
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Neck Profile
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's neck profile

    No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

    In this case, both have different neck shapes:

    The Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass has a D type of neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

    The Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

    Fretboard Radius

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass Fingerboard Radius
    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass's Fingerboard radius
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Fingerboard Radius
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's Fingerboard radius

    Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

    In this case, the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass.

    Fret Size

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass and Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Frets Size
    Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

    Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

    Final Playability Scores

    Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
    Chord Playability 60
    Solo Playability 80
    Playability 70
    Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
    Chord Playability 65
    Solo Playability 65
    Playability 65