• Sterling By Music Man Mariposa + Cutlass CT50HSS
TWO STUNNING NEW STERLINGS THAT SHOW JUST HOW MUCH THE GAP BETWEEN ENTRY LEVEL AND FLAGSHIP GUITARS HAVE NARROWED.
Two new models recently introduced by Sterling by Music Man – the Mariposa and Cutlass CT50HSS – show just how much the gap between entry level and flagship guitars have narrowed in recent years. Both instruments are close enough to their Music Man equivalents to fool most audiences and players.
The Sterling by Music Man Mariposa features the same compact, angular body style of the Music Man model designed by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, and the Sterling Cutlass CT50HSS is the equivalent of the Music Man Cutlass RS HSS, featuring a humbucker/ single/single pickup configuration and Strat-like asymmetrical double-cutaway shape.
The necks are crafted from roasted maple and provide a 25.5-inch scale, 12-inch radius, 22 medium frets and 1.65-inch nut width. The necks are solidly attached to the body with five bolts at a smoothly sculpted heel, and the oversized Four-by-two headstocks are equipped with locking tuners.
The main differences are that the Mariposa’s neck has a rosewood fingerboard with white pearloid block inlays and the headstock is painted to match the body, while the Cutlass CT50HSS has either a rosewood or roasted maple fingerboard both with dot markers and the headstock is not painted. Both models also include a vintage-style tremolo.
The Cutlass has a poplar body. The neck and middle single-coil pickups and bridge humbucker are Sterling by Music Man’s own designs, wired to master volume and master tone controls and a five-position blade pickup selector switch that provides bridge, bridge/ middle, middle, neck/middle and neck settings.
The Mariposa’s body is crafted from nyatoh. The pair of custom artist humbuckers have chrome-plated covers, and the electronic circuit features individual volume controls for each pickup and a three-way toggle pickup switch. Although the Sterling versions here may not look quite as fancy as their Music Man counterparts to the trained eye, most players would not be able to tell the difference in feel and playability in a blindfolded comparison. Both have a smooth, fast playability and solid feel, and the attention to detail throughout the entire construction is impressive.
Both models have traditional nuts instead of the compensated nuts found on their Music Man counterparts, so the intonation, while excellent, isn’t quite as meticulously dialled in. While they’re made from different tonewoods than their Music Man equivalents, which are built from okoume and alder, respectively, they sound surprisingly similar as well. The Sterling Mariposa is slightly more aggressive and raw. The midrange is remarkably clear, providing outstanding clarity and definition whether played clean or with highly saturated distortion.
The Cutlass provides an attractive balance between harmonically rich humbucker and spanky, percussive single-coil tones with a sparkly-butfull-bodied treble. Both instruments have a ton of distinctive character, standing far above most competing solidbodies in their class.
VERDICT
The Sterling Mariposa and Cutlass CT50HSS are outstanding, versatile instruments that far outperform their surprising affordability.
PROS
Both models feature necks crafted from roasted maple that provides the lively tone and strength of a vintage, aged neck.
CONS
None.
CONTACT
CMC Music
Ph: (02) 9905 2511 Web: cmcmusic.com.au