Cyclone II on SF Craigslist

[damienblair17]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/2694385615.html

$450 seems very middle-of-the-roadish, but I've never seen one local before. Kinda wish I could afford it. Looks nice.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I've always liked those. I hardly ever see them come up for sale either. I've never seen a used one locally. Ever. I think people who have 'em tend to want to hold on to 'em. I'd love to see Fender put those back into production again.

[Dannymec]

I think people who have 'em tend to want to hold on to 'em. I'd love to see Fender put those back into production again.

TRUTH.

[MMPicker]

I was initially intrigued by this model when I first read about it, but later I read that they weigh a ton.
If I bought one I'd probably look into changing to a strat-type slider selector switch.

[BillClay]

If I bought one I'd probably look into changing to a strat-type slider selector switch.

Come on bro!?!?!

[dots]

do want so bad!

[westtexasred]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/2694385615.html

$450 seems very middle-of-the-roadish, but I've never seen one local before. Kinda wish I could afford it. Looks nice.

How much do they sell for on Ebay?

[BillClay]

^
450-600 maybe? That's what I seem to remember. Even though guitar in question is on the low end of the ebay spectrum, I wouldn't call it a great deal.

Still totally want though.

[MMPicker]

And the other knock I've read is that it is a solid sheet of treble. I've actually read this from more than one source, but here is a prior post on this forum:

"It's like there's no rythm setting at all. All the pickup configs produce variations of different bridge type sounds. The brige sounds almost Telecaster-y, the mid sounds like a strat brige and the neck sounds like a Jaguar bridge. For me, this is all pretty cool, but I can see how it would frustrate others. Nother thing is that the body (alder) a good half inch thicker than that of a mustang, so it's pertty heavy, even by mexican standards. "

[Pens]

And the other knock I've read is that it is a solid sheet of treble. I've actually read this from more than one source, but here is a prior post on this forum:

"It's like there's no rythm setting at all. All the pickup configs produce variations of different bridge type sounds. The brige sounds almost Telecaster-y, the mid sounds like a strat brige and the neck sounds like a Jaguar bridge. For me, this is all pretty cool, but I can see how it would frustrate others. Nother thing is that the body (alder) a good half inch thicker than that of a mustang, so it's pertty heavy, even by mexican standards. "

Uh.

There's no possible way the neck sounds like a Jag bridge. It's just not possible due to where the string is over the pickup.

This sounds really made up to me. Except the part about the thickness, that's true.

[MMPicker]

This sounds really made up to me.

I don't know him, but shortscale forum member laterallateral posted this here in Nov 2008. He posted he owned the guitar,if so he would be in a position to know what it sounds like, to him. Don't know if he owned a Jaguar, however. But I can't see how it would have advantaged him in any way to "make it up". Can you?

I agree the Jaguar comparison is improbable, but I would go with "mistaken" rather than "made up". But the important point I took away from his post is that for whatever reason the guitar sounds treble-heavy to him. And to another prior owner who posted elsewhere:

"cyclone II: i bought this, and sold it. pro:cool looks, slide switches, distinct sound. con: hummy, no bass. i sold it due to no bass response whatsoever"

I've no experience with the guitar myself, in part scared away by these comments frankly. Plus I don't want a very heavy guitar, after I replaced my Les Paul with a Musicmaster I realized there was no benefit to having that much weight hanging on me.

[MMPicker]

If I bought one I'd probably look into changing to a strat-type slider selector switch.

Come on bro!?!?!

What, you LIKE the idea of accidentally shutting yourself off when your hand brushes a slider switch down?? Or having to manipulate multiple different switches just to change pickups??
Well, I don't.

[Pens]

This sounds really made up to me.

I don't know him, but shortscale forum member laterallateral posted this here in Nov 2008. He posted he owned the guitar,if so he would be in a position to know what it sounds like, to him. Don't know if he owned a Jaguar, however. But I can't see how it would have advantaged him in any way to "make it up". Can you?

I agree the Jaguar comparison is improbable, but I would go with "mistaken" rather than "made up". But the important point I took away from his post is that for whatever reason the guitar sounds treble-heavy to him. And to another prior owner who posted elsewhere:

"cyclone II: i bought this, and sold it. pro:cool looks, slide switches, distinct sound. con: hummy, no bass. i sold it due to no bass response whatsoever"

I've no experience with the guitar myself, in part scared away by these comments frankly. Plus I don't want a very heavy guitar, after I replaced my Les Paul with a Musicmaster I realized there was no benefit to having that much weight hanging on me.

Well, no offense to latlat (part of teh trio with me and Ends in all looking like long lost cousins), but there just doesn't seem to be any way a pickup could sound like that in the neck position. It has AVRI American Jag pickups in it, and we all know what those sound like in the neck position. Guitars sound different but this one isn't that radical of a departure from a Strat pickup configuration.

I'd bet that most of the treble response could be resolved by lowering the value of the pots, and using thicker strings. A local musician bought a Mustang and then sold it saying it had zero bass response, which completely baffles me.

[Dannymec]

The pickups are great, no complaints there. I can see how he thought there wasn't enough bass response, but I never noticed that the tone was lacking.

Also, these have Poplar bodies. They are heavy, but not as bad as a Les Paul. Mine weighs 8.6 pounds. My jazz bass (basswood) weighs 8.4.

[laterallateral]

This sounds really made up to me.

I don't know him, but shortscale forum member laterallateral posted this here in Nov 2008. He posted he owned the guitar,if so he would be in a position to know what it sounds like, to him. Don't know if he owned a Jaguar, however. But I can't see how it would have advantaged him in any way to "make it up". Can you?

I agree the Jaguar comparison is improbable, but I would go with "mistaken" rather than "made up". But the important point I took away from his post is that for whatever reason the guitar sounds treble-heavy to him. And to another prior owner who posted elsewhere:

"cyclone II: i bought this, and sold it. pro:cool looks, slide switches, distinct sound. con: hummy, no bass. i sold it due to no bass response whatsoever"

I've no experience with the guitar myself, in part scared away by these comments frankly. Plus I don't want a very heavy guitar, after I replaced my Les Paul with a Musicmaster I realized there was no benefit to having that much weight hanging on me.

Well, no offense to latlat (part of teh trio with me and Ends in all looking like long lost cousins), but there just doesn't seem to be any way a pickup could sound like that in the neck position. It has AVRI American Jag pickups in it, and we all know what those sound like in the neck position. Guitars sound different but this one isn't that radical of a departure from a Strat pickup configuration.

I'd bet that most of the treble response could be resolved by lowering the value of the pots, and using thicker strings. A local musician bought a Mustang and then sold it saying it had zero bass response, which completely baffles me.

I suppose the guitar's overall trebliness could be attributable to the pot values, yes. I never modified this guitar in any way so wether or not it is, is anyone's guess. I stick to my description to the extent that this is indeed a very trebly guitar and retract my statement about the neck pickup having 0 neck pickup sounding qualities. It obviously does but in my opinion, only in comparison to the other positions. What I'm saying is that the neck position on this guitar could easily be mistaken for a bridge position on some other guitar, dig?

This here video illustrates this rather accurately (at least with the clean). Note that this is actually the exact guitar my above stated review was based on:

[youtube][/youtube]

[Pens]

Okay, that's a good demo. And I dunno, the neck position sounds like the stock neck pickup on my MIJ jag. I have never heard another guitar sound that dark in the bridge position, but then it's all relative innit?

[Bacchus]

Love these.

[taylornutt]

I have always been really fond of these Cyclone guitars. The colors and competition stripes are awesome. Unfortunately the placement of the pickup switches was very ugly and not very functional. I have never accidentally hit the pickup switches on my Jaguars, but I am worried about hitting these switches. If I ever can get on of these, I would love to cut a new pickguard with a different switch placement or an entirely new switch plate design.

[Dannymec]

I have always been really fond of these Cyclone guitars. The colors and competition stripes are awesome. Unfortunately the placement of the pickup switches was very ugly and not very functional. I have never accidentally hit the pickup switches on my Jaguars, but I am worried about hitting these switches. If I ever can get on of these, I would love to cut a new pickguard with a different switch placement or an entirely new switch plate design.

I wouldn't worry about that. You won't hit them.

[Ankhanu]

I have always been really fond of these Cyclone guitars. The colors and competition stripes are awesome. Unfortunately the placement of the pickup switches was very ugly and not very functional. I have never accidentally hit the pickup switches on my Jaguars, but I am worried about hitting these switches. If I ever can get on of these, I would love to cut a new pickguard with a different switch placement or an entirely new switch plate design.

I wouldn't worry about that. You won't hit them.

And if you're really worried, pop some spacers on the screws under the plate, shorten the amount of switch sticking out of the plate (like on the Pawn Shop Mustang).