Possibly BOOGEX? @O
Nice, Dave. Sounds like the intonation is very good. Scuffham does a great job with Strat sounds. When you get around to messing with the tremolo, make sure you lube up the nut and balance the springs properly. Almost every guitar requires some tinkering to keep the tuning solid, and 90% of it is hangups at the nut. Since youāre in the trial phase you can put a little chopstick in the slots which could easily be wiped out if needed. Looks like a winner.
I would be very interested to hear more tips about getting the trem system in shapeā¦ Iāve played a couple more hours today and when Iāve used it, itās not in tune afterwards. The guitar came with two additional springs, which I assume are just replacements for whatās in there already in case they break.
Iām having trouble picturing how one puts a chopstick in thereā¦ could you elaborate on that??
Sorry, didnāt catch the typo. Chapstick. Chopstick would be for a Chinese axe. The nut probably is the culprit if it is going sharp. Loosen the strings and dab a little chapstick in there, then work the whammy a bit with the string still loose, then tune to pitch.
I changed the nut on my PRS SE to a teflon coated nut and can now divebomb no problem. Since you are new to the bar, you can use other tricks too, such as muting and stretching the strings that go sharp when there is a break in a passage. It becomes second nature after a while. If you keep the guitar, you can also use carbon from pencil shavings in the nut, but it will leave a black residue in there.
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The extra springs are for someone who likes a lot of tension on the tremolo. The piece holding the springs at the top is called the claw. If you want to kind of block the tremolo off, you can use all the springs and tighten the screws in the claw until there is very little give when you bend strings. Play an open low E and bend your G string without sounding it and listen to how much it flattens. The extra springs minimize that. Some of that can also be avoided by resting your palm on the bridge and giving it a little downward pressure while you play, which makes me wonder about that cover. Ernie Ball is supposed to have a great tremolo so I would YouTube all the tweaks and get familiar with the setup. For true whammy gymnastics you need a Floyd Rose locking setup, but thatās a whole different animal with itsā own inconveniences.
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Ahhh, chapstick, of course! Durrrr, I should have realized. But I read āa little chopstickā and was picturing some teeny piece of wood or somethingā¦! Yeah, rocket scientist, thatās meā¦
Thanks much for the trem info-- agreed, Iāve also read high praise of the EBMM trem system. Glad to know that tweaking is normal. Never having had one before, I wonāt be urgently needing it, just wanted to have one on one of my guitars.
Another feature of this guitar is a compensated nut, so I am reluctant to mess with it unless really necessary. Iāll take your advice and watch the Youtubes and learn what I can. Worst case, I can always bring it to my FNGS and ask them to show me the ropes-- some really good techs there.
Thanks again Bob!
Either the tube compressors or the voxformer.
- Thanks for the laugh of the dayā¦ have visions of Dave in Chinese hat trying to tweak a chopstick into his new guitarā¦
S
Hey folks-- after giving this Cutlass a thorough workout, Iāve decided itās a keeper. It has a spectacular feel, sounds great, looks mahhhhvelous, is cosmetically perfect in fit & finish, and is exactly what I was looking for. Playing it, I have come up with two new originals, and thatās the real indicatorā¦ it inspires my creativity.
Iād like to thank all of those who offered constructive advice and suggestions as I did my due diligence. 
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Wow!! How did I miss your post with the Cutless pics before?!? Such a great looking guitar!! Great choice! 