“Tailored for today's guitar virtuosos”: Ernie Ball Music Man has given Jason Richardson’s signature Cutlass a serious upgrade, with some potentially game-changing pickups

Ernie Ball Music Man (EBMM) has overhauled Jason Richardson’s Cutlass signature guitar with the firm’s recently innovated HT humbuckers, resulting in a new design “tailored for today’s guitar virtuosos”.

Arriving in six- and seven-string variants – and with the choice of either Venetian Red and Kokiri Forest finishes – the Jason Richardson Artist Series Cutlass HT electric guitar swaps out the existing model’s custom pickups for Heat Treated alternatives, which it reckons will take the performance of the bona fide shred machine to new heights.

EBMM first unveiled its proprietary HT pickups in 2022. At the time, the patent-pending pickups ushered in a fresh approach to humbucker and single-coil design, and were said to be the result of “decades of guitar string research”.

In practice, the HT line utilizes a new material specifically designed for the pickups, which are said to “outperform normal spec pickups” by providing extra output and improved touch sensitivity.

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After making their debut on standard Cutlass, Sabre and StingRay models, the HT units have slowly been making their way into the wider EBMM family. In 2023, for example, they were introduced into Steve Lukather’s signature lineup.

Now, Richardson – the progressive rock virtuoso of Born of Osiris and Chelsea Grin fame – has had his own signature Cutlass similarly revamped, with some HT 'buckers specificaly tailored to his own tonal tastes.

“These new pickups are a level up. More body and fullness, effortless pinch harmonics,” he says of his newest signatures. “I’m stoked to have more variations for everyone to choose from with my models now.”

Pickups aren’t the only new spec in this drop, though. For the first time, a maple burl top has joined the lineup, exclusively available on the limited-edition Venetian Red model, which in turn can only be acquired directly through EBMM.

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The Kokiri Forest option, meanwhile, opts for a buckeye burl top, but apart from that both models otherwise subscribe to Richardson’s desired spec sheet.

That means each offers an alder body, either a roasted/figured or standard white maple neck, and a 24-fret ebony fingerboard, as well as a Custom Music Man Floating Tremolo, a five-bolt sculpted neck joint and Schaller locking tuners.

Both the six-string and seven-string versions are available now for $3,599 and $3,799, respectively.

Visit Ernie Ball Music Man for more.