This is an interview which appeared in Milwaukee's Shepherd Express interview about the KSulton Bass sometime during the week commencing Monday 8th May 2006.
Milwaukee’s Cascio Interstate Music and Archer Guitars has introduced the K Sulton Signature Electric Bass. Its namesake, Kasim Sulton, first gained notoriety playing bass with Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. Among others. he’s played with Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates and is currently part of the New Cars. Mike Houser, CEO of Cascio Interstate/Archer, recently offered these details.
What is the history of Archer brand guitars?
It started about 2001 as a student to intermediate-level guitar. Primarily to compete with Fender’s Squier line, some of the Epiphone line, and the lower-priced Ibanez and Yamaha guitars. There is also a mid-level range that competes more closely with Mexican Fenders and mid-range Yamaha and Epiphone. I tell kids you can be a listener of music and buy an iPod for $250 or I can have you in an amp and a guitar for about $99. Why be a fan when you can be a player?
Is Archer Cascio’s house band?
Yes. They are designed here in Milwaukee and built overseas mostly in China and some in Korea. We have designers and luthiers in our repair shop and musicians who give lessons, who give us feedback.
How did the idea for the K Sulton bass come about?
I’ve know Kasim for about 10 years, from when I was on the board at Summerfest. When I got to Interstate Music, he was playing Spector basses, which are much more expensive. I asked him, “What if we could design a bass for you that would be every bit as good as Spector—better hopefully— and would be in the $500–$600 range.” He said, “For the average player to move from an entry–level bass like a Fender Squier which is around $300 up to the next level is often $2000–$3000, which is outrageous.”
We built him a prototype in December of 2003 and he started using it on the road with Meat Loaf. We went through six or seven prototypes for him to get what he wanted. He plays a lot in studios and on the road and didn’t want two different basses. He wanted to play the same bass.
Was the idea to be a step up to an intermediate–level bass?
In his case it is a pro-level bass at a price of or below an intermediate-level bass.
Is the bass a person buys off the rack the same bass as the one Sulton plays?
Yes. It is exactly the same. Which is pretty amazing. I was with him in Frankfurt, Germany at a music industry show and played one right out of the box.
The $499 K Sulton Bass includes gig bag and will be available in early May. More information can be found at www.KSultonBass.com.
Archer KSulton Bass Sell Sheet.
Designed and road-tested by bassist extraordinaire Kasim Sulton throughout Europe and the U.S. on tour with The New Cars, Meat Loaf and Todd Rundgren. Sleek double-cutaway design offers best-in-class features at an unbeatable price.
The KSulton Signature Bass at a glance:
Elegant, offset double-cutaway resonant ash body offers balanced, lightweight design for comfort during extended gigs on stage or in the studio.
34”, 24-fret fret Canadian maple neck (truss-rod adjustable) with rosewood fretboard. Neck-through construction with low-profile heel gives the player unparalleled access to all registers with low, fast action.
Lightweight, high-density KSulton bridge offers precise intonation with infinite adjustability to accommodate a wide variety of players’ styles.
Beautiful Deep Smoke translucent stain finished in polyurethane for beauty and durability.
Specially wound, artist-approved P/JB pickup configuration offers the widest variety of tones imaginable.
Whisper-quiet active electronics complement pickups for remarkable tone - ideal for stage or studio.
Comes equipped with Elixir strings to enhance tone.
Protected by Archer One-Year Warranty.
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