Acinonyx Short Scale Bass was inspired by Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta, Omar Rodriguez, Marilyn Manson), then reimagined by Carey Nordstrand.
The Acinonyx (genus for Cheetah) is a well thought out, modern reinterpretation of the Goya Panther. Carey sorted out the design flaws of the Goya and there really were a number of interesting issues he needed to work through. String pull, switch assignments sorted out, Carey developed this bass with ease of tone selection and overall playability in mind, but the ultimate goal is for the bass to be as fun to play as driving a race car.
The Cat Bass, as it’s lovingly known as, is now available in two variations. The original Acinonyx Short Scale Bass and the V2 Acinonyx Bass.
Acinonyx (Cat) Bass
2 propriety (of course – it’s what we do) single coil chrome cover pickups.
4 push button pickup selector switches (including “all in” series mode).
4 tone selections including flat, traditional tone roll off, heavy tone roll of, and mid notch.
Acinonyx V2 Bass
3 proprietary single coil pickups.
4 push button pickup selector switches (including “all in” series mode).
1 Volume, 1 Tone Knob.
Acinonyx Short Scale Bass Specs:
780mm scale (about 30.7”)
17mm spacing at bridge.
38mm wide nut.
Alder body with Indian Rosewood fingerboard.
Parchment and Tortoise pick guard options.
Very light weight – averaging 6.5 pounds.
2 way spoke wheel truss rod.
Classic colour options: Lake Placid Blue, Olympic White, Surf Green, Black, and Dakota Red.
Compound radius for excellent playability.
D’Addario Nickel Round Strings.
Proprietary custom US Hipshot bridge.
Proprietary custom licensed Hipshot oval tuning machines.
Cat Bass Quality Control
Every Nordstrand Cat Bass is checked over and QC’d by Nordstrand’s Swiss bass tech Maurilio “Mo” Mina. Once inspected these are the sent to Tone Merchants where we give a final once over to ensure nothing happened in the shipping. Then onto you on a trek and trace shipment.
Additional Pickguards
You can purchase additional pickguards to pimp your Cat Bass to have your own look. Choose from Tortoise Shell, Parchment, Black or Pearl. These can be purchased in the checkout as an additional option. We cannot sell these separately after your initial purchase.
Cat Bass Gig Bag
Take your Nordstrand Acinonyx Cat Bass out with you in style with the custom Gig bag. With Acinonyx (Cheetah) print graphics and logo & awesome Cheetah print lining throughout the interior. This gig bag is functional and turns heads, so wait until your see people’s reactions to when your unleash your Cat Bass from within!
GFLEX 20mm Interior Padding for Impact Resistance.
Spare Guitar Pick Storage on the Patent Pending Pick-Clip Zipper Pull.
Cheetah print graphics and logo on the front.
Cheetah print lining interior.
Carry in Comfort with Padded Backpack Style Straps and Contour Back Padding.
Reinforced Carry Handle.
Store Sheet Music, Strings, Mute and Accessories in Exterior Mesh Pocket.
Internal Headstock and Bridge Reinforcement to Prevent Wear.
Additional Internal Pads to Protect Bottom of Guitar.
Tone Merchants are the official distributor for Nordstrand Audio in New Zealand and Australia.
ExcellentBased on 37 reviews![]()
Morgan Edwards16 May 2024Brad’s advice was instrumental in helping me to choose the gear that was right for my needs. What’s more, Brad’s customer service was second to none. I am pleased to have been able to purchase my epic Genzler rig (Magellan 800 + NuClassic 2x12) through Tone Merchants, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend them to anybody looking for equipment (pickups, amps, hardware and more) for their bass or guitar.
David “Denial” Mortenson1 May 2024I can't tell you enough about how Brad helped me out of a jam, I was on tour recently in NZ/AUST with LIVE - (Bass Tech) and I had a tuning peg get damaged in transport and Tone Merchants were the only dealers on that side of the world with the peg I needed. Brad was so fast with an email response and express shipping of the peg I was back up and running with in a couple days. Thank you Brad, I will always recommend and hopefully stop in and see you next time I'm in town!!
Brenten Blury29 April 2024Brad sorted some amazing fralin pickups at a great price and included some extra covers due to a stock discrepancy. Very helpful and good service. Thanks!
Matthew Berg28 April 2024After doing plenty of hunting for a replacement bridge for my Rickenbacker bass i stumbled across Tone Merchants. The communication back and forth while i waited for the import to arrive was great.... Prompt shipping to me in Australia at a very reasonable cost! The tone, playability and most of all functionality of this upgrade is second to none. 10/10. It's just like a cup of Dilmah - "Do Try It".
Marty Forrer8 April 2024I purchased TI Jazz Flats and prewired Jazz control plate from Tone Merchants. Excellent products and excellent service.
Olivier Holland19 March 2024Fantastic shop stocking some top notch gear, most notably Genzler amps! Massive 'thumbs up' and recommendations!
Matt Harvey14 March 2024Legendary. Great advice from Brad regarding modding options aswell as a wicked service in the explanation as to what each can do for your tone. The concentric knob control plate was simple to install, looks amazing on the US Fender and with the series/parallel switches my tone control is spot on. A slick and stylish vintage look and an even better sounding jazz bass.
Seamus Jolly14 March 2024Fantastic service, and what a bass! Highly recommend these guys. Thanks again Brad
Julian Pettitt11 March 2024Can't speak highly enough of Brad, great to deal with, knowledgeable and professional. Bought the Genzler Magellan 800 amp and Bass Array 4x10 cabinet and have never sounded better! The whole band is stoked on the tone and clarity of my rig, thanks Tone Merchants!
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