I have been gassing for a Status Series II recently but after swapping out the electronics in my Series 1 have managed to get well within spitting difference of the same sound and, in some respect's it's more refined. So I was also looking at a Moon MBC5TN which, like the Thumb 5 is a through neck with wenge laminates but walnut instead of bubinga. Slightly different sound and significantly cheaper and over half the price of a Series II these days. So I've started asking myself whether a Thumb 5 might be do-able. But whenever I've played one acoustically it's sounded and felt a bit dull compared to what I'm normally used to. So I don't know...I'm still in two minds. I do like how they sound on records though.